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The Frederick Family
How it all began...

More than 250 years ago a ship set sail from a port in Rotterdam in the Netherlands for a long journey across the Atlantic. On board were 563 men, women and children. Nearly all were Germans leaving their homeland for a new start in a new world.

18th century Germany was hardly the nation we know it to be today. It was a mix of some 80 territories each with its own ruler and each with borders that were in constant flux. The families we are concerned with were from the Palatinate and Zweibrucken (Zweybreckt?) area in the Rhine River valley of southwest Germany. This area launched the greatest number of immigrants because social and economic conditions were so intolerable here and people were being taxed to death in order to support the "luxury of petty principalities."

Many of these families slipped out of Germany by loading all they could carry onto small boats and then drifting down the Rhine toward Rotterdam. In many cases residents in an "underground railroad" style support system helped families along the route. Once in Rotterdam they crammed onto ocean schooners for the trip across the Atlantic. In this case the ship took to the North Sea, then down the coastline of northern Europe to the Port of Deal in southeast England. Deal was an important service and supply stop for ships preparing to make the trip across the Atlantic.

The voyage to the new world was long and dangerous. A good crossing could take eight or nine weeks, but crossings of six or seven months were by no means unknown. Often under these circumstances food would rot or become infested and water turn brackish. Personal hygiene was non-existent and lice and disease ran rampant. Trans-Atlantic voyages were tough on experienced mariners and you can only imagine how hard it must have been on these men, women and children making their first voyage.

This particular ship was called the "Dragon"; her master was a captain by the name of Georg Spencer. In late September, after weeks of staring at nothing but endless sea, land came into view. One can only imagine how excited the families must have been. They made it! On September 26, 1749 the "Dragon" eased up the Delaware River and into the port of Philadelphia and off stepped a man by the name of Bastian Freithrick.

Bastian or Sebastian?

Bastian's descendants would later call him Sebastian Frederick. The Americanization of his surname is not as significant as the change in his first name. Calling Bastian "Sebastian" would eventually lead to a lot of confusion between Bastian Frederick and his son Sebastian Frederick (born about 1757). The fact of the matter is that in all the known official records and accounts the elder Frederick is always listed as "Bastian", "Bostian", or "Boston" but never "Sebastian". As James Robling points out, it was not until after his death that Bastian Frederick's descendants started referring to him as Sebastian. This discrepancy goes to the root of a lot of misinformation that has been perpetuated about the elder Frederick. To that end, for the sake of accuracy and consistency, the elder Frederick will be referenced to as "Bastian" and his son by the name of "Sebastian".


A painting of Philadelphia in the 1750s
Bastian was from Germany; exactly where and when he was born, is lost to history. Since the ship's passenger lists of the time normally only listed men over the age of 16, there is no way of knowing what, if any, family he may have been traveling with. However, Mr. Robling points out that on the very next day, September 27th, another ship called the "Isaac" arrived in Philadelphia from the same port in Rotterdam. The registry of passengers on this ship includes the name Johann Frieterick. While it is not certain, Mr. Robling suggests that Bastian and Johann may have been related and may have been traveling with other Fredericks who, for whatever reason, were not listed in the ship's registry.

Why were the Fredericks listed as Freithrick and Frieterick? The discrepancies in the spellings might be attributed to the fact that at that time German names were roughly translated to English. Phonetic spelling of names was common. In fact, if you look into the early families of Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson and Andrew Jackson you will find a number of variations on the spellings of their surnames.

In 1749 Philadelphia was the place to be. It was the second largest city in the new world, probably the most impressive settlement in its diversity and design. It was a thriving metropolis of about 40,000 residents and the gateway for many immigrants to the colonies. William Pitt's original vision for this grand city included a well-organized grid for city streets with roadways built twice as wide as other cities. In some areas large homes and gardens filled the city blocks. More importantly to a German immigrant, there was plenty of work for everyone.

While the first Germans had arrived decades earlier, the Fredericks were on the first wave of a sudden flood of German immigrants to the colonies. In the five years from 1749 to 1754 some 90,000 Germans made the trip across the ocean. Germans thrived in their new home, despite being one of the few groups of immigrants that did not speak English.


Engraving of settlers arriving
Upon arriving in Philadelphia, most Germans gravitated to the suburb of Germantown. Many families settled here while others stayed just long enough to save up some money and head off into the wilderness.

