Most of the story of Peter Hildebrand was related in the
previous sections. Some details of the pioneering would be
interesting to include.
The "Wilderness Road" by Speed speaks of the movement down
the Ohio River: "It required courage of the highest order to put
out from that post of Pittsburg for a river voyage of weeks, and
no friendly shelter or harbor at which to stop on the way. It
was known that the banks were infested with Indians, and to be
attacked on the water was more dreadful than upon land. The
boats were crude and small; they were crowded with human beings,
and their baggage and stock. It was task enough to make the
voyage unmolested, and a terrible fate to encounter savages on
the way. A more pitiable plight is not conceivable than a cargo
of emigrants on the rude, drifting craft, 15' wide by 40' or 50'
in length, helpless on the bosom of the river, receiving a
murderous fire from the banks . . . The Ohio River is a beautiful
river, and as you sail along, you have some beautiful views . . .
The Chief attraction for immigrants was fertile land of Kentucky.
Bound together by ties of common interest, dangers, hopes and
privations, they strengthened bonds by intermarriages."
(Missouri Historical Review Booklet; Committee on
Landmarks, Old Settlers Assn, Jeff. Co., MO, 1903, Vol. I, p.
141): Peter Hildebrand settled on a tract of land on Big River
on the opposite side of what became the Cedar Hill mill. He was
killed by the Indians a short distance below the mill, on the
bank of the river, tradition giving as the exact spot, the corner
of Radecker's pasture fence. He opened the first clearing in the
Big River valley in 1784
Peter's daughter, Elizabeth gave this account of his death: In August, 1784, while Peter took his gun and tomahawk and horses
and went hunting. Nearly two miles below his cabin a gun fired
and killed him. His horse which he was riding at the time, came
home with its saddle. One of his elder sons was sent some 15
miles to what was afterwards known as Morgan's Lick on Saline
Creek, four or five miles above the mouth of the Meramec.
Several Americans resided there then. The men came to
Hildebrand's and found the body. It was not stripped nor
scalped. They buried him on the spot.
After Peter's death, Maria married Robert Owens, 1786.
(Draper's Notes, Vol. 24, p. 192) Robert Owens had a place known
as Owen's Station. Owen was pretty well off, had a good house,
with porch all around, (p. 194) Robert Owen was from Maryland
and moved among the French settlers in the St. Louis area. He
could speak French and probably lived at Viude Poche
(Carondelat). He was a shoemaker by trade and then became a
farmer. Bellon's Annals of St. Louis (p. 298) gives the place of
residence as Marais de Liards, or St. Ferdinand. St. Ferdinand
was a French village between Florissant and St. Louis. The French system was to build the houses together in a village and
the farm tracts would stretch out in narrow tracts behind the
village.
In 1800 Robert Owen became the guardian of the minor heirs
of Adam House who was massacred in March of 1800. Two of the
House children, Marguerite (Peggy) and Elizabeth (Betsy), married
his Hildebrand stepsons that same year.
Owens soon moved to Big River in Jefferson Co. MO. He died
there about 1840 and Maria died about 1840. They had no children
by this marriage.
The first child of Peter and Maria Garlock Hildebrand was
born ca 1772 probably in Bedford County, Pennsylvania. Bedford
included all of S.W. Pennsylvania in 1772, James participated in
the family's adventures as in the article, "Hold the Fort." He
grew up in the wilderness of western Pennsylvania and Kentucky.
He did not come to Missouri when his father did but went into
Illinois probably taking up land awarded to his family for
military service or perhaps joining his uncle, John. He married
there and had two children. In 1790 he attempted to come to
Missouri and was attacked by Shawnee Indians when his party was
crossing the Mississippi River in canoes. He, his wife and two
children were killed.(Draper Man.)
The second child of Peter and Maria Garlock Hildebrand was
born about 1774 probably in Pennsylvania. His story is told in
the preceding chapter. He died in the autumn of 1780 at Fort
Jefferson in what became Ballard Co., Kentucky.
The two males listed above are reported here as the first
two sons of Peter. This is likely incorrect as it was reported
by their sister that Peter's eldest sons were sent for help when
he was killed. Moses had died in 1780 and according to her
account, James was still in Illinois until 1790.
The third child of Peter and Maria Garlock Hilderbrand was
born about 1779 probably in Kentucky or at the Falls of the Ohio.
He came with his family to Missouri and was a participant in the
struggles of pioneering new lands. After his father was killed
Isaac lived with his mother and stepfather, Robert Owen near St.
Ferdinand. Perhaps it was here that he was educated.
