On a frosty March night in 1782, a young wife and mother woke troubled by a frightening dream. In her sleep, Anne Hupp saw a copper-colored snake strike her husband, John. She watched helplessly as it fastened itself to his hand, and no matter how desperately she tried, she could not pull it away. The dream unsettled her deeply, and by morning, its warning still weighed greatly on her heart.
The next day was Easter Sunday, March 31, 1782. Several families had taken refuge inside a small frontier fortress known as Miller’s Blockhouse. It stood on land owned by Jacob Miller near the Buffalo Creek Valley in Washington County, Pennsylvania. Tensions along the frontier had grown dangerous, and local families had gathered there for protection. Some of the men from the settlement were about two miles away, keeping watch at Rice’s Fort, leaving behind mostly women, children, and one elderly man.
Among those inside Miller’s Blockhouse were John and Anne Hupp and their four children, Jacob Miller Sr. and several members of his family, the family of Edward Gaither, and Elizabeth and Matthias Ault, who were John Hupp’s mother and stepfather.
Sometime during the night, a colt belonging to Jacob Miller wandered away from the enclosure. John Hupp offered to help his neighbor search for the animal. Because of her troubling dream, Anne pleaded with her husband not to go. She told him about the strange vision and begged him to stay safely inside the blockhouse with her and the others. But John dismissed her fears and left with Jacob Miller to look for the stray colt.
The two men had gone only a short distance when Shawnee warriors ambushed them. Shots rang out, together with the cries outside the blockhouse, confirmed the worst fears of those inside. Anne and the others understood that John Hupp and Jacob Miller Sr. were likely gone.
Soon after, a large group of Shawnee warriors turned their attention toward the blockhouse. With most of the men away at Rice’s Fort, the people inside were left dangerously vulnerable. Yet in that terrifying moment, Anne Hupp rose to meet the danger. Though she was eight months pregnant and grieving the loss of her husband, she took command of the defense.
Anne first tried to send Jacob Miller’s eleven-year-old son to Rice’s Fort to warn the men that the blockhouse was under attack. The boy bravely attempted to run for help, but he was spotted and forced to turn back. According to local accounts, tomahawks were thrown in his direction and narrowly missed him. As he climbed back over the fence, he was struck in the arm by a shot, but he managed to make it safely back inside the blockhouse, exhausted and bleeding.
With no time to spare, Anne took up a muzzle-loader and moved quickly from loophole to loophole, firing from different places so the attackers would believe the blockhouse was defended by several armed men. The other women worked next to her, reloading weapons and keeping them ready. Together, they created the appearance of a much stronger defense than actually existed.
During the attack, the women noticed three men returning from Rice’s Fort. Realizing the danger, they shouted warnings to them from inside the blockhouse. Because Anne continued firing and the women called out, the men were able to avoid the attackers and race safely inside. The three men were Jacob Rowe, Anne’s brother; Jacob Miller Jr.; and Phillip Hupp, John Hupp’s brother. Once inside, they joined the defense and helped protect the families through the rest of the siege.
By nightfall, the attackers withdrew. The following morning, the frozen bodies of John Hupp and Jacob Miller Sr. were found near the blockhouse. The two men were buried together in a single grave near the place where they had fallen. Soon after, Anne suffered another heartbreaking loss when the baby she had borne during the siege was also buried near its father.
In the years that followed, Anne stayed for a time with her brother-in-law, Phillip Hupp.. Eventually, she rebuilt her life and married John May. Together, they had three children.
Anne Hupp’s story remains an example of courage, loss, and survival on the Pennsylvania frontier. In one terrible moment, she was forced to face the death of her husband, protect her children, defend other families, and endure unimaginable grief. Yet she did not give in to fear. Her swift judgment and bravery helped save the lives of those inside Miller’s Blockhouse, and her story deserves to be remembered.
Family Tree
Ann Hupp May (1757 – 1823)
wife of 5th great-uncle
John Hupp (1750 – 1782)
husband of Ann Hupp May
Casper Philip Hupp (1710 – 1761)
father of John Hupp
Phillip Hupp (1756 – 1831)
son of Casper Philip Hupp
Emanuel Hupp (1790 – 1840)
son of Phillip Hupp
Sarah Sallie Hupp (1822 – 1914)
daughter of Emanuel Hupp
Henry Allen (1853 – 1942)
son of Sarah Sallie Hupp
Thomas Allen (1896 – 1975)
son of HENRY ALLEN
Dorothy Marie Allen (1934 – 2006)
daughter of Thomas Allen
Ann Marie Reeder Bryant
daughter of Dorothy Marie Allen
Works Cited
- “Anne Hupp.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 18 Apr. 2017, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anne_Hupp. Accessed 22 Apr. 2017.
- Hatcher, Patricia Law. Abstract of Graves of Revolutionary Patriots. Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 1999, http://www.bing.com/3fdbid. Accessed 22 Apr. 2017.
- American Genealogical-Biographical Index (AGBI), Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 1999, search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=3599. Accessed 22 Apr. 2017.
- Ancestry, Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com. Original Data: Family Tree Files Submitted by Ancestry Members., http://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/tree. Accessed 22 Apr. 2017.
- Creigh, Alfred. “History of Washington County.” Google Books, books.google.es/books?id=. Accessed 22 Apr. 2017.
- Kilgore, Clay. “Washington County’s Ann Rowe Hupp: The Heroine of Miller’s Blockhouse.” Observer-Reporter, Observer-Reporter, 20 Mar. 2017, http://www.observer-reporter.com/20170319. Accessed 22 Apr. 2017. /washington_countyx2019s_ann_rowe_hupp_the_heroine_of_millerx2019s_blockhouse. Accessed 22 Apr. 2017.
- Leckey, Howard L. “The Tenmile Country and Its Pioneer Families.” Google Books, Genealogical Publishing Com , 1 June 2009, books.google.es/books?id. Accessed 22 Apr. 2017.
- Lobdell, Jared. “Indian Warfare in Western Pennsylvania and North West Virginia at the Time of the American Revolution.” Google Books, Heritage Books, 1992, books.google.es/books?id. Accessed 22 Apr. 2017.
- Ray, W. S. “The Frontier Forts of Western Pennsylvania.” Google Books, Wm Stanley Ray, State Printer, Harrisburg, PA,1916, books.google.es/books?id. Accessed 22 Apr. 2017.
- U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012, search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=60525. Accessed 22 Apr. 2017.
- “U.S., Sons of the American Revolution Membership Applications, 1889-1970.” Sons of the American Revolution Membership – Ancestry.com, Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2011, search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=2204. Accessed 22 Apr. 2017.
Oh wow, what a breath taking story. To know that about your ancestors is amazing.
This has been such a fun journey; I just wish I would have started sooner, so I could share this journey with my mama.
Another well-done piece, Ann Marie! You grabbed my attention with the introductory dream and held it until the last word. Kudos to you!
Thank you!
Very interesting! I am also a descendant of Philip Hupp via James Daniel Hupp. I noticed that James Daniel and his brother Emanuel have the exact same birthday. Twins? Do you have any information about this?
No, I do not, but now I am curious. I placed my genealogy quest on hold, for life has been busy. Hopefully, I will be able to start again, once I retire.