Jackson Johonnet
Encyclopedia
"Jackson Johonnet" was the pseudonymous author of a spurious Indian captivity narrative
that enjoyed much popularity in the mid-1790s and was thereafter incorporated into the “canonical” body of accounts of white imprisonments, tortures and sufferings due to Native Americans
.
The narrative tells the story of a young man of 17 who leaves his family’s farm in Falmouth, Massachusetts
(now Maine
), to seek his fortune in Boston
. Unable to get work, he falls prey to the wiles of an army recruiter, enlists, and is despatched to the “West” (in this case Ohio
) to serve with the army. He is almost immediately captured by Indians, taken to their villages on the upper Miami River
, and witnesses the torture and death of fellow captives. He escapes with an associate and makes his way back to the army in time to participate in the notorious and disastrous battle known variously as the Battle of the Wabash
or St. Clair's Defeat. Numerous points in the narrative contradict established facts in the history of the 1791 campaign, and other events seem to be embellishments supplied by someone unfamiliar with the western geography or actualities of Indian warfare.
The work was first published in Beers's Almanac and Ephemera … for 1793 (Hartford, 1792). It proved exceedingly popular, and had at least eight reprint editions in the following two years. Its publication followed two years of unsuccessful military campaigns against a coalition of Native Americans in Ohio, led by Little Turtle and Blue Jacket
, that included Miami, Shawnee
, Kickapoo, Piankashaw, Wea
, and Delaware
tribes. The Northwest Territory
was rendered unsafe for settlement, and President George Washington
and Congress were endeavoring to increase the standing army and provide for defense of the frontier. The “Johonnet” narrative packed much action and adventure in a relatively short space, and its portrayal of the Indians served to justify the efforts for the military conquest of their territories then under preparation.
The popularity of the Johonnet narrative is testified by its immediate reprinting in separate book form in seven separate editions in 1793—at Boston, MA; Keene, NH; Newburyport, MA (2); Providence, RI; Windsor, VT; and Concord, MA. The 1793 Providence edition claimed to be a reprint of one issued in 1791 in Lexington, Kentucky, but no other evidence of that earlier form has been found. Further editions were issued at Walpole, NH, in 1795, and at Salem, MA, in 1802. It was soon included in numerous anthologies of Indian captivity narratives, including Affecting History of the Dreadful Distresses of Frederic Manheim's Family, etc. (Philadelphia, 1800), Samuel L. Metcalfe’s A Collection of Some of the Most Interesting Narratives of Indian Warfare in the West (Lexington, KY, 1820), and others. Some later editions spell the last name as "Johonnot."
External evidence for the existence of “Jackson Johonnet” is lacking. The family does not appear in the 1790 census for Falmouth, Maine (then part of Massachusetts); nor has any trace of “Jackson Johonnet,” other than the printed narrative, been found. Internal evidence within the Remarkable Adventures suggests that the entire narrative is an invention, based in part upon published reports of the battle it describes (known generally as the Battle of the Wabash
). The chronology and geography of the narrative contain several points that contradict the known facts: 1. General Josiah Harmar
had been relieved of command of the western army in March 1791 (before Johonnet left Falmouth); 2. Fort Jefferson was not constructed until October 1791 (although the narrator claims to have arrived there September 18); and 3. the site of Braddock’s defeat, near present-day Pittsburgh, PA, is roughly 275 miles east of the site of Fort Jefferson (near present-day Greenville, Ohio). Other portions of the narrative (such as the narrator’s marksmanship with a musket at 40 yards, or the persistence of human remains after 36 years) also test the reader's credulity.
Captivity narrative
Captivity narratives are stories of people captured by "uncivilized" enemies. The narratives often include a theme of redemption by faith in the face of the threats and temptations of an alien way of life. Barbary captivity narratives, stories of Englishmen captured by Barbary pirates, were popular...
that enjoyed much popularity in the mid-1790s and was thereafter incorporated into the “canonical” body of accounts of white imprisonments, tortures and sufferings due to Native Americans
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
.
The narrative tells the story of a young man of 17 who leaves his family’s farm in Falmouth, Massachusetts
Falmouth, Massachusetts
Falmouth is a town in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States; Barnstable County is coextensive with Cape Cod. The population was 31,531 at the 2010 census....
(now Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
), to seek his fortune in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
. Unable to get work, he falls prey to the wiles of an army recruiter, enlists, and is despatched to the “West” (in this case Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
) to serve with the army. He is almost immediately captured by Indians, taken to their villages on the upper Miami River
Miami River
Miami River may refer to:Florida*Miami River , a tributary of Biscayne BayNew York*Miami River , a tributary of Lewey LakeOhio*Great Miami River, a tributary of the Ohio River*Little Miami River, a tributary of the Ohio RiverOregon...
