Do you have War of 1812 ancestors? If so, have you found military records for them? Over the years I’ve searched for 1812 military records for several of my ancestors. I have yet to find any.
However, I recently found reviewed the book, History of Preble County, Ohio and found that it includes a recollection of Col. George D. Hendricks which discusses the formation of a volunteer corps in Preble County.
Preble in the War of 1812
History of Preble County, Ohio: with Illustrations and Biographical Sketches (N.p.: H. Z. Williams & Bro., Publishers, 1881), page 40; digital images, Archive.org, http://www.archive.org viewed online 7 November 2022.
The following is from the recollections of Col. George D. Hendricks:
“Captain James I. Nesbit, of New Lexington, Built a stockade fort seven miles north of New Paris, and was stationed at that place with a small detachment of Preble drafted men, and upon the siege of Fort Meigs, was ordered to that locality. This left the settlements at Eaton and about New Paris and Richmond, Indiana, exposed to Indian depredations from the northwest. The settlers, as a means of safety, built block-houses in many places. One of them was upon the Brookville road south of Robert Miller’s residence, then owned by John Hopkins.
“On Sunday, when many of the settlers had assembled for divine worship, and after the close of a very impressive service, one of the elders proposed to raise a volunteer corps (to be composed of men who were exempt from the draft because of their age), to guard the frontier against the mauranding bands of savages who had recently killed one man on Whitewater, and two men on Twin creek.
“The proposition met with general approval, and about twenty men volunteered. john Goldsmith was first on the list, and then came Silas Dooley, Sr., Moses Dooley, sr. James Crawford, Elihu Hopkins, William Sellers, Elder George Shidler, John Carter
“Rev. George Shidler was elected captain and Moses Dooley, lieutenant. They garrisoned Fort Nesbit until relieved by Captain Richard Sloan of Israel township. Lieutenant Black was stationed at Fort Black with one half of Captain Sloan’s company
While this account not only identifies the citizens of Preble County that served but also the leader. Unfortunately, a search of Fold3 did not uncover any documents for George D. Hendricks or for Captain James Nesbit. Thus, it is difficult to conclude any of the records for a James Crawford from Ohio in the War of 1812 is the same James Crawford. I was able to find a record for William Castor who served under Captain James Nesbit. Unfortunately, the list in the Preble County book does not contain a William Castor.
