Captured By The Indians: 15 Firsthand Accounts, 1750-1870

by Frederick Drimmer (Editor)

Astounding eyewitness accounts of Indian captivity by people who lived to tell the tale. Fifteen true adventures recount suffering and torture, bloody massacres, relentless pursuits, miraculous escapes, and adoption into Indian tribes. Fascinating historical record and revealing picture of Indian culture and frontier life. Introduction. Notes.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Native American, American History, Memoir, Native Americans, Biography

384 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 1985

Reviews

[El · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been reading Gwynne's Empire of the Summer Moon: Quanah Parker and the Rise and Fall of the Comanches, the Most Powerful Indian Tribe in American History and have been frustrated by the fact that the author seems only to have focused on sources written by white men and women. While scrounging through my shelves for something else I came across this and thought, "Hey, more white people having more thoughts!" It seemed as good a time as any to read it.

Actually, it's been rather interesting reading this aside Gwynne's history. While I find his writing frustrating and at times cringe-worthy, these firsthand accounts written between 1750-1870 give a better impression of what really happened. And I say that with air quotes, actually, because it's hard to take all firsthand accounts at their complete word - many accounts were written well after the fact, were sold as memoirs, and with time and ($$) money often can come... well... embellishment. Not calling anyone a liar. But you know how you can get into an argument with someone and then later find out you both have completely different interpretations about what truly happened? It's like that. Except... more violent. And more scary. And much more important because we're talking about American history and not just some first world cattiness problems.

This shit is real, guys. These captives lived through some harsh times, too hard for me to fully grasp because I've never been taken captive by another group of people and had to witness the beating and killing of my children.

A few reviews have said this book is not for the squeamish, and I whole-heartedly agree. I feel they are important accounts to read for their historical significance, but this is certainly not the Disney version of 'cowboys and Indians' many people have grown to expect.

But then again, shame on you if you think Disney is ever accurate.

[Karyl · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book contains the stories of fifteen different people captured bey the Native Americans from the period of 1750 to 1870. It's a fascinating look at how the Native Americans lived from the perspective of someone who lived among them, though not by choice. The first few accounts are rather dry, having been committed to paper only years after the captivity came to an end, but the last two narratives are difficult to read. Both involve the brutalization of women and children by the Native Americans.

What one has to remember, however, is that in each of these accounts, the Native Americans were at war with their captives. In the early accounts, colonists were taken prisoner during the French and Indian War, a war fought between France and Great Britain to decide who controlled the New World. By the last accounts, the Native Americans were fighting against the encroachment of the settlers onto their ancestral lands, and it was American policy to force the Native Americans onto reservations far from their homelands. It is easy to see why the Native Americans would fight back in such cases.

It's best to keep in mind that these accounts were written long ago. The Native Americans are always referred to as "Indians" or "savages," and there is rarely an indication of the specific tribe involved. The language is definitely not politically correct, and some of the narratives paint the Native Americans in a distinctly unflattering light. But again, these people were taken against their will, and had been raised with a prejudice against their captors.

Even so, it's a very interesting read, and one I would recommend. I picked this up at the rare and used bookstore near my home.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this book is incredible. First hand accounts of any event are usually the best source for information. This book contains 15 accounts of people that were captured by Native Americans and their experiences among them. These are some amazing stories and a very interesting and educational look into the lives of Native Americans during this time. Even if history isn't your favorite subject, this book is just flat out interesting. I have recommended it to several friends, most of which are not avid readers, and everyone has loved it. It does have some parts that are hard to read.... some violence. Most of the book is about how the Indians would take these people in as adopted tribe members. The Indians had a different idea of how to handle captives. This is a great book!! Historically and educationally. Interesting and entertaining.

[Bri Fidelity · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having grown up on a steady diet of Magical Native Americans and twee New Age cultural appropriation, and coming fresh from Ishi In Two Worlds' litany of atrocities against native Americans by white landowners, this was...a bit of a nasty surprise.

I guess there never really are any Good Guys™.

