Valley Forge

Tyler Jacobs Composer

Edmund Edwards is a direct ancestor of George Washington Etters.

John Jacob Storts

K.P. Ketterman's 3rd great-grandfather John Jacob Storts was 13 when enlisted in the Continental Army at Red Hill, Pennsylvania, under Captain Fickle and camped at Valley Forge during that winter. In his journal he stated he woke up to find his hair frozen to the ground. His job was matross and that duty was to position the cannon. After the war he was deaf. . He stated in his pension request that he marched to Maryland to guard the prisoners and troops at Fredericktown in 1781 .He was also at Cornwallis surrender. In June or Sept. 1781 he re-enlisted from Fredericktown under Capt. Ben Fickle. Also served under Capt. Brown and Bentley and Col. Joseph Wood.

After the war he stated he lived in Frederick Co, Maryland, later in a county in Pennsylvania, and then in Ohio. When John Jacob died in Perry County, Ohio in 1852 at the age of 88 his youngest child was just ten years old! Mariah Storts Allen, was the oldest "real" Ohio Daughter of the Revolution" at her death in 1933.

George Washington writes to the colonel Alexander Spotswood:

Morristown, 30 April, 1777

"Sir:

I want to form a company for my Guard. In doing this I wish to be extremely cautious, because it is more than probable that, in the course of the campaign, my baggage, papers, and other matters of great public import may be committed to the sole care of these men. This being premised, in order to impress you with proper attention in the choice, I have to request that you will immediately furnish me with four men of your regiment; and, as it is my farther wish that this company should look well and be nearly of a size, I desire that none of the men may exceed in stature five feet ten inches, nor fall short of five feet 9 inches, sober, young, active, and well made. When I recommend care in your choice I would be understood to mean men of good character in the regiment, that possess the pride of appearing clean and soldier like. I am satisfied there can be no absolute security for the fidelity of this class of people, but yet I think it most likely to be found in those who have family connections in the country. You well therefore send me none but natives, and men of some property, if you have them. I must insist that, in making this choice, you give no intimation of my preference of natives, as I do not want to create any invidious distinction between them and the foreigners.

I am yours,

Geo Washington

"Head-Quarters, Valley Forge, March 17, 1778

One hundred chosen men are to be annexed to the Guard of the Commander-in-Chief, for the purpose of forming a corps to be instructed in the maneuvers necessary to be introduced in the army and serve as a model for the execution of them. As the Generals' Guard is composed entirely of Virginians, the one hundred draughts are to be taken from the troops of the other states."

Labon Landon was one of the privates in this corps. He had four brothers who also fought the war of Indepdence as well as his 49 year old father William Landon who was a drum major. Labon being the only one of his family to be in Washingtons' Guard.

Laban Landon, son of William and Mercy Landon, was born at what is now Hackettstown in old Hardwick Township Jan. 13, 1759.

He enlisted for five months in 1776 as Private in the New Jersey State Troops. Later he enlisted at "Smith's Clove", near the line between New York and New Jersey, and served in Capt. James Hallet's Company. His pension application states that in the latter part of 1777 he enlisted in Capt. William Helm's Company, Second New Jersey Regiment, but other records indicate that he enlisted at Hardwick, April 29, 1777, for three years in Capt. Nathaniel Tomm's Company, from which he was transferred at Valley Forge, Pa., Feb. 1, 1778, to Capt. Henry Luse's Company in the Second New Jersey Regiment, and again at Valley Forge, March 19, 1778, to Commander-in-Chief Washington's Guard under Capt. Caleb Gibbs and later Capt. William Colfax.

He served as guard to George Washington until he was furloughed at Newburgh, N. Y., in June 1783, pending the ratification of the definite Treaty of Peace, and he was finally discharged Nov. 3, 1783, with two badges of merit.

During his service he was in the battles of White Plains, N. Y., Oct. 1776; Brandywine, Del., Sept. 1777; Germantown, Pa., Oct. 1777; Monmouth, N. J., June 28, 1778; was sick at Quaker Hill Hospital Nov. 26, 1778, to Jan. 1, 1779; at battles of Connecticut Farms, N. J., June 7, 1780; King's Bridge, N. Y., July 3, 1781; and Yorktown, Va., Oct. 19, 1781, when Lord Cornwallis surrendered, and in which engagement he was wounded in both arms. .

William and Laban Landon are direct ancestors of KP Ketterman.