Noted Canadian author John Helmut Merz provided the Military Service Record of Johan Nicolaus Linck as entered in Der Hetrina VI, page 300, and the German-American Genealogical Research Monograph #5, Mercenaries from Hessen-Hanau who Remained in Canada and the U. S. after the American Revolution by Clifford Neal Smith.

At age 22, in 1768, Johan Nicolaus Linck enlisted in the Hessian Army. Shortly thereafter, he was promoted to Corporal and assigned to the Erbprinz Regiment. Eight years later, he and his entire regiment shipped to Quebec to become part of Burgoyne's Army. In October 1777 at the Battle of Saratoga, his regiment was captured with the entire Burgoyne Army. The prisoners were first kept at a camp near Boston. Later the prisoners were marched several hundred miles to the Albemarle prison near Charlottesville, Virginia, arriving in January, 1779.

Among the prisoners that left Boston in 1778 for the long trek to Albemarle, Johan Nicholaus was one of four LINCKs born within a few km of Breitenbach. Three of the four served in the same Erbprinz regiment. Two of four LINCKs escaped during the march Southward, and Der Hetrina reports that the 33-year-old Nicolaus "took off from the Albemarle barracks on July 11, 1779, and nothing has been seen of him since".

After escaping from Albemarle, Johan Nicolaus Linck "Americanized" his name and became known as John Nicholas Link. Obviously, he married sometime between July, 1779 and November, 1780 when his first son William, was born. Some sources say that he married Anna Margaretha Eisceken; however, searches of early Virginia records and of current telephone directories in the United States and Germany have failed to turn up the surname Eisceken. Nicholas Link's will mentions his wife Margaret, and it is assumed that Eisceken is a misspelling of her surname.

Court records show that John Nicholas Link, known as Nicholas, lived in Augusta County, Virginia in 1800 when he testified that Salley Grim was "of age" prior to her marriage to his son William. In 1807 he obtained 133 acres South of Staunton on the present-day Route 252, near Middlebrook. The exact whereabouts of Nicholas Link between the time of his escape and 1800 remains a mystery, though he likely settled in Augusta County. Census records and Link genealogies of Halifax County indicate that he never lived there.

Two of more descendants of the PA LINKs moved to Augusta County about the same time John Nicholas Link is believed to have settled there. There is no apparent relationship in his country, but in context of early German practices for naming children, there is a stiking parallel in the names of the children of the two Augusta County LINK lines.

John Nicholas and Margaret Link had ten children; of these, it appears that only William migrated to Tennessee. Their children were:

John Nicholas predeceased his wife in June, 1813 in Augusta County, VA.

Below is the will of John Nicholas Link, ancestor of the Sumner County Links:

IN THE NAME OF GOD AMEN. I Nicholas Link of the County of Augusta and State of Virginia do on this day being the eighteenth day of April 1816 make this my last will and testment that is to say I will my soul to God who gave it and my body to the grave. Likewise I do constitute Christian Grim of the County and State aforesaid to be my Executor and Administrator of this my last will & testament which is as followers to wit to my son William Link and his heirs I will and sonstitute the sum one dollar and to my son George Link deceased his heirs I will & constitute & consign the sum of one dollar and to my daughter Catherine Hollis one dollar and to my beloved wife Margret Link I will and bequeathe her living of my tract of land whereon I now live her lifetime and at her death I will and bequeathe this my land to my son David for which he is to pay unto Elizabeth Link now Elizabeth Grim the sum of six hundred and forty two dollars & eighty cents likewise he is to pay unto John Link and Henry Link and to my daughter Sally Link the sum of one hundred and forty two dollars and eighty five cents each to have the above sum if eighty hundred and fifty seven dollars and 15 cents to be paid equally to Elizabeth Grim and John Link and Henry Link and Ann Link by the paymt of the above sum the said David Link hold and to have all the lands that I now possess with regard to my movable property. My son David is to have all my movables to he have and to hold the same all the above & being in my wright mind and sound judgment I do confirm and enjoin my heirs my executors and adminstrators to confirm givin under my hand and in the peace of God I have set my name and fixed my seal the year & month above wrighten i say signed & sealed by me.

Teste:	John Nicholaus Link	Seal
Thomas Rankin
William McCutchen
Samuel McCutchen

At a Court held for Augusta County on Monday June the 24th 1816

This last will and testament of Nicholas Link deceased was presented in Court and proved by the oaths of William McCuthchen & Samuel McCutchen two of the witnesses thereto & ordered to be recorded and on the motion of Christian Grim the Executor named in the will who made oath thereto & with William McCutchen & Jacob Beard his security entered into and acknowledged. Bone in the penalty of $1500 conditioned as the Law reqr which bond is ordered and recorded.

Teste.

Erasmus Stribling CC

Recorded in the Augusta County Clerk's Office, Staunton, VA in Will Book 12, Page 171.

Helen Gant Donald
hgdonald@leo.infi.net
Daughter of Sumner Countians Anne Armstrong and Robert Lee Gant
Descendant of John Nicholas Link through: William Link, Jacob Link, Christian Link, Lesba Link Armstrong.

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