[Marcus Maximilian Augustus · Rating 5 out of 5]

This collection of true-life horrors experienced by settlers at the hands of Native American Indian savages was updated with modern language for ease of reading. The contained stories were also improved upon in writing style as many of those who originally put their tales of terror to paper were barely literate, let alone skillful writers. For many, the tortures provided by the Indians were only survived through hope and an intense devotion to God. Common practices Indians used on their captives included removing fingers, burning alive, forcing to walk a gauntlet of beatings, starving, scalping, cannibalism, among others. These were practiced indiscriminately on men, women, and children. Some of the captives fared better than others as if the timing was right, they were "adopted" by an Indian family in order to replace a fallen warrior. In doing so, the adopted received the same treatment as any other member of the tribe once they were "cleansed" of their White blood. A few preferred and even excelled in this new life. Most of the facts provided through the tome were certainly hidden from me in school lessons as the only narrative I recall being incessantly dictated to us was that of the "moral hippy environmentalist Indian." A must read for any student of American history and especially those with a particular interest with the Westward Expansion.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this up at a used bookstore in Montreal, because I was thinking that Indian raids and French Canada just naturally go together. Poutine, freezing weather, and Indian captivity...that's Quebec for you. But then I enjoyed the poutine and walked around in the cold and failed to pick up the book until just now.
I read about half the accounts, and I'm going to keep it around and read more when I want just a quick little story before bed or something. I'm glad I bought it, but I was a little disappointed that only some of the stories actually involve captivity of decent duration. I'm more interested in the people who stayed with the Indians for a while, because those are the narratives that provide interesting windows into some elements of Native American society. Some of the captives were adopted, essentially, by their captors, and stayed for years (some stayed for life, but obviously those people were much less likely to write down accounts). There are some fascinating accounts here by the "captives" who stayed for long periods of time. At what point, I wonder, does one stop being a captive? When your "captors" are handing you a gun and sending you off to hunt without any supervision, in your second or third year of living in the community, I'm going to go ahead and say that you are not really a captive any longer.
Anyway though, a bunch of the accounts are from people who were captured for just a day or so, and then escaped. These stories all sort of blend together, and I found them much less interesting.

[Dpdwyer · Rating 3 out of 5]

An uneven collection of first hand accounts of time spent living with various Indian communities written by the captives themselves. It contained enough nuggets about Indian life to make it worth reading. It was interesting that while there were vivid descriptions of physical abuse and torture, there wasn’t a hint of any kind of sexual abuse or forced sex. Certainly one could not write openly about such things in the nineteenth century, but not even a hint! One thought is that sexual violence and abuse were more common generally and thus less traumatic on the frontier and so less likely to be described as out of the ordinary. Just a thought. I could be totally off base.

[Susan Prudhomme · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a fascinating antidote to the prevailing worship of Native American culture. While there are certainly many admirable aspects, it is also true that these people sometimes practiced unbelievable cruelty to outsiders. It's good to have a balanced view. This book is not for the squeamish - it's gruesome and horrifying in parts, but always thought-provoking and interesting.

[B.W. Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Here I cannot help but mention a thought that has frequently occurred to me about the way our people behave towards the natives. I have no doubt that many disasters have happened mainly because of the imprudent conduct of some of the captains and crews of the trading ships who insult, plunder, and even kill the Indians on slight grounds. Nothing is more sacred to a savage than revenge and they will wreak their vengeance upon the first vessel they see. All too often they make the innocent suffer for the wrongs of the guilty, as few of them can tell the difference between persons of the same general appearance, especially when they speak the same language. This, I believe, is the cause of the bloodthirsty disposition with which these people are reproached. Maquina repeatedly told me that it was not his wish to hurt a white man, and that he never would have done it if they had not injured him." - John Rodgers Jewitt

For me, this passage sums up the impact of reading these stories and attempting to reconcile the behavior of the parties involved. The atrocities and the brutality described in these factual accounts truly defies our current, delicate, modern existence. The book is balanced with many narratives of endearing and gracious experiences during captivity, but most "firsthand" accounts are written from the perspective of settlers and soldiers. Overall, it's a challenging read for anyone enamored with the plight of Native Americans in our country's history.

