Attack at Henry Flesher

Henry Flesher was born on November 12, 1734 in Ober-Seemen, Heese, Germany, the son of Balthasar and Anna (Schmidt) Fleischer. Henry immigrated to America with his older brother, Peter and family. They arrived at the Port of Philadelphia on the ship the “Phoenix” on November 2, 1752.

Peter was a shoemaker by trade and had passed his trade to his younger brother Henry. Once in America they changed their name to Flesher. They moved to the German community that had been established on the South Branch of the Potomac River in what is now Pendleton County, West Virginia. Henry was married to Elizabeth Bush in 1759. They had twelve children. In 1776 he moved his young family west settling near Stone Creek on the West Fork River in what is now Lewis County, West Virginia, he had acquired 400 acres. 

In 1781 frequent Native American attacks led Henry to take his family to Fort Buckhannon where they stayed until March, 1782, when they moved on to Fort Richards. All of the adult men took their turn guarding and scouting. Henry returned to his farm in 1784 in what is today present day Weston, West Virginia. In October, 1784, Henry had been hauling logs for a stable. On the way to his cabin to get a bell for his horse he was turning loose to graze in the woods. Native Americans fired upon Henry in an ambush. Severely wounded by a ball passing through one of his arms, he managed to run to the cabin while being pursued. Others inside the cabin fired on the would be attackers as Elizabeth Flesher pulled her husband to safety. The attackers then retreated. Fearing a renewal of the attack, the family fled to the woods where Edward Hughes found them and led them to the West Fork. In 1786 he obtained title to an additional 400 acres of land. Henry died in February, 1803, in Weston, Lewis County, West Virginia. Elizabeth died in 1807 in Weston.

“Adam Flesher: His Story.” Hackers Creek Pioneer Descendants - Flesher, Adam, www.hackerscreek.com/cpage.php?pt=69.