Nicolaus, along with his grandfather, Barthel, his father, Heinrich, and his brother, Johan George (John), are pivotal figures in the Disinger family tree. Thousands of Disinger descendants are directly related to Barthel and Heinrich and are split between Nicolaus and John. There are limited records in America about Barthel and Heinrich because certain records are missing or damaged from over 250 years ago. John, whom the family seemingly lost track of, settled in York County, PA, and died at 46, leaving hundreds of descendants. Nicolaus, John, and William all served in the American Revolution. Still, Nicolaus seemed to be the only one to receive much attention for his service, which may be thanks to his descendants and surviving records.

After Nicolaus' grandfather and father, Barthel and Heinrich, immigrated in 1748 and settled in Pennsylvania, he was born in 1755 in Tulpehocken, PA. His older brother, Johan Wilhelm (William), was born in 1750 in Tuplehocken, and his younger brother, Johan George (John), was born in 1757 also in Tuplehocken. Their transcribed baptism records are from the Host Reformed Church in Tulpehocken. Barthel died in 1770, and Heinrich died in 1814. William died in 1822; his will mentioned his wife but no children. Although there are no burial records for Barthel, he likely died on his farm and was buried in the Host Reformed Church cemetery or the Altalaha Church cemetery of Rehrersburg, PA. Heinrich's burial records are also missing, except that on FamilySearch, someone posted he was interred in Prospect Hill Cemetery, York, PA. Although there's no source cited, nor is he listed on FindAGrave, Heinrich may have moved to York before his death to be with his son, John, after his second wife died in 1766, and his father, Barthel, died in 1770. William inherited his grandfather's and father's farm.

As a child, Nicolaus likely attended the Lutheran church in Host, where all the locals spoke German. At 21, Nicolaus served in the "Heidelberg Brigade" (a militia unit from Berks County, PA, comprised of German-American patriots) in August 1776, along with his brother, John. In the History of Berks County in Pennsylvania in the Revolution by Montgomery, Morton L., 1894, Nicolaus Teisinger and John Teisinger were listed as privates in Captain John Lesher's company in Colonel Patton’s Regiment. On August 11, 1776, after making preparations in Berks County, Captain Lesher's company marched 135 miles east to Perth Amboy, NJ, near Staten Island, NY. They apparently took part in the Battle of Long Island on August 27, 1776, where British forces defeated the Continental Army under George Washington. After suffering about 1,000 losses, the Continental Army safely retreated across the East River to Manhattan. 

Nicolaus served a second militia stint in 1780. In the same book by Morton L. Montgomery, Corporal Nicolaus Deisinger and Sergeant William Deisinger were listed in Captain Conrad Sherman's company under General Joseph Reed. In service for thirty days from August 10th to September 9th, the author could not identify the orders they were under, nor any actions they took. (also see Sullivan Expedition)

At some point between Nicolaus' two tours of duty, he married his wife and had their first child, Catharina, in April 1780. Nicolaus and his family, at first, likely lived with his father and brothers on his grandfather Barthel's former farm. Eldon Dysinger states Nicolaus was known as a "smith" and a taxpayer in Tuplehocken, even though he didn't own any land. After relocating, his third son, George, was born in 1785 in Cumberland County, PA. Nicolaus's growing family may have prompted the move to Cumberland County, and may have been aided by cheap land grants or service-connected grants due to his military service, as noted by Frank Disinger. John may have moved to York County for the same reasons. Frank Disinger states in his 2008 Cradle to Grave reunion paper that by 1792, Nicholas was the owner of two adjacent farms in the Sherman Creek-Muddy Run valleys located between Loysville and Landisburg, Cumberland County, PA. William likely stayed on his grandfather/father's farm since he was the eldest son.

