Mary Draper Ingles
Encyclopedia
Mary Draper Ingles was an American pioneer and early settler of western Virginia
. She was abducted by Indians and later escaped, making a harrowing trek over hundreds of miles of rough terrain to return home.
to George and Elenor (Hardin) Draper, who had immigrated to America from Donegal
, Ireland
in 1729. In 1748, the Draper family and others moved to the western frontier, establishing Draper's Meadow, a pioneer settlement near modern day Blacksburg, Virginia
. Mary married fellow settler William Ingles in 1750, and gave birth to two sons, Thomas in 1751 and George in 1753.
In July, 1755, a band of Shawnee
warriors raided Draper's Meadow, (see Draper's Meadow massacre
) killing four settlers, one an infant, and taking five hostages, including Mary and her two sons, her sister-in-law Bette Draper, and a male neighbor. The Indians and their captives traveled for a month to a Shawnee village on the banks of the Scioto
and Ohio River
s. Here Mary was separated from her sons, after which she was brought to Big Bone Lick, Kentucky
. Some sources suggest that Mary gave birth to a daughter while in captivity (Hale 1886). As a prisoner, Mary sewed shirts and was enslaved to make salt
for the Indians. In October, Mary and another captive woman (referred to as the "old Dutch woman" in many sources) escaped from their captors, making their way on foot through the wilderness to return home. Their route followed the Ohio
, Kanawha
, and New River
s and they traveled as much as five to six hundred miles, and arrived home after more than 40 days.
After recovering from her journey and reuniting with her husband, Mary went on to have four more children: Mary, Susan, Rhoda (b.1762), and John (b.1766). George died in Indian captivity, but Thomas was ransomed and returned to Virginia in 1768; he underwent several years of rehabilitation and education under Dr. Thomas Walker
at Castle Hill, Virginia. William and Mary established Ingles Ferry
across the New River
in 1762, and she died there in 1815 at the age of 83.
, a 1995 ABC
television movie of the same name, and the 2004 film The Captives
.
, located near Draper's Meadow, has a residence hall named Ingles Hall in honor of Mary Draper Ingles. http://www.radford.edu/RUmap/ingles.html
There is a monument dedicated to Mary Draper Ingles located in West End Cemetery, Radford Virginia. It was built using stones from the chimney of a home where Mary lived after her return in 1755.
An 8 feet (2.4 m) bronze statue depicting Mary Draper Ingles stands outside the Boone County Public Library on route 18 in Burlington, Kentucky. Commemorating her escape from captivity at Big Bone Lick, the statue stands upon a granite base mounted with a bronze plaque outlining her story.
Kentucky Route 8 in Campbell, Bracken, and Mason counties is officially named "Mary Ingles Highway."
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
. She was abducted by Indians and later escaped, making a harrowing trek over hundreds of miles of rough terrain to return home.
Biography
Mary Draper Ingles was born in 1732 in Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
to George and Elenor (Hardin) Draper, who had immigrated to America from Donegal
Donegal
Donegal or Donegal Town is a town in County Donegal, Ireland. Its name, which was historically written in English as Dunnagall or Dunagall, translates from Irish as "stronghold of the foreigners" ....
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
in 1729. In 1748, the Draper family and others moved to the western frontier, establishing Draper's Meadow, a pioneer settlement near modern day Blacksburg, Virginia
Blacksburg, Virginia
Blacksburg is an incorporated town located in Montgomery County, Virginia, United States, with a population of 42,620 at the 2010 census. Blacksburg, Christiansburg, and Radford are the three principal jurisdictions of the Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford Metropolitan Statistical Area which...
. Mary married fellow settler William Ingles in 1750, and gave birth to two sons, Thomas in 1751 and George in 1753.
In July, 1755, a band of 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...
warriors raided Draper's Meadow, (see Draper's Meadow massacre
Draper's Meadow massacre
On July 8, 1755, a small outpost among the rolling ridges of southwest Virginia, was raided by Shawnee Indians. Rising tensions between the natives and western settlers were exacerbated by fighting in the French and Indian War and the encroachment on tribal hunting grounds. Recent victories by the...
