Contributed by "Renee Rojas" <mrojas@neo.rr.com

THE FORGOTTEN MAN

By George Teems February, 1962.

I am writing in my own way just a few things about the life of "The forgotten man". He was a German, born at Wasselone, Alsace-Lorraine, France, over 200 years ago. He was personally acquainted and lived in the same town that the great France General Lafayette did. At the age of 19 he came to America, He enlisted in the Revolutionary War as a private on October 3, 1776 in the Valentine Creager Company. See Maryland Archives, Volume 16, page 71 and 72, Transferred to Artillery as horseman with Captain Von Herr March 31, 1777. See volume 3 fifth series page 973 Pennsylvania Archives page 917, June 1, 1778 George Washington personal life guard, also see letter of General Washington, Volume 9, page 486 old series, Pennsylvania Archive, -- General Washington was supposed to repeat that General Lafayette said that this man was not afraid of a Thousand devils, so he must have been a brave man.

Through tradition we learn that this man was with General Washington day and night and on several occasions he prevented George Washington from being killed, even if he was wounded several times, which scars he carried on his body as long as he lived. I know this to be a fact as my Grandma told me so many times, and she ought to know as he was her Grandfather. She said as a little girl she would set on her Grandpa’s lap and he would tell her stories of long ago and she would kiss his scars on his face and rub them with her tiny little fingers. And it was said he was a kind, slow to anger, truthful man and all the scars he received were from wounds he received while in the Revolutionary War.

In the summer of 1924 when my Grandma was 91, we had the privilege to take her to the Waggoner reunion at Wallbridge Park at Toledo, Ohio, where we saw the sword and cane that Washington presented him, also the tomahawk that the Indian Chief Tecumseh presented him. Grandma was able to get a copy of a speech we heard at this reunion which was taped. It read word for word as follows;

"Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen, and members of the WAGGONER FAMILY.;-

It is with a great deal of pleasure that I find myself here today, and, although my name is not Waggoner, yet, I claim to be a descendent of the Waggoner stock, a member of the fifth generation of which descent, after the History which I have been called upon to relate to you. I assure you, I am PROUD, and well may WE all be proud to be descendents of that illustrious man, great, great Grandfather, John Waggoner, SR. Many, many years ago from far off Waser, Germany, came our Grandfather, John Waggoner, at the age of 19 years, with his boon companion and friend Wiric (Elric ?) Rice, and cast their lots with the fortunes of the New World. They landed at Baltimore, MD. And immediately joined the Continental Army, as Body-guard of that known as the Father of his Country, George Washington, -- During the war of Revolution, as you know, Washington, held in high esteem, the German soldier, and chose them in particular as leaders, because of their military discipline, acquired by their leadership, apprenticeship in the German Armies and especially after the great service rendered by Peter Stuyvesent, a man of rank and a leader of the Prussian Army, Washington himself being of English descent.

From tradition, we have learned an incident which occurred during our Grandfather’s service as an aide to Washington, of which we may WELL BE PROUD. On one occasion when the army was engaged in mortal combat, General Washington was about to be pierced with an English General’s sword aimed at him, when Grandfather Waggoner warded off the blow, and stabbed him through with his bayonet. This bayonet is still in the Waggoner Family.

He too was with Washington at Valley Forge. Yes, Valley Forge, rises before us as a dream, too awful to behold. We learn from tradition and HISTORY of the awful suffering endured by these forefathers of ours, during the winter at Valley Forge, which can be but poorly told by tongue or pen. The Army at this time was in dire circumstances, in deed distress, and on the point of extermination by freezing, and starving to death for want of food and clothing. Indeed the troops were almost naked, had no shoes, slept on frozen ground, and were at one time without food for seven days. Yes, all this, and more, the great majority of the soldiers although the weather was bitter cold, clad as they were in many instances, with only nature’s clothing, without footwear, sleeping on the frozen ground, took up their long marches across the desert of snow, which could be traced by the trail of blood from their naked bleeding feet, yes, frozen feet. Provisions were a rare delicacy to be enjoyed and to satisfy the hunger of the soldiers only at rare intervals, and had it not been for the sacrifices of our Father of his Country, General Washington and other great men of his time, of his fortune dedicated to the cause of Liberty, and Patriotism, in resusitating this army combined by the unequalled patriotism and endurance manifested by the soldier, they would all have perished, marching over frozen ground through fields of snow at Christmas time, taking their quarters without lodging or shelter of any kind to cover them from winter storms. Subto it all without murmur, is to me, the best proof of the spirit of liberty and love of freedom which filled the breasts of these illustrious patriots of ours, and inspired them to the heroic deeds which were performed and which remain to this day unsurpassed and scarcely paralleled. (By Hon. John C. Overmyer, Columbus, O ?)

Due partly from injury he received in the war, which never properly healed and occasionally caused him a good deal of pain, he died December 15, 1842, First buried in the little ??? cemetery. This was a small cemetery only 25 by 75 feet on a sharp knoll along the Muscalonge Creek, 2 miles west of Lower Sandusky, now Fremont, Ohio. Some 50 years later remains were re-interred with great military honor in the new Four Mile Cemetery where a nice monument was erected to his honor, Mr. Solomon Berry being a member of the firing Squad upon the occasion and Mr. Romer Everet, an enthusiastic young orator of that day delivered the funeral oration. The inscriptions on this monument which stands to this day are:

JOHN WAGGONER

1758-1842

ENLISTED OCT. 3, 1776

LIFE GUARD OF

GEORGE WASHINGTON

People came from far and near to see this monument and he was greatly honored.

I wonder what this country would be now if this brave man had not sacrificed and risked his life to save General Washington’s life. If Washington had been killed before he won the war, well, we might still be British, French or Spanish subjects. The names of our States, Towns, etc, would not have been the same, Washington, D.C. might have been called Cornwallis, D.C. I don’t know.

I believe that every citizen of the United States should respect this man, but they do not. Now even his relatives. I do not know if they have had a Waggoner to respect him in the last 20 years. We understand the cemetery where his remains are is not being preserved and properly taken care of. Possible his monument might be standing as straight as original and possible no flowers, being put on his grave, as we understand possible no one ever stops to look at his monument anymore.

Yes, Truly this is the forgotten man, WHO DID NOT FAIL US.

George Teems

February, 1962.

I have a picture of the house where he was born in Wasselone, France. I also have a picture of the sword and cane that Washington gave him, also a picture of the Tomahawk that Indian Chief Tecumseh gave him, and a picture of his monument as described above.