Philip Pence (WEST VIRGINIA) Capt. Null
Sex: M
Birth: 1752 in Wrightsville, York County, PA
Birth: 1752 in Wrightsville, York County, Pennsylvania 1
Death: 1834 in Point Pasant, West Virginia of cholera which he contracted whi waiting for steam boat connections on his way to visit son Henry in PA. 2
Death: 1834 in Point Pasant, West Virginia of chora which he contracted whi waiting for steam boat connections on his way to visit son Henry in Westmoreland County, PA. 2
Baptism: 15 APR 1755 Christ Lutheran Church
Burial: Point Pasant Cemetery, West Virginia
Military Service: ABT 1777 Joined Capt George Hudson's Heidelberg Company, then Capt. George Null's 4th Company of 1ST LANCASTER BATTALION 2
Military Service: 17 JAN 1781 Fought in Batt of Cowpens, S.C. Joined forces with General Francis Marion "The Swamp Fox" 2
Event: Move 1796 Back home to Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania 2
Event: Move 1797 From Westmoreland County, Pa to the mouth of the Poca River where he first discovered coal
Event: Noted for 1797 First to find coal in Putnam County, West Virginia.
Event: Noted for 1800 In 1800, Philip Null found the Pittsburgh seam on the Pocatalico River in Putnam County, within thirty mis of Charston, the present capital of the state.8 3
Residence: AFT 1782 Lincolnton, North Carolina
Residence: ABT 1731 Settd in Reading 4
Event: Identity 2005 There is a no concensus on his parents. According to D.A.R. Capt. Null's father was John Null who died Oct.27, 1765 York Co. Penn. Son of Phlip Null who came from Alsace - Lorraine France. Could this r
Event: Identity ABT 1810 A Philip and Jacob Null buy land in Kanahwa County, West Virginia. Could they be brothers? See notes.
Father: NICHOLAS (PA) NULL b: 1716 in Alsace-Lorraine, Germany
Mother: ANNA MARGARET PENCE b: ABT 1720 in Germany
Marriage 1 Anna Maria Margaret Weigel Bushong b: 13 APR 1755 in York County, Pennsylvania
Married: 1782 in North Carolina ? 1
Children
Has No Children Elizabeth Null b: BEF 1800 in North Carolina
Has No Children Frances Marion Null b: BEF 1800 in North Carolina
Has Children Gloria (WEST VIRGINIA) Null b: 4 JUN 1786 in Lincolnton, North Carolina
Has Children Julia Ann g Null b: 1784 in Lincolnton, North Carolina
Has Children Philip (WEST VIRGINIA) Jr. Null b: 27 JUL 1790 in Lincolnton, North Carolina
Has No Children Sarah Null b: ABT 1788 in Lincolnton, North Carolina
Has Children Margaret (Peggy) Null b: 22 APR 1780 in Lincoln County, North Carolina
Has Children Henry Harrison (PA) Sr. Null b: 24 APR 1783 in North Carolina
Sources:
Title: Family Search LDS
Title: "Captain Philip Null"
Author: Charles R. Harper
Repository: Magazine
Repository: Lancaster Historical Society Null Family Fi
Title: The Early Development of the Coal Industry in the Western Counties of Virginia, 1800-1865
Author: By James T. Laing
Title: History of Westmoreland County, Volume II, Pennsylvania
Author: John N. Boucher
Publication: New York, The Lewis Publishing Company, 1906
Repository: http://www.pa-roots.com/~westmoreland/historyproject/vol2/nullfamily.html
http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=dbasinger2001&id=I9956. Capt Phillip (Noll) Null, Sr
Birth: 1752
Death: 1834
The NULL FAMILY
Colonel Millard Fillmore Null, the present Phothonotary of westmoreland
county,Penn. b:04-5-1854 at the old
Mckeans stand (now Ruffsdale) in
East Huntingdon township
Westmoreland, Co. He is the son of
Henry Harrison and Ellen (Dom)
Null. Writes some of the following:
PHILLIP NULL b: 1752 in
Wrightsville,York County, Pa.
Phillip Null's parents were
Huguenots, from the French-German
district, knows as Alsace-Loraine
and were French people. Phillip Null
settled in Reading Pa about 1731.