Mr. Robling believes, but cannot prove, that Bastian Frederick was in Germantown. He has uncovered Revolutionary War pension papers of a Jacob Frederick who lived in Washington County, Pennsylvania (an area that covered a vast territory of the western wilderness) who noted that he lived in Germantown during the war. Bastian Frederick is known to have also lived in Washington County. Mr. Robling suggests Jacob and Bastian Frederick may have been related.

Many of the German settlers were members of the Dunker and Moravian faith. These Dunkers, or German Baptists, practiced a pious faith based on total allegiance to God. They were called Dunkers because the practiced baptism by dunking a person face first in the water three times for the Holy Trinity. They sought to worship without interference from the outside. Ideally these groups would try to avoid any involvement with the government including paying fees, taxes or registering marriages or land claims. They felt that the land was God's and not anyone else's to own or sell. Many times they would move west into the wilds of the Appalachians to get as far away from the government as possible.

While Mr. Robling cannot prove that our Fredericks were Dunkers, he has found that in the late 1740s and early 1750s some of the Fredericks who were living in Germantown moved into Frederick County, Maryland to a Dunker settlement. That does not prove that our Fredericks and the Fredericks that went to Maryland were of the same family, but they both were likely in Germantown at the same time and it seems reasonable that they might have at the very least known each other.


During the 1740s Moravians from Germany are credited with bringing many holiday customs to the colonies, including the story of St. Nicholas.
Mr. Robling writes that if our Fredericks were in fact members of the Dunker or Moravian faiths we should be thankful for what little information we have about these early years. This way of life would have meant they would avoid what few government records existed at that time.

The Dunkers were pacifists to the point of persecution. It is written that if forced, they might serve in the military as a chaplain or medic; however, it was against their beliefs to serve as a soldier. Mr. Robling suggests that our Fredericks served in militias to protect their homes and land, but most likely did not serve as actual soldiers under British or colonial command.

Bastian Frederick was married to a woman named Mary. Her maiden name, her date of birth, the date and location of their marriage is not known. We know that her name from two separate petitions to congress in 1797, where she is called Mary Frederic, (sic) widow.

Where did they go?

There are at least two theories on exactly where Bastian and Mary went once they left the Philadelphia area. One story suggests they moved more than 200 miles from Philadelphia into the heart of the Appalachian Mountains to an area along the south branch of the Potomac River in Northern Virginia. The location would later be known as the town of Moorefield, in Hardy County West Virginia. According to this theory it was from here that the Fredericks and the Catt family would later move to the area near Fort Pitt Pennsylvania.

I have not seen any documentation to prove the Fredericks ever had a settlement in Hardy County. If you have any information supporting the presence of Bastian Frederick in this area at this, or any other time I would love to see it.

Mr. Robling suggests the Fredericks never went to Hardy County, but went west right into the area where the Ohio, Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers meet, an area that would eventually be known as Pittsburgh. From "The History of Beaver County, Pennsylvania" it is noted that in the 1750's both "a Dunker from Pennsylvania" and a Moravian came here looking for a place to settle." "The History of Fort Pitt" mentioned that there were a group of Germans who lived here and that they had there own unit, and their own commander. In other words Germans did live in this area during this time period, and secondly they did not serve under the British. Was Bastian Frederick among them? No one knows for sure.

In 1748 the king granted the Ohio Company 500,000 acres of land west of the Allegheny Mountains between the Monongahela and the Kanawha Rivers. This land was to be free of tax for ten years. The Ohio Company was to settle 100 families within seven years (1755) and build a fort to protect the families. It is possible that this was the impotence for Bastian moving to this area either as a settler or a member of the militia brought in to man the forts.

This was the wild west of the time. Dense forests inhabited only by Indians and wild animals covered the vast wilderness.


A model of Fort Duquesne source
At this time the French controlled the region. The fort located at the convergence of the three rivers was a French outpost called Fort Duquesne. In 1755 British Major General Edward Braddock was sent to the area with a large regiment of men and members of the Virginia Militia to take care of the pesky French and take over Fort Duquesne. On July 9th, just seven miles from the fort, the French, with the help of Indian allies routed Braddock's forces. In all some 900 British troops were killed or injured. Braddock and most of his officers were among the dead. George Washington, who was leading the Virginia Militia under Braddock, wrote home to his mother that he had two horses shot out from underneath him and bullet holes in his coat.

Robling shows that Frederick was in this area as early as 1755 and maybe even earlier. In 1755 this area where Bastian Frederick had settled was considered part of Frederick County, Virginia. At a court martial held on September 2, 1755, in Frederick County, delinquents of Wm. Bathal (Bethell), Capt. Of Foot (which means captain of the foot soldiers) Bastian Frederick (note that his name is listed as Bastian and not Sebastian) was fined for missing muster. In 1755 Bathal was a Captain in Frederick County, Virginia. This proves that Frederick was a part of the Frederick County militia in 1755.

