- French and Indian War (1754–1763): Pre-independence conflict involving British and French colonial forces.
-Revolutionary War (1775–1783): War for independence against Great Britain.
Ancestors who served in the Revolutionary War:
William Baird
Patrick McGill
and according to (unverified) family lore --- Betsey Ross, herself.
- Indian Wars (Approx. 1770s–1890s): Numerous conflicts between the U.S. government and Native American tribes.
Governor and later Senator Andrew Ryan McGill served as a private in Company D of the 9th Minnesota Infantry.
-Barbary Wars (1801–1805, 1815): Fought against North African states.
-War of 1812 (1812–1815): Conflict with Great Britain. In the War of 1812, the McGill family once again answered the needs of their country, though much of their service—like in earlier years—was rendered not in formal enlistment, but through hard civilian labor at the frontier. At Erie, where Commodore Perry’s fleet was being constructed, the work of cutting timber, hauling materials, and raising defenses fell heavily upon the strong backs of local men, and the McGills were among them. Arthur McGill, though advanced in years, came forward with his teams and experience, helping move great timbers from forest to bay. His sons—Arthur Jr., Henry, and John—were already present at Erie, each contributing to the building of the fleet and the fortifications, while young Robert, still a boy, remained behind. Though they did not march under Captain Long’s militia call, they were there from the beginning, laboring where the need was greatest.
In Patrick McGill’s household, his sons were coming of age under similar circumstances. John, the eldest, longed to go, but was kept at home by his father to manage the growing responsibilities of the family farm, submitting with obedience though not without disappointment. William P. and young Charles D. were likewise too young to take part. Patrick himself, however—a veteran of earlier struggles—would not let the moment pass unmarked. Taking up his rifle, he set out on foot toward the threatened front, intent on offering his service as a soldier. Though the danger had passed by the time he arrived, and no battle met him there, his effort stands as a clear step beyond the support roles of earlier years: when called again, Patrick McGill did not merely supply the fight—he went to join it.
- Texas Revolution (1835–1836): Led to the annexation of Texas.
-Mexican-American War (1846–1848): Conflict over territorial expansion.
- Mormon Expedition (1857–1858): Federal troops against Mormon settlers in Utah.
-Civil War (1861–1865): Conflict between the Union and the Confederacy.
Click the links for biographical pages of family members who fought in the Civil War. Some have American Civil War Pension Files available for download:
Samuel Montgomery Burchfield
Robert Reid Burchfield
William Burchfield
John Conrad
Eli Evans
Andrew T. Harvey
Samuel Gray
Joseph L. Kopp
Augustus McGill
James McFarland McGill
John Davitt McGill (Confederate)
Lamont Dunwiddie McGill
William Johnston McGill
Henry Minneley
James Satterfield Porter
Miller Ross
Serenus Ross
Henry Twichel
James Ellis McCloskey
- Spanish-American War (1898): Conflict with Spain.
At the outbreak of the Spanish American war Charles Herbert McGill was appointed by President McKinley to be Assistant Adjutant General of Volunteers with the rank of captain. He served in that capacity throughout 1898 on the staff of Brigadier General LF Hubbard US Volunteers in Georgia and Florida until the close of the war. He had thus at the age of thirty two filled honorable positions both in civil and military life Captain McGill is as a natural sequence of the latter service a distinguished member of the organization of the Spanish American War Veterans as well as of the Sons of the American Revolution.
- Border War (1910–1919): U.S. forces involved in the Mexican Revolution.-
-World War I (1917–1918): U.S. involvement in the global conflict.
In the spring of 2022 I had a severe injury. With little to do I decided to learn to create video memorials to World War One soldiers, sailors and airmen from New Jersey, who never made it home. Please be kind with your critique, this is just the beginning of the learning process. The final video is about the Gold Star Mothers Pilgrimage.
A family story—but in its bones, it is shared by many.
This story is told through one family—but it belongs, in some way, to many. You may find your own ancestors walking these same paths.
“Children, This Is Where You Come From…”
(A Family Telling)
Come closer now, children… and sit still a moment. There are things you ought to know—not from books, but from those who came before you.
Our story in this country begins with your 5th great-grandfather, Patrick McGill. He came here from Ireland with little more than his hands and his will, alongside his brother Arthur, when this land was not yet truly its own.
When the American Revolutionary War broke upon the colonies, Patrick did not take up arms—but do not mistake that for standing aside. He and Arthur put their backs and their wagons to the cause, hauling supplies for the army where they were needed most.
They were there when men froze and starved at Valley Forge.
They carried through the aftermath of Battle of Brandywine, where the ground itself seemed unwilling to take any more of the fallen.
They did not fire muskets—but men with muskets could not have stood without men like them.
For that service, Patrick was granted land in northwestern Pennsylvania—the very ground where the Old Manse now stands. And there he settled, not as a stranger, but as a man who had helped build the bones of a nation.