1800 was an eventful year in Isaac's life. On March 3rd, he
married Marguerite House, the daughter of Adam and Anna Wheat
House. They were a family from Big River (known as Negro Fork).
They were natives of Virginia who had come to Missouri early. Adam House took the Oath of Allegiance to the Spanish crown in
1796 at New Madrid where they must have lived for several years.
Adam House moved up to Big River, purchasing the springs from
James Head in 1789.
This marriage was registered at St. Charles. It is
interesting to note that Isaac was a "free thinker" politically
and a protestant by faith. Marguerite was listed as an Anglican.
Witnesses to the marriage were Mrs. Thomas Halfpenny, William
Clark, Joshua McDonald, John Chitwood, and Robert Owen. This
record states that he was a son of Peter Hildebrand and Maria
Garla of St.Ferdinand.
Isaac and Marguerite had hardly begun to set up house keeping when tragedy struck the family. It was told that
Marguerite's father, Adam House had seen two Indians steal two of
his horses on their way to trade furs in St. Louis. Adam House
followed them and before they could complete their sales, Mr.
House had them arrested. After serving their time in jail, the
Indians returned to their tribe, gathered aid and stormed the
House cabin. A bitter battle ensued. Adam was inside with his
two sons, John and Jacob, and two daughters, Elizabeth and Polly.
The night was rainy and dark and the two girls escaped through a
hole and by the next morning reached Morgan's Lick. Meanwhile
the Indians broke into the cabin at daylight, shot and scalped
Adam. John tried to run for water for his father but the Indians
shot and wounded him. He escaped to Morgan's Lick. The little
son, Jacob was killed and scalped.
Pierre De Treget, commandant at Carondelet arrived at the
scene on 19th of March, 1800, with a few militia and described
it: "I found an old man dead, head cut off, and laid at his side,
scalps taken and body full of wounds from musket shots and a few
paces off a boy of eight or nine years, head cut off and lying
near him, face smeared with blood with a small piece of maple
sugar in his mouth, no wound on his body, from either musket or
knife; a dead cow, one horn carried off, dead calf, head cut off,
house cut to pieces, utensils broken, and strewed about the
house."
A posse had formed and given chase to the Indians. Here
accounts differ. One states that they followed the Indians back
to their camp in Washington County and gave fight, killing some.
Another account states that the posse, seeing that the murderers
had a large band, did not follow, so the Indians were never
punished.
On March 25th, Paschal Leon Cerre, Ensign of Militia, under
orders of the Governor, was sent to the Adam House place to make
disposition of the property. John Cummings and Joshua McDonald
were appointed witnesses to inventory the effects, and Robert
Owen appointed guardian of the minors, Betsy, John and Polly
House. Other witnesses were: Matthew Lord, James Craig, Andrew
Park, John Johnston, James Gray, Adam Stroud, Judathan Kendall, and Thomas Williams.
Not long after their marriage, Isaac and Margaret moved back
to the Big River area, perhaps about the same time that the Owens
family moved. They did not sell their land in St. Ferdinand. In
1808 the family had to go before the Board of Land Commissioners
of the Territory and prove their claim of 1012 arpens on Negro
Fork (Big River) of the Merrimac. Christian Twalt Helterbrand
swore that Isaac settled in the month of October, 1803 and
planted apple seeds and that he had inhabaited and cultivated the
land ever since. (Land Commissioners Minutes, Vol. 3, p. 332.
Isaac and Marguerite had three children that we know of:
Betsy (no doubt, Elizabeth), Abraham, and Isaac Jr. Isaac lived
only nine or ten years after his marriage so it is likely that
these were his only offspring.
Isaac died about 1808 on Big River in what became Jefferson
County. (See Deed C549) At the time he died, it was Louisiana
Territory, District of St. Louis. If there were a record of the
disposition of his property, it would probably be in the early
St. Louis records. There was a deed dated 26 Jan 1810 in which
half of his land had been deeded to William Russell for $125 for
as long as Isaac should live. This sale had taken place in 1805.
Isaac had two tracts of land that were confirmed by American
authorities after America bought the territory from the Spanish
and French. One was the tract of 1000 arpents in Marais de
Liards, confirmed in 1808 (Asic Ellebrande) and the other was on
Negro Fork of the Merimac, confirmed in 1811 after his death.
These are filed under St. Louis.
Isaac's widow, Margaret, then married Michael Null who had
been their next door neighbor when they lived in St. Ferdinand.
This marriage had taken place before June of 1810
.
The Hildebrand Database provides the original documentation to this work as well as for many Hildebrand lineages in the U.S.