Little did Conrad Philabaum realize what lay before him when he landed at
Philadelphia on September 30, 1743, with Adam, most likely his brother.
Since they were emigrants from a German-speaking country, they took the oath
of allegiance to the British king. Conrad first settled in Lancaster
County, Pennsylvania and having found hardship here, what with his land
being sold by court order of the sheriff, he decided to move onward.
Conrad Philabaum, with his wife Salome called "Sally" although the court
thought Sarah, three sons and five daughters, had settled on Buffalo Creek's
Dutch Fork in 1774. Virginia Certificate No. 280 was application for 400
acres, February 18, 1780 entered June 6, 1780. The Philabaum family was one
of several German-speaking families who had settled in this locality
1773-1775. A few of the others being Jacob Rice (Reis), Jacob & Francis
Miller (Muller), Henry Fullenwider (Vollenweider) Sr. & Jr., Jacob Leffler
(Loffler) and John Hupp, along with Christopher Winter and Andrew & Henry
Deeds (Deitz) and with many of these families intermarrying.
September 14, 1782 was a tragic day for "Sally" Philabaum, for early on that
day her husband, Conrad, and her eldest son George, were killed by the
Indians in an attack at Rice's Fort in the Dutch Fork Settlement in Donegal
Township, Washington County, Pennsylvania, being 10 miles east of the Ohio
River. In Sarah's own words on file with the Conrad Philabaum's estate
account papers are, per the following:
QUOTE: We being greatly on the frontier line - this horrid scene happened
as we were all forted at Mr. Rice's and between our cabin and his
blockhouse. This happened, my husband and son as they fell in the enemy's
hand - my husband scalped, lying in his blood, which was to me a great
surprise and affecting sight, the loss of a good husband and an obedient
son. UNQUOTE
This attack by 60 Indians has been called the last battle of the Revolution.
Indians, ten days later, were ordered to cease attacks.
By Doddridge's account in which he mentions - QUOTE: By the first fire they
killed a boy by the name of Philabaum and his grandfather, quite an old
man. The grandfather, a very old man, had gone out early in the morning to
hunt cows. The Indians caught him in sight of the fort, scalping him.
George Philabaum was in the blockhouse. (He was) told to take a gun and
fight. Philabaum walked up to the wall and leaned his head against it in
great agony. There was a small crack in the wall. A bullett passed through
the crack and shot him in the head. He fell dead and the women rolled him
under the bed. UNQUOTE
NOTE: Conrad Philabaum & his wife Salome/Sarah/Sally are my 6th
great-grandparents.
The above information was gathered through histories involving the
Dutch Fork Settlement, letters from Isaac Leffler with some being on file with
The Draper Manuscript Papers.
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