[Brook Allen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was outstanding. Drimmer did such a phenomenal job of editing and preparing these accounts, making them such easy reading. Though this was non-fiction, it was non-fiction AT ITS FINEST.

It was interesting to read and compare attacks and abductions between tribes in the eastern US vs. the western US. This book made it possible to do that. Also, the first accounts were pre-Revolutionary, making that an interesting note.

As I continue researching Native Americans, particularly the Sioux, for a novel, so much of what I've read has been from extant accounts of people who had been captured and kept as prisoners/slaves. It's been fascinating, as though these people are truly speaking to me from the past.

For anyone intrigued by Native American tribes, this is a great read.

[Abra Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

The stories included in this book are informative and shocking. The brutality of the Indians and their way of life definitely comes through. I found it to be extremely educational as I was very unfamiliar with the Indians of North Eastern US and Canada which is where these stories are primarily set. These stories are of people who were generally captured in times of war with the Americans, or the British, or the French so there was much torture and killing and conditions in general were deplorable. Not elegantly told as they are mostly first hand accounts by the people involved; however, extremely interesting and worth the read.

[Alex Wiseman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book, but anyone considering reading it should know that it is not revised for 21st century sensibilities. At times these historical accounts are racist, misogynistic, or imperialistic, but they reflect the narratives in the voices prevalent at those times and places. But, if you are willing to read it acknowledging these flawed-yet-genuine characteristics, it is a fascinating, bloody, and tragic account of a history of America that is neither taught nor is often learned. Quite an important and interesting read.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great for history buffs who like to read memoir accounts of historical events. This book covers a chilling period in our history when settlers inched westward encroaching on Native People's lands. And it's mind-boggling to consider that these events (massacres and kidnappings) took place at roughly about the same time as the Civil War. With all it's misery, I have to admire the people (on both sides) who endured.

[Clinton · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a collection of memoirs by ordinary people who had the misfortune to be captured and live with indigenous peoples for significant periods of time. The stories are in the words of the captured and their writing skills vary greatly. This handicap and the decades of delay between the events and the narrative cause me to drop one star 🌟. The stories themselves are excellent, as are the editor's summaries placed in advance of each tale.

[Jeanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Finally, I'm finished with this book. I could only take it in small bites. This book is a compilation of the true accounts from several survivors of people captured by Indians in the late 1800s. out gives a sobering glimpse into the lives of early pioneers. As a child, I was led to believe the savageness l of the native Americans. This book opened my eyes to the equal savageness of the white man.

[Marilyn Sue Michel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book shows beyond a doubt that when white people are captives, every detail is meaningful and important! Capturing indigenous tribespeople, causing them to travel thousands of miles on foot, or
confining them to reservations is just something that had to be done, but when the moccasin is on the other foot, it is a different story.

[Penelope · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m obsessed with firsthand accounts of children captured by Native Americans and how they lived, and how most of them didn’t want to come back to their families. It’s a glimpse into what Native American life was really like. I try to find their graves or historical markers and pay them a visit when I can since so many are buried near where I live in Texas.

[Leonid · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read for anyone who enjoys history. Brutal and uncompromising, these first persons accounts provide a perspective rarely discussed nowadays. Recent movie Hostiles would serve as a good companion to the later chapters of this book.

[Janette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hard to read at times, but a fascinating glimpse into the lives of various Indian tribes and their captives. This is the most well-balanced treatment I've ever read and portrays both sides very well. Well worth the time.

[Don Domine · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting book on native American life. It kind of dampens the conventional "noble savage" concept by illustrating the brutality that existed, not just between indians and whites, but between various tribes.

[Debra Moniz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Love historic source materials and especially enjoyed all the fascinating information about Native American culture and practices. However, so much of it was about suffering and killing/or being killed, I had to put it aside.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating, gruesome, informative, educational, upsetting. Unlike anything I’ve ever read. Not quite as well written as CAPTURED by Ziesk because these accounts were written by each of the people who were captured.