, and witnesses the torture and death of fellow captives. He escapes with an associate and makes his way back to the army in time to participate in the notorious and disastrous battle known variously as the Battle of the Wabash
St. Clair's Defeat
St. Clair's Defeat also known as the Battle of the Wabash, the Battle of Wabash River or the Battle of a Thousand Slain, was fought on November 4, 1791 in the Northwest Territory between the United States and the Western Confederacy of American Indians, as part of the Northwest Indian War...
or St. Clair's Defeat. Numerous points in the narrative contradict established facts in the history of the 1791 campaign, and other events seem to be embellishments supplied by someone unfamiliar with the western geography or actualities of Indian warfare.
The work was first published in Beers's Almanac and Ephemera … for 1793 (Hartford, 1792). It proved exceedingly popular, and had at least eight reprint editions in the following two years. Its publication followed two years of unsuccessful military campaigns against a coalition of Native Americans in Ohio, led by Little Turtle and Blue Jacket
Blue Jacket
Blue Jacket or Weyapiersenwah was a war chief of the Shawnee people, known for his militant defense of Shawnee lands in the Ohio Country...
, that included Miami, Shawnee
Shawnee
The Shawnee, Shaawanwaki, Shaawanooki and Shaawanowi lenaweeki, are an Algonquian-speaking people native to North America. Historically they inhabited the areas of Ohio, Virginia, West Virginia, Western Maryland, Kentucky, Indiana, and Pennsylvania...
, Kickapoo, Piankashaw, Wea
Wea
The Wea were a Miami-Illinois-speaking tribe originally located in western Indiana, closely related to the Miami. The name Wea is used today as the a shortened version of their many recorded names...
, and Delaware
Delaware
Delaware is a U.S. state located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered to the south and west by Maryland, and to the north by Pennsylvania...
tribes. The Northwest Territory
Northwest Territory
The Territory Northwest of the River Ohio, more commonly known as the Northwest Territory, was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from July 13, 1787, until March 1, 1803, when the southeastern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the state of Ohio...
was rendered unsafe for settlement, and President George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
and Congress were endeavoring to increase the standing army and provide for defense of the frontier. The “Johonnet” narrative packed much action and adventure in a relatively short space, and its portrayal of the Indians served to justify the efforts for the military conquest of their territories then under preparation.
The popularity of the Johonnet narrative is testified by its immediate reprinting in separate book form in seven separate editions in 1793—at Boston, MA; Keene, NH; Newburyport, MA (2); Providence, RI; Windsor, VT; and Concord, MA. The 1793 Providence edition claimed to be a reprint of one issued in 1791 in Lexington, Kentucky, but no other evidence of that earlier form has been found. Further editions were issued at Walpole, NH, in 1795, and at Salem, MA, in 1802. It was soon included in numerous anthologies of Indian captivity narratives, including Affecting History of the Dreadful Distresses of Frederic Manheim's Family, etc. (Philadelphia, 1800), Samuel L. Metcalfe’s A Collection of Some of the Most Interesting Narratives of Indian Warfare in the West (Lexington, KY, 1820), and others. Some later editions spell the last name as "Johonnot."
External evidence for the existence of “Jackson Johonnet” is lacking. The family does not appear in the 1790 census for Falmouth, Maine (then part of Massachusetts); nor has any trace of “Jackson Johonnet,” other than the printed narrative, been found. Internal evidence within the Remarkable Adventures suggests that the entire narrative is an invention, based in part upon published reports of the battle it describes (known generally as the Battle of the Wabash
St. Clair's Defeat
St. Clair's Defeat also known as the Battle of the Wabash, the Battle of Wabash River or the Battle of a Thousand Slain, was fought on November 4, 1791 in the Northwest Territory between the United States and the Western Confederacy of American Indians, as part of the Northwest Indian War...
). The chronology and geography of the narrative contain several points that contradict the known facts: 1. General Josiah Harmar
Josiah Harmar
Josiah Harmar was an officer in the United States Army during the American Revolution and the Northwest Indian War. He was the senior officer in the Army for seven years....
had been relieved of command of the western army in March 1791 (before Johonnet left Falmouth); 2. Fort Jefferson was not constructed until October 1791 (although the narrator claims to have arrived there September 18); and 3. the site of Braddock’s defeat, near present-day Pittsburgh, PA, is roughly 275 miles east of the site of Fort Jefferson (near present-day Greenville, Ohio). Other portions of the narrative (such as the narrator’s marksmanship with a musket at 40 yards, or the persistence of human remains after 36 years) also test the reader's credulity.