In 1804, Nicolaus's oldest son, John, age 22, packed his bags and walked north about 250 miles to Seneca County, NY, presumably following Indian trails. He worked long enough to buy an axe and went into the woods, built a log cabin, and farmed in an area formerly occupied by the Indians. (see Sullivan Expedition) In 1805, Nicolaus's second son, Thomas, also settled in Seneca County, later moving to Royalton, Niagara County, NY, and finally to Ohio. In 1813, Nicolaus and his wife, along with his son, George, and his family, moved to Seneca County as well. Nicolaus and his wife purchased a small 20-acre farm near Fayette, NY, where they remained the rest of their years. His son, John, being the first to settle in Seneca County, raised a family of seven children and accumulated hundreds of acres of farmland, which his children and grandchildren inherited. Nicolaus' youngest son, David, moved his family to Royalton in 1828, being the first Deissinger to settle there. George eventually also relocated to Royalton in 1830.

Nicolaus and William's wills were written in German, and the baptism records of William, Nicolaus, and John were also in German. The churches they attended and all the people they knew almost certainly spoke mainly German and little English. Schools were church-established and run. Some families may have homeschooled their children in remote areas. When asked to give their names, Nicolaus and even his children likely spoke with heavy German accents, hence the reason for some of the strange misspellings of the Deissnger name.

Excerpt from the 2008 Cradle to Grave reunion paper by Frank A. Disinger, Deissinger Family Historian

"What can be said about Nicolaus' 86-year 3-month-long pilgrimage? He spent 31 years in Berks Co, PA; 27 years in Cumberland Co, PA; and 28 years in Seneca Co, NY. In miles, it covered about 340. [see Maps and Locations] He raised 7 children. He has 42 grandchildren that we know of. Several more are possible since little is known about the descendants of his daughters. We have charted approximately 5,100 descendants. [updated to 57 grandchildren and at least 85 more descendants of Barbara (Deissinger) Bergstresser who once lived in Yates County, NY, found on Find A Grave. ]

Was he patriotic? He saw service during our country's "War for Freedom." He must have been community-minded since he served as a constable in Toboyne Township, Cumberland Co, PA in 1804.

Nicolaus was our family's first generation born in America. There's no indication that he lived anything other than an honorable life. He was frugal as most foreign families were and eager to improve their "LOT" in this new world. We should, as one of his now-known descendants, give thanks and praise for his foresight and his contributions to our heritage." 

FindAGrave bio by Eldon Dysinger

"Nicolaus was spoken of as a "smith" and was a small taxpayer in Tulpehocken in 1780 and 1781. He did not own any land at that time, but in 1781 he had 1 cow. His name disappears from the tax rolls in 1785. Based on birth records of his children, he left Tulpehocken after 1783 and moved to Cumberland County and then to Franklin County (now part of Cumberland). About 1792 or 1793, they moved to Perry area of Cumberland County where he owned 2 adjacent farms in the Sherman Valley. After the War of 1812, Nicolaus and his son George sold their farms and moved to Seneca County, NY. [see Maps and Locations] They farmed in NY. Earlier, sons John and Thomas had already moved to Seneca County. Nicolaus was a corporal in Captain Conrad Shirman's Co, 6th Battalion, Berks County Militia (Joseph Hiester, Colonel). In 1780, the company was called into active duty against the Indians for 2 months (Aug 10 to Sep 9). Nicolaus's grave marker was damaged and replaced with a marker with his name misspelled as Nicholas Disinger 1776. This is believed to commemorate his service in the American Revolution."

note- The local Seneca Falls DAR chapter replaced his original damaged gravestone with an inaccurate one, see Paul M. Disinger Jr.'s bio.