The British eventually took control of Fort Duquesne in 1758 and renamed it Fort Pitt.

Mr. Robling believes that the Fredericks were in the area during this entire time. They were likely squatters who lived on the land but never claimed the property. It would have been impossible for them to legally own any property in this area. Why? The Indians got along with the French much better than they did the British. When the Brits ran the French out of the area Indian raids against settlers, led in part by the Ottawa Chief Pontiac, increased. Part of the reason may have been that French settlements were more widespread, and tended to be more solitary trappers and soldiers living in military outposts. The English colonists were made up of mainly families who farmed and established homesteads and communities. The English settlers were perceived by the Native Americans to be a greater threat, and possibly easier targets. So you had a situation of Indians attacking settlers and settlers attacking Indians. In an effort to ease tensions, in 1763 the British ordered all settlers out of the area west of the Appalachians.

If the Fredericks were in this area, as Mr. Robling suggests, they could not have legally owned the property and there would be no record of them living here.

It was not until the Treaty at Fort Stanwix in 1768 that the areas west of the Appalachian were officially opened up for colonists to make legal claims to the land.


The raised area of this map shows the confluence of the
Lower Traverse Creek and Raccoon Creek in present day
Raccoon State Park. This is likely the general area outlined
in the Fredericks' 1770 land request.
Mr. Robling writes that In 1770 Bastian Frederick applied for a land grant for 400 acres on Traverse Creek. This was land across the Monongahela River and about 25 miles northwest of Fort Pitt and in an area that is now part of Raccoon State Park in Beaver County, PA. Traverse Creek flows into Raccoon Creek, which is where Bastian's son Peter asked for 400 acres of land. It is possible that their land was right alongside each other.

Since they both asked for this land at the same time you can assume that Peter is at least 21 years old, meaning he could have been born, at the latest, in 1749. That is the year Bastian arrived in Philadelphia. It makes you wonder if Peter was on the boat with his parents, or if he was born shortly after their arrival.

In 1772 Lewis Frederick requested 400 acres on the Monongahela River. This land would not have butted up with his father's and brother's. Since Lewis had to wait until 1772 to make his request, it is possible that he was born in 1751.

Mr. Robling does not believe that any of the Fredericks ever received deeds to the property, as he has never been able to find any records that they ever paid taxes on the land or sold the property.

There may be a good reason why. Mr. Robling references the book "The Border Controversy Between Pennsylvania and Virginia 1748-1785" by Boyd Crumrine, which outlines the chaos that prevailed over just who controlled this area. The land was in dispute for so long that, in some cases, deeds were not issued until as late as 1780.


This 1770 map shows the Saw Mill
across the river from Fort Pitt source

Further evidence of the location of Bastian Frederick's settlement can be found in "Old Virginia Court Records in Pennsylvania 1775-1780" in minutes of the Yohogania County court at Fort Pitt, Saw Mill Run is described as being "on the west side of the Monongahela River and flows into the Ohio River." In other words this was the trace or road located at the sawmill that sat just across the river from Fort Pitt. Court records from September 1775 note that Boston Frederick (Note the name Boston not Sebastian) was given charge over the upkeep of the road from the Saw Mill run to Fort Pitt.

Mr. Robling offers further evidence that Frederick was in Beaver County, Pennsylvania and not Hardy County, Virginia by the fact that two of Bastian's daughters would marry men from Beaver County.

Mr. Robling drives home the point by showing that if Bastian Frederick lived in what is today Beaver Co., PA from the 1750's to 1781 it would coincide with these facts:

- 1755 militia duty of Frederick County, Virginia, which covers today's Beaver County, Pennsylvania.

- The records of West Augusta County, Virginia 1770 to 1780 cover today's Beaver County, Pennsylvania. When Lord Dunmore took over he changed Fort Pitt to Fort Dunmore, he claimed this area as part of Augusta County, Virginia. This is why Frederick County, Virginia lost control of this area at this time, and it then became known as West Augusta, VA.

- Lord Dunmore divided the area into three counties in 1775, which is why Bastian's name shows up in the other county records.

Regardless of all the boundary changes one thing that never changed was where Bastian lived, which was the Beaver County, Pennsylvania area.

