Henry Seeber (1741-1845)

Johann Wilhelm gets all the attention, but his half-brother Henry is my favorite among the early generations of the Seeber family in the Mohawk Valley.

What most appeals to me about Henry are his personal qualities. He overcame a severe physical disability, the result of bullet wounds in both thighs at the battle of Oriskany. He was an underachiever, compared to some of his brothers. He was an eccentric. A practical joker. A patriot. All of these qualities are documented in records about him, and in reminiscences of him by friends and family members who knew or met him.

As a genealogist, I also admire him because he took the time during his extraordinarily long life -- he lived to the age of 104 -- to tell stories about himself and his family. His stories are not only interesting but also important because they provide key pieces of information about the family (see The Keys to Unlocking Seeber Secrets page).

What you will find below are stories by and about Henry that I have collected over the years:

1. From the journal of Christopher Seeber, born 1812, the son of Adolph Seeber and Sally Yates, and grandson of Lt. William Seeber and Elisabeth Schnerrin; dated June 1895, Waucoma, Iowa; typescript in my possession, page 6:

[discussing a meeting of several Revolutionary War veterans to fill out pension applications under the act of 27 January 1831, making appropriations for the payment of Revolutionary War and invalid pensioners]

"The papers for the application of pension were made out at my father's house. I was then a young man. Among the old settlers gathered there to witness and take acknowledgement of the papers was Judge Diefendorf, a resident in the eastern part of Montgomery County. The papers being executed properly, the conversation naturally fell back on the Revolutionary War. Henry Seeber, a brother to Grandfather Seeber was present and he recited a great many instances of his experience, among which was a raid made [in 1780] by the Indians and Tories in the valley of the Mohawk, directly after the wheat was all cut and in the shock about to be threshed, and a bountiful crop to all appearances. The Indians made their appearance, burning everything up and down the valley of the Mohawk and within a mile of the Fort Plain. Not satisfied with destroying the grain and buildings, the Indians killed and scalped defenseless children and taking prisoner several aged ladies. Uncle Henry Seeber was in the fort at the time on account of being partially crippled. After the Indians had done all the mischief they could, he took a few friends with him and went out to see what they could find. The first body they came to, about a mile from the fort, was a lad about nine years old, scalped, and apparently dead. Upon examination he was found to be alive and was shouldered and carried to the fort where he was cared for by the good mother in the fort who dressed his wounds and cleansed his naked head and finally brought him through. During the relation of this Judge Diefendorf raised his hand to his head and took off his wig and said, 'I am that boy.' Of course while Uncle Henry was relating this they pretended not to know each other, and was told in this way to make a strong impression on us young people."

2. From a sworn handwritten statement by Abram S. Seeber, M.D., dated 5 February 1895, photocopy in my possession, page 1:

"... [M]y father, James W. Seeber, ... saw and talked with Henry Seeber, a soldier who was in the Battle of Oriskany with his brothers. Father visited him at his place of residence in the old Herkimer house below Little Falls at two different times, once with his father William Seeber, and heard him give the following account. Henry says that there were five of them, himself and four brothers, that were in that Battle. Their names and rank were as follows: Major Seffreness Seeber, promoted on the field of battle to colonel and finally killed in the battle; Captain Jacob Seeber was wounded; Lieutenant William wounded; Private James Seeber killed; Private Henry Seeber wounded."

3. Death record of Henry Sebert (sic) in the church books of the Herkimer Reformed Church in Herkimer, New York, volume II, pages 280-1, transcript in my possession:

"1845 May 15th German Flats ... Died Henry Sebert born at the Indian Castle anno Domini 1741 the 15th of March 9 o'clock a.m. was buried the 17th & with him a bullet, which he received beside 2 others -- in his left thigh -- which was never extracted and amalgamated by the thighbone & by which he suffered by ever changing weather till his death, but he suffered with astonishing patience -- being of strong mind, he proved every where a prudent & determined character -- well grounded in the doctrines of the only true primitive church & practices he proved himself an exemplary member of the reformed Protestant german church with his betrothed wife Veronica Barlet, who died 4 years ago, age 92 years -- both sympathizing parents have proved themselves to their respectable families an amazing edifying example of probity, patience & vital religion of upright hearts pure & uncontaminated with new fashioned priest-craft religion -- in mere confessions & professions by long prayers : Since 20 years his wounded leg was of no use to him but to exhibit the greatest of all virtues, the foundation of all Christian Godliness, Christian patience by a total resignation in the Will of his Creator after the example of his divine master & redeemer, in whom he as a true disciple & servant he did in whom he did die, strengthening by his exempt not only his obliged family but all of the many visitors who came for instruction & edification by his strong & faithful mind to his (very) last breath -- his examined body 2 days after his death was not in the least changed -- strong & virtuous, tinctured with the liniments of suavity, the offspring of patience & hopes of the highest & best expectations -- well acquainted & deeply stored with the Mysteries of the only true religion of our Lord & Savior Jesus Christ as the same was practiced in the first apostolic ages -- as a true disciple of the same Jesus Christ he was & will be still without any kind of miracles very useful & beneficial in his exhibited practical Christian virtues & godliness, his body was deposited to the mother earth at his former farm on the fall hill by the side of his beloved wife's aetates 104 years & two months, text preached at his dwelling on Isai 46,4 in German, prayers in English."