Excerpt of bio for Daniel Disinger 

Portrait and biographical record of Seneca and Schuyler Counties, New York 1895, p. 380 -

"Grandfather Nicholas Disinger came to Seneca County about six years after his son John came, purchasing twenty acres of land, and here passed the remainder of his days. He lived to be eighty four years of age, while his good wife reached the age of eighty-eight. He served as a soldier in the Revolutionary War, as did also two of his brothers, William and John. They never returned, however, and the natural supposition is that they were killed in battle, but there is no certainty on this point. John Disinger [Nicolaus' son] was drafted into the War of 1812, but considered it his duty to remain at home and hired a substitute." [a common practice for those who could afford it]

note- This book was published in 1895, nearly 100 years after the American Revolution and Nicolaus, William, and Johan George's (John) lives. Nicolaus' fate is well documented here and elsewhere, but his brothers' were not. William died with only a will after the war. Johan George (John) seemed to disappear, but Eric Dysinger and others found him. He's listed in FamilySearch and here with an extensive family located in southern central Pennsylvania.

Homestead

3961 Seybolt Rd, Fayette, Seneca Co., NY, built 1820

This house is roughly the location of Nicolaus Deissinger's property he purchased in 1815 for $113, according to Frank Disinger in his 2008 Cradle to Grave reunion paper. It was 20.8 acres or about 1/4 mile long by 1/8 mile wide at the corner of Seybolt and Reese Rds. Zillow lists it as built in the year 1820. The current lot is bigger than Nicolaus' original lot, and the house looks like it's had several renovations and possibly an extension added. He would have been about 60 when he acquired the property and may have had help from his sons and grandsons to build the house.

• Disinger - Caroline, widow of John (Sr), obit states she died at home (see location #87 on the map below) 

• Disinger - Cora lived with her mother and stepfather, William Pearson (see location #59 on the map below, father Jacob's former farm). All of her siblings had died except for James, who moved to Syracuse.

• Disinger - Daniel with his second wife, Christiana. Sons John E. and Peter E. were farming much of Daniel's property (see locations # 85 and 120 on the map below). Daniel likely inherited or acquired parts of his brothers John C. and Jacob's properties after they died, although some of their children stayed on parts of their farms. Daniel's grandson, Franklin, built a cottage nearly a mile south of Bull Farm Rd. on Cayuga Lake near Sunrise Cove, where he held parties. Daniel, like his father John, was also intent on collecting land, owning 451 acres before giving parts of it to his sons.

• Disinger - Emma, Henry, & George lived on their grandfather Johannes/John and father Samuel's farm on Tom Allen Rd. (see location #33 on the map below) 

• Disinger - John C. (Jr) with his wife Nettie lived on his father John (Sr)'s 100-acre farm on Rte 89 (see location #87 on the map below)

• Disinger - John E., with his wife Celia, lived and farmed on 100 acres of his father Daniel's farm (see location #120 on the map below)

• Disinger - Peter E., with his wife Mary, lived and farmed on 70 acres of his father Daniel's farm (see location #120 on the map below)

• Disinger - Samuel with his wife Caroline lived and farmed on his father, John's, 222-acre farm (a portion of which he rented out) and also owned 200 acres in Tyre, NY, north of Seneca Falls. His farm was on Tom Allen Road. (see location #33 on the map below) The road immediately to the east is named Disinger Rd. presumably because a large section of John's farm bordered the road. The Burgh Cemetery is less than a mile south of the farm where a few Disingers are interred.

• Disinger - Vergie lived with her father, Samuel, on Tom Allen Rd. (see location #33 on the map below)

• Disinger - William, with his wife Mary, lived on his 147-acre farm on Leader Rd. (see location #114 on the map below) He was Daniel Disinger's eldest son and was politically active.

There were a lot of John Disingers in the family:

Johannes/John, the original settler of Seneca County, was the father of John (Sr), Jacob, Daniel, and Samuel. 

John (Sr) was the father of John C. (Jr).

Jacob was the father of Cora and James.

Daniel was the father of William, Peter, and John E. 

Samuel was the father of Emma, George, Henry, and Vergie.

Unfortunately, no underage children were named in this directory, and some adults weren't either. Even though it's some 50 years after the 1840/1850 US Census from above, it matches the census data fairly closely. Also, it matches Frank Disinger's Fayette, NY map in the 2008 Cradle to Grave reunion paper.