Lt. Joseph Wheeler

A Patriot of the American Revolution for PENNSYLVANIA with the rank of CORPORAL. DAR Ancestor #: A123972

Biographical Summary:

Joseph Wheeler (c. 1726-1790) served as a Lieutenant in Braddock's Army and a private in the Invalid Regiment during the Revolution. He is buried near the Fort which was built on his farm in 1778.

SOURCE: James Pyles

Biographical Summary #2:

Info added per the DAR's "Lineage Book of the Charter Members" by Mary S Lockwood published 1895 saying he was a "lieutenant in Braddock's army and a soldier of the Revolution."

"Young Joseph and Maria Holmes Wheeler purchased rights to land from the Indians as members of the Susquehanna Company. Joseph is listed in the Susquehanna Papers, Vol 1, as going with the "Connecticut People" to Wyoming. This appears to be about 1762. In Vol X of the Susquehanna Papers, Joseph was found at "Shawnee Flats about 6 miles from Wilksbarre, a settlement there under Pennsylvania early in the Spring of 1769. Joseph Wheeler, 2 of the Van Campens, Joseph Sheer(?), Bob McFree (?) and one or two more had houses and ploughed and planted. Witness helped to survey twice, one Lot called #20 and another #21. Obviously, Joseph had switched sides in the interim, is no longer with the Yankees, but with the Pennamites. Many references in the Susquehanna Papers support this. The Pennamite-Yankee War (or Wars) is the name given to fighting which occurred between 1769 and 1799 between settlers from Connecticut who claimed the land along the North Branch of the Susquehanna River in the present Wyoming Valley, and settlers from Pennsylvania who laid claim to the same territory. Because the combatants were from Connecticut and Pennsylvania, the wars are also known as the Yankee-Pennamite Wars ."

In Will of Joseph Wheeler, date 2 Nov 1782, Fort Wheeler is mentioned, which was located on his land. A complete account of Fort Wheeler may be found in "Frontier Forts of PA". Vol. I, though refers to him as Mr. Isaiah Wheeler of New Jersey, this is in error. Joseph Wheeler served as a Lieutenant in Braddock's Army and a private in the Invalid Regiment during the Revolution. He is buried near the Fort which was built on his farm in 1778 -

SOURCE: Information from Dorothy Shannon through Evelyn Smith,James Pyles.

Biographical Summary #3:

"...Fort Wheeler was built on the western frontier of Pennsylvania during the American Revolution. It was built on the property of Joseph Wheeler, father of Elizabeth Wheeler Drake Goodan. Even though some newspaper articles written at the time the monument was erected assign the ownership of the property to Isaac Wheeler, there can be no doubt that it was the property of Joseph Wheeler. In his will, Joseph describes one parcel of land as being "down by the old fort".

During the days of the American Revolution, the colonists living on the Pennsylvania frontier needed protection from not only the British, but the Indians as well. The British were paying $8.00 for the scalps of the settlers. Raids on the settlers were a common occurrence. So the colonial government charged Moses VanCampen with the task of building a fort for the protection of the settlers around Fishing Creek.

When the alarm was sounded, sometimes a child ran shouting through the community, all the settlers would run to the protection of the one of several forts scattered along the frontier. The arrangement was certainly not foolproof. It is believed that most if not all of the settlers abandoned the forts for extended periods and moved to safer areas of the state. During the 1781 tax collection, Daniel Goodan can be found in Augusta Township, probably living in Sunbury, PA. He paid taxes on property he owned in Wyoming Township "where he used to live". Many of his Fishing Creek neighbors can be found living near him in Augusta Township.

The site of the fort is hard to find today. No one in the small college town of Bloomsburg, PA seems to know that there ever were outposts of civilization nearby called forts. Today a dog kennel operates on the property near the site of Fort Wheeler. Because a gravel company once operated near the site of the fort, the topography has even changed. Those living in the house on the site, take care of the monument the best they can. But, it is indeed a forgotten place that one must work to discover.

To find the monument marking the site of the old fort, one must go out of Bloomsburg on US11. Taking a country road to the left, head toward Lightstreet. The site of old Fort Wheeler is very near Interstate 80..."