Bastian Frederick's service

We know that Bastian served in the militia, thanks in part to the fact that he was not a perfect soldier. As was mentioned earlier, in 1755 Bastian missed muster under Capt. William Bathal (Bethell). Bathal was in charge of the foot soldiers on the frontier. There are no records listing all the men that served under Bathal, only the ones who were reprimanded, so let us give thanks that he missed muster or this early service may have been lost to history.

There are two mentions for Bastian Frederick in the Pennsylvania Archives (Penn. Archives S. 2, Vol. 17 and S. 3 Vol. 23) so it is proven that Bastian Frederick did serve in the revolution, but to what extent we do not know. These two mentions could have been pay vouchers, or some other trivial mention, but regardless he did serve to some extent. This would entitle a descendant the right to join the DAR under his name, but without a doubt he would never have qualified for a pension for his service, had he lived long enough to apply for a pension.

Mr. Robling notes that Henry Bouquet (1719-1765) was a Swiss who was in command of the Germans in this area because he could speak the language. There are no known lists of the men under his command in this area between in the 1750s and 60s; however, Mr. Robling is convinced that Bastian did serve as a Ranger of the Frontier. If we can ever make the connection of Bastian Frederick to Bouquet other pieces of the puzzle could fall into place.

Lord Dunmore's War source
In October 1774, Gwathmey writes in his "Historical Register of Virginia and the Revolution" that he presumes Bastian Frederick took part in a battle against the Shawnee Indians at Point Pleasant in what would later be known as Lord Dunmore's War. This victory over the Indians opened the Ohio River valley to more settlers.

Mr. Robling elaborates on this point by again referencing Bockstruck's "Virginia's Colonial Soldiers." On page 148, Bockstruck writes that in the "fall of 1774 Bosham Frederick & John Conger both served under Major John Connelly". John Conger would eventually become Sebastian's son-in-law.

In 1775 Gwathmey writes that Bastian Frederick went to Fort Pitt to collect back pay for his service in the Virginia Militia.

Bastian Frederick may have served with the famous "Stokely's Rangers" when they were captured by Indians in November 1782. They were released January 6, 1783 after two months in captivity. This may be the same group that participated in the massacre of Moravian Indians at Gnaddenhutten on March 8, 1782. The militia herded Indian men, women and children who had been converted to Christianity by Moravian missionaries into a church and bludgeoned to death. It is not clear if Bastian was involved in that incident.

Mr. Robling makes the point that Bastian's son Sebastian was likely never captured by Indians. If that had happened there is no doubt that such a major event would have been brought up when Sebastian's widow applied for a pension.

The BIG mistake

The big mistake that has been made in researching the Revolutionary War service of Bastian and his son Sebastian has been a result of confusion over their names. Consider that it is only after his death that the Frederick family starts referring to Bastian as Sebastian and his son as Sebastian, Jr. Consider that in every 18th century record the elder Frederick is always listed as Bastian or Bostian and the son as Sebastian.

For example, his neighbors called him Bostian as evidenced in Virginia Court Records in Pennsylvania by Crumrine (page 304) Records of Deeds for West Augusta, Virginia. It reads that at a court held in Augusta County, Virginia held at Fort Dunmore on February 23, 1775 there was a deed describing a mans land that said "lying on the waters of Traverse Creek joining Bostian Frederick."

He was called Bastian Frederick in 1785 in regard to the donated land in Indiana. His own daughter was still calling him Bostian in 1820 when she signed her power of attorney in Beaver County, Pennsylvania.

As a result of the confusion, when 20th century descendants have inquired about the elder Frederick's service in the Revolutionary War they have mistakenly asked for information on Sebastian Frederick when they should have been asking about Bastian Frederick. When you consider the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission is searching 18th century records it is obvious that the discrepancy is critical.

See for yourself.

A document dated August 9, 1967 from the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, Bureau of Archives and History states the following:

"This is to certify that one Sebastian Fredrick was enrolled sometime during the period 1780-1783 as a Sergeant, Captain Samuel Cunningham's First Company, Second Battalion, Washington County Militia, according to evidence of an undated Company Return. Signed William H. Work, Chief Division of Archives & Manuscripts. Residence ascribed: Peters Township."

Another document from the same state office confirms Sebastian Frederick's service under Cunningham, specifically in the summer of 1782. A letter dated May 21, 1969 states:

"This is to certify that, under the Militia Loan of 1 April 1784, a certificate of public debt, Number 2026, in the amount of £5.12.0, was issued in the name of Sebastian Frederick for a tour of active duty in the Washington County Militia, which he performed as a member of Captain Samuel Cuningham's Company during the period June 22 -July 23, 1782. Signed William H. Work, Chief Division of Archives & Manuscripts. Authority: Interest Register Volume A, page 68 Militia Loans of 1784 and 1785, "Public Debt," Records of the Comptroller General, at the Division of Archives and Manuscripts.

