George Eichelberger (1739 – 1780)

George Eichelberger _{(Phillip, John)} was born on June 22, 1739 in York, Pennsylvania.  He was one of twelve siblings to parents John Martin Eichelberger and Anna Maria Schwab.

On March 21, 1761, George married Lydia Worley in York, Pennsylvania. They had eight children together: (All born in York, Pennsylvania)

• John Eichelberger (b. 1760 – d. 1821)
• Jacob Eichelberger (b. 1762 – d. 1793)
• Martin Eichelberger (b. 1767 – d. 1814)
• George Eichelberger (b. 1768)
• James Eichelberger (b. 1770)
• Mary Eichelberger (b. 1772)
• Susan Lydia Eichelberger (b. 1772)
• James Eichelberger (b. 1779 – d. 1848)

 

George assisted his father in running the family tavern, the Golden Plough Tavern in York, PA, when he wasn’t busy with his other commitments which were numerous. He was the sheriff of  York from 1768-1771 and the city tax collector from 1767-1770. In 1771, George and his father were among the originators of the Hand to Hand Fire Company, a group of men who volunteered their money, supplies and time to combat fires in York. In case of a fire, one of the men would start by ringing the bell at the Old German Reformed Church to alert the town and then they would start their own version of a fire engine.  An article in the Pennsylvania Gazette mentions a great fire in 1797 and says that the Hand to Hand “fire-engine” was influential in calming the fire. “The people were arranged in two lines, and passed fire buckets full up one line and empty down the other.” 

On December 16, 1774 George was elected to the Committee of Safety for York County Pennsylvania.   George and his brother Jacob did much to collect great amounts of money and supplies for the army.  On February 14, 1775, he was appointed as Deputy for York county to attend the Provincial Convention to decide on matters necessary for the safety and welfare of York County residents in the Common Cause of American Liberty.  On November 3, 1775, he was elected as member of the committee of Correspondence for York County. On December 27, 1775, when the York County Militia was formed, George was was the Captain of the Fourth Company and was the was a Deputy-Quarter-Master of the York County Militia beginning on December 31, 1776  to 1778 during the Revolutionary War.

On December 1, 1776, The Committee of Safety sent the money they collected to Philadelphia with the letter below, showing obvious great respect for George and his character:

Honored Sirs: — 

In these times of difficulty several gentlemen have exerted
themselves much in the grand cause. Several Companies have
marched, more will march from this County, so as to form a pretty
good Battalion. The gentlemen who deserve the most from the
public are David Jameson, Hugh Dunwoody, Charles Lukens and
Mr. George Eichelberger, They have been exceedingly useful to
most of the companies. As most of the Companies have chosen
their officers, pro Tempore, an arrangement will be necessary as to
field Officers. We therefore propose David Jameson Colonel, Hugh
Dunwoody Lieutenant Colonel, Charles Lukens Major, and George
Eichelberger Quartermaster of the York County Militia, who now
march. It will be doing justice to merit to make these appoint-
ments, and we make no doubt it will be done by your board. We
congratulate you upon the success of the American Army at Tren-
ton,"

On July 27, 1780, George enlisted in the army as a private under Captain Thomas Marshall Baker’s company and marched to Rhode Island on alarm.  He was discharged from the army on August 8, 1780 and died less than a month later, perhaps from injuries sustained during his brief time in the army.  At the time of his death, on August 30, 1780, he owned eight acres of land which were willed to his sons and widow in 1789.

_Sources:

_{Historical Reg. of Officers of the Continental Army. By Francis Bernard Heitman. Washington, DC, 1914. (685p.):213}

_{U.S. Sons of the Revolution Membership Database, 1889-1970 – George Eichelberger,}

_{Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors of the War of the Revolution, Vol. V, pg 852}

_{Baptisms at Christ Lutheran Church, York, York County, Pennsylvania – Historical Society of York, Pennsylvania}

_{U.S. and International Marriage Records Database, 1560-1900 – George Eichelberger}

_{“The Historical Sketch of Phillip Frederick Eichelberger” (1900), pgs 21-22. – George Eichelberger}

_{“The History of York County, Pennsylvania” (1886), pg 560-564 – Hand in Hand Fire Company of York, PA}

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