Years passed, and the country grew. When the War of 1812 came, Patrick’s sons were still too young to go. And truth be told… a man who had seen what he had seen may not have wished it upon them.
But Patrick himself—already an old man by then—walked to the place of enlistment and put his name down as a soldier.
Think on that, children.
He had done his part once already. He had his land, his family, his years. And still… he went.
When the war was done, he walked back home again—victorious, and known not just for what he had done, but for his willingness to do it again.
That is the kind of man you come from.
And then came the great sorrow of this nation—the American Civil War.
By then, it was Patrick’s grandson, Corporal William Johnston McGill, who took up the cause, serving with Company F of the Ninth Regiment, Pennsylvania Reserves. He marched as so many did, carrying not only his pack, but the weight of all who had come before him.
He was wounded—wounds that followed him the rest of his days—but he came home.
Not all did.
His cousin, Serenus Ross, returned from Battle of Gettysburg, but not truly whole. His injuries, though survived at first, claimed him not long after.
And Robert Burchfield… he never came home at all. He died within the walls of the Florence Stockade, his body cast into a mass grave among many others, known now only to history and to God.
You must understand, children—this is how it was.
Men were buried where they fell, or where they could be gathered. Some were marked. Many were not. Families waited for word that never came. Mothers grew old wondering.
It was from such sorrow that change was born.
In 1862, President Abraham Lincoln set aside land for what would become the national cemeteries—places where the fallen could be gathered, named if possible, and laid to rest with some measure of the honor they had not been given in the moment of their passing.
After the war, men went back across the fields—across farms, woods, and forgotten places—to bring the dead together. Stones were set. Names were carved where they could be known. And where they could not… a marker still stood.
It is not a perfect reckoning. It never could be.
But it is better than what was.
So when you walk upon those grounds, children—those quiet places with their long rows of white stones—you remember this:
They were not always laid so gently.
They were not always remembered so clearly.
What you see there… was learned.
Learned through Patrick’s labor.
Through William’s wounds.
Through graves like Robert’s, where no stone first stood.
And now that remembering… belongs to you.
Take a moment, when you can, to stand still among them. Not just to see—but to feel what has been carried forward.
-World War II (1941–1945): U.S. involvement following Pearl Harbor.
Robert Drinkwater Haringa served in the US Navy during 2nd World War. He was in A Construction Battalion (CBs) After the war he worked for Westinghouse, Elevator Division, in Jersey City, NJ
-Korean War (1950–1953): Cold War conflict.
- Bay of Pigs Invasion (1961): Attempted overthrow of Cuban government.
- Vietnam War (1964–1975): Long-term Cold War conflict.
-Invasion of Panama (1989): U.S. intervention.
- War in Afghanistan (2001–2021): Post-9/11 conflict.
-Persian Gulf War (1990–1991): Intervention to liberate Kuwait
- Iraq War (2003–2011): U.S.-led invasion
A note on Peacetime Service - Not all military service occurs during times of war, but the contributions of those who served during peacetime are no less meaningful. Service members who trained, maintained readiness, and carried out the daily work of the armed forces ensured that the nation was prepared should conflict arise. Their commitment required the same willingness to serve and sacrifice, often involving long deployments, demanding training, and time spent far from home.
Periods of peace have also been times of important progress within the military. Without the immediate pressures of war, the armed forces were often able to improve training, develop new technologies, strengthen logistical systems, and modernize infrastructure. Many of these advancements later proved critical during times of conflict.
Behind every successful military operation are countless innovations in planning, organization, supply, transportation, medicine, and communication. Some service members contributed not on the battlefield but through careful planning, research, engineering, and administration. Their work helped solve practical challenges such as how to move troops efficiently, provide medical care, or ensure that food, equipment, and supplies reached the right place at the right time.
These efforts rarely resulted in famous battles or well-known decorations, yet they were essential to the effectiveness of the military as a whole. The dedication and ingenuity of those who served in these roles form an important part of military and family history. Whether during war or peace, their service reflects a legacy of readiness, responsibility, and quiet achievement that families can be just as proud of remembering.
As you move through these years and conflicts, you may find yourself pausing. Not every story is easy—and some were carried quietly through generations.
This timeline offers a way to place those lives in context—not just as dates, but as moments lived.
Placing Our Ancestors Within the Times They Lived
Understanding the world our ancestors lived in adds depth to every name we discover.
Wars and military conflicts were not distant events set apart from daily life—they shaped it. They influenced where families lived, how they worked, what they feared, and what they hoped for. Entire communities were changed in their wake, and for many families, the effects were deeply personal.
Even when an ancestor did not serve, these moments often reached into the home—through loss, separation, economic hardship, migration, or sudden change. In this way, the story of war is rarely just about soldiers.
It is about families.
Genealogy allows us to place our ancestors within these moments—not simply as names on a timeline, but as people living through uncertain times.