Frederick Henry and [Unk] Wentzel

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Husband Frederick Henry ^{1 2}

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           Born:  - Germany or Switzerland
     Christened: 
           Died: 
         Buried: 

       Marriage: 

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Wife [Unk] Wentzel ³

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           Born: 
     Christened: 
           Died: 
         Buried: 

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         Father: [Father] Wentzel (      -      )
         Mother: 

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Children

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1 M Peter Henry ^{1 2 4}

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           Born: 7 Mar 1759 or 1764 - Westmoreland Co, PA 1 5
     Christened: 
           Died: 14 Jun 1850 or 1852 or 1857 - ? Summit Twp, Butler Co, PA 1 4 5
         Buried: 

         Spouse: Margaret Howe (      -1832) 3

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2 F Martha Henry ³

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           Born: 
     Christened: 
           Died: 
         Buried: 

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General Notes: Husband - Frederick Henry

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He came to America from Switzerland as early as the year 1746 and settled in Northampton County, Pennsylvania, with his wife and two children. In 1770 he came to Westmoreland County and settled at Cribbs Station, on the West Newton road, four miles west of Greensburg, in a little hamlet known as Millersdale. In the year 1773 a terrible calamity befell him, for while he was away on a trip which occupied a week, in the month of October of that year, a party of Indians descended upon the settlement, destroyed his home and massacred every member of his family except his son Peter. The son Peter, who was then fourteen years of age, they captured, and crossing Little Beaver river departed into the wilderness. A brother-in-law of Frederick Henry, one Philip Wentzel, collected the settlers and, forming a posse, led them in pursuit of the natives. They eventually overtook the Indians, but perceiving that they were in force too great to be attacked, the posse broke up and returned. Philip Wentzel, however, and one of his followers, decided to remain and attempt the recapture of Peter Henry, whom they saw quite plainly in the midst of the band, tied to a pole. Remaining hidden from the Indians during the day, they ventured into the camp at night and succeeded in releasing the lad. Peter Henry, however, did not rejoin his father, as the home where they had dwelt was entirely destroyed, and not long afterwards he was recaptured by the Indians, who took him to New York state, a fact which makes it probable that they were of the Iroquois people. He was kept in captivity by them for a number of years and finally, when about twenty-two years old, was released. He returned to Westmoreland County, where he presented to Philip Wentzel, the uncle who had rescued him, all the land that had been left him him by his father. Peter Henry served through the War of 1812.

1 —, History of Butler County, Pennsylvania (R. C. Brown & Co. Publishers, 1895), Pg 1186.

2 Fenwick Y. Hedley, Old and New Westmoreland, Vols. III & IV (New York, NY: The American Historical Society, Inc., 1918), Pg 1036, 1064.

3 Fenwick Y. Hedley, Old and New Westmoreland, Vols. III & IV (New York, NY: The American Historical Society, Inc., 1918), Pg 1036.

4 —, History of Butler County, Pennsylvania (Chicago, IL: Waterman, Watkins & Co., 1883), Pg 302.

5 Fenwick Y. Hedley, Old and New Westmoreland, Vols. III & IV (New York, NY: The American Historical Society, Inc., 1918), Pg 1064.