SOURCE: Unknown

Message: 1
Date: Fri, 3 Oct 2008 13:28:15 -0400
From: "Evelyn Smith" <evelynk@bright.net> Subject: Re: [WHEELER] [WHEELER-L] Joseph Wheeler/Maria Hooms To: <wheeler@rootsweb.com> Message-ID: <003101c9257d$6bf64090$b6d95845@PREFERRE00265B> Content-Type: text/plain;charset="us-ascii"

I cannot say without equivocation that your Wheelers are not related. But, the elder Joseph Wheeler in question who died in Bucks County, PA SEEMS to have migrated to the colonies to England sometime before 1724 when he married Petronella (many spelling variations) Schoonmaker. His marriage record indicates he was born in "Oud Engeland".

I first find Joseph Wheeler living among the Dutch in Ulster County, NY in the area of Wiltwyck or Esopus. These were settlements in close proximity to Indian villages where the Dutch settled. You must remember that the reference to "Dr." probably meant that the locals called on him to administer herbs during an illness. I have a primary record with that reference but will have to search for it as I do not have it among my current citations.

The following notes come from my webpage: Dr. Joseph Wheeler came to the colonies and settled in Kingston sometime before 1724. Again records of the Old Dutch Church bear this out: Marriage

1. 527 "Joseph Wheeler, j.m. (young man - means never been married) born in Oud England (Old England) in Walsland (Wales) and Pieternelle Schoonmaker, j.d. (young woman - means never been married) born in Rayester - (Baptismal and Marriage Registers of the Old Dutch Church, Kingston, Ulster County, NY 1660-1809 Formerly known as Wiltwyck, and often called Esopus, pg 545). Joseph and Petronella Wheeler moved their family to the Minisink area along with the Schoonmakers.

These notes are from my genealogy database: Notes for Petronella Schoonmaker: SPECULATION: It is possible and suggested by some that Petronella anglicized her name to Eleonora. After Joseph's death she remarried a John Baker. A marriage is recorded at Swede's Church in Philadelphia for Eleonora Wheeler and John Baker; however, the date for this marriage, January 16, 1764, is problematic. (The marriage could have been recorded late). In the Moravian Diaries ("The Dansbury Diaries: Moravian Travel Diaries of Rev. Swen Roseen and others 1748-1755 in the area of Dansbury, now Stroudsburg, PA"), it is recorded that one Elenora Baker acted as interpreter for the Moravian Missionaries with the local Indians in far eastern PA in the area of Bucks County. The "Diaries" speak of Elenora's unmarried son, John Wheeler, (John is Jan anglicized). It also speaks of a daughter, Susannah, of John and Elenora Baker. Some details that support this theory is that a John Baker appears in Northumberland County (Supply and State Tax Lists, 1778) in the same time period with the Wheelers. Also, between 1750 and 1755 Joseph Wheeler and John Baker are listed as residents of Lower Smithfield Township, Dansbury. This is a family with an intense proclivity for naming children with family given names. The younger Joseph Wheeler named his first daughter, Elenor (established naming pattern). Elizabeth Wheeler and Daniel Goodan named a daughter Susan. To date, Susannah seems to be the only source for the name Susan. Unless, Daniel Goodan's mother was Susan (This suggestion not based on evidence but naming patterns, eldest daughter named after father's mother.) Petronella grew up in the "wilderness" of Esopus, Ulster County, NY (now Kingston) where she would likely have learned the Indian dialect.

There are only two children attributed to Joseph and Petronella Wheeler, Joseph and Jan (John). The children of the younger Joseph(my line of the family) migrated to Kentucky and Ohio some stayed behind in PA. I do not know where others may have gone. The younger Joseph, the son of Petronella and Joseph Wheeler died in Northumberland County, PA in Wymoning Twp. However, his wife, Maria Holmes (variations on spelling) migrated to Kentucky with her children. Later known as Mary Wheeler.

From my genealogy file:
Notes for Maria Alice Holmes: Said to be christened July 4, 1733, Minisink, Orange County, NY. burial after June 22, 1797, Mason County, KY near Blue Licks, Ky. Dr. Andrew McMillan, husband of Effie Drake Wheeler, is said to have seen her grave in 1826.

Records of Dutch Reformed Church at Smithfield, PA (now Monroe County): "September 4, 1748 Joseph Whieler, young man born Esopus to Molly Homs, young woman b. Smithfield and both dwelling there. Rev. J. C. Freymuth" Vol. 8, Proceedings of the NY Genealogical and Bigraphical Society (1928).

