From New Recruit to Deserter: Early Deserters from the Pennsylvania Line

Posted on April 10, 2026

From New Recruit to Deserter: Early Deserters from the Pennsylvania Line

Continental Army officers crisscrossed Pennsylvania in early 1776, working to recruit thousands of soldiers for the colony’s six new regiments. The quicker these soldiers could be found, the better, as they were needed urgently to reinforce the American army in New York City and in Canada. The recruiters filled their companies to fighting strength, but some new recruits apparently had no plans to serve their full year-long term. 

An issue of The Pennsylvania Gazette published April 10, 1776—250 years ago today—contains two announcements advertising a reward for the capture of deserters. Captain John Huling of the 2nd Pennsylvania Battalion lists 14 deserters from his company, and Captain Joseph Hubley of the 3rd Pennsylvania Battalion lists 10 deserters. A full-strength company contained 79 officers and soldiers, so both companies had already lost over an eighth of their theoretical maximum strength before reaching their intended stations.   

The advertisements contain much more detailed information on each deserter than is found in a typical muster roll; the more identifying information included in a description, the more likely it was that a reader could identify a deserter attempting to blend in. Some of the descriptions are quite evocative: Simon Palmer of Hubley’s company is “of German descent, 18 years of age, 5 feet 6 inches high, of a swarthy complexion; he lurks about the town of Manheim, in Lancaster county.” Richard Mayberry of Huling’s company is “about 21 years of age, 5 feet 5 or 6 inches high, black curled hair, thin visage, slender made, by trade a taylor; plays on the fife.”  

The captains offered an 8-dollar reward for each deserter captured and warned that a Pennsylvania law set a 50-dollar penalty for “harbouring or concealing” any known deserter. The advertisements were not identical, though. Hubley stated, “If any of the above will return to the company within the space of ten days from the date, [they] shall be pardoned”. Huling offered no such amnesty.  

Learn about this newspaper (object ID MS.7323, property of Robert Nittolo) on the Ticonderoga Online Collections database: https://fortticonderoga.catalogaccess.com/archives/31123