LANCASTER "GRAEFF/GRAFF" IN THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION

Source: iStock

Being a patriot did not always involve going into battle - it also involved giving supplies, money, medical help, and general support to the Colonial troops or individual soldiers.  Many Mennonite and Amish non-combatants can fulfill the description of patriot because they helped in other ways besides actually killing the enemy. 

If I ever get around to gathering together the documentation to file for "supplemental" patriots for my DAR lines I am currently aware of 6 - 8 "patriots" within my own family line - most were Mennonite and refused to actually kill other human beings but they valued their personal and religious freedom and did contribute to the cause.

There is now a wonderful book available "Revolutionary Patriot's of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania 1775-1783" by Henry C. PEDEN, Jr. published in 1998 by Family Line Publications.

On pages 105-106 are listed these GROF/GRAFF/GRAEFF men with brief descriptions of their service.  I have chosen to simply list the names.

GRAEFF, Frederick - soldier
GRAEFF, Jacob - soldier
GRAEFF, Samuel
GRAFF, Andrew - soldier
GRAFF, G. - boarded soldiers
GRAFF, Garret - soldier
GRAFF, George Michael -
GRAFF, Jacob - soldier
GRAFF, Jacob Sr -
GRAFF, John -
GRAFF, John -
GRAFF, John - soldier
GRAFF, John - soldier
GRAFF, Mathew - soldier
GRAFF, Matthias -
GRAFF, Samuel -
GRAFF, Sebastian - soldier
GRAFT, Phillip - soldier
GROFF, Peter -


The above Sebastian GROFF is probably the same man who was elected State Senator in 1790.  This same man in 1787 was also a delegate to the convention to ratify the Federal constitution and was also a delegate in 1789 to amend the constitution of Pennsylvania (Source: A Biographical History of Lancaster County: Being a History of Early Settlers..... by Alex HARRIS 1872, reprinted in 1989.

PLEASE NOTE: 
ALL PHOTOS AND WRITTEN CONTENT ARE MY OWN UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED.