Rice - John Rice - Montgomery InGenWeb Project

John RICE, retired, Crawfordsville, is a member of the family which includes the Rices of Rockville, Lafayette, Attica, etc. About 1760 10 families emigrated from Md and settled on Short Creek, near the old town of Washington, Va. Here they build a fort to protect them against the Indians and called it Rice Fort, in honor of the grandfather of this sketch. This fort stood till recent years. Within it played two children, Henry Rice and Eliz. LESSLER [sic - Leffler?]. They were raised amid the wilds of frontier life and danger on every hand from savage Indians. Eliz. while playing with a lad without the fort was chased by the redmen to the fort and leaning a ladder against the fort wall she gained safety but the boy was wounded and rescued by means of a rope. Many were the exciting times experienced by the inmates of Rice Fort and at times narrowly escaped extermination. Henry Rice and Elizabeth Lessler were marr and in 1807 settled in Harrison Co In bringing 6 children. Here Henry Rice died about 1825 and about 1835 his wife followed him. He was a builder by trade. The Rices have been Presbyterians far back, and Henry was an elder in the first Church at Corydon, Indiana. John Rice, son of the above, was born April 16, 1804 near Wheeling, Va. He attended school perhaps 3 months of his life. He early began the cabinet trade and carpentering. He first worked with his father, and continued this trade till 1845 when he built a grist and saw mill at Corydon. In 1859 the mill burned and Mr. Rice removed to New Albany and there built a mill and successfully ran it till 1861 when he had $7,000 or $8,000 worth of flour at Memphis and New Orleans which was all confiscated by the rebels. In 1865 he moved to Bloomington, Indiana and engaged in the stock business, remaining there six years and doing an extensive trade. In 1871 he came to Crawfordsville and engaged in stock and wheat trade. He is at present retired from active life and rents his business property. Mr. R. is a member of the Presbyt. Church and has been an elder in former places. He is a staunch republican and used to be a whig. He was married June 29, 1829 to Sophia HINSDILL a school teacher of Vermont. She d. Sept 14, 1846. They had 10 children, 5 of whom preceded their mother in death. She was a good, amiable and religious woman and her last words to her husband were: "I take 5 children with me and leave 5 with you." She was a Presbyt. Mr. R. was next marr Feb 20, 1849 to Nancy BALDWIN of Louisville by whom he had 5 children. She is also a Presbyterian. Mr. Rice is not a politician and has refused the nomination for sheriff and representative.

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NOTE :[added by:h.watson1@comcast.net http://www.chartiers.com/raybell/toc.htm http://chartiers.com/raybell/1993-history.html War In 1775 Lexington and Concord seemed far away. But then threats of Indian attacks, backed by the British, began to alarm the settlers. A council of war was held at Catfish (now Washington) January 28-29, 1777. Ohio County appointed captains. Six were from present Washington County: James Buchanan, David English, Jacob Leffler, Samuel Teter, Reason Virgin, David Williamson. A complete list of the men in each company, as listed in the Draper Manuscripts, has been published in the Western Pennsylvania Genealogical Society Quarterly 12:3:13. Records for Yohogania and Monongalia Counties have not been found. Rice's Fort This fort in Donegal Township had 3 connected blockhouses. Families in the neighborhood sought refuge there when danger was near. On September 11-1782 Indians attacked Fort Henry. But they were repulsed. So a band of 60 headed east and about 11 am on September 14 attack Rice's Fort. After intense fighting they gave up about 4 am Sunday morning and retreated to Ohio. Captain Jacob Leffler had gone to Wheeling to help defend Fort Henry. Other men had gone to Hagerstown, Maryland for supplies such as iron and salt. Abraham Rice had gone to a neighbor to get news. This left six men to defend the fort. The north blockhouse was manned by Peter Fullenwider 22 and Daniel Rice 18, the central one by Jacob Miller Jr 20 and George Philabaum 27, the south by George Leffler 31 and Jacob Leffler Jr 17. George Philabaum was killed by a shot through a porthole. Killed outside were a Fullenwider child and Conrad Philabaum, father of George. (In September 1982 the bicentennial was observed with a special program in the nearby Dutch Fork Christian Church.)