Capt.Phillip Null's parents were John Nicholas Null Nicholas Null (Pa.) b: 1716 in Alsace-Larraine,Germany married Margaret Strasburg, then married Anna Margaret Pence b: Abt 1720 in Germany.) He and other members of the Null family arrived in America on the Loyal Judith ship of London from Rotterdam last from cowes, England 09-1732. They settled near Womeladorf-Tulpehocken Pa.then to Lebanon Co Pa. John Nicholas and Margaret Pence had at least 4 children before moving to Agusta Co. Va. about 1753.They became the first settler families in the Shenandoah Valley. John and Margaret Pence had 7 children in all. John Null served in the French and Indian War. d: in Augusta Co. Va. 1767. The father of Jong Nicholas Null was Johann George Null 1690-1753 b: Alsace-Lorraine, Germany. He along with the other Null family members were on the Loyal Judith ariving in 1732 along with a 119 men on the ship. His wife's name was Catrina( Her last name may have been Oberlin.) He also used the name Hans George. He died abt 1753 either in Va. or Pa.
Capt. Phillip Null; Died 1834 of Cholera which he contracted while waiting for a steam boat connection on his way to visit his son Henry Null in Pa. He died and was buried at a Point Pleasant Cemetery, WV. Most likely, (Swon Cemetery. Mason County, WV Cemetery Transcriptions LDS Film 0924926 Item 3 # 95,mention of a Rev. soldier being buried there by Mrs Hershel Henderson of Pt Plesant,W Va.).Note: The family mentions his wife Margaret's body was moved to the same location.
Capt.Phillip Pence Null (Noll)
Baptism 04-15 1755 Christ Lutheran
Church.
Miltary Service: Abt 1777 joined
Capt George Hudson's Heidelberg
Company,Lancaster Battalion of Pa.
In 1776 he was most likely in
battles of Harlem Heights, White
Plains NY, and at Fort Lee across
water from Harlem and Manhattan
Island NY. He was also likely at
Brooklyn Heights, Long Island NY.
from Aug. 17,1776, Nov.18,1776.
On Dec. 25, 1776 Christmas Day was
one of 2400 men picked to cross the
Delaware with Gen George Washington.
He was with Gen Washington when they won a battle at Trenton,NJ. the next
day Dec. 26 1776. After an appeal by Gen. Washington, Capt Phillip Null
was one of 200 men who volunteered
to go with General Washington in the battle of Princeton, NJ. on Jan 3,
1777.
Then served with Capt. George Null's 4th Company of 1st Lancaster Battalion of Penn. Capt Phillip was a non-comissioned officer with Gen.
Washington at Valley Forge during
the bad winter of 1777-1778. That winter he received his commission as Captain.
Capt.Phillip Null was at Brandywine Creek Sept.11.1777, and met Major General the Marquis de Layfayette, who was wounded (the General) at battle of Germantown oct 5 1777.
Later, Gen. Washington sent Philip
Null to North Carolina to help put
down Tory uprisings. He was captured by Torries who slit his throat, and
left him for dead. He was found by
his future wife's family. They took
him home where his future wife,
Margaret Beauchamp (1755-1826) (Anna Maria Margaretha(WV) Bushong Null b:04-13-1755 in York Co.Pa) sewed up his throat, which saved his life.
Phillip Null was leading a company
of Militia at the Battle of Camden
SC Aug.16 1780 where the British
troops routed Gen Gates.
Capt.Null was with Col. Andrew
Pickens at the Battle of Cowpens
under the wagoneer of Gen. Daniel
Morgan. Book (The Patriots at the Cowpens Revised Edition, by Bobby Gilmer Moss). (Pickens was promoted to General. because of the great job done by Capt.Phillip Null and his men.) There is a very good chance Capt Null was at the Battles of Kings Mt.NC Oct. 7, 1780 and Ramsour's Mills June 20, 1780. near his home in Lincolnton, NC. He also served under the Gamecock Gen. Thomas Sumpter , and was under the Swamp Fox ( Gen. Frances Marion) in the Battle of Eutaw Springs Sept. 8, 1781 that pushed the British up to
their end at Yorktown,Va.
Capt Phillip Null was with Gen.
George Washington when the British surrendered in Youktown Va. Oct. 19,1781.
Capt. Phillip Null also knew and
served with the Quaker Gen.
