Daily stories of Pennsylvania : $b prepared for publication in the leading daily newspapers of the state...Godcharles, Frederic Antes
History
Daily stories of Pennsylvania : $b prepared for publication in the leading daily newspapers of the state...
Godcharles, Frederic Antes
Pennsylvania -- Biography; Pennsylvania -- History
An Indian removed Mary’s shoes and stockings and put a pair of moccasins
on her feet which Mrs. Jemison believed meant they intended to spare her
life and destroy the other captives. An Indian removed the shoes and
stockings from the neighbor boy, and after putting moccasins on him, led
him and Mary off from the others some distance into the woods and there
laid down with them for the night.
That was the last time Mary ever saw her parents, for during the night,
the Indians murdered in most cruel manner the rest of the captives and
left their bodies in the swamps to be devoured by wild beasts.
During the next day’s march Mary had to watch them scrape and dry the
scalps of her parents, brothers and sisters and neighbors. Her mother’s
hair being red, she could easily distinguish it from the others, but she
knew them all, and the sight was one which remained with her during all
her life.
The boy was given to the French and Mary was given to two Shawnee
squaws. They started down the Ohio in canoes, toward their home at
Sciota. Upon arrival at the home of the squaws, Mary was given a suit of
Indian clothing and formally adopted according to Indian custom,
replacing a brother of the squaws, who had been killed in war. She was
given the Indian name Dickewamis, which means pretty girl or good thing.
She was not allowed to speak English, so soon learned the Indian tongue.
At this time the English had taken Fort Pitt, and as soon as the corn
was harvested the Indians went to the fort to make peace with the
British and Mary was taken along. She went with a light heart, feeling
sure she was to be restored to her brothers. The English asked her many
questions about herself, and this interest so alarmed her Indian sisters
that they hurried her away in their canoe. She learned later that some
white people had come to take her away, but could not find her.
Her Indian sisters made her marry a Delaware Indian named Sheninjee.
Mary spoke of him as noble, large in stature, elegant in appearance,
generous in conduct, courageous in war, a friend to peace and a great
lover of justice. Truly a fine tribute for an Indian warrior.
Her first child died soon after birth, but the fourth year she had a son
who she named in memory of her father, Thomas Jemison.
She had many hardships traveling with her child to the Genesee country,
which was 600 miles through an almost pathless wilderness.
Her husband died while she was en route to her new home. Several times
efforts were made to restore her to the English, and on one occasion the
chiefs determined she should be given up, but she fought against it
herself and her Indian brother helped her in her effort to remain among
the Indians.
Several years after the death of her husband she married Hiokatoo,
commonly called Gardow, by whom she had four daughters and two sons. Her
second husband was the most cruel Indian known.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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