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Descendants of Wilhelm Minnir

Generation No. 5

7. DAVID⁵ MINEAR (JOHANNES (JOHN) GEROGE(MINEAR)⁴ MINNIR, JOHANN (HANS) GEORGE³, CHRISTIAN², WILHELM¹) was born July 31, 1755 in Buck County, Pa, and died November 20, 1834 in St. Georg , Tucker County, West Virginia. He married (1) MARY ANN (WILES) GILMORE. She was born May 06, 1804 in St. George District, Randoph County, West Virginia, and died September 29, 1882 in St. George District, Randoph County, West Virginia. He married (2) CATHERINE SAYLOR April 21, 1787 in Harrison County, West Virginia, daughter of JOHN SAYLOR and ELIZABETH. She was born December 10, 1771 in Harrison County, Virginia, and died February 09, 1833 in Randolph County, West Virginia.

Notes for DAVID MINEAR:
David was an Moravian Missionary. He did not live in the commune but sent his children to the Communal school. He bought the family farm on the Cheat River, at the edge of St. George, West Virginia. It stayed in the family until present day. He became the head of the family upon the death of his father in 1781.
He was a very interesting guy, and fortunately their is documentation on this. He was a Soldier, with Pension, in the Revolutionary War and Soldier in the Indian Wars. He came to Tucker County, West Virginia with his Father, John. In the spring of 1779 he enlisted in Captain William Haymond's Rangers where he served nine months and was discharged. In the summer of 1780 he was drafted and served six months in Captain Biscoe's Company under General Rogers Clark in Indiana against the Indians. After his marriage in 1787 he built a stone home in St. George, West Virginia, now torn down, in which school and church were conducted before buildings were built for that purpose. He died of Cancer of the Throat and is buried in St. George, beneath the Minear Memorial. He received a pension on Certificate No. 23, 565, Survivors File No. 15,932. His birth and death dates are given in Odie Chapman, "Cemetery Records of Tucker County, West Virginia".
His wedding ceremony was performed by Rev. J.W. Loofborough. In the days of his marriage the groom had to give bond that there was no lawful cause to obstruct the marriage. "The Bond" was signed by David Minear, Thomas Douglass, and John Haymond and witnessed by Benjamin Wilson. At the same time a certificate giving permission for the marriage was signed by John sailor, Eliazbeth Sailor and witnessed by Frederick Sailor and Phillip Minear; evidently John and Elizabeth Sailor were the parents of Catherine; Phillip Minear was a brother to David; Frederick Sailor was a brother to Elizabeth, Catherine's Uncle. (All these papers are on record in Book One, Page 37, Harrison County, West Virginia. David was much interested in the religious life of the colony. He went to the Methodist Conference "East of the Mountains" and had St George included in the Conference and a minister assigned to it. A separate room in his house was reserved for the minister on his visits and no other person ever occupied it.
David Minear built the first stone house in Tucker County. David was overseer of the poor in 1787 and Constable in 1789. In 1928 his descendants erected a large stone marker at his grave.

Following is a letter written by David's granddaughter, Mary Katherine
(Bonnifield) Swisher in 1914:

Though I was quite young when my grandfather died yet I remember him quite well.
He was a small man, very quiet, attended his own business and let others attend
theirs. He went to the M.E. [Methodist Episcopal] Conference more than a
hundred years ago to petition for a preacher in his back woods home. . . .

. . . Do not know how grandfather [David Minear] came to get the home place
[John Minear's homestead]. Suppose he bought out the other heirs. After he got
possession of the farm, he planted what was a large orchard for those days. Two
of the trees are still standing and bearing [fruit].

When the orchard was in its prime, I remember the red and yellow apples piled
about the old time cider mill with a hopper over two crushers made of wooden
rollers standing uprightly and with a beam to which a horse was hitched. It did
the work perfectly. The cider press was a separate
affair. A stout floor elevated a foot or two above the ground with a groove
around it near the edge to convey the cider to a point with a piece of bent tin
for a spout. On this floor was placed a layer of long straw; then a few inches
of ground apples were placed in the center leveled and rounded. The protruding
straw turned up over the apples.

Then more straw and apples till enough layers were made for a cheese containing
as much as a barrel of cider pressed out by a heavy beam. The end over the
cheese was placed in mortice in a tree or large post. Then heavy weights were
placed on the other end of the beam.

He sold the cider for $1.50 per barrel. Cheap! Yet a dollar stood for more
then than now. He built the stone house which stood where St. George is. It
served for a comfortable dwelling, also for a preaching place many years after
his death, and till the M.E. Church was built in St. George. He was decidedly
religious.

He died with cancer of the face [other source says throat cancer] and is buried
in the old graveyard on the home place. Being a pioneer and one of the few who
risked their lives, I think it just that his grave should be marked, at least by
a marble slab. But it is not!

While Uncle Enoch Minear lived, he kept it nicely fenced and cleaned up. He told
me not long before his death that he had a clause in his will that the stones in
the old house should be used to built a wall around the graves. But they were
not, but are in the abutment of the bridge across the river. Uncle Enochs
mother [Catherine (Saylor) Minear], wife, sister, and quite a number of others
besides relatives are buried there....

