'Old Denmark': Col. Christian Febiger

'Old Denmark': Col. Christian Febiger

Across Oceans, Across Time ® … Stories from the Family History & Genealogy Center … “Old Denmark” -- In 2007 the Family History and Genealogy Center had an exhibition of Danish immigrants who were veterans of military service in either Denmark or the U.S. The oldest veteran was Col. Christian Febiger, who served in the Revolutionary War. Born to organist Jørgen Fibiger in Fåborg in October, 1749, Christian received a military education. By 1768 he was living on St. Croix in what was then the Danish West Indies, where he likely clerked for an uncle who had been appointed governor of the island. He toured the American colonies from Cape Fear, in North Carolina, to Penobscot, Maine in the early 1770s, and by the advent of the Revolutionary War had settled down in the Boston area as a dealer in lumber, fish and horses. Ten days after shots were fired in Lexington Febiger offered his services to the Massachusetts State militia. He was made a junior officer, distinguished himself in the Battle of Bunker Hill, and then accompanied Gen. Arnold’s expedition to Quebec, where he was taken prisoner in the storming of that city. After being paroled Febiger was appointed an officer in the 11th Regiment of the Virginia Continental Line, serving under Daniel Morgan. In this position he saw action in a number of battles, including at Brandywine, where he achieved distinction. He was present at Gen. Cornwallis’ surrender at Yorktown, and ended the war as a colonel. (Despite being promoted to Brigadier General, he never used the title.) Following the war he settled in Philadelphia as a businessman and trader and also served in local political positions, including as Treasurer for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Febiger married a woman of Scottish extraction, Elizabeth Carson. They had no children, but adopted one of her nephews, who then carried this early Danish name forward in America. Christian Febiger died in Philadelphia in 1796, where he is buried in Mount Vernon Cemetery. .

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