Sarah's Courage by Karen Leet

Author:Karen Leet
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: The History Press
Published: 2014-12-10T05:00:00+00:00

Jenny’s Story

Jenny Wiley’s experience with being kidnapped by Indians turned out much worse than Daniel Boone’s story did. Jenny was a frontier woman living in a small cabin with her family. There was always plenty of work to do, so Jenny kept very busy. One day, as Jenny was doing her chores, she got some scary news. Her brother-in-law stopped by to warn her. He had heard hooting noises nearby. He suspected that meant Indians were close and probably planning to attack.

Jenny’s husband was away that day in October 1789. Thomas had gone to the trading post for some needed supplies. Jenny was left at home with her brother and her four children. When her brother-in-law warned her about possible Indians nearby, Jenny worried. Her brother-in-law urged her to bring her family to his place to be safer. Jenny promised she would come soon.

Before she could leave, though, she heard yells and whoops. Indians were already at her door. She and her brother tried to block the door to keep the Indians out, but they couldn’t. The Indians burst through the door. Jenny and her brother tried to fight them off, but the Indians fought back. They killed Jenny’s brother and three of her children. Then they grabbed Jenny and her youngest child.

After setting her cabin on fire, the warriors hurried Jenny away through the wilderness. The trip was difficult, and Jenny must have felt weak and frightened. Other settlers realized she had been kidnapped, and they began to follow the trail. The Indians tried to hurry Jenny so the pursuers would not catch up. The Indians seemed worried that the rescuers would catch them.

During the rush to escape, the Indians killed her youngest child. Later, when Jenny had another baby, that child was killed, too. The settlers who tried to follow lost the trail and turned back. Jenny was taken to an Indian camp, where she was forced to act as a slave. She worked hard. She carried water and brought firewood. She cooked for her captors.

Months later, Jenny saw her chance to escape. She ran as fast as she could, traveling for many miles to get away from the Indians who tried to catch her again. She hid and prayed for protection. At last, she found her way to safety. Other settlers helped her to get back home. Her husband was thankful she had gotten free, and they built another cabin and had more children.

Though Jenny never forgot her terrible experience, she lived a good, long life. In Kentucky, where she and her husband lived after her ordeal, there is a state park named to honor her. The town of Prestonsburg holds a yearly festival in her honor, too. Everyone remembers and honors Jenny’s courage during the worst time in her life.

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