"I would have hanged my own brother if he took part with our enemy in this contest."
—John Adams

Book Information Image Title: New York in the Revolution as Colony and State, Vol. 1 & 2 Publisher: Albany, NY; JB Lyon Company, Printers. Pages: 902 Author: Anonymous Year: 1904 View file © 1904. "A Compilation of Documents and Records from the Office of the State Comptroller."

   The American Revolution is widely misrepresented today. This was not simply a war in which a foreign power was forcibly controlling a completely hostile land. This was a civil war—brother against brother. Many people in the colonies were actually Loyalists, who felt they were better off under England's protection against the French and Indians (and furthermore, much better off than they had been back in their former countries). And there were Haus family members on both sides of the conflict.
   But our family wasn't alone: Benjamin Franklin's own son, William (then the governor of New Jersey, mentioned in the previous chapter), remained loyal to the British—even after torture and imprisonment by the rebels, who were led by dear old dad.
   John Adams (later a United States President) estimated that a full third of the population were Loyalists (or 'Tories'), another third were revolutionaries ('Whigs'), and the final third were on the fence. Furthermore, he declared that a proper history of the conflict would never be told, because over 100,000 Loyalists who were not killed in the war were driven out of the United States, and exiled in England and Canada. Therefore, the story would only be told through the eyes of the victors.
   At first, the Colonists appeared to have little chance to win. They possessed no trained armed forces, no established central government, no financial reserves and no industry to supply their effort. North America had been settled to export raw materials to England's factories, not create finished goods for themselves. So there were no manufacturing facilities to produce arms and support a war.
   In fact, it was a miracle that the various Colonies could unify in the common purpose of a revolution at all. They were all separated by dense forests, rivers, and dangerous Indian land. Even when there were common borders, they would feud over the boundary lines to the point of war, then not allow their roads to connect. Ideologically the various Colonial regions were separated by issues of slavery, race and religion. For instance, the Puritans of New England hated the Anglicans of the south. And all that those two groups could agree on was that they hated the Catholics, Quakers and Jews. The North and South had already divided on slavery: the southern colonies having built their economy on it, while the northern colonies had practically abolished it (in fact, one of the victims of the Boston Massacre, ground zero for the revolution, was Crispus Attucks, a freed slave).
   But despite all of their differences, everybody in Colonial America could agree on one thing: they all hated taxes! The problem was, nobody could agree on the best way to combat their rising tariff woes. The rebels believed independence from Britain was the only answer. But the Tories only protested "taxation without representation," believing that if they were to be taxed by Britain, then they deserved a representative in Parliament. Britain, however, disagreed with both views. In the view of the British, the Colonies were not part of Britain—they were a possessions of Britain, existing solely for profit. And the King's rebuke of the Loyalists gave the rebels just enough of a majority to start a war.
   Technically, I'm descended from one of the victors, but I'll try to give the most unbiased account I can, in order to tell the story of the Haus family on both sides of the conflict.

(Drawing by John W. Thomason, Jr.)

