Peter Gary Sr. (abt. 1762 - abt. 1843)

Born about Dec 1762 in Sussex, New Jersey

Husband of Catherine (Custer) Gary — married 29 Jul 1790 in Berlin, Somerset, Pennsylvania, United States

Descendants

Died about Nov 1843 at about age 80 in Turkeyfoot, Somerset, Pennsylvania, United States

Biography

Peter Gary was born about 1762, in New Jersey. ^[1]

He married Catherine Custer, 29 Jul 1790 in Berlin, Somerset County, Pennsylvania. ^[1]

Peter passed away about 1843, in Turkeyfoot, Somerset County, Pennsylvania. He is buried in the Sculton Cemetery, Somerset County, Pennsylvania. ^[1]

Peter Gary Given Name: Peter Surname: Gary Sex: M Birth: ABT 1762 in ,,New Jersey Death: NOV 1843 in Turkeyfoot,Somerset,Pennsylvania Burial: Scullton Cmtry,Somerset,Pennsylvania The Gary's appear to have been part of the exodus during the 1700's ofpeoples from the war torn and devastated area of Germany called thePalatinate. They were either German or German-speaking Swiss. There issome evidence the original name may have been Geri, Gehri, or somethingsimilar. The earliest known progenitor of the Gary/Geary family in America wasPeter Gary, a Revolutionary War soldier who enlisted in NorthhamptonCounty, Pennsylvania. He may have been from a German settlement in NewJersey. His brother Killian was married in Zion Lutheran Church inHunterdon County New Jersey in what was then New Germantown and is nowOldwick. Peter appears to have read German and may have spoken it. He hadtwo German Bibles in his possession and belonged to the German ReformedChurch in Somerset County PA where he lived after about 1785. Peter served as a fifer with the rank of sergeant in the 4th Reg iment of Artillery, Pennsylvania Line. "Line" is the equivalent totoday's National Guard. States furnished and paid their troops to supportthe federal army and navy. Each company had a fifer and drummer, positions generally reserved forboys ages 10 to 17. Normal age for service was 18 to 53. Peter, whoserved from March 1782 to June 1783, was not assigned to a company, butto the regimental headquarters, as a member of the regimental band, rather than to a company. This regiment did not always fight as one unit.For example, on March 12, 1782, a roster only by numbers of soldiersshowed 70 were in eastern Pennsylvania, 34 at Pittsburgh, and 131 inSouth Carolina. If one can determine where the regimental commander was,Peter was probably nearby. Records, however, are poor. The regiment during Peter's service was credited with service in twosouthern campaigns that resulted in the battles of Savannah andCharl eston. Many artifacts from these battles are on display in museumsin Savannah and Charleston. A 1782 regimental by-name roster in the Pennsylvania State Archivesreveals those soldiers Peter mentioned in his pension application.Unfortunately, a 1930's interpretation of a 1782 clerk's poor handwritingplaced Peter's name in Pennsylvania Archives as "Peter Gunner." Peter and his brother Killian moved to what is now Somerset County in1785 (the county was formed from Bedford County in 1795). Peter purchased144 acres in Somerset County. At about that time land was selling therefor 25 cents an acre. Subsequently, in 1807, Peter Gary learned of theAct of Congress which provided free land to Revolutionary War veteransupon application. Peter asked if any land were available "on theMissouri." No such land was available. On November 25, 1808, the President of the United States,Thomas Jefferson, and a future president, James Madison as Secretary ofState, personally signed a grant of 100 acres to Peter Gary for hiswartime service [Military Bounty Land Warrant 361, Act of 1806, Volume211, pg 258, Order 201971, U.S. Department of the Interior,Bureau of LandManagement.] The land was located in Coshocton County, Ohio [Lot 22,Section 2, Township 6 North, Range 6 West.] As