August 18, 2025 • 14 mins
In 1755, twelve-year-old Mary Jemison was captured by Native Americans, marking the beginning of a remarkable journey that would define her life. This compelling narrative recounts the tragic murder of her father and family, her profound struggles, and the complexities of her marriages to two Native men. Mary’s account reveals the harsh realities she faced, the brutalities of the French and Revolutionary Wars, and the historical truths that have long remained untold. Join us as we explore her extraordinary story, as narrated by James Seaver.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Chapter fourteen of a narrative of the Life of Missus
Mary Jemison. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings
are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer,
please visit LibriVox dot org. Recording by Lynn Carroll. A
Narrative of the Life of Missus Mary Jimison by James E.
(00:23):
Sever Chapter fourteen. Trouble seldom comes single. While George Jimison
was busily engaged in his pursuit of wealth at my expense,
another event of a much more serious nature occurred, which
added greatly to my afflictions and consequently destroyed at least
(00:43):
a part of the happiness that I had anticipated. Was
laid up in the archives of Providence, to be dispensed
on my old age. My son John was a doctor
considerably celebrated amongst the Indians of various tribes for his
skill in curing their diseases by the administration of roots
(01:03):
and herbs which he gathered in the forests and other
places where they had been planted by the hand of nature.
In the month of April or first of May eighteen seventeen,
he was called upon to go to Buffalo Cattaraugus and
Allegheny to cure some who were sick. He went and
(01:24):
was absent about two months. When he returned, he observed
the great slide of the bank of Genesee River a
short distance above my house, which had taken place during
his absence, and, conceiving that circumstance to be ominous of
his own death, called at his sister Nancy's, told her
(01:45):
that he should live but a few days, and wept
bitterly at the near approach of his dissolution. Nancy endeavored
to persuade him that his trouble was imaginary and that
he ought not to be affected by a fancy which
was visary. Her arguments were ineffectual and afforded no alleviation
(02:05):
to his mental sufferings. From his sisters, he went to
his own house, where he stayed only two nights, and
then went to Squawky Hill to procure money with which
to purchase flower for the use of his family. While
at Squawky Hill, he got into the company of two
Squawky Hill Indians whose names were Doctor and Jack, with
(02:28):
whom he drank freely, and in the afternoon had a
desperate quarrel in which his opponents, as it was afterwards understood,
agreed to kill him. The quarrel ended, and each appeared
to be friendly. John bought some spirits, of which they
all drank, and then set out for home. John and
(02:48):
an alligating Indian were on horseback, and Doctor and Jack
were on foot. It was dark when they set out.
They had not proceeded far when Doctor and Jack commenced
an quarrel with John, clenched and dragged him off his horse,
and then, with a stone, gave him so severe a
blow on his head that some of his brains were
(03:10):
discharged from the wound. The alligating Indian, fearing that his
turn would come next, fled for safety as fast as possible.
John recovered a little from the shock he had received
and endeavored to get to an old hut that stood near,
But they caught him and with an axe, cut his
throat and beat out his brains, so that when he
(03:32):
was found the contents of his skull were lying on
his arms. Some squaws who heard the uproar, ran to
find out the cause of it, but before they had
time to offer their assistance, the murderers drove them into
a house and threatened to take their lives if they
did not stay there or if they made any noise.
(03:53):
Next morning, Esquire Klot sent me word that John was dead,
and also informed me of the means by which his
life was taken. A number of people went from Gardau
to where the body lay, and doctor Levi Brundridge brought
it up home, where the funeral was attended after the
manner of the white people. Mister Benjamin Luther and mister
(04:15):
William Wilds preached a sermon and performed the funeral services,
and myself and family followed the corpse to the grave
as mourners. I had now buried my three sons, who
had been snatched from me by the hands of violence
when I least expected it. Although John had taken the
(04:36):
life of his two brothers and caused me unspeakable trouble
and grief, his death made a solemn impression upon my
mind and seemed, in addition to my former misfortunes, enough
to bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave.
Yet on a second thought, I could not mourn for
him as I had for my other sons, because I
(04:59):
knew that his death was just and what he had
deserved for a long time from the hand of justice.
John's vices were so great and so aggravated, that I
have nothing to say in his favor. Yet as a
mother I pitied him while he lived, and have ever
felt a great degree of sorrow for him, because of
(05:21):
his bad conduct. From his childhood, he carried something in
his features indicative of an evil disposition that would result
in the perpetration of enormities of some kind. And it
was the opinion and saying of Ebenezer Allen that he
would be a bad man and be guilty of some
crime deserving of death. There is no doubt but what
(05:43):
the thoughts of murder rankled in his breast and disturbed
his mind even in his sleep, For he dreamed that
he had killed Thomas for a trifling offense, and thereby
forfeited his own life. Alarmed at the revelation and fearing
that he might, in some unguarded moment, destroy his brother,
he went to the Black Chief, to whom he told
(06:06):
the dream, and expressed his fears that the vision would
be verified. Having related the dream together with his feelings
on the subject, he asked for the best advice that
his old friend was capable of giving. To prevent so
sad an event. The Black Chief, with his usual promptitude,
told him that from the nature of the dream, he
(06:28):
was fearful that something serious would take place between him
and Thomas, and advised him by all means to govern
his temper and avoid any quarrel which in future he
might see arising, especially if Thomas was a party. John, however,
did not keep the good counsel of the chief, for
(06:49):
soon after he killed Thomas. As I have related, John
left two wives with whom he had lived at the
same time, and raised nine children. His widows are now
living at Canidia with their father, and keep their children
with and near them. His children are tolerably white and
(07:10):
have got light colored hair. John died about the last
day of June eighteen seventeen, aged fifty four years. Doctor
and Jack, having finished their murderous design, fled before they
could be apprehended, and lay six weeks in the woods
back of Canistio. They then returned and sent me some
(07:34):
wampum by Chango, my son in law, and sung Guiroois
that is big kettle, expecting that I would pardon them
and suffer them to live as they had done with
their tribe. I however, would not accept their wampum, but
returned it with a request that rather than have them killed,
(07:55):
they would run away and keep out of danger. On
their receiving back the wampum, they took my advice and
prepared to leave their country and people. Immediately. Their relatives
accompanied them a short distance on their journey, and went
about to part their old uncle. The Tall Chief addressed
them in the following pathetic and sentimental speech. Friends, hear
(08:19):
my voice. When the Great Spirit made Indians, he made
them all good and gave them good corn fields, good
rivers well stored with fish, good forests filled with game,
and good bows and arrows. But very soon each wanted
more than his share, and Indians quarreled with Indians, and
(08:41):
some were killed and others were wounded. Then the Great
Spirit made a very good word and put it in
every Indian's breast to tell us when we have done
good or when we have done bad. And that word
has never told a lie. Friends, whenever you have stole,
(09:01):
or got drunk or lied, that good word has told
you that you were bad Indians, and made you afraid
of good Indians, and made you ashamed and look down. Friends,
Your crime is greater than all those. You have killed
an Indian in a time of peace, and made the
wind hear his groans and the earth drink his blood.
(09:25):
You are bad Indians, Yes, you are very bad Indians.
And what can you do? If you go into the
woods to live alone. The ghost of John Jamison will
follow you, crying blood blood, and will give you no peace.
If you go to the land of your nation, there
(09:46):
that ghost will attend you and say to your relatives,
see my murderers. If you plant, it will blast your corn.
If you hunt, it will scare your game. And when
you are asleep it's grown, and the sight of an
avenging tomahawk will awake you. What can you do? Deserving
(10:07):
of death? You cannot live here? And to fly from
your country, to leave all your relatives, and to abandon
all that you have known to be pleasant and dear
must be keener than an arrow, more bitter than gaul,
more terrible than death, And how must we feel? Your
path will be muddy, the woods will be dark, the
(10:29):
lightnings will glance down the trees by your side, and
you will start at every sound. Peace has left you,
and you must be wretched. Friends, hear me and take
my advice, return with us to your homes. Offer to
the Great Spirit your best wampum, and try to be
(10:50):
good Indians. And if those whom you have bereaved shall
claim your lives as their only satisfaction, surrender them cheerfully
and die like good Indians. And here, Jack, highly incensed,
interrupted the old man and bade him stop speaking, or
he would take his life. Affrighted at the appearance of
(11:11):
so much desperation, the company hastened towards home and left
Doctor and Jack to consult their own feelings. As soon
as they were alone, Jack said to Doctor, I had
rather die here than leave thy country and friends. Put
the muzzle of your rifle into my mouth, and I
will put the muzzle of mine into yours, and at
(11:33):
a given signal, we will discharge them and rid ourselves
at once of all the troubles under which we now labor,
and satisfy the claims which justice holds against us. Doctor
heard the proposition, and, after a moment's pause, made the
following reply, I am as sensible as you can be
(11:54):
of the unhappy situation in which we have placed ourselves.
We are bad Indians. We have forfeited our lives and
must expect in some way to atone for our crime.
But because we are bad and miserable, shall we make
ourselves worse? If we were now innocent, and in a calm,
(12:14):
reflecting moment, should kill ourselves, that act would make us
bad and deprive us of our share of the good
hunting in the land where our fathers have gone. What
would Little Beard say to us on our arrival at
his cabin footnote. Little Beard was a chief who died
in eighteen o six. In footnote, he would say, bad Indians, cowards,
(12:39):
you were afraid to wait till we wanted your help.
Go Jogo to where snakes will lie in your path,
where the panthers will starve you by devouring the venison,
and where you will be naked and suffer with the cold. Jogo.
Go none but the brave and good Indians live here.
(13:00):
I cannot think of performing an act that will add
to my wretchedness. It is hard enough for me to
suffer here and have good hunting hereafter worse to lose
the hole. Upon this, Jack withdrew his proposal. They went
on about two miles and then turned about and came home,
(13:20):
guilty and uneasy. They lurked about Squawky Hill near a fortnight,
and then went to Cattaraugus and were gone six weeks.
When they came back, Jack's wife earnestly requested him to
remove his family to Tonawanta, but he remonstrated against her
project and utterly declined going. His wife and family, however,
(13:44):
tired of the tumult by which they were surrounded, packed
up their effects in spite of what he could say,
and went off. Jack deliberated a short time upon the
proper course for himself to pursue, and finally, rather than
leave his old home, he ate a large quantity of
muskrat root and died in ten or twelve hours. His family,
(14:07):
being immediately notified of his death, returned to attend the burial,
and is yet living at Squawky Hill. Nothing was ever
done with Doctor, who continued to live quietly at Squawky
Hill till some time in the year eighteen nineteen, when
he died of consumption. End of Chapter fourteen
Chapter fourteen of a narrative of the Life of Missus
Mary Jemison. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings
are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer,
please visit LibriVox dot org. Recording by Lynn Carroll. A
Narrative of the Life of Missus Mary Jimison by James E.
(00:23):
Sever Chapter fourteen. Trouble seldom comes single. While George Jimison
was busily engaged in his pursuit of wealth at my expense,
another event of a much more serious nature occurred, which
added greatly to my afflictions and consequently destroyed at least
(00:43):
a part of the happiness that I had anticipated. Was
laid up in the archives of Providence, to be dispensed
on my old age. My son John was a doctor
considerably celebrated amongst the Indians of various tribes for his
skill in curing their diseases by the administration of roots
(01:03):
and herbs which he gathered in the forests and other
places where they had been planted by the hand of nature.
In the month of April or first of May eighteen seventeen,
he was called upon to go to Buffalo Cattaraugus and
Allegheny to cure some who were sick. He went and
(01:24):
was absent about two months. When he returned, he observed
the great slide of the bank of Genesee River a
short distance above my house, which had taken place during
his absence, and, conceiving that circumstance to be ominous of
his own death, called at his sister Nancy's, told her
(01:45):
that he should live but a few days, and wept
bitterly at the near approach of his dissolution. Nancy endeavored
to persuade him that his trouble was imaginary and that
he ought not to be affected by a fancy which
was visary. Her arguments were ineffectual and afforded no alleviation
(02:05):
to his mental sufferings. From his sisters, he went to
his own house, where he stayed only two nights, and
then went to Squawky Hill to procure money with which
to purchase flower for the use of his family. While
at Squawky Hill, he got into the company of two
Squawky Hill Indians whose names were Doctor and Jack, with
(02:28):
whom he drank freely, and in the afternoon had a
desperate quarrel in which his opponents, as it was afterwards understood,
agreed to kill him. The quarrel ended, and each appeared
to be friendly. John bought some spirits, of which they
all drank, and then set out for home. John and
(02:48):
an alligating Indian were on horseback, and Doctor and Jack
were on foot. It was dark when they set out.
