616 ROYER FAMILY IN AMERICA

for Wayne, that the first wagon was whiskey; the second, ammunition; the

third, whiskey; the fourth, provisions; the fifth, whiskey. He told also that

Wayne had a little brass cannon, about three feet long, which he called his

pocket piece. A large apple tree, perhaps the largest in Indiana, stood about

half a mile out from Fort Wayne. On day Wayne from the fort noticed

an Indian climb up into the apple tree. He said to George Royer: "Go bring

my little pocket piece and I will drop that red d__ out of that apple tree." The

pocket piece was brought, Wayne aimed, and the Indian was seen to drop

out. George was a powerful, well built youth. The soldiers had to cut a

road through the forests for Wayne's wagons. There was one ax much larger

than the rest, which the soldiers pushed back all the rest had been se-

lected. This big ax fell to George Royer, and he could sink it into a tree

up to the eye. He also told of being in the war of 1812. That he was a

soldier is also evidenced by his drawing a pension.

His family Bible states that he was born Aug. 11, 1787, but Wayne's ex-

pedition was in 1792, at which time according to the family record George

would have been but five years old, and so could not have accompanied Wayne

as he told his grandson. Beside his family always claimed that at his death

he was only a little less than two months under 100 years, making his birth

in 1776. Beside arrangements were being made at the time of his death -

June, 1876 - to take him to the Centennial, he being born the same year as his

country. Notwithstanding the family record, we cannot set aside these things.

What is the explanation? There is no conflict as to his birthday. It was

Aug. 11. His wife was born in 1797. Might it have occurred to the person

who wrote up the family record that to make George ten years older than

his wife was sufficient, and so eleven objectionable years were dropped. But

this seems below Royer dignity. It will be noted that if he were born in

1776, he was just sixteen years old in 1792, as he claimed he was when he

accompanied Wayne. There is also a striking co-incident concerning III.

Christopher Royer, whom we regard as IV. George's father. The Lancaster

Church record states that he and wife were baptized by the Brethren in 1776,

and again the record states that Christopher Royer and wife were

baptized in 1787. It is not unlikely that the two Christopher's

were one and the same person. We cannot find any additional information

concerning one Christopher, much less of the two. Perhaps IV. George was

born the year his parents were baptized, and his age determined by this event,

and the year 1787 in the family Bible copied from the recorded baptism of

III. Christopher in that year, while it should have been copied from the Chris-

opher baptism of 1776. Family trouble is hinted at. Perhaps Christopher

and wife were for a time out of the church and were restored to membership

in 1787, and that taken for the date of baptism.

George Royer would never tell about his father's family. He was born

in Lanc. Co., Pa. Frederick Hummel, p. 619. says he spoke of their living

at Laurel Hills. Some trouble had arisen, he left home, crossing over

the Laurel Hills. Laurel Hill is the western boundary of Somerset Co., Pa.

His children seem never to have learned the name of their grandfather,

at least his name had not been handed down. George often spoke of Colunbiana

County, Ohio, and seems to have lived there for a time. If his father ever

lived there, no evidence of the fact is found in the court-house. The Royers

of Columbiana County are of another line altogether. See A. A. George's

mother is said afterward to have married a Holsopple, by whom she also had

children. George used to visit the Holsopples who lived near Trotwood, Ohio.

The old Royer family Bible was turned over to the Holsopples, because one

of the Royer descendants said it belonged to them - likely there were more

Holsopple children, which would indicate that George's father died young.

CHAPTER I.

V. NANCY ROYER, p. 615, m. Charles Burkett, farmer near Trot-

wood, Ohio; she B.; he died soon and she a widow a long time; John

Wise gave her ground on which he built a small house; finally built

a house in Tunker, Ind.; 1 ch.:

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