Jacob VanBibber

     Jacob VanBibber was born in 1775 at Botetourt County, Virginia Colony, America.¹ He was the son of Peter VanBibber and Marguery Bounds. Jacob VanBibber married Sarah Miller, daughter of John Miller and Ruth [—?—], in 1795 at Kanawha County, Virginia. Jacob VanBibber died in 1839 at Greenup County, Kentucky, at age 64 years. Year of death could be 1837.
     Draper Manuscripts, Vol. S9, pages 92-93

Jacob Van Bibber, with his brother Tice, after a bear that had been killed, and had the bear on the horse returning home, and were way laid by three Indians -- shot and wounded Tice across the forehead, and knocked him down senseless, and while chasing Jacob and captured him threw the bear off the horse, and went off -- Tice meanwhile recovered from the stunning effect of his wound, got up and got behind a tree, and could have shot and killed one of the Indians, but refrained from doing so, lest they should kill his captured brother. He was kept eleven months when he escaped, and after 7 days struck the Ohio at Belleville -- and happened to be a canoe on the river with several persons in it, men, women, and he hailed them telling them who he was -- and though some of them knew of his captivity, at the dread of a decoy, led the women to be timid - yet at length, they went over, and took him to Belleville -- and thence got home. He married Sarah Miller, daughter of the preceding John Miller -- and moved several years after the War of 1812 to the region where the Boone's lived in Missouri -- probably Loutre Lick. Lived several years in Greenup Co., KY and went out from there to relief at Ft. Hays.

pages 93-94

Jacob Van Bibber used to relate to my informants, that the Indians soon after they took him to their towns, concluded to try his disposition and test it -- and sent him with a kettle to the spring for some water, and when he returned with it filled, they would throw it out, and send him again -- and that kept him going returning, only to have the water thrown away -- but he seemed to care nothing about it, but kept on good nature by whistling. He became very much attached to his Indian mother, and she to him, and where the Indians would get into a drinking spree, she would hide him by covering bark over him till they would get sober, and danger was passed. He hid away food a little at a time till he got enough to venture to run away -- and had often sent him after horses and he succeeded so well, and they had so much confidence in him, they sent him again after horses, when he got his small supply of provisions, and started in the direction of the mouth of the Kanawha, as the Indians informed him when he had previously asked them.

He was of small size but very active and supple.