They had not proceeded far when Doctor and Jack commenced
an quarrel with John, clenched and dragged him off his horse,
and then, with a stone, gave him so severe a
blow on his head that some of his brains were
(03:10):
discharged from the wound. The alligating Indian, fearing that his
turn would come next, fled for safety as fast as possible.
John recovered a little from the shock he had received
and endeavored to get to an old hut that stood near,
But they caught him and with an axe, cut his
throat and beat out his brains, so that when he
(03:32):
was found the contents of his skull were lying on
his arms. Some squaws who heard the uproar, ran to
find out the cause of it, but before they had
time to offer their assistance, the murderers drove them into
a house and threatened to take their lives if they
did not stay there or if they made any noise.
(03:53):
Next morning, Esquire Klot sent me word that John was dead,
and also informed me of the means by which his
life was taken. A number of people went from Gardau
to where the body lay, and doctor Levi Brundridge brought
it up home, where the funeral was attended after the
manner of the white people. Mister Benjamin Luther and mister
(04:15):
William Wilds preached a sermon and performed the funeral services,
and myself and family followed the corpse to the grave
as mourners. I had now buried my three sons, who
had been snatched from me by the hands of violence
when I least expected it. Although John had taken the
(04:36):
life of his two brothers and caused me unspeakable trouble
and grief, his death made a solemn impression upon my
mind and seemed, in addition to my former misfortunes, enough
to bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave.
Yet on a second thought, I could not mourn for
him as I had for my other sons, because I
(04:59):
knew that his death was just and what he had
deserved for a long time from the hand of justice.
John's vices were so great and so aggravated, that I
have nothing to say in his favor. Yet as a
mother I pitied him while he lived, and have ever
felt a great degree of sorrow for him, because of
(05:21):
his bad conduct. From his childhood, he carried something in
his features indicative of an evil disposition that would result
in the perpetration of enormities of some kind. And it
was the opinion and saying of Ebenezer Allen that he
would be a bad man and be guilty of some
crime deserving of death. There is no doubt but what
(05:43):
the thoughts of murder rankled in his breast and disturbed
his mind even in his sleep, For he dreamed that
he had killed Thomas for a trifling offense, and thereby
forfeited his own life. Alarmed at the revelation and fearing
that he might, in some unguarded moment, destroy his brother,
he went to the Black Chief, to whom he told
(06:06):
the dream, and expressed his fears that the vision would
be verified. Having related the dream together with his feelings
on the subject, he asked for the best advice that
his old friend was capable of giving. To prevent so
sad an event. The Black Chief, with his usual promptitude,
told him that from the nature of the dream, he
(06:28):
was fearful that something serious would take place between him
and Thomas, and advised him by all means to govern
his temper and avoid any quarrel which in future he
might see arising, especially if Thomas was a party. John, however,
did not keep the good counsel of the chief, for
(06:49):
soon after he killed Thomas. As I have related, John
left two wives with whom he had lived at the
same time, and raised nine children. His widows are now
living at Canidia with their father, and keep their children
with and near them. His children are tolerably white and
(07:10):
have got light colored hair. John died about the last
day of June eighteen seventeen, aged fifty four years. Doctor
and Jack, having finished their murderous design, fled before they
could be apprehended, and lay six weeks in the woods
back of Canistio. They then returned and sent me some
(07:34):
wampum by Chango, my son in law, and sung Guiroois
that is big kettle, expecting that I would pardon them
and suffer them to live as they had done with
their tribe. I however, would not accept their wampum, but
returned it with a request that rather than have them killed,
(07:55):
they would run away and keep out of danger. On
their receiving back the wampum, they took my advice and
prepared to leave their country and people. Immediately. Their relatives
accompanied them a short distance on their journey, and went
about to part their old uncle. The Tall Chief addressed
them in the following pathetic and sentimental speech. Friends, hear
(08:19):
my voice. When the Great Spirit made Indians, he made
them all good and gave them good corn fields, good
rivers well stored with fish, good forests filled with game,
and good bows and arrows. But very soon each wanted
more than his share, and Indians quarreled with Indians, and
(08:41):
some were killed and others were wounded. Then the Great
Spirit made a very good word and put it in
every Indian's breast to tell us when we have done
good or when we have done bad. And that word
has never told a lie. Friends, whenever you have stole,
(09:01):
or got drunk or lied, that good word has told
you that you were bad Indians, and made you afraid
of good Indians, and made you ashamed and look down. Friends,
Your crime is greater than all those. You have killed
an Indian in a time of peace, and made the
wind hear his groans and the earth drink his blood.
