Follow the River

It is hard to believe that I have never read this book before!  I have owned it for many years and the subject is of great interest to me!  However, I finally bought it via audible and it is the book of the month for me.  Great book!  Well written!  I sometimes wish to not spend quite so much time on the trail in the beginning of the book.  However, the author has a story to tell and many details to include.

For sites that give more information on this book:

The author's site:
http://www.jamesalexanderthom.com/river.html

Wikipedia about the event in Draper's meadows:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Draper's_Meadow_massacre

Information on Wikipedia about Mary Engles:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Draper_Ingles

WV Archives information:
http://www.wvculture.org/history/notewv/ingles1.html

Mary Engles Trail Blazers site:
http://maryinglestrailblazers.homestead.com

                              Information from the National Park Association
                              http://www.nps.gov/neri/historyculture/mary-draper-ingles.htm

                              WV Scenic Trails information:
                              http://gis.wvdot.com/gti/Trails/images/Mary%20Ingles%20Trail%20proposed.pdf

                              Information from a descendant of Mary Engles:
                              http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~nwa/draper.html

                           
An account by Luther Addington for the Historical Society of Southwestern VA
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~vahsswv/historicalsketches/captivityinglesmary.html

The account written by her son, John, born after her return from captivity:
http://boonecountykyhistory.org/pages/--the-story-of-mary-draper-ingles-by-john-ingles-son.php

On some of these pages is found the photo of the cabin in which Mary was living when the Massacre happened in Drapers Meadows:

and several of the sites show the map of Mary's trip home:

I had to turn the book off yesterday when the Indians were sorting out the prisoners in the big meeting place.  My imagination was too vivid in worrying what might happen to some of them.  But when I finally turned it back on and finished hearing about the ceremony, understanding the finality of the sorting made it easy to know how Mary would try to escape.  When I was researching the Clendenin event, I found it hard to believe that Ms. Clendenin would leave her children and escape on the trail.  It is said that Ms. Clendenin had heard the stories told about Mary's escape and trip home.  If that was true, I can see how one might leave one's children.  Mary was separated from her boys and her daughter had been practically adopted by a squaw.  She realized how hopeless her situation was in the Indian towns.