Captivity Narrative: Capture of Jemima Boone

We've already looked at a brief rundown of the Cherokee-American Wars (1776-1795).  Today, we'll look at a story that was front page news at the time and an important propaganda piece used by Settlers against Natives in the ongoing struggle, the capture and rescue of Daniel Boone's daughter Jemima and two of her best friends by a Cherokee-Shawnee war party in 1776. 

By 1776, Native raiders had made their point and few people remained in Kentucky except at the fortified settlements of Harrodsburg, Logan's Station and Boonesborough.  Settlers were warned not to stray too far outside the stockades.  On July 14, 1776, ten days after the Declaration of Independence was first signed at Independence Hall, three teenage girls decided to disregard that warning and take a boat out on the lake.  They were Jemima Boone, a daughter of Daniel Boone, and two of her best friends Elizabeth and Frances Callaway.  As they sat in the boat drifting on the lake.  As they returned home, a war party led by Cherokee leader Hanging Maw consisting of two Cherokee and three Shawnee captured the girls and hurried with them toward the Ohio River and the Shawnee towns there.  They were on their way to a life similar to that of Mary Jemison and other famous captives of the time.

Daniel Boone, Richard Callaway and other men of the settlement were out hunting and did not realize what happened until they returned later in the day.  Boone, who had been a prisoner of the Shawnee in his younger years, quickly picked up the trail and hurried to catch up with the war party, who had already several hours start.  As they were marched along by their captors, the girls devised various means to mark their trail until the Natives realized what they were doing and put a stop to it.  Three days later, as the party stopped for breakfast, a shot rang out, wounding one of the Natives.  Jemima shouted, 'that's Pa's rifle'.  Whether they understood her cry or not, the Natives undoubtedly knew that a rescue party was bearing down on them.  As another Native fell mortally wounded by a musket ball, the Natives broke camp and left the girls to be found by Boone and his men. 

There has to be a happy ending to a story like this.  Jemima married Flanders Callaway, older brother of the Callaway girls and a member of the rescue party.  Elizabeth and Frances Callaway also soon found husbands and settled down for the rest of their lives.  Daniel Boone had to ask his daughter a hard question and her answer was no, the Natives had not attempted rape.  She later said, "the Indians were kind to us, as much as they could well have been, or their circumstances permitted."  This was a common theme among captivity stories.  Native on Settler rape was almost non-existent. 

The dramatic scenes of capture and rescue were common themes of paintings and prints throughout the 18th and 19th centuries.  James Fenimore Cooper may also have used the story as one of his many inspirations for The Last of the Mohicans.  Natty Bumpo, the main character, is often thought to be based on Boone.  Just as Boone raised a party to rescue his daughter and her friends, Natty raises a party to rescue primarily Cora and Alice Munro.