Note by Peter Bush: The only place where "Indian Castle" is mentioned as the birthplace of Henry Seeber is the above death record. Most researchers have assumed that "Indian Castle" refers to the place in Herkimer County, New York, that is currently known by that name. It is a small hamlet with a historic Indian mission church and a few houses, but the name is familiar to many people because a nearby New York State Thruway rest area also bears the name. I think it is very unlikely that Henry Seeber was born at this location. Instead, I believe he was born at Sand Hill near the current village of Fort Plain in Montgomery County, where the Seeber family lived prior to the Revolution. There were three Mohawk Indian "castles" or villages during the first half of the eighteenth century: the Upper Castle near the place now called Indian Castle in Herkimer County; the Middle Castle near Sand Hill in Montgomery County; and the Lower Castle near the current hamlet of Fort Hunter in Montgomery County. I believe the Middle Castle, called Tarajorees, was the "Indian Castle" to which reference was made in Henry Seeber's death record. Tarajorees was flourishing from about 1700 to about 1755, when it was abandoned; however, as late as 1800, the Sand Hill church was called the Reformed Dutch Church at the Castle in a document recorded in the Montgomery County Clerk's Office.

4. From chapter 62, page 833 of History of the Mohawk Valley: Gateway to the West 1614-1925, by Nelson Greene (S. J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1925) (available online at hathitrust.org and other places)

"Henry Seeber, of the Canajoharie district, in the Sammons papers, gives the following statement regarding part of the battle of Oriskany:

He was ordered out in Col. Cox's regiment and marched to the German Flatts. On the fifth of August marched with Gen. Herkimer, who commanded a regiment of the Tryon County militia, to [opposite] Thompson's farm, five or six miles west of the flats and the last on the south side of the river. Here Herkimer wished to wait for reinforcement or until Gansevoort could make a sally from the fort in his favor. Herkimer sent an express to the fort and, if the express could pass the enemy's camp and reach the fort, requested Gansevoort to give notice to it by firing three cannons. Herkimer was very desirous, on the morning of the battle, to remain where he was until he should receive the signal from the fort, but was urged and even accused of cowardice by some of his officers and some of the principal men of Tryon County. He therefore attempted to pass the enemy; when, after marching some distance, his advance guard came upon some of the enemy. A few minutes told him he was completely within the ambush of the enemy. We were engaged most warmly on our south side as on the north to the river was very swampy ground. One Jacob Peeler commenced forming [men in] a circle, without having orders from any officers, about an hour after the battle had commenced, and all soon followed his example. The tactics of forming the Americans into circles during the Oriskany battle has been generally credited to others than Peeler."

5. From page 129, History of Montgomery and Fulton Counties, NY ... (F. W. Beers & Co., 1878) (online at Ancestry.com and other places)

Re: the 1780 raid of the Mohawk Valley by British-Indian forces:

"At the stone house of Henry Seeber, on Sand Hill, above Fort Plain, a boy, John A. Lipe, was doing picket duty. When the alarm was given, the women fled to the fort, followed by the men, who were at work in the field. Dinner was already prepared and upon the table ready for the laborers ; this the enemy disposed of and then set fire to the house. The woodwork was burned out, and the walls remained until purchased by Mr. Lipe, who rebuilt it. In 1848 it was taken down to make way for the house now occupied by Mr. Adam Lipe."

6. From page 82, The Story of Old Fort Plain and the Middle Mohawk Valley, by Nelson Greene (Fort Plain, NY: O'Connor Brothers, 1915) (online at archive.org)

Another story about the 1780 raid:

"In 1759 John Abeel [father of Cornplanter, the famous Seneca chief] married Mary Knouts. At the time of the [1780] Minden raid, Abeel was captured by the Indians. He was taken on the flats, between the house and the river. The family were preparing dinner and the table was set with food upon it, when an alarm gun at Fort Plain caused the women and children to run to that nearby shelter. Arriving at the Abeel house and finding a good dinner before them, the savages sat down and finished it. Some of the Indians brought out food and sat upon a wagon, which stood before the door to eat it. Henry Seeber, who was in the fort and had a good gun, took a shot at them although they were almost out of range. There was a commotion among them immediately and they scattered at once. Some of them fired the dwelling before leaving. As bloody rags were found about later it was evident that Seeber's bullet found a mark. ... "

7. From an affidavit by C. W. Smith and Lester ______ (surname illegible) dated 7 March 1828, in the Revolutionary War pension file of Henry Seeber (online at Fold3.com):

"We, the subscribers, practicing physicians of the Town of Herkimer and County afore said, being duly appointed by Sanders Lansing Esquire, one of the judges of the Court of Common Pleas in and for the County of Herkimer, to examine Henry Seber, who is now enrolled on the pension list roll of the New York agency, at the [illegible word] of three fourths disabled. We hereby certify that after a careful examination in the case of the afore said Henry Seber, we are of opinion that his disability still continues viz in consequence of two gunshot wounds in the right thigh, one near the hip joint the other a little below, and one in the left thigh -- and further that the degree of disability under which he now labours is total, being one fourth more than the original degree of disability for which he was placed on the pension list roll."

8. From a handwritten statement by William Seeber, great-grandson of Henry Seeber, written shortly before William's death in 1902 (photocopy in my possession); transcribed by me with spelling corrected, punctuation added, and other editing in the interest of clarity:

"Our great-grandfather was lame a few years before his death so he could not walk. He had a big armchair with rollers under it so he could go around the house [and] the ... yard in the summer. He had his pipe, flint and steel on one side, his tobacco on the [other] side so he smoked when he wanted to. He got his second eyesight so he could count the cars the other side of the river. He lived till he was 104 years old. Great-great-grandmother was blind a few years before she died. She lived till she was 96 years old. They were both buried on their son-in-law's farm (George Lotage) a little ways above Little Falls. I, William Seeber, was there and saw where they [were] buried."