Revolutionary War Soldiers Series: Remembering William Manker
Editor's note: Next year, the United States of America will celebrate its semiquincentennial, its 250th anniversary. The semiquincentennial marks the first nationwide celebration of America's birth since the bicentennial in 1976. Of course, America's independence cannot be celebrated without also honoring the efforts of the Revolutionary War soldiers that led to independence. The Waw-wil-a-way Chapter of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution, along with the Southern Ohio Genealogical Society will be presenting a series of articles featuring Revolutionary War soldiers who lived and died within the borders of Highland County.
By Betty F. Crum and Pat Young
Waw-wil-a-way Chapter Daughters
of the American Revolution, 250 Project
William Manker was born Jan. 7, 1765 in Maryland about 30 miles from Baltimore. He was drafted for the Virginia militia in October 1781 while living in Berkley County, Va.
He served for six months under Capt. William Baldwin in a regiment commanded by Colonel Riddle. In his deposition, recorded in the Highland County Probate Court Oct. 28, 1833, Manker testified that he “marched under the said officers toward Yorktown, Virginia to join the American Army. Before we arrived at Yorktown, the British Army had surrendered (Oct. 19, 1781). A part of the prisoners was on their way toward Winchester under a guard. We were ordered by our commanding officer to join the guard, and we marched to Winchester, where I served my time of six months guarding said prisoners.”
In this same deposition, Manker describes his journey.
After the close of the war, he lived in Berkley County eight years then moved to Hampshire County, Va., where he lived for eight years. Manker then moved to Fayette County, Pa. for two years and Belmont County, Ohio, and lived there 13 years. He moved to Clinton County, Ohio for one year and moved to Highland County.
There are 67 pages in the fold3.com database describing the lengthy communications between Manker and his widow, Sarah. Manker received a pension for his service. After the Revolutionary War, Manker volunteered for the Pennsylvania militia at Redstone Fort in Brownsville, Pa. to serve against the Indians. During this time, he marched to the mouth of the Muskingum and the Northwest Territory, traveling by water (Ohio River) to the mouth of the Licking River at Fort Washington (Cincinnati) on to the Miami River towns against the Indians.
Manker describes the Indian attacks while encamped near the Indian town of Chillicothe. “We burnt several Indian towns on the Scioto River.”
William Manker married twice and had 24 children, 17 being boys. Sarah Powers, his second wife, received a widow’s pension on May 10, 1855. He is listed in the DAR database. Manker April 29, 1839 and is buried somewhere in Highland County.
For history "buffs," the folds.com pension files (https://www.fold3.com) give very vivid descriptions of military life on the frontier.