   On September 5th, 1774, the First Continental Congress endorsed the formation of 'Regional Committees' to help ensure the rights and liberties of American Colonists. These committees gradually assumed control of the civil and military affairs, and became the de-facto government. They began organizing militias and stockpiling weapons. As they became more powerful, there was less need for Britain.
    At this time, the Tryon County Committee of Safety was formed in the Palatine District, where most of Johann's descendants were still located. This group would later be known as the Tryon County Militia and, still later, in the regular army, called the "Continental Line." These men would become the Colonies' primary line of defense on the frontier with Canada.
   As hostilities escalated between Britain and the Colonies, a law of the United States Congress, passed on the 16th day of September, 1776, provided for the enlistment of 88 battalions of men to carry on the war for independence. During the war, the opposing sides took on the name of English Parliamentary parties. The "Whigs" were the patriot side and the "Tories" were the Loyalists.
   In many ways, New York State was the principal battleground of the Revolutionary War. Approximately one-third of the skirmishes and engagements of the war were fought on New York soil. Revolutionary War records chronicle the descendants of Johann Christian Hauss enlisting over sixty times in the New York Militias alone during the conflict, some more than once. In fact, Johann's descendants made significant contributions to the war—on both sides.
   New York's quota of soldiers, based on population, was four regiments. But by March, 1781, only two regiments had been activated. Many colonists were undecided about whether to break from England totally, or just push for more reforms and stay under British protection from the French and Indians.
   So the legislature authorized that the remaining two regiments should be raised—but New York needed some way to induce more men to enlist. The Continental Congress promised that all officers and soldiers who remained in the service until discharged—or the representatives of those slain by the enemy—should be entitled to receive, upon the ratification of the treaty of peace, a grant of land in Ohio. So the Congress guaranteed every fighting man in the Revolution a bounty of 100 acres in the public domain (and officers in proportion to their rank).
   Despite this, there were still not enough people enlisting in the New York army. People had no faith in government currency—for obvious reasons during a war to determine the government—but New York did have a vast surplus of land. So, it was decided to offer 500 more acres to the prior 100. Thus, the state decided to divide central New York into Townships of 100 lots, at 600 acres per lot. "The Military Tracts of Central New York" totaled about 1.75 million acres of bounty land and extended from Lake Ontario southward to the south end of Seneca Lake, and from the east line of Onondaga County westward to Seneca Lake. The present New York counties of Onondaga, Cortland, Cayuga, and Seneca were included, as were portions of Oswego, Schuyler, Tompkins, Yates and Wayne. Deeds in Central New York commonly refer to these "Military Tract Lots" as "Great Lots" or "Farm Lots." (Our Hause line would end up with one of these lots in Seneca County.)
   Meanwhile, those loyal to the British were being beaten, tarred and feathered, and losing their land. At least a hundred thousand of them left for Britain or Canada, but thirty to fifty thousand of them stayed to fight the rebels.

Research Document Image Name: Annals of The Forty #5, Loyalist and Pioneer Families of West Lincoln County Author: R. Janet Powell Year: 1954 Published by: Grimsby Historical Society View Book SOURCE INFORMATION: Grimsby Historical Society, Grimsby, Ontario, Canada. A listing of Haus/House family Loyalists.

   The British, now aware that their power in the Colonies was starting to dissipate, perceived this military action as a threat to their rule. In response they decided to use the remaining Loyalists and organize an army of 'Royal Rangers'. On September 15, 1777, a Loyalist named Major John Butler was issued orders to raise eight companies. They were to be the best of the backwoodsmen, "composed of men who understood Native American Indians, be accomplished woodsmen and have considerable endurance." They were uniformed in green coats, caps and dark-colored accouterments for concealment in the woods. Many added articles of Indian dress, such as moccasins and leggings.
   "Butler's Rangers," as they became known, were to play a major role in the American Revolution—especially in the Mohawk Valley. Their principal duties were to work with loyal Indian allies in raids on the grain fields and frontier outposts of New York and Pennsylvania. Some companies ranged as far south as Kentucky and as far west as Michigan, battling with the likes of George Washington and Daniel Boone (who is descended from our ancestors in the Morgan family). They brought guerilla warfare to the conflict—something which regular British soldiers were untrained for. This made their battles among the bloodiest and nastiest of the war.
   The Haus' at this time had spread all over New York, Pennsylvania, and down south, and as their wasn't a uniform system of spelling, yet, variations on the name abounded (often on the same muster roll): "Haus," "Hawes," "Hauss," "Huus," "Huss," "Huff," "House," and, of course, "Hause" families would have members fighting in both armies—creating a rift that would eventually tear the family apart. Over in Schuyler County, Captain John Haus was a fierce Patriot who fought against... his own brothers, Harmanus and George Haus. They were Tories who rode with Butler's dreaded Rangers.
   Harmanus is the most infamous of the Mohawk Tories in our family. In fact, he became so notorious during the war that he appeared as the villain in a chapter of Jeptha R. Simms' classic book, The Frontiersmen of New York, in which he shot and scalped local Rebel hero John Bellinger:

"The Frontiersmen of New York" by Jeptha R. Simms. Albany, NY, 1883

(Painting by Garth Dittrick)    "On some occasion during the war and believed to have been in 1778, John and Christopher Bellinger, brothers, and Philip Harter, were on the flats between Fort Dayton and the river getting hay. John Bellinger was some 25 years of age; his companions were several years younger. As John was engaged in pitching hay into a window with a fork, and his friends in raking at a little distance from him, a Tory, named HARMANUS HOUSE, and two Mohawk Indians appeared in a corn field near the laborers. The latter having taken the precaution to carry their guns to the field, had laid them upon the trunk of a windfallen tree near where they were at work.    "Christopher first discovered the foes approaching, and shouted the prophetic words of the times—"The Indians!" John Bellinger was an uncommonly strong and courageous man, and withal swift on foot. With uplifted fork he ran directly for the guns, quite as near to which was his Tory foe; his brother and Harter at the same time fleeing for the fort, pursued by the Indians. As John neared his own gun, House drew up to fire on him, but before doing so he called back his comrades by a signal whistle. He then fired, and one of freedom's boldest champions was weltering in his gore.    "Christopher and Philip reached the fort in safety. There were other Indians concealed near the field, as was afterwards understood, who dreaded the vengeance of John Bellinger more than that of a score of ordinary men. The enemy obtained; with his scalp and the plunder of his person, the three guns which the young men had taken to the field. The loss of this brave partisan was severely felt in the German Flats, for his was one of the master-spirits of that section, just suited to the times. But, like many noble young Americans, he was surprised and slain, either from envy or the British value to a Tory neighbor of his scalp-lock. House called back his accomplices to assist him, fearing if he fired and missed his victim, and their guns were unloaded, his fate would be sealed. He was well acquainted with Bellinger before the war. The remains of the fallen hero were taken to the fort and buried with becoming respect. Facts from Adam Rasback, corroborated by Frederick P. Bellinger, in 1845."

Black Sheep: Harmanus House

   Scalping? Yikes!!! For his fleecing of human heads, I have to give Harmanus the BLACK SHEEP award for the Revolutionary War.
   He seems to have started his military career on April 1, 1760, in Dutchess County, as a 5'11", brown-haired 21 year-old from Tappan with a ruddy complexion, according to muster rolls. He joined Captain Jacobus Swartwout's (sic) company during King Phillip's War, when he battled the French and Indians alongside the British. Apparently he kept those Loyalist leanings and sided with the British during the Revolution, as well.
   Now, to be fair, Harmanus' scalping story might have been written a lot differently if the Loyalists had prevailed. By all accounts, Harmanus was a brave, talented frontiersman. Before the War, he had been a family favorite. Captain John Haus, the family hero on the Patriot side, is said in later years to have always mentioned Harmanus "with regret." And Harmanus' Canadian descendants are proud of their lineage to him.
   After all, Loyalists were heavily persecuted during the war—they were tortured, tarred & feathered, stoned, and made to "ride the rails" (dragged without pants along a sharp steel blade) on a good day. And the reality is that they were just British subjects fighting an insurgency against their chosen government—protecting their homeland, as we all would—but they lost the war, and to the victors go the spoils, the land, the Simms historical books, and the Mel Gibson movie rights. Simms was also known to bend the facts for dramatic effect, and, after all, "Harmanus" is a great name for a villain (you can't beat "harm+anus" as a compound word). So who knows, maybe Simms just used the coolest-sounding villain's name on the list of Mohawk Loyalists.
   But scalping was commonplace on the brutal frontier—never more so than in the Mohawk Valley during this desperate time—you can read the lists of scalped farmers, women and children on the Internet, and it's truly astonishing that anybody survived.
   And there were so many Haus' struggling to survive on those blood-drenched battlegrounds! We have now established Haus men on the Patriot and Loyalist sides in the war. But stranger yet, there were probably Haus' on a third front, too!
   In 1775, George III of Great Britain, of German lineage himself, was desperately seeking to retain control of British North America, so he signed treaties with six German states to supply troops to defend the English interest in this part of the world: Hessen-Kassel provided the largest contingent of troops, so the German forces became known generically as "Hessians." Foremost in demand were the Jägers (Hunters). They were the European counterpart of the American riflemen. By 1781, there were 821 Jägers from Hesse-Kassel and 245 from Anspach in the British Army in New York.
   At this time in the unending border wars in Germany, Klein Altenstädten and Wetzlar, where many of the Hauß family still resided, had been swallowed up by Hessen-Kassel, which was now divided into districts, each of which was to furnish a given number of recruits to a certain regiment. So in one of life's cruel ironies, the Haus men probably faced more Hauses from Hessen, and the people who would've been their friends and neighbors just a few generations before!
   Approximately 17,000 Hessian soldiers were sent to America, representing about 1 out of 4 able bodied men of military age of the population of that state, and they composed approximately one third of the British forces in the conflict—and most of the casualties, as well. How many of these Hessian casualties were in the Haus family is unknown, as the British rarely counted their German casualties.

