Person:John Van Bebber (1)

Information on John Van Bebber

"From "The Death of Benge or Chief Bench", related by Dr. James Huff, as printed in "The Jacksonian", published in Abingdon, Virginia, 1846:

The Van Bebber brothers, John, Peter, and James, were sons of Isaac Van Bibber and Sarah Davis. Isaac Van Bibber was killed by Indians in the Battle of Point Pleasant, at Point Pleasant, West Virginia on Oct 10, 1774. The Yoakum Station mentioned was built by George Yoakum and the Van Bibber/Van Bebber brothers. George Yoakim was the son of Valentine "Felty" Yoakum, killed by Indians in the "Bloody" Muddy Creek Massacre of July 15, 1763 in Greenbrier County, Virginia. George was taken hostage along with Elizabeth Yoakum age 12, Sarah Yoakum age 5, and Margaret Yoakum. George was only about eight years old at this time. Margaret may possibly have been the widow of the deceased Valentine Yoakum. There were many others taken prisoner that day by the Delaware and Shawnee Indians, led by Chief Cornstalk, who fought at Point Pleasant. George was held prisoner until released by Colonel Bouquet at Fort Pitt on December 1, 1764, from the Delaware. Elizabeth was released at Fort Pitt on January 5, 1765 by Shawnee. Sarah was released on May 10, 1765 by the Shawnee. George later married Martha Van Bebber, sister of Peter, James, and John Van Bebber. Sarah married Peter Van Bibber III, son of Peter Van Bibber II, and Margery Bounds. Peter Van Bibber II, was brother of Isaac Van Bibber and son of Peter Van Bibber I. Elizabeth later married John Shoemaker. It is not known the identity of these Yoakum's but believed by this researcher that Sarah and Elizabeth were sisters of George and possibly Margaret was the Mother. This is only a guess and no proof found to support this idea. George moved from Greenbrier County to Washington County in 1785 along with Peter Van Bebber, and his bride, Eleanor Van Bibber (dau. of Peter Van Bibber and Margery Bounds); John Van Bebber, James Van Bebber, and Nancy Van Bebber, who married Robert Howard. They settled on the Powell River and erected Fort Yoakum. Here John Van Bebber met and married Margaret Crisman, the oldest daughter of Isaac Crisman I and Jean Scott. Isaac Crisman was killed by Indian massacre in 1776 by Indians at the Rye Cove Fort, in present day Scott County, VA. His widow later remarried to Nathaniel Hix of the Powell Valley, Virginia area. The Yoakum, Van Bebber, and Howard families lived in the Powell River area until about mid 1796 when they moved further down the Powell Valley to Hawkins County, TN, and built a new Yoakum Station in what is now Speedwell, Claiborne County, Tennessee, the home rural town of this researcher. The fort was used in the new community as a gathering for Indian troubles, community affairs, school, and most probably church. The fort was active until shortly after 1800, when the Indian troubles in this area were finally resolved. George died in the Cumberland Mountains on Oct 28, 1800 in a bear hunt. The Van Bebber brothers remained in Powell Valley the remainder of their life. John died 1818. Peter died ca 1816. James died ca 1834. Nancy and her husband died in Powell Valley. Martha Yoakum left Powell Valley in 1810 with many of her twelve children and moved to southwest Illinois and eventually settled in Sangamon County in 1819 and died there in Salisbury Township, near present day Springfield, Ill.