2. Captain Joseph2 Wheeler (Joseph1)3 was born September 04, 1726 in baptised in Esopus, NY in the Dutch Reformed Church, and died Bef. March 01, 1787 in Wyoming Twp., Northumberland County, PA4,5. He married Maria Alice Holmes September 04, 1748 in Smithfield, PA6, daughter of Samuel Hooms and En Hobeson. She was born July 04, 1733 in baptised Minisink, Bucks County, PA, and died Bef. 1800 in probably on the old Wheeler farm on the "Blue Licks Pike' Mason County, KY7.

Notes for Captain Joseph Wheeler: Penna Archives 5th Series, Vol 1 pg 312 "Officers 1st Battalion Penn Regiment year of 1760, Joseph Wheeler, Ensign

Vol IV pg 93: List of invalid Regiment discharged April 1783, Joseph Wheeler Corporal

"Old Dansbury" lists Joseph Wheeler as a Lieutenant in the Smithfield Militia Company 1 September 1763 and an inhabitant of Lower Smithfield Township from 1750 to 1755

Joseph Wheeler, who had served as lieutenant under Braddock, was a soldier in the Revolutionary War. Upon his farm in 1778 was built Fort Wheeler as a protection for the pioneers in case of an attack from the marauding Indians.

This is all I have in my database respecting Jan (John) Wheeler. I do know I have other records not found 3. Jan2 Wheeler (Joseph1) was born July 28, 1728 in Lower Smithfield Twp., Monroe County, PA. He married Rebecca Roberts July 30, 1749 in Lower Smithfield Twp. Bucks County, PA12.

Child of Jan Wheeler and Rebecca Roberts is: 14i.Rebecca3 Wheeler, born June 23, 175113.

I don't have time to do this any more right now. I get sucked into this so easy and I have so much to do. Hope this helps and gives some clues for further research. Please share with me how you are descended from the Wheeler family. In case you don't know it, Lyndon B. Johnson is descended from Joseph Wheeler thru his daughter Elenor who married Robert Desha. Their son, Joseph Desha, was governor of Kentucky. The Desha family moved to Tennessee and later descendants moved to Texas. I believe that one of Lucy's children has the middle name "Desha". There is also a good restaurant in Maysville, Mason County, KY called "Desha's"

Please share with me any information you find.

Evelyn Smith - Fourth great granddaughter of Elizabeth Wheeler Drake Goodan daughter of Joseph and Mary Wheeler.

Will:

In the name of God Amen, I Joseph Wheeler of the County of Northumberland being weake in body but sound in memory blessed be God to this day November second in the year one thousand seven hundred and eighty two, make and publish this my Last and Testament. In manner following--that is to say, after all my lawful debts be equally levied. First, I give my son JOHN WHEELER all that message of land laying on the west side of Fishing Creek only reserving that pease of timberland laying between clearing and the creek for use of all the Plantation until the timber is off and then the land to remain the property of my son JOHN WHEELER. Next my wife MARY WHEELER I bequeath all my land on the east side of the creek with the moveables to remain her property during her widowhood for the support of herself and the three younger children and at her decease it belonging to the two younger sons SAMUEL WHEELER and LEVY WHEELER to be equally divided only observing that LEVY is to have ye old homested with the buildings and if my son SAMUEL WHEELER should marry and chose a labour for himself my wife may allow him the lower part by the old fort with the buildings all laying in Wioming Township on Fishing Creek and if either of my sons should die without an heir his part of the land shall belong to the other two and after the estate being clear of debt my sons to give my daughter ELLEN one cow and likewise one cow to my daughter ELIZABETH and to my daughter ANN, I bequeath twenty pounds, likewise to my daughter MARY W. forty pounds and my youngest daughter FEEBY WHEELER forty pounds and if an;any of my daughters should die before their legese be paid their part is to be divided with the other children. And if any of my heirs disagree and will not perform according to my will and testimony they shall forfeit their part of the estate. And I make my loving friends ANDREW CAMEL and GEORGE OMAN overseers of this my Will to take care and see this same performed to my true intent and meaning. In witness whereof I the said JOSEPH WHEELER have to this my last will and testimony, set my hand and seal the day and yeare above written.

SOURCE: Joseph Wheeler Will - Page 72 Will Book #1, Northumberland County, PA. Will Recorded 22 Nov 1790.