The States of the Princes and Counts of Solm, with the Imperial Free Cities of Friedberg and Wetzlar (1797); Showing the region around Giessen, with parts of Hessen-Darmstadt, Hessen-Kassel and Hessen-Nassau identified. "Altenstetten" (or Klein Altenstädten), the original home of Johann Christian Hauss, is located just above Wetzlar. (To see the entire map, click here.)

Research Document Image Name: Documents Relating to the Colonial History of the State of New York, Volume XV; State Archives, Vol. I Editor: Berthold Fernow Year: 1887 View file SOURCE INFORMATION: Published by Weed, Parsons and Company. 1887

   With so many Haus men fighting on so many different fronts, there are many stories of our family's heroics in the war. We've seen how Harmanus became infamous with the Loyalists, but there are also stories of Haus men on the side of the Patriots, too: Many of these stories revolve around Captain John House. According to The House Family of the Mohawk, "tradition says that he was exceptionally tall and that when any trouble arose among his men in training, he merely laid his hand upon their heads and said, 'Boys, be quiet!' and the trouble stopped."
   The first record of John comes as a private in General Herkimer's front guard in one of the most vicious battles of the war: The conflict at Oriskany, on August 6, 1777. Two years later, according to various book accounts and affidavits, he was taken prisoner by a war party of Indians and Tories, to whom he passed deliberately false information, preventing an attack on Fort Schuyler. Convinced that he was sincere, the Loyalists let him go after he took an oath of neutrality. (Page 269 of The Old New York Frontiers states: "From John House's further activities in the Revolution it would not seem that he took his oath of neutrality seriously.")
   At least a half-dozen Haus men (and sometimes their families) were taken captive by the opposing side in the Mohawk area during the ensuing war, but they were almost always let go, because they had relatives in the other army who could vouch for them... But not always—records show that hundreds of New York farmers, women and children were tortured, killed and scalped during the war. How many of those were Haus', both Loyalists and Patriots, is unknown. Mohawk Valley church records show that these men had once sponsored each other's children in baptisms, but now they were trying to kill each other. You've got to figure that Christmas dinner with the relatives at the Haus house was never the same again.

A British map of New York and the surrounding battleground. (To see the entire map, click here.)

"The Wilderness War: A Narrative" by Allan Eckert. Little, Brown & Company, 1978

Captain Christian House assists General Herkimer (on display at Utica Public Library)    "Colonel Ebenezer Cox rushed up to Herkimer, shouting, 'I'm taking command, sir! You're out of commission! I'm taking command!' It may have been one of the shortest-lived commands in history. As the words were uttered, a rifle ball passed through his head, killing him .... Herkimer was quickly carried to a slightly safer place by CAPTAIN CHRISTIAN HOUSE, who seated the wounded general on his saddle at the base of a huge beech tree, against which he propped him for support. His men began forming a circle around him and here, ignoring the pain of his shattered leg, he calmly loaded his pipe and continued to direct activities as best he could .... Adding a hideous cacophony to the rattling of gunfire were the shrieks of the Indians, who, having fired their guns, were now charging to the attack with tomahawks and war clubs. To this were added the screams of men dying or wounded or those simply filled with panic. The din was frightful and the hand-to-hand combat fierce beyond belief."