Both of these documents have been cited as proof that the elder Frederick served in the Revolutionary War, however they could not be more wrong. These documents are clearly referring to "Sebastian Frederick" and in records from the 1700s "Sebastian Frederick" was the son not the father. This could be bad news for descendants who have based their membership to the Sons or Daughters of the American Revolution on this information, especially if they are not direct descendants of the younger Frederick.

Mr. Robling also points out that Bostian Frederick and his sons were not even in Pennsylvania at this time. They were in Indiana at the time, showing up in a 1783 head count in Vincennes. Sebastian's name was not on that list. That is because Sebastian and his wife, Anna Maria Catt, were living on land they owned on the banks of the Monongahela River at the site of what would eventually become Homestead, Pennsylvania. Sebastian and Anna were married at Fort Pitt in 1778. They settled on this land that was just around the river bend from Sebastian's parents and up river from the Catts.


This map shows the location of Sebastian Frederick's land, just up river from Fort Pitt. source
In May of 1784 records show that Sebastian Frederick "conveyed the tract to Matthew Hay." It seems Hay had money problems, so Sheriff David Williamson deeded the tract to Alexander Lowry. A 1788 map of Mifflin Township clearly shows the Frederick and then Lowery claim to the land. All the records list his name as Sebastian, not Bastian.

Mr. Robling suggests that while the other Fredericks went to Indiana, Sebastian and his new wife stayed behind, remaining closer to her family. But they did not stay long. The collection of his money for serving in the militia in April 1784 and then the sale of his land the very next month seems to indicate that Sebastian was pulling up stakes and moving on, most likely moving to Indiana. We know that this is about the time that Sebastian Frederick and the Catts, his in-laws, and several other families moved on to Indiana.

Sebastian Frederick's service

In addition to records from the State of Pennsylvania evidence that Sebastian Frederick, Jr. served in the Revolutionary War comes from his wife Mary's application for his war pension. On February 15, 1839, 82 year old Mary (Catt) Frederick appeared before Judge James Hillman at the Circuit Court in Indiana. She told the court that she was the widow of Sebastian Frederick and that he deserved a pension as provided by an act of congress on July 4, 1836.

Mary Frederick said that her husband was a private in Captain Minter's militia in Pennsylvania and volunteered as a spy. She testified Sebastian entered the service at age 19, though that she did not know the exact dates of his service. She claimed that her husband served in a number of campaigns including helping to build Logstown under the command of General Gibson. She claimed that he served no less than two years during the war.


A map showing Fort Pitt. The formation at the tip of
the point is the outline of the old Fort Duquesne.
Mary got the support of her brother, 89-year-old Phillip "Scratch" Catt. He was already receiving a pension of $40 per year for his service in the war. On February 16, 1839 he claimed that his brother-in-law was with him during a campaign against the Indians with General McIntosh. He claimed, though his memory was a little foggy, that Sebastian was a private under Captain Morgan and Col. Gibson. Catt also stated that he and Sebastian served as privates under Captain Jacob Tevibaugh.

Colonel Gibson took over control of the Seventh Virginia Regiment from Colonel William Crawford. When formed in 1775, the 7th was the first considerable body of men raised in the Monongahela country for service in the revolution. With formation of the 7th and later the 13th it was noted as being remarkable that such a sparse area could produce enough men for two full regiments that could be placed in the field by 1777.

On June 30, 1842 Michael Thorn testified on Frederick's behalf stating that he had witnessed Sebastian and Anna Maria Catt's wedding and that he recalled Sebastian serving at Fort Pitt and Redstone prior to 1783.

Despite the evidence, the judge denied the request for a pension because he did not serve six months.

Why leave Pennsylvania? Why stay?

While we do not know the exact date that Bastian Frederick left headed west, we can narrow it down to a couple of years. We know that Bastian signed a petition in Pennsylvania in 1781, and we know that he shows up in the Vincennes, Indiana head count in 1783. It is clear Bastian was traveling some sometime between those dates.

There is no shortage of reasons why he and a large group of other families may have decided to head west to Indiana.