Nathaniel Green.
The Torries forced Capt Null's wife
out of their house in Lincolnton,
Lincoln Co.NC. She had to beg for
food for her children. Margaret
Beauchamp Toughed it out. Capt. Null had a tavern and a toal (jail) at
this home in Lincolnton, Lincoln
Co.NC (now Rutherford), NC daughter
of Jacob (Pierre) Bushong
1735-1812 and Juliana Wingle.
Note: (Capt Phillip Null's son John
Null who died in Youk Co. Pa wrote)
(Will-Oct 27 1765) Both Bushong and
Null families came from
Alsace-Lorraine France.
Capt. Null built 3 houses (1st) was
where Joseph Academy now stands, 2
story built between 1770-1774 (2nd)
house was a two story house had a
tavern and Goal (jail) got laid off
in 1791 records and a (3rd) house on Poca river, now in Putnam Co.WV.
House built about 1803.
In 1799 the Phillip Null family moved over the Mountains back to Pa, Westmoreland Co. He had
officers warrants in NC and SC 200
acres in Wadell's line NC, 500 acres near Clemson, Old Pendelton Co SC,
1795 back to 1779. Also had other
land grants 350 acres on Catawba
river NC ,250 acres high Shoals,NC.
He traded these officers script for
1600 acres on Poca River Kanawha Co
VVV( now Putnam Co WV).
Capt Phillip discovered coal on Poca River (at the mouth of Poca in 1790) from Hardesty Hist-of Putnam Co
1886.
He was helped by this friend Gen.
George Washington in getting the
land.
He moved his family here in about
1803, after his 1600 acre he also
had 3 land warrants for 370 acres in Kanawha Co Va.(WV July 15,1829.Book
1,page 260 Kanawa Co WV.
Note: At one time during the war, he was in charge of some troops that
were crossing the Delaware River,
prior to the battle of Trenton and
Princeton. About this time General
Washington came up on foot and got
in the way of the advancing regiment. The old Veteran in command, not noticing in particularly who it was and called,
"get out of the way". Gen George Washington look up, smiled, said nothing, but passed on. ( Washington and Null were great friends after that. Gen. Washington helping Captain Null get land on Poca River Putman Co.Wv later. Capt. Null was embarrassed when he found out who he was ordering around.
This information: From the
families of Captain Philip Null &
Spouse: Anna Maria Margrethe
Bushong Null.
The above information was from several different
sources. Lancaster County,Pa. Historical Society, Source Pages 19-22 History of Westmoreland County, Vol.2 Penn by John N Boucher, NY, Lewis Publishing Co.,1906, and published byth Westmoreland Co. Genealogy Project. Mason Co.,W/VA Cemetery Transcriptions-Partial,Lancaster Co.Pa Historical Society,Charles Ray Harper. (ON LINE:To learn more about the heritage of the Burnett family Purchase and read :THE BURNETTS and Their Connection Vol 2 by June Baldwin Bork, 1992 Edition.)
Captain Phillip Null b:1752
d:1834 & m Anna Maria Margrethe
(Peggy) Bushong, Null
b:04-13-1755 d:1826;
OTHER CHILDREN:
(1)Henry Harrison Null b:04-24-1783,Lincoln Co.NC.
(2)Julia Ann Null b:1784,Lincoln Co.NC.
(3)Sara Null b:1788 Lincoln Co.NC.
(4)Francis Marion Null b:1792,Lincoln Co.NC.
(5)Gloria Null b:06-04-1793
(6)Elizabeth Null b:1794 Lincoln Co.NC.
Note: Capt. Phillip Null was upset when his 14 year old daughter left home to marry Fredrick Burnett; He practially dis-owned her and moved the family back to Penn.
Their daughter Margaret Peggy Null, Burnett b:04-22-1780, is buried at the
Old Ingram Cemetery Buncombe Co.NC
MARRIED:
Fredrick Thomas Burnett,Son of Jesse Burnett & Judith Prince.b:05-11-1770 d;07-09-1854;buried at the Lakey Cemetery in Macon Co.NC.