   The carnage continued for hours, with the exposed rebels forming a circle to answer the gunfire coming from all sides. Herkimer commanded the troops to double up, with one firing as the other reloaded, to keep away the Indians who were charging in with tomahawks to kill them as they tried to reload. Escape seemed futile—Colonel Cox even shot one of his own men for trying to flee. There seemed no way out—but fortunately for the Patriots, a harsh thunderstorm interrupted, giving them time to regroup, and spooking the Indians (who considered it a bad omen). Then, while the fight raged, troops from Ft. Schuyler sneaked outside and looted the Loyalist camp. The British forces fell back to protect their camp, and that gave what was left of Herkimer's men time to escape the trap. (General Herkimer died 11 days after the battle due to complications from having his leg amputated.)
   Both sides suffered heavy losses—mainly Indians on the Loyalist side—but about 500 of Herkimer's 800 men eventually died from the battle, and only about 150 escaped without serious injury. Nearly all of the Haus' survived, as they had probably banded together during the chaos. At least eight fought in the battle and only one that we know of (Conrad) was killed.
   Hopefully Conrad died quickly, because many Americans were taken by the Indians, who favored a torture method of impaling the prisoners with turpentine-covered wood splinters, then setting fire to the splinters. Death took hours—followed by cannibalism, according to some accounts, which would not be inconsistent with Native American traditions of the time in that area. ("We're having the Haus' for supper! Yum!!!")
   In 1884, a monument was erected to honor the soldiers. Its bronze plaques depict the battle and list the names of some of the participants, including Captain Christian Haus, Lieutenant Jost Haus, and Conrad Haus. The Haus' who fought on the other side aren't listed. (On a side note, in 2006 I found the actual Oriskany battle site: Beyond the official plaque commemorating the gruesome battle, it now holds a Burger King and a Duncan Donuts.)

Haus Women During the Revolution

But the unsung heroes of the Revolution were the women: Being a wife on the frontier was never a great glamour job, but with the war on, they not only had to raise a family and tend the farms by themselves, sometimes they had to fight, too!    Elizabeth Scriber House told the Enterprise and News in 1931 about her great, great, grandmother, who lived near Fort Plain. She and her children escaped the burning of their village by Indians and retreated to the fort—only to find it nearly unoccupied, except for one old man and a 12-year-old boy. She and her neighbor donned soldiers' uniforms to masquerade as militia and make the fort appear manned. The Indians surrounded the fort and attacked. Then on command of the old man, the women fired. Several Indians fell, and the rest then retreated, never knowing that they were being held off by a total military force of one old man, two women and a few children.    Another example: The family of Conrad House left Montgomery Co. sometime after 1768 and removed to Otsego County, one and a half miles east of Richland Springs. Their cabin stood on an Indian trail between Albany and Federal Corners. Then, during the Revolutionary War, Indians on the British side attacked the House cabin. Mrs. Engelge House escaped into the woods, but her 13-year old daughter was caught and carried off. After several years she reappeared with a child fathered by an Indian captor. This child was called Mary Manton. She became well-known in the area, and stayed visible until 1812, when she disappeared for good, presumably back with her Native American family.

