York County PA Archives Military Records.....Tritt, Peter November 13, 1832
Revwar - Pension 
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Nancy Poquette npoq@hotmail.com August 27, 2006, 4:13 pm

Pension Application Of Peter Tritt, Natl Archives Microseries M804, Roll #__, Application #S23974
Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, November 13, 1832, Peter Tritt, aged 77 
years: “The applicant entered the service of the United States about the 1st of 
July 1775 in a volunteer company of riflemen commanded by Captain Doudle, 
Lieutenants Henry Miller and Gill, all of York County and state of 
Pennsylvania. He entered the service in York County as a volunteer. The company 
marched from the town of York in York County to Lancaster in Lancaster County, 
from Lancaster to Reading and from thence to Allentown, and from Allentown to 
Easton in Northampton County, Pennsylvania. We then crossed the River Delaware 
into New Jersey and from thence we marched through a small village called 
Standing Stone and Waterford to Boston.”

“We arrived at Boston about the 1st of August. We went out the night after we 
arrived in Boston to take the English sentry, and were out to daylight. We took 
one of the English, and lost one of our own men. The enemy at that time were 
stationed at Bunker Hill. Our captain, on account of his conduct the night we 
were sent out, was dismissed from the command of our company and our 1st 
lieutenant, Henry Miller, was appointed captain. He remained at Boston till the 
most of the English vessels were gone.”

“The regiment to which our company was attached commanded by Colonel Hann [also 
called Hand] was then marched to New York about the month of March 1776. We 
remained in New York about a week and then went on to Long Island. We remained 
on Long Island until our term of service expired, which was some time in July. 
The arrival of the English fleet was expected sometime before our term of 
service expired. There was a small church on Long Island near where we lay, and 
we kept watch for the arrival of the English fleet from the steeples of the 
church. I remember to see the approach of the vessels from that station. We saw 
them first on Saturday about noon, and they arrived in the evening at the 
lighthouse where an English man-of-war had previously been stationed.”

“The fleet consisted of 65 sail. On Sunday about dinner time, they hoisted sail 
and approached so near that by ?seeking land, we could converse with them from 
the water’s edge. It was in cherry time, and they told us if we would bring 
them some cherries they would pay us well for them. We replied if they would 
come on shore we would give them cherries and charge them nothing. Captain 
Miller and two others who were standing some distance from me, fired their 
rifles at the vessels. They then commenced firing and we withdrew from the 
shore. Our company was detained about four days after our term had expired on 
account of the arrival of the fleet.’

“Our company was then discharged and I arrived home in York County, 
Pennsylvania about the last of harvest having served a year, the full term for 
which I entered the service. The discharge I then obtained I have since lost. 
About two weeks after I returned home, I again entered the service at 
Lancaster, Pennsylvania as a substitute for John Smith, a drafted militia man 
in a company of militia commanded by Captain Peck and Lieutenant Halebaugh (the 
name of the other lieutenant not recollected.) From Lancaster we marched to 
Philadelphia and thence to Trenton in New Jersey and thence to Princeton and 
Amboy, from there to Elizabethtown, and from Elizabethtown to New York, and 
from thence to Baring Town near New York.

“While at Baring Town, the term of service for which we were drafted, to wit, 
six weeks, expired, and I marched to Fort Lee as a volunteer in the company 
commanded by Captain Jacob Tritt, my brother, and Lieutenant Clayton. We there 
built the fort under the command of General Ewing, there being two battalions 
stationed there at that time, to wit, Colonel Bull’s and Colonel Swope’s. At 
Fort Lee, I entered the Flying Camp and remained there until the English took 
Fort Washington and drove us from Fort Lee to Trenton. When the English came to 
Trenton, we crossed the Delaware and encamped on the opposite side.”

“The morning after Christmas before day, part of our own army crossed and drove 
the Hessians from Trenton. I was with that part that was to cross below the 
falls of the river, and we were prevented by the ice from crossing, until 
Trenton was taken. On New Year’s Day following, my term of service expired and 
I returned home.”

“Again in the year 1777, I was drafted in the militia of York County, 
Pennsylvania, and not having recovered from a severe attack of fever, I was 
unable to march, in consequence of which I had to pay eighty dollars. I know of 
no surviving witness of my services.”

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