Pension Application of David Minear
for services in the Revolutionary War

Randolph County
State of Virginia

      Personally appeared before me, the subscriber, an acting Justice of the Peace, in and for the County of Randolph and State of Virginia on the 6th day of November, 1833, David Minear, a resident of the said county of Randolph and state of Virginia, aged 78 years and three months, who being first duly sworn according to law doth on his oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the act of Congress passed June 7, 1832. That he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers and served as hereinafter stated. that in the year 1779 in the County of Monongahela in the spring of this year I volunteered in a company rangers commanded by Captain William Haymond. Our principal station was at Morgantown. From this place we were often out on Ranging Parties until the winter of 1779-80 set in. We were then engaged in guarding the fort or town until the spring of the year 1780. I was discharged having served this company of rangers near nine months. In the spring of the year 1780 after I had been discharged by Captain Haymond, I went to Kentucky in company with my brother Phillip Minear in order to explore and view that country. We arrived at the Falls of the Ohio where Lewisville now stands. We arrived at this place about the 20th of March. We remained in this neighborhood until sometime in the month of June or July when we were drafted for a term of duty the precise length of which is not recollected. A few days after our company was formed we joined the army under the command of General Clark and marched up the Ohio River to the mouth of Licking Creek. As the canoes and boats appeared (approached) the river they were fired upon by Indians and killed and wounded nine men of whom 4 were buried in the sand on the river bank. This attack was as well as this affiant remembers about the third day after the army left the falls.
      From the mouth of Licking Creek we crossed the country then a wilderness to the Indian town called Chillicothe. We found this town evacuated by the Indians and the houses and wigwams on fire as the Indians had fired the towns before they fled. we stayed at this place no longer than to cut down and destroy the growing crops of corn which we did. We then marched to the Picua town about 12 miles from Chillicothe. At this place the Indians made a considerable stand as well as the affiant recollects. The battle lasted about three hours. At this time battle I believe there was fifteen Indians found dead, many having been removed as was the custom of the Indians to remove all their dead they possibly could I believe our losses was about 15 killed. We destroyed this town by burning the houses and we also cut down all the corn belonging to the Indians. It was supposed that at the two towns there was not less than 300 acres of corn destroyed. After the battle had ended we gathered all our dead and buried them in the floor of the Indian houses and then burned the houses down to disguise the graves. But the Indians made their boast afterwards that although we had been cunning in disguising the graves they had found them and had raised the dead and had scalped them. After the battle of Picua towm we marched back to the fort or station at the falls of the Ohio.
      When this affiant was drafted he was placed under the command of Captain Brisco. This affiant also recollects that Col. Lyon was with the army as well as the affiant remembers this army was about one thousand strong when we left the falls but not quite so many when they reached the towns.
      In the Spring of 1780 the Indians had attacked the settlements in Kentucky and had taken two stations and led the captive prisoners to the Indian towns. This as the affiant believes was the cause of the expedition of General Clark as described by affiant.
      When we arrived at home from the expedition we were ordered to keep our selves in readiness to march at a moments warning as the Indians were expected to take vengeance at first opportunity and in fact it was but a short time after our arrival that they were again in small numbers plundering the country and in some instances killed some few who were hardly enough to leave the Fort recollect that about 4 weeks after the arrival of the troops at the fort there was a man brought in who had been killed by the Indians. His name I do not recollect. I was employed the balance of that year until about the first day of December in guarding the fort and making short excursions in the country at which time I was discharged by Captain Brisco having served six months. I then with my brother came back to the county of Monongahela in the state of Virginia. In the spring of the year 1780 the Indians made an attack upon the settlement of Cheat River and killed first Barney Sims. This happened whilst I was in Kentucky. In the month of April, 1781, the Indians again made an attack upon the same neighborhood and killed three men one of which was affiant's father (John Minear) Frederick Cooper and Daniel Cannon. This attack caused Col. Benjamin Wilson to order out the militia and affiant was drafted and placed under the command of Captain Salathieal Goff under whose command I remained during this term which as well as affiant remembers was six months. During which time they were employed in excursions in every direction for many miles around the fort and in guarding the fort and in going form one fort to other forts in the county. The fort to which this affiant properly belonged was called Manier Fort upon the land of the affiant's father (John Minear). In the month of March in 1782 this affiant was again drafted and placed under the command of the aforesaid Captain Salathial Goff and was engaged during the summer in rangeing the country form Manier's Fort on the Cheat River to Wilson's Fort on the Tigardts Valley and as far as Morgantown and Dunkers Creek and when not out on Ranging parties the affiant was engaged in in guarding the fort until the time of the year had expired when the Indians usually committed their depredations. When this affiant was discharged having served full six months. That in the spring of the year 1783 in the month of April as well as the affiant remembers on the 16th day the Indians again made their appearance and commenced their depredations on the affiant's neighborhood. On this day they killed and scalped his brother, Jonathon Manier. They the Indians took from his head a large piece of scull bone and stuck it in a stump by way of triumph. This affiant was again drafted and put under the said Salathial Goff and was again employed during the spring, summer and autumn of this year in Ranging and guarding the fort as aforesaid for the term of six months. When this affiant was discharged after having served full six months. From this period to the end of the war this affiant was often actively engaged in Ranging, spying and guarding the country against the depredations of the Indians.
      This affiant hereby relinquishes every claim whatsoever to a pension or annuity except the present and he declares that his name is not on the pension roll of the agency of any state. Subscribed and sworn to the day and year aforesaid.
SIGNED: DAVID MINEAR

(THE FOLLOWING ARE ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS NOT IN THE RECORD)

I was born in Bucks County, Pennsylvania in the year 1755.

