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You may be surprised to learn that one of George Washington's officers lived in the Hazleton area. His name was William Betterly and he owned a farm near Drums. The information came to light in the February 6, 1896 edition of the old Hazleton Sentinel when it was reviewed by a Standard-Speaker staffer.
The text of the article follows:
Ransom Young, aged 86, braved the storm yesterday to drive to town from Drums.
He came here to file his annual claim against Uncle Sam with the United States Commissioner Hill for the death of his son, who was killed in the war.
Mr. Young is a venerable old gentleman, and his appearance excited the attention of a Sentinel reporter, who interviewed him.
The old man was then shivering with the cold after alighting from the sleigh. It was some time before he recovered sufficiently to talk.
Then he made the interesting statement that one of George Washington's officers was his neighbor. The officer was William Betterly, who owned a farm near Drums, and his son, Tom Betterly now lives in Butler.
This is history which perhaps few people in this vicinity ever thought of. It is a fact which has never been printed before, and everybody in this locality will take pride in the knowledge that anyone directly or indirectly connected with the "Father of Our Country" lived in this locality.
Ransom Young is a white-haired man who has not been blessed with an overabundance of this world's goods. How he came to be a pensioner he related to this reporter. It is best told in his own style. He said:
"We had three sons in the army. One day one was wounded and we got a letter.
"Says I to my wife, 'We will go down to Washington and see him.' We got there on a Saturday. The day before the doctors took his leg off. He lived until Thursday.
"We had children at home so I sent the old woman back and I stayed. After our boy died I had to wait till Monday to get leave from the government to take him to be embalmed and paid $26. Then we buried him in Butler.
"Another son had his two legs cut off on the railroad. When he enlisted he left his engine, and Pardee promised if he lived to come back he should have his berth again.
"He came back to lose both his legs, and might as well have lost his life. Two of my brothers fought in the war of 1812 with 'Injuns'.
"I was the youngest, and I growed up poor. My father owned 65 acres of land which he bought from William Betterly, who was George Washington's staff officer.
"The Betterlys lived in the valley all their lives, and Tom, his son, now lives in Butler at the foot of the mountains.
"Yes, I often heer'd him speak of Washington and of the terrible time they had at Valley Forge and Germantown and on the Delaware.
"It was my wonder that my boys were soldiers because we all liked old man Betterly for the part he took in the Revolution. Who wouldn't respect such a man? And it was only natur'l that our boys growed up to be army fighters."
One of the few women who served as a Revolutionary War soldier is buried in this district. In the St Johns Cemetery is the tombstone of William C. Betterly who died in 1841 at the age of 83 years.
His wife, Anna, who died in 1860 at the age of 102, is buried by his side and service emblems are on both their tombstones.
Betterly served in the infantry under George Washington and again in the War of 1812.
Mrs. Betterly went to war in 1776 and was both an "enlisted man" and was the cook to General Washington. History does not tell why Mrs. Betterly did not go with her husband again in 1812.
Mr. Betterly waited a long time for his pension. He was granted his pension in 1818. Mrs. Betterly had a longer stretch. She was given her pension in 1845.
June 17, 1932
BA-J/MLB xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx WILLIAM BETTERLEY W. 3330 Mr. Karl Goedecke P. O. Box 341 Hazleton, Pennsylvania Dear Sir:Reference is made to your letter relative to William G. Betterly, a soldier of the Revolutionary War.
The data which follows were obtained from the papers on file in pension claim, W. 3330, based upon the military service of William Betterley in the Revolutionary War.
He enlisted and served as private from 1775 until June 30, 1784, when he was discharged from Captain Haskell's company, Colonel Henry Jackson's Massachusetts regiment. During a part of this time he served in Captain Rufus Lincoln's company, Colonel Brooks' Massachusetts regiment. He was in the battles of White Plains and Monmouth and in several skirmishes. He enlisted at Worcester, Massachusetts.
He was allowed pension on his application executed April 16, 1818, while a resident of Nescopeck, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, aged "above sixty years".
In 1820, he was living in Sugarloaf Township, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, with a son, name not stated, who had a wife and three children, their names also not given.
He died November 30, 1841, in Butler, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania.
Soldier married in 1778, or February 14, 1783, in Trenton, New Jersey, Ann or Nancy Marshall.
She was allowed pension on her application executed December 23, 1843, while living in Butler, Pennsylvania.
In 1858, soldier's widow was aged ninety-five years and still residing in Butler, Pennsylvania.
It was stated that William Betterley or Betterly and his wife, Ann, had several children in 1790, but the only names given were:
Thomas, born September 20, 1784, and in 1847 residing in Huntington, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania.
George, aged fifty-two years in 1846, and living in Butler, Pennsylvania, at which time he stated he had two brothers older than himself but did not give their names.
A careful search of the War of 1812 records of this office fails to show a claim for pension on file on account of the service of William Betterly, under any spelling of the surname.
Very truly yours,
A. D. Hiller Assistant to Administrator
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