A Survivor's Recollections of the Whitman Massacre (Expanded, Annotated): Oregon Trail Pioneers

by Matilda J. Sager Delaney

Even had she not had the unfortunate fate of being a witness and survivor of the Whitman Massacre in 1847, Matilda Delaney's life was full of adventure from beginning to end. In this rare volume, she left her account of that tragic event in the pioneer west. Only a child when her parents headed west in 1844, she and her siblings were orphans before they reached Washington. Marcus and Narcissa Whitman adopted and cared for them at the Whitman Mission until the sad day in 1847 when Matilda witnessed their murders. Married at sixteen, she went on to a life that she describes in this memoir, published shortly after her death. Three times widowed, she raised a large brood of children, was an entrepreneur, and a noted pioneer of Washington Territory. Every memoir of the American West provides us with another view of the westward expansion that changed the country forever. For the first time, this long out-of-print volume is available as an affordable, well-formatted book for e-readers and smartphones. Be sure to LOOK INSIDE by clicking the cover above or download a sample.

Genres: Nonfiction, American History

61 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 19, 2009

Reviews

[Sam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fascinating, and sad, story of these kids’ experience first losing their birth parents, then their adopted parents, all while traveling and living on the frontier in the northwest.

Since it was a firsthand account, not written by professional authors, the story was hard to follow at times, but I managed.

[Peggy S. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a story of my family. A short, true, impactful, heart wrenching, devastating story of a young pioneer family searching for their permanent home. Henry Sager was my 4x great grandpa's brother. While my ancestor, Samuel, planted his feet in Iowa, brother Henry couldn't sit still and forged ahead to the unknown. In the end, his legacy lives on but only because of tragedy.

[Teresa Crancer · Rating 3 out of 5]

A wandering story of a young girl's experience on the frontier

As an elderly lady, Matilda wrote of her experience in the Whitman massacre. She was a young girl at the time. It is a good historical read, but it does wander a bit.

[Fritz Ethridge · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kept my attention.

I liked the fact that this was a first hand account of the massacre. It is a glimpse into the past. And it ends on a good note.