[Mark Thompson · Rating 2 out of 5]

These are taken from accounts at the time, so their exaggerations and inventions are not edited out. Good example of how the White Man depicted American Indians. Stories were interesting at times, but I just wonder the truth of it all.

[robert mckenzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was very entertaining and enlightening . Tales told directly by participants are in my opinion much more interesting and accurate than later accounts that have been "rewoked" over by professional writers whose agenda may not coincide with the beliefs and observations of the time period in which the described events actually occurred.

[Shelly Dabbs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting stories of survival. How these people managed to stay alive through all the things that they went through, is just amazing. Some were treated better than others but most of them dealt with a lot of heartbreak, pain & just wondering day to day, if it was their last on earth.

[Ian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very intriguing. The author captures all of the interesting bits of the stories with out overloading on day-to-day details.

[Roger · Rating 5 out of 5]

First person accounts

The accounts in this book offer many useful ethnographic details of life among the natives of North America during the 18th and 19th centuries.

[DONNA CORUM · Rating 2 out of 5]

I did not like this book at all. I didn't like his style of writing, and he rambled too much. I'm probably won't read anymore of his books.

[John Stevenson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing true stories from journals and first hand accounts. Some stories are of people just running away from indians chasing them for days or months. Other stories are actual captivity, slavery, marriage- sometimes for months or decades. Indians moved around a LOT, fought often, gorged themselves on food and drink and then later starved when food was gone. Interesting stories and lifestyles and perspectives on the settler vs indian battles.

[Sue Bridehead (A Pseudonym) · Rating 3 out of 5]

As of October 2009:

Still working my way through this, one story every couple of weeks. They are remarkably similar to one another, but that could be due to the fact that most of the tales in the collection involve captivity by northeastern tribes - Wyandot, Ottawa, Huron. Maybe when I get to Florida and the Seminoles the narratives will be different.

December 2009:

Editor's Introduction aside, I'm not sure why this collection was assembled. It comes with no scholarly commentary and it collects stories that almost universally support the notion of the violent, heartless savage. It almost seems like this book was created to tantalize, chock full as it is with horrifying captivity tales full of torture, dismemberment, scalpings, burnings at the stake, etc.

Still, it was a fascinating read, especially after reading so many revisionist histories. The consistency among these stories is a good reminder that wartime practices within the tribes were probably about as bad as they're being described (one guy has his intestines tied around a tree trunk, then he's forced to run in circles around the tree. Very Chuck Palahniuk).

Then again, you have to remember that most of these narrations were published as memoirs in their day, and that the authors/captives probably embellished to make a better, more salable story, perhaps to the point of giving the audience what it expected and wanted... a bit of the ultra-violence. And most of these narrations were written and published many years and sometimes decades after the events described within. We all tend to embellish our best stories, no?

The most memorable tales from this collection, for me:

1. Ho for Idaho! Fanny Kelly is a remarkably good writer, quite skilled at making you feel her terror, desolation, and finally relief. She gives good insight into the frustrated state of mind of the Sioux during the Civil War... their desire for last-ditch efforts to stop roads from going through their lands and destroying their hunting grounds once and for all. This narrative probably sourced Costner's script for "Dances with Wolves".

2. Revolt of the Sioux, Lavina Eastlick. Her detached narration of a horrific massacre that wiped out half her family is quite shocking. She seems to feel nothing, and manages to present the most awful string of circumstances with an oddly ho-hum attitude.

3. Prisoner of the Caughnawagas, James Smith. Very well-written tale with a great deal of insight into the spiritual beliefs of the tribe that captured him. Some tension between his desire to escape and his loyalties to the owners that were kind to him.

4. Massacre at Michilimackinac, Alexander Henry. Ethnographic in its level of detail.

5. White Indian, John Tanner. Amusing. Tall-tale-ish.

One thing pretty much every narrative has in common: the desire to return home. Some of these people get on quite well, being awarded wives and responsibility, and developing friendships with their captors. Nevertheless, they all bide their time, sometimes even years, until they get near enough to an American city or settlement to make an escape.