Family links:
Parents:
Johann George Null (1690 - 1753)
Catrina Null
Spouse:
Anna Margaret (Buschong) Bushong Null (1755 - 1826)
Children:
Margaret Null Burnett (1780 - 1875)*
Phillip H Null (1790 - 1874)*
*Point here for explanation
Burial:
Swon
Point Pleasant
Mason County
West Virginia, USA
Created by: roger burnett
Record added: Oct 24, 2005
Find A Grave Memorial# 12146654. LINCOLN COUNTY, NC - BIOGRAPHIES - Captain Phillip Null
--------------¤¤¤¤¤¤--------------
Captain Philip Null
A true Patriot
A reminder of the cost of Citizenship
By Charles Ray Harper
Captain Philip Null spent most of his life near the mouth of Poca River.
Being one of the first people to ( if not the first )settle our visit what is
now Putnam County West Virginia. He was with the survey party that surveyed
1,644 ¾ acres for Aruthur Nichols & John Reynold's on Feb.13, 1796 in Kanawha
( now Putnam Co. ).( that's also when Capt. Null discovered Coal at Mouth of
Poca River ) So he has known the waters of Poca River for 38 years of his
life.
Capt. Philip Null was also " The Foremost Revolutionary War Patriot to ever
settle in the Kanawha Valley." At beginning of the Revolutionary War ( Null )
joined up with George Hudson's Heidelberg Company Lancaster Battalion. Capt.
Null thought he would serve only 6 weks but carried his rifle all 7 years of
that bloody war he fought from New York to South Carolinia. Many times he was
foot sore and weary and hungry, but he continued on those long marches and his
loyalty to the cause was severly tested.
Capt. Philip Null joined the Penn. Militia ( June 10, 1777, which was made
part of the Continental line.) about the time his friend Gen. George
Washington took command of the Continental Army June 15, 1775. In March of
1776 General Washington pushed British General Sir. William Howe out of
Boston. July of 1776 Pvt Philip Null marched by the Statue of King George the
III, Which was torn down July 9, 1776 at Bowling Green New York City they
smashed it into peaces, the peaces where carted off and made into Americian
bullets .Capt. Null was at the battle of Flatbush ( Long Island ) Was with
Col. Miles that morning when they attacked Gen. Howes baggage guard after
very fierce fighting lots of his friend where killed or wounded and Col. Miles
and 150 men where captured and put on prison ships where two of his friends
escaped Andrew Ralson & Joesph Neely swam ashore and rejoined the unit later.
Gen. Washington after a few more skrimishes like that, he saw the futility of
future resistence on Long Island and with a stroke of good luck and great
management Gen. Washington on a stormy night. Slipped past the British Army
and crossed the Est River in small boats to Manhattan Island with his 10,000
men. And the next day Aug.28, 1776 heavy rains made fighting impossible. At
battle of White Plains Oct.28, 1776 Philip Null served on the left flank,
Nov. 16, 1776 Null lost a lot more of his friends as a bunch was taken
prisoner at Fort Washington.
Christmas Eve future Capt. Philip Null was in command of a small group of men,
getting ready for the crossing the next day. When Gen. Washington walked up
and got in the way Null yelled for him to get out of the way Gen. Washington
smiled and moved on. Philip Null was embarrased when he relished who he had
been ordering around. ( Gen. George Washington and Capt. Philip Null became
good friends after that. ) Null was one of the 2,400 men picked for the famous
crossing of the Delware that Christmas Day. They crossed at Coryell's
Crossing ( now called New Hope ).
Philip Null was at battle of Trenton Dec.26, 1776. he was on the left wing of
the ( Quaker ) Major Gen. Nathanal Greene and defeated 1,600 Hessian troops
under Colonel Johann G. Rall in a bold daylight attack. With their 18 cannons
and hard fighting Penn. Line troops they subdued the Hessians within an hour.
Philip Null' and the rest had killed 100 Hessians and taken 900 prioners and
the rest escaped into the New Jersey woodlands. Then they marched back to
McCastles Ferry where they stayed for 8 days.
Not widely known they crossed the Delaware again Jan. 2, 1777 and marched into
Trenton again. They made real big bond fires and when the real big British
Army got with in sight they slipped by. On Jan.2 and 3 of 1776 washington
appealed to his troops who's enlistments was up. Future Capt. Philip Null was
one of the 200 volunteers who under the command of Colonel Hugh Mercer who
attached a troop of British Dragoons under the command of Colonel Charles
Mawhood and Col. Mercer was mortally wounded it was a fierce fight ( one of
many Null had been in ) General Washington and Caldwalader drove the British
off. ( Battle of Princeton ) Then Gen. Howe ordered Gen. Earl Cornwallis to
leave New Jersey. Which means that Gen. Washington and Philip Null had drove
the British out of New Jersey.
