George Washington's Bodyguard

James W. Engler, my grandfather four generations removed, was a Swiss soldier hired by the King of England from the Duke of Hess. Many young men were hired this way and were told that the Americans were barbarians and if they should fall into their hands they would be eaten by cannibals. This was to make the young men fight very hard for England and to stay with the English cause.

It was while my grandfather was fighting for England against the American colonists that he was taken prisoner by the colonists. Contrary to his expectations he was treated kindly and got word back to his comrades, causing almost all the Hessian troops to desert the British and join the Americans.

Because of this, James Engler was given a position in Washington's body guard. He always spoke of Washington as "My General."

James Engler was born on September 25, 1754 and died at the age of 79 years in 1833 on Christmas Eve.

During the years following the war he married Martha Stone and lived on a farm in Burk County, Pennsylvania. They later moved to Summit Township, Pennsylvania. They belonged to the Lutheran church and raised seven children, six daughters and a son named Solomon.

Solomon Engler married Mary Brown and they reared thirteen children, one of whom was William Engler, my great grandfather.