OK, first the truths...
1) I have at least one ancestor who was with Washington when he crossed the Delaware.
Maybe even two (I'm still researching)! The one I know for sure is my 6th great grandfather, Thomas McCarty (1737-1823). According to his pension papers in 1818, he enlisted as a Sergeant in the 8th Virginia Regiment in March, 1776, serving under Captain William Croghan (who confirmed this for his pension). He became company quartermaster and when the 8th regiment broke, he joined Croghan in the 1st Virginia. According to his deposition: "Some time in August after Colo. Reed [probably James Read] came up and took the Command about the middle of September came to Baltimore from thence went to Philadelphia and thence through the Jerseys to New York where we lay some time at the White Plains, thence crossed the Delaware to what was called the “Cold” Camps and there had no Tents nor Blankets nor shoes nor stockings but very hard service. Gen’l Washington passed and repassed at times and about the last of Dec’r. [25 Dec 1776] we crossed the Delaware to Trenton and took the Hessians [26 Dec 1776]." He went on to state that he stayed in the service until 1778, was never paid, and that during that time "was in many battles in which his arm and shoulder was broke his arm put out of place and hip dislocated." To qualify for a Revolutionary War pension in 1818, one had to be "in reduced circumstances," which Thomas certainly was. To receive the pension in 1821, a resident of Henry County, Kentucky, he had to list his assets:
"1 Cow & 2 Calves $20.00
1 yearling 6.00
1 Axe Broke 1 Ho D[itt]o 1.00
1 Iron wedge 1 2 gallon pot [illegible] 1.75
2 Iron spoons 1 Earthen [illegible] .25
$28.00
I have 6 Children I cannot tell where they are I have seen no one in four years except the o[paper damaged] I live with a daughter married to Thos Anderson who has a piece of Broken land no slaves.
[signed] Thos McCarty"
A very sad ending to someone who gave so much for the founding of this country. I couldn't be more proud of the man.
While I was writing this, I did a little research and found something amazing! Another of my ancestors, my 5th great grandfather, Sergeant John Sturm was one of 100 men chosen at Valley Forge in 1777 to be part of George Washington's personal guard! According to Washington's specifications, the men were to not exceed 5' 10'' or be less than 5' 9". They were to be of good character within the company, take pride in being clean and soldierlike, were to be native born (although Washington wanted that stipulation be withheld from the men so as not to create animosity with foreign born soldiers), and "men of some property" if available. It's amazing what you can find online!!!
3) I am writing a screenplay about my grandfather's 1960 Rambler.
I'm still in the outline phase, but my grandfather owned the mother of all lemons! EVERYTHING went wrong with this car, and he wrote a letter to the dealership and George Romney about it in 1962. That is the basis for my script.
2) I once shot an eagle (two strokes under par for those non-golfers out there).
I've shot par. I've shot birdies. I haven't (that I can remember) ever shot an eagle. I did think at first about making it a hole-in-one, but I thought that would be too obvious. An eagle would be a great hole worth bragging about while still being believable.
-Eric