Philip Null was at the excahage of fire at Chad's ford and was with Gen.
Greene at main battle of Brandywine which was one of the largest land battles
of the American Revolution. Philip Null was with Gen. John Armstrong of the
Penn. Line. And was one of the brigades that helped Major Gen. Nathanal Greene
have a splendid stand which saved the American Army from disaster. The army
was battered by Lord (Earl ) Charles Cornwallias but was intact. Caualties
where very high. The wounded was scattered all over town in small groups.
Many of Future Capt. Null's unit was taken to Turk's Tavern.
There was pale mangled corpses lying everywhere in the blood and dirt. It was
an awful, gloomy seen.
As the British left New Jersey on their way out some English tories and Troops
burnt houses strangled almost to death 3 women and behaved in a most cruel and
barbarous manner. Every town they came to they plundered and destroyed
everything before them. And distressed the inhabitants in manners never heard
of before.
At Battle of Germantown Oct.4, 1777 was in Gen. Greene's Divison on the assult
of the British right flank. Future Capt. Null saw Gen. Marquis de Lafayette go
down earlier in the day with a wound ( the 19 year old Gen. Was tinted to by
Gen. Washington's personal Doctor Craik.
Gen. Washington's headquarters was at The Moland House Aug. 10, 1777, Capt.
Null was there on his way to Valley Forge where The Marquis Lafayette & Count
Casimir Pulaski joined the Army, and where the first American Flag ever flew
"The Betsy Ross Flag."
With the Victories at Trenton, Princeton, and Saratoga - France, Spain, and
Holland declare War on England. Gen. George Washington and the Continental
Army spent half the War in New Jersey.
Future Capt. Philip Null spent the Winter with Gen. George Washington at
Valley Forge Poor weather prevented supplies ( if there was any ) from
reaching the soldiers in January, warmer weather brought mud which also
hampered transportion ( Fever typhus ) killed hundreds of men. More men died
of diseases then by the sword during the war. The American Army straves at
Valley Forge and melts away. In that cold winter they and Null also didn't
have a scrap of shoes or stocking. As was said by the men they dined on upon a
leg of nothing and no turnups .Even water was scarce. They saw soldiers pay 3
cents for a drink from a canteen. Most of the Army was barefoot having ate
their soles and leather shoes. They could be tracked by the blood on the
frozen ground. A surgeon wrote in his dairy "I am sick and discontented and
out of humor. Poor food hard lodging cold weather fatigue Nasty clothes,
nasty cookery i vomit half the time smoaked out of my senses. What i have at
home good wife pretty children, good food, beds, cookery all agreable. Here
small pox, and other dieases. ,hunger and filthyness. " nobody knew how to get
food to the soldiers never had an army before. Baron Von Steuben did drill
them into an Army. Capt. Null by this time was a non commisoned officer.
Future Capt. Null left Valley Forge about same time as Gen. Washington,
leaving in early 1778.
Gen. George Washington send's Capt. Philip Null down to North Carolinia to
help put down Tory uprisings. On his way down he is waylayed by Tories in
Virginia and they slit Capt. Null's throat leaving him for dead his future
wife Margaret (Bushong ) Null 1755 - 1826 and family ( daughter of Jacob
Bushong 1735 - 1812 of Augusta Co. Va. Finds him and nurses him to heath. (
also could be Rockingham Co. Va. ) 1779 Capt. Null marries Margaret Bushong.
Sometime between now and the end of the War Margaret Null wife of Capt. Null
is forced out of her house by Tory's and forced to beg for food for herself
and her small children.
Capt. Philip Null is leading a company of men at Battle of Camden S.C. Aug.
16, 1780 under Major Gen. Horatio Gates. Gen. Gates attacked Colonel Francis
Rawdon at Camden S.C. But Lord (Earl ) (a Lt. Gen.) Cornwallis had returned to
Camden and sent Rawdon on to 96. so Lord Cornwallis Attacked Gen. Gates at 2
A.M. Aug.16, 1780 . Gen. Gates men had been eating green corn and peaches and
started suffering from diarrhea. That was a few days before. The green troops
broke and run from a bayonet charge and Gen. Gates horse got caught up in it.