   The years after the revolution were very good for the Haus family, and they flourished right along with the new nation, spreading into Wisconsin, New Jersey, Michigan, and many other territories and states.
   This was possible because the soldiers in the various Colonies had undergone a transformation during the course of the war. In fighting together against a common cause, they had stopped thinking of themselves as New Yorkers or Georgians or New Englanders: Fighting side-by-side, relying on each other, they had started to think of themselves collectively as Americans. That, more than any battle, signaled the birth of a new nation.
    But not all of the descendants of Johann prospered in the new country. With the American victory also came the banishment of the Loyalists. In 1781 the newly formed State of New York began the confiscation of Loyalist land, and on July 15, 1783, the holdings of George and Harmanus House of the Canajoharie District of Tryon County were confiscated and auctioned at a Sheriff's Sale. Claim of George to the British on August 30 said he joined them in 1777, served all the War under Col. Butler in the Rangers; Had some Lands on the Mohawk, had no Lease but had lived on them 15 years before the War, and had built a house. He only Claims for the Buildings 24£, he had 4 horses & 2 Colts, Utensils, furniture, grain in the ground, all of which he left behind. The Indians took some, the Rebels took the most. On July 14 of 1783, John Jurry House of the Palatine District of Tryon County also lost his land.

House, John Jurry—Farmer     Judgment: 14 July, 1873     Fr. Palatine, Tryon Co., NY. Stl: Canada?     Land taken in Tryon Co., NY House, George—Yeoman     Judgment: 15 July, 1783     Fr. Canajoharie, Tryon Co., NY.     Stl: Lincoln Co., Ontario, Canada     Land taken in Tryon Co., NY House, Hermanus—Yeoman     Judgment: 15 July, 1783     Fr. Canajoharie, Tryon Co., NY.     Stl: Lincoln Co., Ontario, Canada     m: Margaret Walrad. Child: John, Dan,  James, Anna, Julia,     Hulda, Catharina, Robert, Mary.     Land taken in Tryon Co., NY Also listed on the Military Roster: Daniel House, Frederick House, James House, John House, and Philip House.

   So peace was finally restored in America—but not within the Haus family. The disgraced House Loyalists retreated to the safety of Canada with the rest of Butler's Rangers, and about 1,800 displaced Mohawk Indians, eventually making their way to the Niagara Peninsula. Harmanus and wife Margaretha Walrad were granted land in Clinton township in 1790 and became the first settlers of Cave Springs in Clinton, Ontario, and cleared 12 acres of land in lots 10 and 11. Brother George took land next door in lot #9. Harmanus' land featured ancient Neutral Indian face carvings in the rocks, some of which still exist today.
   With the war behind him, Harmanus was a model citizen in Canada, and still a great frontiersman: He served on the first Municipal Council of the Clinton Township and was named Poundkeeper and Town Warden in 1793—and as far as I can tell, he never scalped anybody that he caught!
   He and Margaret had nine children altogether. Their daughter, Anna Margaret, married Joseph Smith on January 28, 1790, and their son, Harmanus Smith (named after his grandfather) later became a successful doctor and politician. His exploits were recounted in The Story of a Pioneer Doctor—Harmanus Smith by Vivian M. Spack, E.E.
   So all in all, both sides of the Haus family, in the United States and Canada, were quite successful after the war. The century-old dream of Johann, for his children's children to prosper, was coming true—especially in the case of our next ancestor...

(From Jerry Hause's Family Bible)

CHAPTER FIVE: WILLIAM HAUSE, 1750 - 1818. A Revolutionary War hero helpsa save the Hudson River, then becomes a prosperous land owner. So John begat William who begat John who begat Augustus. Then Augustus begat a generation that moved west...

LITERARY SOURCES FOR THIS PAGE:

CHAPTER 1: JOHANN CHRISTIAN HAUSS, b. 1666 CHAPTER 2: THE NEW WORLD, 1711 - 1725 CHAPTER 3: JOHANN, JOHANNES AND JOHN, 1725 - 1775 CHAPTER 4: THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION, 1775 - 1783 CHAPTER 5: WILLIAM HAUSE, 1750-1818 CHAPTER 6: WESTERN NEW YORK, 1783 - 1855 CHAPTER 7: MICHIGAN, 1855 - 1900 CHAPTER 8: MICHIGAN, 1901 - 1959 CHAPTER 9: CALIFORNIA, 1959 - 2006 CHAPTER 10: AFTERWARD, 2007