) killing four settlers, one an infant, and taking five hostages, including Mary and her two sons, her sister-in-law Bette Draper, and a male neighbor. The Indians and their captives traveled for a month to a Shawnee village on the banks of the Scioto
Scioto River
The Scioto River is a river in central and southern Ohio more than 231 miles in length. It rises in Auglaize County in west central Ohio, flows through Columbus, Ohio, where it collects its largest tributary, the Olentangy River, and meets the Ohio River at Portsmouth...
and Ohio River
Ohio River
The Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. At the confluence, the Ohio is even bigger than the Mississippi and, thus, is hydrologically the main stream of the whole river system, including the Allegheny River further upstream...
s. Here Mary was separated from her sons, after which she was brought to Big Bone Lick, Kentucky
Big Bone, Kentucky
Big Bone is an unincorporated community in southern Boone County, Kentucky, United States. It is bounded on the west by the Ohio River, and Rabbit Hash, on the south by Big Bone Creek, which empties into the river at Big Bone Landing. The northern extent is along Hathaway Road, and the eastern...
. Some sources suggest that Mary gave birth to a daughter while in captivity (Hale 1886). As a prisoner, Mary sewed shirts and was enslaved to make salt
Salt
In chemistry, salts are ionic compounds that result from the neutralization reaction of an acid and a base. They are composed of cations and anions so that the product is electrically neutral...
for the Indians. In October, Mary and another captive woman (referred to as the "old Dutch woman" in many sources) escaped from their captors, making their way on foot through the wilderness to return home. Their route followed the Ohio
Ohio River
The Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. At the confluence, the Ohio is even bigger than the Mississippi and, thus, is hydrologically the main stream of the whole river system, including the Allegheny River further upstream...
, Kanawha
Kanawha River
The Kanawha River is a tributary of the Ohio River, approximately 97 mi long, in the U.S. state of West Virginia. The largest inland waterway in West Virginia, it has formed a significant industrial region of the state since the middle of the 19th century.It is formed at the town of Gauley...
, and New River
New River (West Virginia)
The New River, part of the Ohio River watershed, is a tributary of the Kanawha River about 320 mi long. The river flows through the U.S. states of North Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia...
s and they traveled as much as five to six hundred miles, and arrived home after more than 40 days.
After recovering from her journey and reuniting with her husband, Mary went on to have four more children: Mary, Susan, Rhoda (b.1762), and John (b.1766). George died in Indian captivity, but Thomas was ransomed and returned to Virginia in 1768; he underwent several years of rehabilitation and education under Dr. Thomas Walker
Thomas Walker (explorer)
Dr. Thomas Walker was a physician and explorer from Virginia who led an expedition to what is now the region beyond the Allegheny Mountains area of British North America in the mid-18th century...
at Castle Hill, Virginia. William and Mary established Ingles Ferry
Ingles Ferry
Ingles Ferry is a historic farm in Radford, Virginia, USA. It is both a working, commercial farm as well as a historical preserve where living history interpreters depict life in the late 18th century....
across the New River
New River (West Virginia)
The New River, part of the Ohio River watershed, is a tributary of the Kanawha River about 320 mi long. The river flows through the U.S. states of North Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia...
in 1762, and she died there in 1815 at the age of 83.
In popular culture
The story of Ingles' ordeal has inspired a number of books, films, and living history programs, including the popular 1981 novel Follow the River by James Alexander ThomJames Alexander Thom
James Alexander Thom is an American author, most famous for his works in the Western genre and colonial American history; known for their historical accuracy borne of his painstaking research. Born in Gosport, Indiana, he graduated from Butler University and served in the United States Marine Corps...
, a 1995 ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
television movie of the same name, and the 2004 film The Captives
The Captives (film)
The Captives is a 2004 American film starring Elliot Miller, produced and directed by Jude Miller for Jude True Blue Productions. It is based on the true story of Mary Draper Ingles and her struggles during the French-Indian War...
.
Memorialization
Radford UniversityRadford University
Radford University is one of Virginia's eight doctoral-degree granting public universities. Originally founded in 1910, Radford offers comprehensive curricula for undergraduates in more than 100 fields, and graduate programs including the M.F.A., M.B.A...
, located near Draper's Meadow, has a residence hall named Ingles Hall in honor of Mary Draper Ingles. http://www.radford.edu/RUmap/ingles.html
There is a monument dedicated to Mary Draper Ingles located in West End Cemetery, Radford Virginia. It was built using stones from the chimney of a home where Mary lived after her return in 1755.
An 8 feet (2.4 m) bronze statue depicting Mary Draper Ingles stands outside the Boone County Public Library on route 18 in Burlington, Kentucky. Commemorating her escape from captivity at Big Bone Lick, the statue stands upon a granite base mounted with a bronze plaque outlining her story.
Kentucky Route 8 in Campbell, Bracken, and Mason counties is officially named "Mary Ingles Highway."
External links
- Mary Draper Ingles' Return To Virginia's New River Valley
- "Mary Draper Ingles" at the Boone County Public Library. Includes the John Ingles manuscript and other documents.
- Ingles Ferry