George was born in "Germany" on June 4, 1752, and died in Bedford County, Penna, on January 21, 1837. While we can't trace his entry into the country, we know that he spent time in Maryland, and, probably while there, married his only wife, Nancy CHRISTY, born 1761, and who died in 1797, quite possibly in childbirth. He and Nancy are buried on the land that was once his farm, in Bedford County.
George was a farmer, a distiller, and quite likely a tavern-owner. He lived on the frontier of Bedford when it was still a very dangerous place to live, due largely to Indian attacks.
He was, by supposition and hypothesis, likely one of several siblings or perhaps cousins - who settled in Bedford County, Pa. These siblings/cousins include: Henry, Paul, Peter, Jacob, Samuel, Nicholas, and Marelus (who may be "Maria Elisabeth", in a shortened form "Mar. Elis", misread), although the connection has not been proven, nor the overall progenitor found.
There is also one neighboring Wertz, Christian, who married Elizabeth FISHER, that we definitely can NOT connect as a first cousin or brother to George... but there's bound to be a connection here somewhere (Christian's farm is separated from George's farm in the Millikens Cove area of what is now Harrison Township, Bedford County, Pa, by only one farm).
George and Nancy (Christy) Wertz had 9 children who survived infancy (we don't know of any infants who died), born between 1780 and 1797. They were:
1) Mary, who married Samuel TAYLOR
2) John, who married Elizabeth FULLMAN
3) George, who married a woman named Betsy
4) Rosannah, who married Peter MOWRY
5) Elizabeth, who married James A. KINTON
6) Thomas, who married Eve DIBERT
7) Remintia, who never married
8) Daniel, who married Mary MAURER (might be MOWRY?)
9) William, who married Mariah HOOVER.
(Mariah remarried Jacob DULL after William's death or disappearance)
All of his children thrived and begot several offspring, assuring many future descendants, some of whom are reading this write-up at this very moment.
Perhaps the best exposition of his life can be found in his Revolutionary War pension affidavit, filed by George in 1835, two years before his death. The text of that affidavit, with some of the administrative paragraphs (e.g. "sworn to this nth day of ...") removed, follows:
"On this 30th day of January A.D. 1835, personally appeared in open court, before The Hon. Alexander Thomson President and his associates Judges of the Court of Common Pleas of said County now sitting George Wertz a resident of Napier Township in the County of Bedford and State of Pennsylvania, aged eighty-two years, who first being duly sworn doth on his oath, make the following declarations in order to obtain the benefit of the act of Congress passed June 7, 1832.
That he entered the service of the United States and served as herein stated, to wit:
In the year 1778 when the Indians were harassing the frontier settlements and particularly the people of Bedford County, applicant with a number of other men volunteered his services for the defense of his fellow citizens. That his services commenced in the early part of the above-mentioned year, and continued until fall including a period of four months. That the duties of the volunteers were guarding the Fort at Bedford to which the families of the settlers came for safety during the summer season, scouting through the County and spying after the Indians, and marching to any place threatened with danger, at any time for all occasions.
That during the years seventy nine, eighty, & eighty one, he was engaged in similar duties, and twice he went to guard pack horses (carrying military stores to Pittsburg) as far as Ligonier beyond the Allegheny. That during said services he often assisted to bury those killed by the Indians, on one occasion going upwards of twenty five miles to perform that duty.
Applicant states the he was there engaged for four months in each year during the years mentioned, and that he was during said time under the command of Captain Samuel Davidson - that he was born in Germany on the 4th day of June 1752 and was about nine year of age when he came to America, & that he has in his possession a record of his age. That he was about twenty four or five years of age when he entered the service in Bedford County which was he believes by volunteering, he may have been enrolled in the militia but from his advancing age cannot certainly remember - He never had a discharge.
Applicant further states that he omitted to say in the commencement of his declaration that in the year 1776 he lived in the State of Maryland, and volunteered to go with Captain Cressup of Oldtown, who had been solicited by the inhabitants of the western part of Pennsylvania to come to their assistance against the Indians. That they marched from Oldtown to Brownsville Penna and from thence up the river to Muddy Creek where they found the trail of the Indians. That from there they pursued as far as the Ohio River about twenty four miles below Wheeling - they there cross the river & marched on into the Country until they passed the Moravian Towns, where they came upon the Indian towns; three of which they burned, viz, Snake town, Loganstown, and Wappatomika and destroyed about three hundred & fifty acres of corn. The towns were situated on the Muskingum River. After burning the towns ___ they returned home having been engaged in said expedition about six months at least - the time was longer.
He does not know of any one living who can testify as to this portion of his services. That he lived in Bedford County when he engaged in service in 1778, and has lived in said County ever since."
Researched and Prepared by Jeff Rinscheid
