The Life of Mary Jemison: The White Woman of the Genesee

by James E Seaver

Overview

Taken captive at the early age of thirteen by Seneca Indians, Mary Jemison was trained in the wilderness to the ordinary duties of the Indian female. Embedded with the sentiments and lifestyle of the Seneca's she essentially transformed into a member of the tribe. Mary Jemison's story is a remarkable one not because of her extraordinary lifestyle, but because this was the lifestyle that, in the end, she chose for herself. When prisoners were being set free from the bondage of the Indians after the French and Indian War, Mrs. Jemison chose to remain with her Indian friends and accept her Seneca upbringing. Known for her uncommon generosity, as Westward Expansion began to flourish, those who settled near the Genesee River soon became acquainted with The White Woman. This is not a facsimile but is a quality retype set addition. It is illustrated and contains a Appendix with Indian Geographical Names of the area.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781582182339
Publisher:	Digital Scanning, Incorporated
Publication date:	02/20/2001
Pages:	316
Sales rank:	425,003
Product dimensions:	6.24(w) x 9.16(h) x 0.86(d)

Table of Contents

	Letter from Ely S. Parker, Do-ne-ho-ga'-weh, a Seneca sachem	29
Chapter I.
	Parentage of Mary Jemison
	Born on the sea
	Lands, with her parents, in Philadelphia, in 1743
	Settles on Marsh creek, in Western Pennsylvania
	Indian alarms
	Her childhood and education
Chapter II.
	Fancied omen
	Inroad of a band of Shawnees
	Whole family taken captive in 1755
	Marched into the wilderness
	Her mother's farewell address
	Murder of her father, mother, two brothers, and sister
	Preparation of scalps
	Indian caution, to prevent pursuit
	Arrival at Fort Du Quesne
Chapter III.
	Mary is given to two Seneca women
	They descend the Ohio
	Arrival at She-nan-jee
	She is dressed in Indian costume
	Adopted as a Seneca
	Ceremony of Adoption
	Is named Deh-he-wa-mis
	Nearly regains her liberty
	Removal to Wi-ish-to
	She is married to She-nin-jee, a Delaware
	Birth and death of a child
	Birth of another child
Chapter IV.
	Visits Fort Pitt
	Desire for liberty subsides
	Labors of the Indian females
	Removal from Wi-ish-to to the Genesee
	Meet Shawnees who had murdered two white men, and were torturing a third
	He is rescued by Mary
	Arrive at Little Beard's Town
Chapter V.
	Geographical names
	Dialects of the Iroquois
	Little Beard's Town
	The Genesee Valley
	Land slide
	Gardeau Flats
	Subsequently Mary Jemison Reservation
	Mount Morris
	Big Tree Village
	Caneadea
Chapter VI.
	Indians march to fight the British
	Return with cattle and prisoners
	Two prisoners burned
	An Indian woman's eloquence
	Tragedy of the "Devil's Hole"
	Death of She-nan-jee
	Attempt to take Mary to Niagara by force
	She marries Hi-ok-a-too
	Her children
	Loss of a daughter
Chapter VII.
	Peace among the Indians
	Their happy state
	Troubles between England and the Colonies
	Treaty with the Colonies
	Iroquois agree to remain neutral
	Treaty with the British
	Join them against the Americans
	Bounty for scalps
	Four female prisoners
	Battle of Fort Stanwix
	Indian loss
	Butler and Brandt
Chapter VIII.
	Approach of General Sullivan's army
	A skirmish
	Two Oneida Indians taken
	One sacrificed
	Lieutenants Boyd and Parker captured
	Boyd's barbarous execution
	Parker's death
	Senecas retreat to the woods
	Sullivan's army lays waste the country
	Army retires
	Senecas return, but to disperse
	Mary goes to Gardeau Flats
	Expedition to the Mohawk
	Cornplanter and John O'Bail
	Ebenezer Allen
Chapter IX.
	Mary is offered her freedom
	She declines accepting
	Her reasons
	Her favorite Indian brother dies
	Great council at Big Tree, in 1797
	Gardeau reservation given to Mary by the chiefs
	Contained 17,927 acres of land
	Traditions of the Senecas
	The Great Serpent at Nan-de-wa-o
Chapter X.
	Little Beard's death
	Singular superstition
	Family government
	Her sons Thomas and John quarrel
	John murders Thomas
	John is tried and acquitted by the chiefs
	Thomas' character
	His wife and children
	Death of Hi-ok-a-too
	His age and funeral
	His character
Chapter XI.
	Mary's family troubles continue
	John's enmity toward his brother Jesse
	They quarrel
	Whisky the cause
	John murders Jesse
	Jesse's funeral and character
Chapter XII.
	Mary's pretended cousin, George Jemison
	His poverty
	Her kindness and assistance
	His ingratitude
	Attempt to defraud her of a part of her reservation
	Is expelled from the premises
Chapter XIII.
	John Jemison murdered
	His funeral, life, and character
	His widow and children
	His murderers flee
	Tall Chief's speech
	They return
	Their fate
Chapter XIV.
	Mary sells part of her reservation
	The hardships of her life
	Great strength of constitution
	Her temperance
	Destructive effects of ardent spirits among the Senecas
	Witchcraft
	Accusations against her
	Executions for witchcraft
	Her descendants
Chapter XV.
	Life of Hi-ok-a-too, half-brother of Farmer's Brother
	Naturally cruel
	Inroad upon the Catawbas in Tennessee
	Present at Braddock's defeat
	Battle of Fort Freeland
	Expedition to Cherry Valley
	His barbarity
	Battle at Upper Sandusky
	Colonel Crawford taken, and burned at the stake
	Dr. Knight's escape
	Hi-ok-a-too leads a war-party against the Cherokees
	His personal appearance
	Dies of old age
Chapter XVI.
	Ebenezer Allen
	The belt of wampum
	He lives at Mary's house
	Marries a squaw
	Taken by the Indians
	Escapes and secretes himself
	Fed by Mary
	Taken again, tried, and acquitted
	Builds a great mill at Rochester
	Marries a white woman
	Removes to Allen's creek
	Marries a third wife
	Removes to Canada with two wives
	Abandons the first
	His death
Chapter XVII.
	Government of the Iroquois
	Civil and Military Chiefs
	Counselors
	Religious Beliefs
	The Great Spirit
	The Evil Spirit
	Religious festivals
	Sacrifice of the White Dog
	The Dance
	Marriage Customs
	Chastity of the Indian
	Polygamy
Chapter XVIII.
	Life of Mary continued
	Seneca Reservations sold in 1825
	Is left among the whites
	Discontented
	Sold her remaining reservation, and removed to Buffalo creek
	Professes Christianity
	Her death
	Is buried near the Mission church
	Description of her tombstone
	Her descendants
Chapter XIX.
	Mary Jemison's Indian Name
	Loss of all her property
	James and David Shongo
	Buffalo Tom, the present head of the Jemison Family
	His household and how they live
Chapter XX.
	Mary Jemison desires to see the Missionaries
	Interview with Mrs. Wright--
	A mother's dying injunction asserts its influence
	The Captive's anguish at forgetting her mother's prayer
	Dawn upon a troubled soul
	Personal appearance of Mary Jemison
	Her character
	Appendix
1.	Removal of the Remains of Mary Jemison	263
2.	Extract from "Buffalo Courier" of March 10, 1874	269
3.	Extract from "Buffalo Commercial Advertiser" of March 10, 1874	272
4.	General Sullivan's Expedition to Western New York	276
5.	Removal of the Remains of Boyd	289
6.	Indian Geographical Names	291