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A Narrative of the Life of Mrs. Mary Jemison

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They say if you visit New York State you will find her descendants; many native-americans have her last name. Taken captive; her parents killed - Mary becomes part of a native-american family. She married a Delaware (Lenape) warrior, with whom she was very content and has many children. This is a dramatic, true story, told in her own words. She is in her 80's, and reminisces about her unusual life.

This book is an incredible account of the life and times of Mary Jemison, a white woman taken captive during the French and Indian War and adopted into the Seneca tribe of the Iroquois in western New York. This tale covers her more than 70 years living among them through many of the most vital years of the long history of the Iroquois Confederacy.

In November 1823, when she was in her 80s, Mary Jemison, at the urging of many of the friendly local inhabitants, gave her amazing life story to James Seaver to publish for posterity. Though his truthfulness in some details of that account has often been called into question, this book is one of the most important and complete of any of the Indian captivity narratives to come out of the period between the French and Indian War and the War of 1812, which most historians mark as the end of the period of influence of the Eastern Woodland tribes. This account gives unequalled insight into the Seneca Indians and their ways including religion, food, hunting, warfare, culture, etc.

Mary had many opportunities to leave the Indians and return to white civilization but chose not to do so and thus was witness to some of the most amazing events in the history of her adopted people. Her tale is important to not only historians and ethnologists, but to the general public itself as it is a truly amazing story of triumph and tragedy for a proud people struggling to survive in the face of overwhelming odds as a young United States continued to expand, forever extinguishing their way of life.

The narrative is fascinating reading, both in terms of the history revealed in the words of Mary Jemison and in terms of James Seaver who gives us his own version of her story. The effect is a layering of historical periods. With the help of the editing, you can peer through and see not only the period of Mary Jemison's captivity, but also the prejudices of the following time. An interesting example of the simultaneous respect and loathing with which the early settlers viewed the native inhabitants. I first read the narrative in high school, and would recommend it for young and old readers alike.

Mary Jemison was captured by Indians at a very young age. I found this excerpt from a fascinating biography written about her on Wikipedia:

"Mary Jemison was born to Thomas and Jane Jemison aboard the ship William and Mary in the fall of 1743 while en route from Northern Ireland to America. Upon their arrival in America, the couple and their new child joined other Scots-Irish immigrants and headed west from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to what was then the western frontier (now central Pennsylvania). They "squatted" on territory that was under the authority of the Iroquois Confederacy.

During the time the Jemisons were establishing their home, the French and Indian War (Seven Years War) was raging. One morning in 1755, a raiding party consisting of six Shawnee Indians and four Frenchmen captured Mary, her family (except two older brothers) and Davy Wheelock, a boy from another family. On route to Fort Duquesne (present-day Pittsburgh), Mary's mother, father, and siblings were killed and scalped. Mary and the other young boy were spared. Once the party reached the Fort, Mary was given to two Seneca Indians, who took Mary downriver. The Seneca adopted Mary, renaming her Deh-he-wä-mis, which she learned meant, "... a pretty girl, a handsome girl, or a pleasant, good thing." She was later renamed "little woman of great courage" by the Indians."

This is a great book about a young girl who was captured by Indians and chose to live her entire life as an Indian. She later became a negotiator for the Indians that helped to secure a fair price for their land. I was amazed at her bravery. The Indians called her a "little woman of great courage."

I just wanted to say that this is a great book. My teacher made me read it in class a few years ago. It's amazing how this lady was able to identify with the indians, I guess quite a few white people didn't like her.

I really was amazed that this book still existed, the description of Mary's life as a adult was heartbreaking after all she endured as a child, anyone interested in American history should read this

A fantastic history of this young girls life being a captive during the indian wars and all that she saw and went through. Quite a history--really sad. This should be read only by adults.

When I was growing up as a young child, one of my favorite books was "Swift Arrow," about a young boy who was captured by the Indians and ran back to his parents when he was about 20 years old. This book about Mary Jemison is very similar tale and likewise entertaining.

This is a remarkable book that any historian would love. Written in the vernacular, it can carry one back to those dangerous and exciting times in our nation's past through the eyes of one who actually lived it. Good reference as well for genealogy buffs.