In the Hands of the Senecas

by Walter D. Edmonds, Alan Tompkins (Illustrator)

This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923. This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book.

Genres: Historical Fiction, American History

213 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1950

About the author

Walter Dumaux Edmonds has been a National Book Award winner and recipient of the Newbery Medal. He is the author of Bert Breen’s Barn, The Boyds of Black River, In the Hands of the Senecas, Mostly Canallers, Rome Haul, Time to Go House, and most recently the autobiographical Tales My Father Never Told, all available from Syracuse University Press.

Reviews

[Lonna Pierce · Rating 4 out of 5]

This 1947(!)historical fiction novel by Walter D. Edmonds, (Drums Along the Mohawk & Newbery Medal winner, The Matchlock Gun)tells a gripping narrative of several white Indian captives from upstate NY in 1778. This is an era when a white scalp would fetch $8.00 in Niagara from the British. The stories are varied, believable, & apropos for New Yorkers to understand both Native American and colonist viewpoints in the 18th century. I found it on my bookshelf, and read it in a day!

[Mark Valentine · Rating 2 out of 5]

Rescue me. As a captivity narrative, Edmonds milks the genre as dry as a corn stalk in September. The worst part about this novel is the embedded racism against the Senecas and the League of the Iroquis.

Hard to believe that the white race should feel so utterly moved by the pathos of their women being captured by the Senecas when the whites forced Africans into slavery for centuries and called it good because it was 'legal.'

Hard to believe that the innocent homesteaders should feel disgust by the scalps being taken when the Natives merely learned how to scalp from the British as early as 1755.

I read this novel because I teach Native American literature at my college and I wanted to see how Edmonds portrayed them and I see that he perpetuated the common racism of his age. As art, it is tinny, flimsy, and shallow and as a historical novel, it panders to its current age more than to history.

Worse, I see that the contents of the novel had been previously published in the Saturday Evening Post. In other words, such embedded racism had a wide distribution. Why do lies fly around the world seven times before truth can even lace up its boots?

[Pugalicious · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book takes place in New York during the time period of 1776 to 1784. It is a collection of short stories originally published in the Saturday Evening Post in 1937, fictionalizing the lives of a number of white women captured by the Seneca Indians. Much of it takes place near the Genesee River in Western New York where I grew up. As a child my family often visited the cabin and grave of Mary Jemison, a white girl captured by Iroquois Indians in 1759 and later sold to the Seneca Indians. She continued living with the Senecas until her death in 1833. These stories brought back vivid memories of Letchworth State Park and an appreciation of the difficulties the early settlers and the native americans endured. The author is better know for his book Drums Along the Mohawk. If you are interested in the history of WNY, this is an easy and fascinating read.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Of the stories in the Reader's Digest "The Pioneers", only one was set in New York and it was this book. It really reminded me of "The Last of the Mohicans" because it involved the war and people being taken by Indians. It showed what happened to people when they lived with Indians - the experiences were all very different. I thought it was a pretty good book.

[Jimmy Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Walter D Edmonds performed extensive historical research on his native New York for his books "Rome Haul" and "Drums Along the Mohawk" - so much so that he found he had more to give when those works were completed. The result is "In the Hands of the Seneca": stories about a group of pioneer women, taken as captives by Native Americans from an English colonial village, then separated as their captors returned to their various distant homes.

Captives were taken by Native American cultures for a variety of reasons, and several are demonstrated by Edmonds: to replace lost relatives; to suffer for social class depredations or provide entertainment; to provide children; for ransom during conflict, or to work as slaves. In spite of the age of the work, Edmonds makes no moral judgement on the captors, instead focusing on the reactions and varying strength of the captives - making this book truly amazing.

I think, for those of us who find the historic captivity genre fascinating, these are stories of discovery like no other. Whether fiction or non-fiction, these narratives remind us how astonishingly brave early men and women were as they attempted to find and carve out a home in a land filled with unfamiliar if not unknown and frequently hostile environment. Often the women were not standing behind our forefathers, but beside them, or without them.

At the same time, to many Native Americans, the complex relationships and diseases Europeans brought with them were augmented by hostilities between property (fur/land/mineral) traders, setting amongst tribes yet carving up and claiming territory. Assistance between tribes in military efforts was requested by European military leaders during Queen Anne's War, King Philip's War, King George's War and King William's War, often resulting in an increase in captives for for ransom.

People caught in the middle - the Native Americans, and the colonists - make up the stories "In the Hands Of the Seneca." Many are based in fact; the story of Delia Borst, for example, is quite similar to that of Mary Rowlandson. Each tale is simply told but quite remarkable, and hard to forget.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another oldie purchased at Half Price Books. Hardcover, 1947 edition. I thought this would be an interesting read given all the controversy over who is allowed to tell whose story. The big question for me is whether the author is putting his views about American Indians in the mouths of his characters or is he a devil’s advocate, spurring the reader to make decisions and look further for more information. Are the author’s words and the character’s inseparable?

Would these attitudes toward Indians be the prevailing attitudes in 1947 America?
He makes negative references to Yankees and Black Irish, so he (or his characters) are broadly prejudiced.

Edmonds is particularly good with mood and description (smoke, snow, longhouses, three sisters plantings). I thought he knew his woodland Indian history and culture; the map across the endpapers was attractive and descriptive; if you know the region now you could easily see it then in his map and description.

Interesting format with the first chapter covering the small community that is raided; then following the captives on their journey. The next four chapters are each devoted to one of the captives. The last chapter returns to the original settlement and the captive who returns home. All the captives chose to leave or escape. Even when they see positive things in the matrilineal culture, they all essentially view the natives negatively and prefer to return to the white culture.

Worth nothing: later reprints show a beautiful painting of Cornplanter on the cover rather than the more savage illustrations of the earlier book.

[Naomi · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating look at women's and children's lives who got captured by the Seneca tribes just before the Revolution war. Walter Edmonds is an extraordinary writer, and each narrative is vivid. One of the stories is very graphic, as there is a slave and a owner in that story who both hate each other...and someone goes under...but the other stories are really good. I love how the narratives deal with the same kind of people, but different tribes under the great nation of Senecas, as well as how different individuals dealt with their captives.
I'd read again. And recommend. Not necessarily light reading.

[Maryclaire · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very interesting historical novel. Having lived in the Seneca Indian area and east of it, the familiarity of the landscape and the towns was interesting. The description of the flora and fauna was perfect. The author chose to tell individual captive stories. The author also incorporated the customs of the Seneca's and their dress. The book was researched and very educational.

[Sharon Zink · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometime before the Revolutionary War, Seneca Indians attacked and destroyed a village, carrying off some of the inhabitants and killing the rest. This story follows the fates of three captives of groups of captives. Very good writing, and extremely interesting.

[Raul Escobar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read

True adventure, lovely writing and great characters. Don’t pass this up and be sure to check out Drums Along The Mohawk too.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not for young/middle children.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fast, easy read. Historical Fiction of the area I now live.