I have. It is in a book in my possession. Taken from the family record.

I was living upon the Cheat River in the county of Monongahela. I reside upon the same farm at this time but by division of counties now in the county of Randolph.

The first term I volunteered. Ever after I was drafted.

I am not certain that I knew any of the regular officers as I never served with any army except in Kentucky. I knew Captain Brisco, Col. Lyons and General Clark.

I never received a written discharge.

I refer to Thomas Parsons and Aaron Loughry as persons who can testify to my character and belief of service.

Sworn and subscribed this day above written.

SIGNED: DAVID MINEAR

      We, thomas Parsons and Aaron Loughry residents in the said county of Randoph, hereby certify that we are well acquainted with David Minear who has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration, that we believe him to be 78 years of age, that he is reputed and believed in the neighborhood where he resides to have been a soldier of the Revolution and we concur in that opinion. Subscribed and sworn to this the 6th day of November, 1833.
SIGNED: THOMAS PARSONS
AARON LOUGHRY

      And I the said Justice of the Peace do hereby declare my opinion after the investigation in of the matter and after putting the interrogatories prescribed by the War Department that he above named applicant was a Revolutionary Soldier and served as he states and I the said Justice further certify that it appears to me that Thomas Parsons and Aaron Loughry who has signed the preceding certificate are creditable persons and that their statement is entitled to credit and I the said Justice further certify that there is no clergyman residing in the neighborhood of the above named applicant and that he from bodily infirmity is unable to travel (to the courthouse of the said county of Randoph from which he resides) 30 miles and I the said Justice further certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of myself it the matter of the application of David Minear for a pension. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this 6th day of November, 1833.
SIGNED: SAMUEL BONNIFIED J.P. SEAL

Virginia
Randolph County
      I archibald Earle, Clerk of the county court of Randoph County hereby certify that Samuel Bonnifield before whom the above affidavit was made was at the time and still is an acting Justice of the Peace for said County and that to all his acts as such due faith and credit is and ought to be given as well in courts of Justice as such and I do further certify that I believe the above signature of Samuel Bonnefield to be genuine.
      In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the seal of said county this 30th day of December, 1833 and in the 58th year of the commonwealth.
SIGNED: A. EARLE, CLK R. C.

************************************************
The above was taken from the photostatic copy of the originals in the Pension Department in Washington D.C.
      A letter from the Department Of the Interior, Washington D.C., states that David Minear (Manier) was granted a pension by certificate 23, 565, of February 28, 1834; eighty dollars a year from March 4, 1831; his record number is survivors file 15932.
      This record enables any descendant to join the Daughters of the American Revolution or Sons of the American Revolution.
*************************************************


More About DAVID MINEAR:
Burial: Under the Minear Memorial in St. George, West Virginia
Cause of Death: Throat Cancer, as told by Hu Maxwell in the book, "History of Tucker County".

More About MARY ANN (WILES) GILMORE:
Burial: St. George Cemetery, Randoph Coounty, west Virginia

More About CATHERINE SAYLOR:
Burial: St. George Cemetery, Tucker County , west Virginia

More About DAVID MINEAR and CATHERINE SAYLOR:
Marriage: April 21, 1787, Harrison County, West Virginia

Children of DAVID MINEAR and CATHERINE SAYLOR are:

17.	i.	MANASSA (MANASSAH)⁶ MINEAR, b. November 30, 1788, St. George, Randoph County, west Virginia; d. January 11, 1852, Elkhart, Elkhart County, Indiana.
18.	ii.	NATHAN MINEAR, b. 1795; d. WFT Est. 1830-1886.
19.	iii.	WILLIAM MINEAR, b. 1797; d. 1843, Harrison County, West Virginia.
20.	iv.	ENOCH MINEAR, b. June 09, 1799, St. George District, Randoph County, West Virginia; d. April 13, 1889, St. George District, Randoph County, West Virginia.
21.	v.	JOHATHON MINEAR, b. May 12, 1805; d. March 04, 1842, Coalville, Ohio.
22.	vi.	SARAH NANCY MINEAR, b. Bet. 1784 - 1803.
23.	vii.	ELIZABETH MINEAR, b. November 01, 1801, Horse Shoe Run, West Virginia; d. October 17, 1888, St. George, West Virginia.
	viii.	SARAH MINEAR, b. Bet. 1783 - 1811.

Notes for SARAH MINEAR:
She died when she was 14 years old.

24.

ix.

MARY MINEAR, b. May 31, 1808; d. April 22, 1893, St. George, Randoph County, west Virginia.

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