A Narrative of the Life of Mrs. Mary Jemison — John Shaqi
A Narrative of the Life of Mrs. Mary JemisonSeaver, James E. (James Everett)
History
A Narrative of the Life of Mrs. Mary Jemison
Seaver, James E. (James Everett)
Jemison, Mary, 1743-1833; Seneca Indians
killed, she said she would bake a small cake and lay it at the door, on
the outside, in a place that she then pointed out to me. When all was
silent in the house, I was to creep softly to the door, and if the cake
could not be found in the place specified, I was to go in: but if the
cake was there, I was to take my child and; go as fast as I possibly
could to a large spring on the south side of Samp's Creek, (a place that
I had often seen,) and there wait till I should by some means hear from
her.
Alarmed for my own safety, I instantly followed her advice, and went
into the weeds, where I lay in a state of the greatest anxiety, till all
was silent in the house, when I crept to the door, and there found, to
my great distress, the little cake! I knew my fate was fixed, unless I
could keep secreted till the storm was over, and accordingly crept back
to the weeds, where my little Thomas lay, took him on my back, and laid
my course for the spring as fast as my legs would carry me. Thomas was
nearly three years old, and very large and heavy. I got to the spring
early in the morning, almost overcome with fatigue, and at the same
time fearing that I might be pursued and taken, I felt my life an almost
insupportable burthen. I sat down with my child at the spring, and he
and I made a breakfast of the little cake, and water of the spring,
which I dipped and supped with the only implement which I possessed, my
hand.
In the morning after I fled, as was expected, the old King came to
our house in search of me, and to take me off; but, as I was not to
be found, he gave me up, and went to Niagara with the prisoners he had
already got into his possession.
As soon as the old King was fairly out of the way, my sister told my
brother where he could find me. He immediately set out for the spring,
and found me about noon. The first sight of him made me tremble with
the fear of death; but when he came near, so that I could discover his
countenance, tears of joy flowed down my cheeks, and I felt such a kind
of instant relief as no one can possibly experience, unless when under
the absolute sentence of death he receives an unlimited pardon. We were
both rejoiced at the event of the old King's project; and after staying
at the spring through the night, set out together for home early in the
morning. When we got to a cornfield near the town, my brother secreted
me till he could go and ascertain how my case stood; and finding that
the old King was absent, and that all was peaceable, he returned to me,
and I went home joyfully.
Not long after this, my mother went to Johnstown, on the Mohawk river,
with five prisoners, who were redeemed by Sir William Johnson, and set
at liberty.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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