"AMERICAN VAN METRE FAMILY" Smyth (Allen County Public Library, Fort
Wayne, IN) "Sarah du Bois, Jan's wife, who still retained her maiden
family patronymic, established a home in Salem prior to 1709..." (Ear
Mark Book, Salem County N.J.)
"HISTORY OF SHEPHERD AND RELATED FAMILIES", by Frank Shepherd (1858-?)
Pub. 1943 (Indiana State Library) p. 4,5,6. "On June 7 1663 the
Indians raided the village of Hurley and carried away captive the
wives and children of the settlers into the fastnesses of Catskil
Mountains where they were held for three months. Owing to the rugged
character of these strongholds covered with dense forest the capture
of these savages and rescue of the women and children was a difficult
matter. The wife of Louis du Bois and his three children with the
family fo Jan Joosten Van Meter ...were among the captives. Capt.
Martin Kreiger, and old Dutch soldier and familiar figure in the Dutch
settlements along the Delaware River in the early days organized a
rescue expedition with the help of Louis du Bois and punish the
Indians. After three months of ineffectual hunting they finally
rounded up the savages and returned the women and children to their
homes. Prof. Obenchain of Ogden College, Bowling Green KY sponsers a
thrilling story in this connection: 'About ten weeks after the raid
the Indians decide to celebrate their skill in eluding capture by
burning one of the captives alive. For their victim they selected
Catherine du Bois. A large pile of logs was gathered and binding
Catherine placed her on the pile with her little daughter, Sara, on
her lap were about to apply the torch when she realized that death was
just at hand, began to sing an old Huguenot hymn she had learned in
childhood in Flanders. The Indians withheld the torch to listen. When
she finished they demanded another, and so she sang on. Her voice
carrying down thru the forest gorges reached the ears of Krieger's
soldiers who rescued the captive women and children and gave the
Indians a terrible beating. Seven years later the Indians again went
on the warpath and Louis du Bois served in th Colonial force against
them.'"
The Back Rhodes of Our Genealogy
1664 -