(09:25):
You are bad Indians, Yes, you are very bad Indians.
And what can you do? If you go into the
woods to live alone. The ghost of John Jamison will
follow you, crying blood blood, and will give you no peace.
If you go to the land of your nation, there
(09:46):
that ghost will attend you and say to your relatives,
see my murderers. If you plant, it will blast your corn.
If you hunt, it will scare your game. And when
you are asleep it's grown, and the sight of an
avenging tomahawk will awake you. What can you do? Deserving
(10:07):
of death? You cannot live here? And to fly from
your country, to leave all your relatives, and to abandon
all that you have known to be pleasant and dear
must be keener than an arrow, more bitter than gaul,
more terrible than death, And how must we feel? Your
path will be muddy, the woods will be dark, the
(10:29):
lightnings will glance down the trees by your side, and
you will start at every sound. Peace has left you,
and you must be wretched. Friends, hear me and take
my advice, return with us to your homes. Offer to
the Great Spirit your best wampum, and try to be
(10:50):
good Indians. And if those whom you have bereaved shall
claim your lives as their only satisfaction, surrender them cheerfully
and die like good Indians. And here, Jack, highly incensed,
interrupted the old man and bade him stop speaking, or
he would take his life. Affrighted at the appearance of
(11:11):
so much desperation, the company hastened towards home and left
Doctor and Jack to consult their own feelings. As soon
as they were alone, Jack said to Doctor, I had
rather die here than leave thy country and friends. Put
the muzzle of your rifle into my mouth, and I
will put the muzzle of mine into yours, and at
(11:33):
a given signal, we will discharge them and rid ourselves
at once of all the troubles under which we now labor,
and satisfy the claims which justice holds against us. Doctor
heard the proposition, and, after a moment's pause, made the
following reply, I am as sensible as you can be
(11:54):
of the unhappy situation in which we have placed ourselves.
We are bad Indians. We have forfeited our lives and
must expect in some way to atone for our crime.
But because we are bad and miserable, shall we make
ourselves worse? If we were now innocent, and in a calm,
(12:14):
reflecting moment, should kill ourselves, that act would make us
bad and deprive us of our share of the good
hunting in the land where our fathers have gone. What
would Little Beard say to us on our arrival at
his cabin footnote. Little Beard was a chief who died
in eighteen o six. In footnote, he would say, bad Indians, cowards,
(12:39):
you were afraid to wait till we wanted your help.
Go Jogo to where snakes will lie in your path,
where the panthers will starve you by devouring the venison,
and where you will be naked and suffer with the cold. Jogo.
Go none but the brave and good Indians live here.
(13:00):
I cannot think of performing an act that will add
to my wretchedness. It is hard enough for me to
suffer here and have good hunting hereafter worse to lose
the hole. Upon this, Jack withdrew his proposal. They went
on about two miles and then turned about and came home,
(13:20):
guilty and uneasy. They lurked about Squawky Hill near a fortnight,
and then went to Cattaraugus and were gone six weeks.
When they came back, Jack's wife earnestly requested him to
remove his family to Tonawanta, but he remonstrated against her
project and utterly declined going. His wife and family, however,
(13:44):
tired of the tumult by which they were surrounded, packed
up their effects in spite of what he could say,
and went off. Jack deliberated a short time upon the
proper course for himself to pursue, and finally, rather than
leave his old home, he ate a large quantity of
muskrat root and died in ten or twelve hours. His family,
(14:07):
being immediately notified of his death, returned to attend the burial,
and is yet living at Squawky Hill. Nothing was ever
done with Doctor, who continued to live quietly at Squawky
Hill till some time in the year eighteen nineteen, when
he died of consumption. End of Chapter fourteen
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