Joseph Croninger was baptized on June 18, 1758 in Lehigh Church Zion's Lutheran Church of Lower Macungie, Lehigh County,
Pennsylvania. This was Northampton Co. at that time. His parents were Leonhart and Elizabeth Croninger.
The family had moved to Buffalo Valley in Northumberland County, Pennsylvania by 1773. Joseph enlisted in the Army of the
United States in 1776 in Sunbury, Northumberland Co. PA.
He was under the command of Captain John Clark. He was marched to the town of Reading, Pennsylvania and there the company
was joined by other recruits and marched to Frankfort, about 5 miles from Philadelphia. He was transferred to Capt. John Delong's
company of riflemen under the command of General Morgan.
A short time after this he was marched to Trenton and fought in the battle there. After that battle he was marched to Princeton,
where his company was transferred to the Division commanded by General Putnam. From there they were marched to Millstone River
in New Jersey, where they threw up a breastworks of flour barrels. They then marched to the vicinity of General Howe's army,
to Somerset Courthouse at which place the enemy attempted to cut down the bridge across the Raritan River but they were prevented
by General Putnam's forces who continued to follow the enemy to Bombrook, where they had a severe skirmish.
They then marched back to Somerset Courthouse where they remained about a week and were then marched down to the North
River where they were then put under the command of General Potter. The company remained there about three months, during
which time they were in the battle of "Ash Swamp."
From there they were marched to Morristown and were put under the command of General Washington. At this time Joseph's
enlistment expired and he was discharged by General Washington.
After being discharged, Joseph went immediately to Philadelphia and enlisted again into Capt. Adam Christ's Company of
riflemen. About one month after his enlistment he was marched to the mouth of the Schulkill River and was put into Capt. White's
company. General Morgan was there. He was then marched to New Jersey where he was marched to and fro for a long time.
He was then marched back through the state of Pennsylvania and transferred back to Capt. Christ's company. He was marched
to Brandywine and fought in the battle there. He was under the command of General Morgan in that battle. Capt. Christ was
wounded in it and Joseph carried him on his back across the Brandywine.
From Brandywine he was marched to the Chestnut Ridge and remained there for some time. From there he was marched to Germantown
and was in the battle there. He was then marched to Marcus Hook and discharged by General Washington.
Joseph married Elizabeth Hill about 1778 in Northumberland County. Most of their children were probably born in Buffalo
Valley. By 1800 they are listed in the Hempfield Twp., Westmoreland Co. PA census. Their youngest child, Catherine, was baptized
there in August 1800. Their sons, Joseph Jr., Jacob, and Leonard married there.
Joseph bought property in Stark County, Ohio, very early. Joseph had one of the only two cabins on the State Road. (This
road is probably the present day Tuscarawas.) The family moved there in 1809. He had 160 acres just south of Sippo Lake in
Perry Twp. He owned another 160 acres in Perry Twp. on present day Navarre Rd. which he sold in 1815. He owned two properties
in Sugar Creek Twp., one of which he sold to his son, Henry, in 1821. Henry operated the "best distillery in the county" there,
according to one history. Sons Jacob and Benjamin also owned land in that neighborhood.
Joseph sold the Perry Twp. property in 1819 and moved near his son, Joseph Jr. in Wayne County. He and Elizabeth are shown
in the 1820 census living there. By 1830 they were probably living with son Daniel in Portage County.
In 1840 they are shown in the Sugarcreek Twp. census living next to son Benjamin. Joseph died there on April 25, 1842.
A notice of his death in the Ohio Repository of May 5, 1841 called him a pensioner of the United States and for about 30
years a citizen of Perry and Sugarcreek townships.
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