And was also sweep away. Capt. Null' had seen Baron Johann de Kalb killed when
his 600 Continentals almost broke through. But surrendered after Baron Kalb's
death. Capt. Null was in that that two week memorable retreat.
The Tory's went nuts, they commenced house burnings and plundering. Among the
leaders was Bloody Bill Cunningham, a man lower then the lowest on earth.
Women where insulted and stripped of every particle of decent clothing, they
have on and every article of bedding clothing, furniturewas taken - knifes,
forks, spoons, forks, dishes, anything that could be carryed off. Not a peace
of meat or a pint of salt was left. They even entered houses where men lay
sick of the small - pox, that they knew where opposed to them, dragged them
out and killed them in cold blood in front of their wife's & children and
friends. They where to weak to stop them. It seemed they came from the
bottomless pit to execute infernal Vengeance on all those that disobeyed the
British. It seemed like the Americans ttime to suffer in the flesh, was at
hand. Capt. Null had many encounters with William Bloody Bill Cunningham
I have always wanted to know what happened to Bloody Bill Cunningham i have
always hoped he got what was coming to him. He made the evil British Soldier
in the Patriot movie look like an American Lover. The British helped him on
his way to Charlesto S.C. He kill a many American solider after the war was
over. After he got to Charleston he made his escape to British Florida..
After Camden Captain Philip Null found and linked up with the likes of Gen.
Francis Marion ( The Swamp Fox ) Gen. Thomas Sumter (The Gamecock ) He (Capt.
Null ) was camped with Gen. Sumter at Fishing Meadows Aug.10, 1780 they where
encamped, and they where jumped by a bunch of tory's Before the General could
wake his men they where among them cutting them down. Gen. Sumter made it
across the creek leaving the rest to the hands of the enemy. Capt. Null
escaped but could not find the General.
So. He made his way back toward home and most likely was at battle of Kings
Mountain Dec. 7, 1780. He then reported to his old friend Major General
Nathantal Greene who assigned him to General Daniel Morgan, who put him in
Colonel ( The Elder ) Andrew Pickens outfit. And at the battle of Cowpens (
Colonel Pickens became Gen. Andrew Pickens because of the job Capt. Null's
Militia done ) Capt. Null was still under the command of General ( The old
Wagoner Daniel Morgan ) This battle turned the tide of war. And they defeated
the much hated Colonel Banastre Tarleton's Green clad ( not red ) British
Cavalry except for the 71st Scottish Highlanders who where dressed in red.
Capt. Null was in the swamp's with "The Swamp Fox " Francis Marion. April 25
1781 was cutting supply lines of British Colonel (Lord ) Francis Rawdon at
battle of Hobkirk's Hill .Which caused Lord Rawdon to return to his strong
hold at Camden S.C. Or the ambush would have been worst at Hobkirk's Hill .
Captain Philip Null was at Battle of Eutaw Sprjngs near Orangeburg S.C. Fought
under The famous Francis (Swamp Fox ) Marion and Capt. Null's old friend Major
General Nathanal Greene. The rum and the brandy found in the British tents
was the downfall of the Patriots after they had the battle won. (they got
drunk and British took the battle. Even tough Gen. Greene had lost the last 4
battles He and Capt. Null and the other Patroits had pushed Lord Cornwallis up
to Yorktown. And his defeat. They had wore down the British Forces in South
Carolinia and won the southern Campaigh.
Being a personal friend of Gen. Washington (had it's perks ) he ( Captain Null
) was one of the few people below the rank of Colonel allowed at the
Surrender. Oct. 19, 1781 . Captain Philip Null standing with Major General
Benjamin Lincoln and Major General Marquis Lafayette. When Lord (Earl )
Charles Cornwallis army marched into Surrender field and layed down their
arms. Captain Null noticed as the British captives passed they seemed to keep
their eyes away from the rag tag American Army, instead toward the French
troops as to say it was the French that captured us.
