Untitled

The Back Rhodes of Our Genealogy

We hope you find your missing links among ours





Isaac Crabill was born on a farm near Strausburg, on the banks of Shenandoah River, in Shenandoah County, Va., Aug. 22-1810, and there grew to manhood. His father and grandfather were born in the same valley. His Grandfather Crabill was born early in the eighteenth century and was reared on a farm. At the breaking out of the Revolutionary war he enlisted as a private and served during the war. At its close he was honorably discharged and returned to his home and continued farming till his death, about his sixty-fifth year. His Great-grandfather Rhodes, was a Mennonite preacher, of Swiss descent, and lived in what is now Page County, Va. His grandfather, Michael Rhodes, was born on Missinita Creek, near the south branch of Shenandoah River. When Michael Rhodes was about eight years old a party of eight Indians and a worthless white man crossed Powell's Fort and came to the residence of John Gate wood, where his father was then living, and murdered part of the family. One son attempted to save himself by flight, but was pursued and killed while attempting to cross the river. The place to this day is called Bloody Ford. The eldest daughter caught up her little sister, a child six¬teen months old, ran into the barn and secured the door. An Indian discovered her, and after finding the door fastened went back to the house for fire. While he was gone she crept out of a hole on the opposite side of the barn with her sister in her arms, ran through a field of tall hemp, crossed the river, and got safely to a neighboring house and thus saved herself and sister. After plundering the house of such articles as they chose to take, the Indians set fire to the house and left, taking with them two of the sons and two daughters prisoners, Michael being the oldest boy. The youngest boy was sickly and not able to travel, and after crossing the head of Powell's Fort they killed him. His sisters then refused to go any farther and were barbarously murdered. Michael was held a captive and taken west of the Ohio River to a village on the Coita River, where he remained till twenty-two years of age. He was reared a warrior and accom¬panied the Indians on many raids upon the frontier settlements. Soon after the breaking out of the Revolutionary war the Indians planned a raid on the frontier settlements of Pennsylvania. After getting east of the mountains he saw a chance to escape and deserted them. He made his way to Philadelphia and enlisted as a soldier in the Colonial army. He served faithfully till the close of the war and when he had received an honorable discharge returned to the home of his childhood, but could find no one that could recognize in him the little Michael Rhodes, supposed to have been killed by the Indians, and his lawful possessions were denied him. After several years residence in the neighborhood,. while hunting in the mountains he accidentally came to a cave, near where lived an old lady, solitary and alone. He went to the cabin door to ask for a drink, and the old lady asked his name, which he told her, and then gave her a brief history of his life, concluding by telling how the people of the valley doubted his story, and that for want of identification his estate was denied him. The old lady promptly replied that if he was Mike Rhodes she could tell by a peculiar crescent-sliaped spot or mole between his shoulders, of which he was entirely ignorant. She examined the shoulders, and then declared she could swear to his identity. From this circum¬stance his identity was established and his father's estate was restored to him by the courts. He then married a Miss Strickler, sold his possessions, and moved to the North Shenandoah River Valley and settled four miles below Woodstock, where he died in 1819. In 1833 the subject of this sketch with h: s father and family moved from Virginia to Ohio and settled on the west side of Mad River, in the beautiful Mad River Valley, Champaign County, where his father died in 1879, aged over- ninety-three years. June 16, 1842, Isaac Crabill was married to Cevilla Penc, a native of Ohio, and lived on the old homestead ti 11 186tt when he moved to Henry County, Ind., and bought what is known ss the Funk farm, where they still reside. They have had a family of twelve children-Mary J., George F., Joseph E., Michael R, John D., Frankl n P., Benjamin F., Levi W. (deceased), Emma C., Alba O., Jacob C., David E. Mr. Crabill owns 392 acres of fine land, all well cultivated. Mrs. Crabill is a member of the Baptist church..

From the book entitled "History of Henry County, Indiana: Together with Sketches of Its Cities, Villages, and Towns ... Also a Condensed History of Indiana, Embracing Accounts of Pre-historic Races, Aborigines, Winnebago and Black Hawk Wars, and a Brief Review of Its Civil and Political History. United States: Inter-State Publishing Company, 1884"..

Webmaster Message