was a widely accepted practice, it appears Peter Garysold the grant almost as soon as he received it. Killian were awardedland near Lancaster Ohio for his wartime service and moved to Ohio anddied on his farm there. At the time Peter and Killian moved to theSomerset area, it was virtually frontier country. Three years before innearby Greeneville, Indians had massacred nine persons and capturedtwelve. It had been only 31 years since the young George Washington, seeking to oust the French from FortDuquesne (present day Pittsburgh) was BIOGRAPHY: !MILITARY-SPOUSE: Rev War Pension record of Peter Gary;;National Archives Revolutionary War Pension Claim W. 3675; ; NationalArchives File, Copy (partial) in poss of James J. Ge ary, Harrisonburg VA.NOTE: Enlisted (date not stated) in Northhampton Co PA about 7 milesnorth of Philadelphia, in Col. Butler's PA Rgmt; transferred 15 Mar 1782and served as musician in the 4th Rgmt PA Artillery; discharged asSergeant 7 Jun 1783. BIOGRAPHY: !MARRIAGE: Marriage record; 1790; Berlin Lutheran & ReformedChurch records; ; Hist & Genealog Soc of Somerset Co PA; NOTE: Peter Garymarried Catherine Kester, 29 July 1790, pastor Cyriacus Spengburgperformed ceremony. BIOGRAPHY: !RESIDENCES: History of Bedford, Somerset, and Fulton Cos PA;1796; ; ; ;NOTE: A Peter Gary listed on Milford Twp tax list for 1796. BIOGRAPHY: !RESIDENCES-CENSUS-CHILDREN: Index, 1800 Fed Census, Bedford Co PA; 1800; ; ; Bedford Co HistoricalSociety; NOTE: One child under 10. 1820 U.S.Census, Somerset Co PA; 1820; Microfilm Roll 111; p 188; NatlArchives, Washington DC; NOTE: Living in Milford Twp, Age 45+, 2 whitemales under 10, 1 10-16, 1 white female under 10, one 10-16, 1 45+. 1830 U.S.Census, Somerset Co. PA; 1830; Microfilm Roll 161, p 16; NatlArch; NOTE: Living in Turkeyfoot Twp., Age 60-70, 1 white male 10-15, 115-20, 1 white female 10-15, 1 15-20, 1 50-60. 1840 U.S.Census, Somerset Co PA; 1840; Microfilm Roll 494, p 144 ; NatlArch; NOTE: Age 70-80, 1 white male 20-30, 1 white female 60-70. BIOGRAPHY: !LAND: Request for survey; 1786; ; ; ; NOTE: Peter Garyrequested a survey of 100 acres in order to satisfy his warrant dtd 17Oct 1786 for 100 acres that was granted Philip Marshall by warrant dtd 12Oct 1786 for 300 acres. BIOGRAPHY: !LAND: Court order, 8 Sep 1827 term; 1827; Index to SomersetCo PA Sheriff's Deeds, Book C; p 361; Co Courthouse, Somerset, PA; NOTE:date of acknowledgement, 4 Sep 1827, Peter Garey, defendant ordelinquent, Peter Garey Jr, purchaser, 144 acres Milford Twp; James J.Geary, Harrisonburg VA, could not find this record. BIOGRAPHY: !LAND: 1834 tax list; 1834; Turkeyfoot Twp, Somerset Co PA; ;NOTE: Peter Gary 93 acres, rate 9, 60 clear, 1 horse, 1 cattle, 1 house valued $407, Co tax $2.42. BIOGRAPHY: !LAND: 1835 tax list; 1835; Turkeyfoot Twp, Somerset Co PA; ;NOTE: Peter Gary, 93 acres, rate 9, 56 clear, 1 horse, 1 cattle, 1 housevalued $438 BIOGRAPHY: !PROBATE-SPOUSE-CHILDREN: Probate packet for Peter Gary; 1843;Co clerk, 1843; dtd 22 Apr 1843, Somerset Co. PA, will dated 22 Apr 1843,Catherine Gary quit claim dtd 20 Nov 1843; NOTE: copy in poss of JamesGeary, Harrisonburg VA; will later nullified. BIOGRAPHY: !PROBATE: Account of administrator of Peter Gary's estate;1843; county clerk, Somerset Co PA; ; copy in poss of James J. Geary,Harrisonburg, VA. Military: The Garys appear to have been part of the exodus during the1700's of peoples from the war torn and devastated area of Germany calledthe Palatinate. They were either German or German-speaking Swiss. Thereis some evidence the original name may have been Geri, Gehri, orsomething similar. Military: The earliest known progenitor of the Gary/Geary family inAmerica was Peter Gary, a Revolutionary War soldier who enlisted inNorthhampton County, Pennsylvania. He may have been from a Germansettlement in New Jersey. His brother