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From: "jbnimble" <>
Subject: Re: [SNOWHILL] Riddlesberger
Date: Fri, 6 Jun 2003 22:21:30 -0400
References: <000201c32c65$b19029c0$bc00a8c0@PRESARIO>


I can't say how accurate Virginia Shannon Fendrick
generally is in her genealogical assertions. There
certainly are mistakes; she clearly accepted available
mythology rather than conducting extensive research
in some cases.

Just as with the old county histories, her work is
worth looking at, and it's a good starting point
for research to confirm or refute the relationships, but
it's not to be believed without further substantial evidence,
whether for Revolutionary service or for family relationships.

There's too much mythology (undocumented and
undifferentiated mixture of truth and error) out there already.

Richard R. Weber

----- Original Message -----
From: "Cheryll Reed" <>
To: "'jbnimble'" <>; <>
Sent: Friday, June 06, 2003 3:56 PM
Subject: RE: [SNOWHILL] Riddlesberger


> thanks for the background, Richard! Do you have any idea what the
> accuracy rate is on these entries for the genealogical info included?
> I've been trying to work with census records for each of these men who
> are noted as veterans, hoping to be able to isolate the true elements of
> the "begats" involved. :-)
> -----Original Message-----
> From: jbnimble [mailto:]
> Sent: Friday, June 06, 2003 3:43 PM
> To:
> Subject: Re: [SNOWHILL] Riddlesberger
>
>
> With all the attributions of Revolutionary "service" in Shannon's book,
> it is important to note that she has incorrectly interpreted the meaning
> of the Revolutionary militia lists.
>
> Contrary to common belief, appearance on the militia lists does NOT
> signify service in the Revolution, unless the man was an officer. The
> militia lists are a census -- a tabulation of able-bodied men of the
> area who were directed by the local Revolutionary organization to appear
> for muster. MANY did not appear; hence it is erroneous to conclude that
> "privates" actually showed up for service of any sort. Other evidence is
> necessary to demonstrate these men actually served.
>
> See for example the article containing the following:
> "The organization of the Pennsylvania Militia, as established under the
> act passed 17 Mar 1777, has never been adequately explained or fully
> understood. Complete records pertaining to the militia have not
> survived. Those which have been published in the various series of the
> Pennsylvania Archives are, in many instances, incorrectly identified and
> arranged in a confused manner. Too often, as a result, the fact that a
> man's name appears in those records has been accepted as prima facie
> evidence that the man was a patriot who served his country faithfully
> and diligently." (Hannah Benner Roach, in the introduction to her
> article "The Pennsylvania Militia in 1777," _Pennsylvania Genealogical
> Magazine_, v.23, no.3, 1964).
>
> The DAR has accepted over 20 applications for Revolutionary service for
> one of my Waynesboro area (many greats) Stover uncles. Not one shread
> of evidence has ever been found to support this nonsense, and multiple
> examples of compelling evidence have been found to refute these claims.
>
> Richard R. Weber
> Author, _Stoner Brethren_, 1993
> _Stover Brethren_, 2001.








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