John Yost (1743 - 1826)

Born 1743 in Lancaster, Pennsylvania [uncertain]

Ancestors

Husband of Rebecca (Bonham) Yost — married about 1768 in Colony of Maryland

Descendants

Died 1826 at about age 83 in Virginia, United States

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Biography

John Yost performed Patriotic Service in Maryland in the American Revolution.

John Yost was the fifth child of Hans Casper Yost. He married Rebecca Bonham; they had eight children.

According to tradition in the Yost family, John served in the Revolutionary War under General George Washington and was in the battle of Lexington. With his father, Casper and his brother, Henry he made guns for Washington's Army.

Washington’s diary entry for March, 1770 shows that he was staying with his friend Robert Alexander. The two used to hunt together and on that occasion, he rode to “George Town” (a village eight miles upstream from Alexandria, Virginia) to pick up his rifle from the gunsmith John Yost for £6 and 10 shillings (about $1,500 in today’s currency). His preference for high firearm quality can be gauged from the fact that during the Revolution, Yost made rifles for American troops and invoiced them at £4 and 15 shillings each. ^[1]

During the War, John and his brother Henry Yost of George Towne (now Georgetown, Washington, D.C.) manufactured muskets and bayonets for the American forces. Henry (Heinrich) and John (Johannes) Yost (Youst) entered into contract with the Revolutionary Committee of Safety as early as October 1775 to produce muskets and bayonets exclusively for the Continental Congress for one year. They committed themselves to delivering to Annapolis 75 muskets with bayonets by May 1776. But they ran behind, and by May 1 the weapons had not yet arrived in the capital of the Province of Maryland. Therefore, they received a letter admonishing them. They then committed themselves to producing not only the 75 weapons by May but to deliver an additional 25 each following month to Major Price of Georgetown. They must have completed the first order by May 23, because Col. Beall was told on that day to deliver muskets produced by John and Henry Yost to the company stationed in Port Tobacco on the Potomac.”^[1]

YOST, John — Georgetown, Md. Revolutionary War period. YOST, John— Montgomery County, Md., before and after 1771-83. Musket and rifle contractor to Committee of Safety in 1775. ^[2]

John and his brother Henry were the two sons of Hans Casper and Eleanor (Marshall/Moerschel) Yost, who removed from Maryland into the southwestern part of Virginia. Henry migrated down the Wilderness Trail (Shenandoah Valley), but John traveled down "east of the blue ridge" by way of Culpeper and Charlotte.

John and Henry's history in Virginia is in what is now Tazewell and Wythe Counties. Both were prominent gunsmiths of Maryland during the Revolution and both served in the German Regiments of Maryland. After the war, they farmed for a while but in later years, both moved into town and opened up tanning shops and conducted the business of saddle and harness makers. It is said of the early Yosts that they were poor farmers but excellent tradesmen, excelling in the making of "wagons, saddles, harness and transportation smithing."^[3]

Wednesday, 25 Sept 1776: Ordered: That Mr. John Yost of George Towne deliver to Lieutenant Frederick Skinner all the Musquets he has ready made for the public service.

Friday, 1 November 1776: Ordered: That Western Shores Treasurer pay Robert Peters for use of John Yost six Pounds, thirteen shilling and six pence. Adjourned 'till next day 10 o'clock.

Mar 27, 1777: Said Treasurer pay John Yost two hundred Pounds in advance on his contract for arms."

Children of JOHN and REBECCA (BONHAM) YOST are:

i. KATHERINE6 YOST.

ii. JOHN YOST, JR..

iii. MARY YOST.

iv. ELIZABETH YOST.

v. WILLIAM HENRY YOST.

vi. SUSANNA YOST.

vii. LUCY YOST.

viii. REBECCA YOST^[4]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Revolutionary War Journal, Washington’s Mystery Firearm
2. ↑ Database of USA Gunmakers
3. ↑ Annals of John Yost Sr. (Proceedings of the Council of Safety of Maryland, seated at Annapolis; copied from original records in the Archives of Maryland and Baltimore.)
4. ↑ http://www.family-history.com/yost/Yost00HansCasper.htm

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