One theory could explain why there is no record of Bastian Frederick or his sons owning land in Beaver County. There are several accounts that the Fredericks were squatters, that is they lived on the land without ever owning or paying taxes on it. In the time that they lived here Mr. Robling notes that the land was under control of (1) Frederick County, VA, (2) District of West Augusta, VA, (3) in 1781 Washington County, PA. It was after the area was named Washington County that things went haywire. Crumrine writes there were so many problems with who owned what that it caused "anarchy and confusion." Many letters of protest were written and the most common clause of these letters was "Villainous Banditti" which Mr. Robling takes to mean wicked bandits.

Mr. Robling suggests that Bastian may have been one of the unhappy ones, considering he was a hard headed German who left his homeland to get away from government control, only to watch it happen all over again in the wilds of western Pennsylvania.

In 1779 Col. Daniel Brodhead was placed in charge at Fort Pitt. History remembers him as a great patriot and Indian fighter; however, settlers near the fort had an entirely different opinion.

In 1781 dozens of settlers, including Bastian and Sebastian signed a petition asking for Col. Brodhead and his right hand man David Duncan to be removed. In the letter to the Executive Council of the State of Pennsylvania, citizens claimed Brodhead was corrupt and that laws were not being enforced.


Pittsburgh in 1790 source
They felt the freedom they had fought so hard to win from the British was being compromised by the military laws set by Brodhead. They also claimed that the fort had fallen into such a state of disrepair that they were vulnerable to attack by Indians.

Brodhead did not seem to be much happier than the settlers. In numerous letters back to his commanding officers in Philadelphia he writes about the terrible conditions his troops were dealing with. They had no food; no clothes and soldiers were leaving the ranks. He warned that some of his best soldiers were leaving his Pennsylvania ranks and joining up with the troops from Virginia. Brodhead writes of facing the possibility of taking food by force from nearby residents. He also writes that he fears the impoverished conditions have made the fort vulnerable to Indians, and British troops based out of Detroit.

Off to Indiana

Off all the places to go in the wilderness, why did they choose the Indiana territory? Robling suggests it was because of John Conger, a man who served with Bastian Frederick under Major John Connelly in 1774. Conger was a scout for George Rogers Clark and had made a trip to deliver Clark's seal to Vincennes, Indiana. Robling has found that Conger was in the southwestern Indiana community as early as 1778. Since Conger was a hunter, and a man of the land, it is likely that he followed the Tuscarawas Trail all the way from Beaver County to Indiana.

The Tuscarawas Trail, or the Great Trail as it is sometimes called, was an Indian trace that extended from western Pennsylvania and then into eastern Ohio. One branch went north toward the Great Lakes, however a southern route extended on into southwest Indiana.

With the promise of huge tracts of land to settle, it probably did not take much convincing by Conger to get Bastian Frederick and a number of families from Beaver County, Pennsylvania to make the trip. Frederick and the others could have loaded everything they owned onto boats and floated down the Ohio, after all the dense hardwood forests of southern Indiana made travel by wagon next to impossible. However, since dozens of families were traveling with the Fredericks getting everybody, their possessions and supplies on boats does not seem practical. It makes more sense that this group of pioneers traveled by land, especially considering the Fredericks and probably many of the others in the group were already familiar with the trail.

Before the Fredericks set out, several Indian battles occurred along the trail involving General McIntosh, whom we know Sebastian had served under. Colonel Bouquet also led many successful campaigns against the Indians along this trail. We know Bouquet led a militia of Germans from Beaver County, but we have never been able to connect the Frederick's directly to Bouquet.

Earlier it was outlined how Gwathmey wrote that Bastian Frederick might have served with the famous "Stokely's Rangers." In 1782 these rangers massacred the Moravian Indians at Gnaddenhutten. Gnaddenhutten sits right on the Tuscarawas Trail. If in fact Bastian Frederick was involved in this massacre, he would have been familiar with the trail. It is also worth noting that if in fact Bastian was present at the attack that he left for Indiana just a short time later.

The circumstantial evidence seems to point to the theory that the Fredericks were familiar with the trail and likely used the route to travel to Indiana.

Mr. Robling has found that Sebastian was not the only Frederick to stay behind in Pennsylvania once Bastian moved on. In 1775, Bastian's daughter Anna Catherine married John Small (German name Schmahl) and they had children born in the 1770s. The couple lived in Beaver County, PA and he served as a Major during the American Revolution. John Small was born on September 19, 1747 in York County, Pennsylvania and died in Beaver County, Pennsylvania on September 19, 1819. He and his sons owned a considerable amount of land just west of Traverse Creek, where they lived their entire lives.


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