Notes for John Baker

Notes for John Baker

!From web site - http://www.lhup.edu/~tyoho/YohoPage/brothers.html:
May have been originally BECKER; Buried at Graveyard Run, Cresap's Bottom, Marshall Co., WV; Rev. War service accepted by D.A.R.
John Baker was the father of twin sisters Margaret and Catherine Baker who married Peter and Henry Yoho. Baker was a noted pioneer and soldier in the early history of the upper Ohio Valley.
Scott Powell in the History of Marshall County West Virginia, records that Baker was born in Purssia and came to America about 1760. He arrived at Philadelphia and five years later married Elizabeth Sullivan of that city. From there the young couple moved to the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia where they lived two years. They then moved to the waters of Dunkard Creek, now in Greene Co. PA in the year 1767 and remained there seven years. At the time they lived on that creek there were a number of Indians residing on it and they and the whites were very friendly.
At the outbreak of Dunmore's War he moved his family to Redstone Old Fort, now Brownsville. The American Revolution began soon after the close of Dunmore's War and Indian hostilities soon followed. He remained at the fort a number of years, and was in the service of that Colony of Virginia much of the time during that war, but there is little record of him.
From Redstone he moved to Catfish Camp VA (now WV) in 1781, where he remained a short time. He then moved to Round Bottom and in 1784, Captain Baker built a blockhouse near the upper end of Cresap's Bottom. This place was generally known by the name of Baker's Station and is near what is now Moundsville WV.
While it is not clear how and when Peter and Henry YOHO met Captain Baker's daughters, Peter married Margaret Baker in 1774. The date of Henry's marriage to Catherine is not known.
While two Wetzel men were at Baker's Station in 1787, they and Captain Baker noticed some Indians on the opposite shore of the Ohio River walking about. Baker, having an opportunity, shot and killed one Indian. The others ran away as if badly frightened, leaving the dead Indian where he fell. They evidently did this to deceive the whites as it was proved later by their actions.
Baker and the two Wetzels crossed over the river and were viewing the dead Indian when several shots were fired and Baker fell mortally wounded. The Wetzels commenced to fight and some other men crossed the river and reinforced them driving off the Indians allowing the recovery of Baker's body. He had crawled a short distance from where he fell and was alive when recovered but died soon after arriving back at Baker's station. He was buried on a flat near a stream called Grave Yard Run at the upper end of Cresap's Bottom. Captain Baker's son John Jr. was killed by Indians at the same location in 1794.