Killian was married in ZionLutheran Church in Hunterdon County New Jersey in what was then NewGermantown and is now Oldwick. Peter appears to have read German and mayhave spoken it. He had two German Bibles in his possession and belongedto the German Reformed Church in Somerset County PA where he lived afterabout 1785. Military: Peter served as a fifer with the rank of sergeant in the 4thRegiment of Artillery, Pennsylvania Line. "Line" is the equivalent totoday's National Guard. States furnished and paid their troops to supportthe federal army and navy. Military: Each company had a fifer and drummer, positions generallyreserved for boys ages 10 to 17. Normal age for service was 18 to 53.Peter, who served from March 1782 to June 1783, was not assigned to acompany, but to the regimental headquarters, as a member of theregimental band, rather than to a comp any. Military: This regiment did not always fight as one unit. For example, onMarch 12, 1782, a roster only by numbers of soldiers showed 70 were ineastern Pennsylvania, 34 at Pittsburgh, and 131 in South Carolina. If onecan determine where the regimental commander was, Peter was probablynearby. Records, however, are poor. Military: The regiment during Peter's service was credited with servicein two southern campaigns that resulted in the battles of Savannah andCharleston. Military: Many artifacts from these battles are on display in museums inSavannah and Charleston. Military: This is the site for the 4th Pa. Continental Artillery Regimentre-enactors in Michigan. The pages show the regimental uniforms andcannon, and that regimental band members wore reverse colors. There'salso a good description of just how an artillery regiment fought in theRevolution. Peter served in this regiment. This is the site for music played by a reenactment group that once formedboth Revolutionary and Civil War bands, but now does only the Civil Warband. To our great fortune, the re-enactors recreated the band of the 4thPa. Continental Artillery Regiment (officially, the 4th ContinentalArtillery Regiment Band of Musick, or the 4th CABOM, for short -- get it?Ka-boom!). The site includes mp3 music samples of what the band wouldhave played on the instruments of the time. Peter played in this band. David Geary is beginning to believe Peter played in a band that was moreceremonial than combat-oriented -- more to improve troop and publicmorale. He reported to a band conductor. Perhaps he also did some battlecalls for the regiment. Note that in combat the colors and the musicianswere targeted by the enemy first because they served as the lines ofcommunication. Military: A 1782 regimental by-name roster in the Pennsylvania StateArchives reveals those soldiers Peter mentioned in his pensionapplication. Unfortunately, a 1930's interpretation of a 1782 clerk'spoor handwriting placed Peter's name

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} Find A Grave: Memorial #148661586, database and images (accessed 24 May 2018), memorial page for Peter Gary (1763–Nov 1843), citing Sculton Cemetery, Somerset County, Pennsylvania, USA; Maintained by L Winslow (contributor 46875728).

• https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/LC56-JVB
• Peter Gary, "Find A Grave Index"

Web page: https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QK1P-VMJ7 Citation: "Find A Grave Index," database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QK1P-VMJ7 : 5 July 2020), Peter Gary, ; Burial, , ; citing record ID , Find a Grave, http://www.findagrave.com.

• United States Rosters of Revolutionary War Soldiers and Sailors, 1775-1783," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:7XTQ-H1T2 : 1 March 2021), Peter Gary, 1 Jun 1840; citing Military Service, Turkeyfoot, Somerset, Pennsylvania, United States, Citing various published state rosters, United States; FHL