Christian Derr

Revolutionary War Soldier listed as Dorr Christian Derr was born about 1748 and died in Union County, PA on 23 Jan., 1824 according to his pension record from the National Archives. Christian was a Revolutionary War soldier. He was a member of "Colonel Thompson's Battalion of Riflemen" and re-enlisted once. He joined the American Army at Boston and saw action at King's Bridge, Brandywine, and Germantown. He was wounded at Germantown and later discharged. After this he served as a privateer aboard the Rattlesnake, a history of which appears in the book, "American Privateers," E. S. Maclay, 1899. In his pension records, Christian signed his named as both Derr and Doerr. Also, his pension record states that he had 11 children but it does not name them, only those which were still living with him - Daniel who is listed as a cripple and Joseph. Derr, Christian, West Buffalo, aged, in 1820, seventy-two. Enlisted at Reading, in Captain Nagle's Company, Colonel Thompson's Regiment, and served one year; re-enlisted in November, 1776, in Captain Moore's company, Colonel Humpton's regiment, and served in the battle of King's Bridge, 11th January, 1777, Brandywine, and Germantown. In the last action he was wounded, had several ribs broken, and was, therefore, discharged. He was a carpenter, and had eleven children. He had three balls [bullets?] in his body, which he carried to his grave. His children were Ellis Derr, Mifflinburg; Samuel, Uniontown; Henry, Schellsburg, Bedford County; Susan, married to Jesse Egbert, afterwards David Kline, of Hartley; Polly, to ____ Jones, of Sugar Valley; Elizabeth, to William Kepner, moved to Venango; John, Oley township, Berks; Catherine, to Henry Barrich; Christian, junior, who died in Spring township, Centre County, in 1852. His children live in and about Bellefonte: Daniel, Rachel, married to William Young; William, in Benezet; Christian and Solomon, in Bellefonte.