p. 152: Mary Fry married Henry Hampton. Their daughter, Margaret (b. 20 Nov 1839) married Sam Hildebrand of Pike Run.

p. 173: Joseph Forshee married Rebecca Hildebrand, daughter of Sam. in 1877 and lived in the Big River Mills district, St. Francois Co. They later moved to a house near Coonville School near the head of Pike Run, where several of their children went to Coonville School.

     George and Rebecca Hildebrand settled on a fine farm on the bluffs overlooking a large section of Big River, in St. Francois County, MO. Two important creeks emptied into Big River near their home. Bee Run and Pike Run became important to the family in later years.

     They had several children, one was Sam, who became a notorious outlaw when Federal Troops killed on of his brothers during the Civil War.

     Sam Hildebrand was born on the farm in 1836 and seemed to live an average life of the times, sometimes arguing with the neighbors over the ownership of a hog.

     A near neighbor of the Hildebrands were the Hamptons. In time, Sam married Margaret Hampton and they had a large family, the first born being Rebecca, who married Joseph Forshee of Pike Run. Joseph was the brother of John Thomas Forshee. Both Joseph and John Thomas had recently migrated from Hopewell, MO in Washington County, where they had become known to the Hildebrand family who used the Hopewell crossing of Big River when they were avoiding the Federal Troops during the Civil War.

     Sam was a law unto himself. Anyone who defied his authority or betrayed him to the enemy was, to Sam, a legitimate target for his "Kill Devil" rifle. He eventually holed up in Arkansas, making expeditions back to his familiar Pike Run valley, where he had numerous sympathizers for the southern cause in the Civil War, and where he hid out while looking for a particular enemy.

     The Pike Run and Hazel Run areas were familiar to him and his band of outlaws. The beautiful Falling Spring in Dark Hollow, the Boiling Spring in Hazel Run, and the numerous other springs, hidden in the back country was a rugged jumble of deep hollows and high steep hills, passible to animals, provided the animals followed the game paths. In such places, Sam and his cut-throats were safe, and often camped and dined royally on deer or wild turkey.

     The Hamptons came under the suspicion of the neighbors, because of their friendship to the Hildebrands, and in time, both the Hildebrand and Hampton families were burned out and left the neighborhood, traveling with the Hildebrand band to the hide-out in Arkansas where they lived a life of comparative safety and ease.

     At the end of the Civil War, Sam left the country and went to Illinois where he sought safety in anonymity but was recognized and shot by a bounty hunter, His body was returned to St. Francois County, MO. His children refused to recognize the body, and the reward was never paid. (See Mary (Thurman) Shannon family for additions on Sam Hildebrand. Also see Forsee family.)

Note: The librarian said that there was a researcher in the St. Francois Library in about 1996 working on Samuel S Hildebrand: Wayne Gomez from Florida. Would like to get in touch with this man. If you know his address, I would appreciate it. Judith McClung.