Western Pennsylvania Genealogy
Compiled by Douglas H. Lusher


Family Group Record



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Peter Henry and Margaret Howe




Husband Peter Henry 1 2 3

           Born: 7 Mar 1759 or 1764 - Westmoreland Co, PA 2 4
     Christened: 
           Died: 14 Jun 1850 or 1852 or 1857 - ? Summit Twp, Butler Co, PA 1 2 4
         Buried: 


         Father: Frederick Henry (      -      ) 2 3
         Mother: [Unk] Wentzel (      -      ) 5


       Marriage: 



Wife Margaret Howe 5

            AKA: Margaret [Unk],1 2 Margaret Horn 4
           Born: 
     Christened: 
           Died: 1832 1 2
         Buried: 


Children
1 F Mary A. Henry 1 2 3

           Born: 
     Christened: 
           Died: 
         Buried: 
         Spouse: H. J. Coyle (      -      ) 2


2 M John Henry 1 2 3

           Born: Abt 1790
     Christened: 
           Died: Abt 1892 - Rushville, Schuyler Co, IL
         Buried: 



3 M Adam Henry 1 2 3

           Born: 
     Christened: 
           Died: 
         Buried: 



4 M Peter Henry 1 2 3

           Born: 
     Christened: 
           Died: when ninety-two years old - Westmoreland Co, PA
         Buried: 



5 M Frederick Henry 1 2 3

           Born: 
     Christened: 
           Died: 
         Buried: 



6 F Elizabeth "Betsey" Henry 1 2 6

           Born: 1808 - Butler Co, PA 4
     Christened: 
           Died: Apr 1883 4
         Buried:  - Hicksville, Defiance Co, OH
         Spouse: John M. Brinker (1803-1884) 2 7 8
           Marr: Abt 1824


7 M Joseph Henry 1 2 3

           Born: 13 Sep 1812 - Summit Twp, Butler Co, PA 2
     Christened: 
           Died: 5 May 1887 - ? Connoquenessing Twp, Butler Co, PA 2
         Buried: 
         Spouse: Mary N. Scott (      -      ) 2
           Marr: Oct 1837 2


8 M Jefferson Henry 2

           Born: 
     Christened: 
           Died: 
         Buried: 



9 M William Henry 1 2 5

           Born: 
     Christened: 
           Died: 
         Buried: 




General Notes: Husband - Peter Henry


When he was fourteen years of age, their home, six miles from Greensburg, Pennsylvania, was attacked by a band of marauding Indians, and his mother and the two youngest children were killed. Peter and two younger children were taken prisoners by the natives, but they had proceeded only a short distance when the youngest child began to cry and was immediately tomahawked. The Indians carried Peter and his sister to the point afterward known as Brady's Bend, where they went into camp. The redoubtable Captain Brady, at the head of a party of scouts, had followed the Indians, attacked them in the night while asleep, and only one of the band escaped to tell the tale. Brady took the children to Fort Pitt, and subsequently delivered them safely to their father.
He grew to manhood in his native county, and in 1798 came to what is now Summit township, Butler County, Pennsylvania, entered a tract of 320 acres of land, and erected a cabin in the midst of the forest. He brought his family to his new home in 1800, and resided on this farm down to his death, aged eighty-eight years. He and his wife were members of the Lutheran church. He was a leading spirit in the Federal party in Butler County, and afterwards a local leader in the Whig party.

He was on one occasion captured by the Indians and held a prisoner for three years, finally being rescued by the well known old Indian fighter, C. Brady.

In the year 1773 a terrible calamity befell his family, for while his father was away on a trip which occupied a week, in the month of October of that year, a party of Indians descended upon their settlement, destroyed their home and massacred every member of his family except the son Peter, who was then fourteen years of age. They took him prisoner, 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 a 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 by his father.
Peter Henry served through the War of 1812.
After a time he settled at Manor, Westmoreland County, but still later removed to Butler County, where he was the owner of six hundred and forty acres of land, which in all probability were granted to him by the government for military services. This property was situated on the Connequenessing creek, about six miles from where the town of Butler now stands. Here he built a saw and grist mill and also a distillery. He operated all of these with a high degree of success and in addition a carding machine, which he had installed on his property, and he continued thus engaged up to the time of his death.

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Sources


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

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

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

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

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

6 Fenwick Y. Hedley, Old and New Westmoreland, Vols. III & IV (New York, NY: The American Historical Society, Inc., 1918), Pg 1036, 1064, 1104.

7 —, History of Butler County, Pennsylvania (Chicago, IL: Waterman, Watkins & Co., 1883), Pg 172, 841.

8 Fenwick Y. Hedley, Old and New Westmoreland, Vols. III & IV (New York, NY: The American Historical Society, Inc., 1918), Pg 1063, 1104.


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