Lord Charles Cornwallis who claimed he was indisposed. Instead had his deputy
Gen. Charles Ohara attempt to give his sword to the French commander " The
Count de Rochambeau ". Seeing this as a snub of Gen. Washington and the
American forces the Count refused the sword. Then Gen. Ohara persisted in
ingnoring the Americans. Gen. Ohara burted out an excuse for Lord Cornwallis
so Gen. George Washington cooly instructed Ohara to give the sword to Major
General Benjamin Lincoln.
After the surrender Gen. Washington had a party for the Officers of all three
Nations. Captain Philip Null was invitited to that also.
So as you can see We had a future Putnam Countian at the surrender of Lt.
General ( Lord ) ( Earl ) Charles Cornwallis. Captain Null didn't leave the
service till the summer of 1782, because their was bad tory fighting till the
summer of 1782.
___________________________________________________________________
Copyright. All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.org/copyright.htm
This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives
by: Charles Ray Harper
[email protected]. Some inaccuracies but interesting. He married Margaret Bushong daughter of Jacob Bushong - NOT Beauchamp....
HISTORY OF WESTMORELAND COUNTY.
Captain Phillip Null, great-grandfather of Colonel M. F. Null, the Amer-
ican ancestor, was born at Wrightsville, York county, Pennsylvania, al)out
1755. His parents were Huguenots, from the French-German district, known
as Alsace-Loraine and were French people. Phillip settled in Reading, Penn-
sylvania bout 1731. In 1780 he went as a captain of the revolutionary war
in the militia to North Carolina, and was at the battle of Camden, August,
1780. where General Gates was defeated by Cornwallis. He was also under
the command of General Francis Marion, for whom he named his youngest
son. He settled at Lincolnton, North Carolina, and married Margaret Beau-
champ[sic] ( "Bushong") about 1781. She was of Rockingham county, Virginia.
Their eldest son, Henry Null, the grandfather of Millard F. Null, was born
April 24, 1783, in North Carolina, the eldest of six children. The family re-
sided several years at the home of their grandfather, Pierre Beauchamp[sic], in Vir-
ginia. They crossed the Alleghany mountains in 1799, locating in Westmore-
land county, Pennsylvania, on land upon which now stands St. Joseph's Acad-
emy at Greensburg. After a few years the family, except three children, re-
moved to Putnam county, 'irginia, locating on several hundred acres of land
taken on an officer's script. His son Henry and two married daughters re-
mained in Westmoreland county. Captain Phillip Null died at Point Pleasant,
Virginia in 1834 of cholera, while en route to visit his son Henry at Greens-
burg, Pennsylvania.
Henry Null, grandfather of Colonel jNIillard F. Null, and one of the
three who remained in Westmoreland county, located at "McKeans Old Stand"
in East Huntingdon township. He married Elizabeth Pool, of Reading, Penn-
sylvania, May 20, 1804. They had seven sons and two daughters, all reared
at McKeans Old Stand (Ruffsdale), each child having a farm given him by his
father. Hcnr>- 2sull began life's activities as a farmer. He became promoter
of many large business enterprises and was a large contractor, constructing por-
tions of the old Pennsylvania canal in Indiana county. He. with his sons,
built several miles of the National Pike road, and also helped construct the
Washington and Bedford Pike of which he became a charter member and for
many years a director of the middle division. He procured the charter for the
Cross Pike, ronnectinc: the Philadeli)hia and Pittsburgh Pike with the Wash-
ington and Bedford Pike of which he built some portions. He w'as also the
man who procured the charter for the Slack-Water navigation along the
Youghioghcny river. He finally located at Rufifsdale, then called "McKeans
Old Stand" and established a postoffice there. He owned some one thousand
five hundred acres of land, as the fruits of his unceasing energy and toil,
coupled with his business sagacity. He never sought publicity, but was made
the candidate for the Pennsylvania Assembly in 1882, and sent as a delegate
to the Harrisburg Convention which nominated General 'illiam Henry Har-
rison for president in 1836. His manliood was such that even those who dif-
fered greatly from him were ever ready to admit his fairmindedness and gener-
osity. In religion he was a pronounced Presbyterian, as was his good wife, both
of whom were lifelong Christian examples of true devotion. He died October
9, 1845, after a brief illness. He left a wife, six sons and two daughters, all
of whom emulated the good name and character of their father.