Daniel Windle

Daniel Windle

 b. 1748, Shenandoah, Virginia  •   d. 1805, Rockbridge, Virginia

• Rank: Ensign

• Service: Patriotic service, 8th Virginia later merged with 4th Virginia

• State: Virginia

• SAR Patriot #: P-313079

• Spouse: Mary Hawkins

Born around 1748 in what later became Shenandoah County, Virginia, Daniel Windle/Wendel served as an Ensign in a local militia comprised primarily of German farmers who fought in their everyday civilian clothes. His unit was closely tied to the 8th Virginia Regiment—famously known as the Continental Army's "German Regiment"—and fought bravely in pivotal engagements including the Battles of Brandywine, Germantown, and Monmouth. Following the war, he relocated to Lexington, Virginia, where he continued his dedication to public service by helping organize the town's first fire department and successfully operated a local tavern until his death in 1805.