Saturday, April 19, 2014

JONATHAN ALDER, OHIO PIONEER--and a Giveaway!

                                                                     
     

Hi, Laurie Kingery here, and this month I'd like to tell you about a pioneer figure in Ohio history, Jonathan Alder, before I get to my giveaway…:)

Jonathan was born in 1773 and was living in Wythe County, Virginia when, at age eight, he and his brother David were sent out to search for a couple of runaway horses. They ran into a group of Shawnee Indians from Ohio. David was killed and scalped when he tried to run, and the group, along with a neighbor woman and her child who were also captured, traveled to a Mingo Indian village near present-day Chillicothe, Ohio. On the journey the Indians killed the child, with whom they'd grown impatient, and beat the woman when she protested. Jonathan Alder was apparently spared because he had black hair, which they reasoned would allow him to pass as an Indian more easily.

When they arrived in the Mingo village, Jonathan learned one of the chiefs, Succohanos, and his wife had lost their son and wanted to adopt a captive as a replacement. He had to run the gauntlet first to prove himself worthy. The white woman who was taken with them was given to another Indian man in the village during Alder's adoption ceremony.
                                                          

Alder was ill a lot when he first began to live with the Indians, a fact he attributed to their diet. The Indian children were friendly to him and taught him their language and customs. In time, he adopted their ways and lived as an Indian; so much so that when a white Kentucky trader offered to exchange him for an Indian prisoner, he refused, and accompanied the Mingos on raids to Kentucky.

When his adoptive Indian parents died, Alder wandered from village to village and began courting an Indian woman from the Upper Sandusky area, Barshaw. In 1793 during the Northwest Indian war, he joined Shawnee chief Blue Jacket to fight Anthony Wayne, taking part in the attack on Fort Recovery. He advised the  the Indians to sign the Treaty of Greenville, but he did not attend the signing. This treaty restored the peace between the Indians and the settlers, and so he decided to return to the whites.

He married Barshaw and settled near present day Plain City, Ohio, relearning white ways and customs. His wife did not adjust as easily. Their two children died in infancy. The couple decided the Great Spirit was opposed to their marriage and separated. Alder let Barshaw keep most of their possessions.

Alder then regained an interest in his original Virginia family, who was fortunately still alive. He was reunited with his mother and siblings and stayed with them a year. While with him he fell in love with Mary Blont, and they were married in 1806. The same year, they returned to the area where he had lived with his Indian wife and built a cabin along Big Darby Creek.

During the War of 1812, Alder was elected captain of a company of seventy men, and built a blockhouse to protect the Darby settlements. This fort was the only one ever built in Union County and the foundation still remains.

After the war, Alder returned to farming, and continued to visit other former Indian captives. He died in 1849 at age 75. He has a school named after him in Plain City. The cabin he built is now located in the Madison County Historical Society Museum.
                                                                           

And now to get to my giveaway! One lucky commenter will receive a copy of my latest release, THE PREACHER'S BRIDE CHOICE, the first of a three-author continuity series from Love Inspired Historicals about the Oklahoma Land Rush of 1889. I hope readers will also seek out the other two books in the series, THE HORSEMAN'S FRONTIER FAMILY, by Karen Kirst, in May, and THE LAWMAN'S OKLAHOMA SWEETHEART by Allie Pleiter in June.
                                                               
                               Blessings, Laurie Kingery
All photos are courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
 


26 comments:

  1. Laurie, what an interesting post ! Thank you for sharing. I cannot imagine the life Jonathan must have had after being taken by the Indians. I am glad he was finally able to reunite with his family.

    mauback55 at gmail dot com

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    1. Melanie, thank you. Wow, you're either on the West Coast or up way late. :) I'm glad you found it interesting.

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  2. Melanie, wow, you were up early--or late. :) Thanks, and thanks for commenting.

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    1. Sorry for the double reply, Melanie--I wasn't sure my first one went through. Now you have 3! :)
      Laurie

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  3. How tragic for him to see his brother killed. I wonder how he coped during his captivity. I wonder what his reunion with his family was like and how he felt. Incredible history.

    colorvibrant at gmail dot com

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    1. And Heidi's up way early. :) Thanks--I found that interesting to imagine too--his reaction to his brother's death when he was still a captive, his reunion with his parents.
      Blessings, Laurie Kingery

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  4. Very interesting post, Laurie. I felt like he was never sure where he belonged, or which culture he should choose. Thanks for sharing this.

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    1. Nancy, I got that impression too--that he never fully belonged anywhere after he was an Indian captive. That seems to be the case whenever someone spent years with the Indians--such as Cynthia Parker, taken captive by the Comanches. She was never happy after she was retaken by the whites and died young. Thanks for commenting!
      Happy Easter, Laurie Kingery

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  5. I love history. I had never heard this story before. I live in NY and homeschool so I will keep this tucked into my memory for history lessons later on. Thank you for sharing. I would love to win and read your new release !!!!
    Blessings
    Linda Finn
    Faithful Acres Books
    www.faithfulacres.net
    faithfulacresbooks@gmail.com

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  6. What a colorful history of only one man! I love your books and look forward to your newest.
    worthy2bpraised at gmail dot com

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  7. Looks wonderful - would love to win. truckredford(at)gmail(dot)com

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  8. I enjoy your books, Laurie! I read HILL COUNTRY CATTLEMAN recently and enjoyed it. I would love to win The Preacher's Claim. My husband is a preacher so there must be something in common here! Enjoyed and also shocked at the piece on Jonathan Adler. He had quite a life with the Indians and the Whites. Not at all jealous of that life! sharon CA wileygreen1(at)yahoo(dot)com

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    1. Sharon M, thanks so much! And I agree, not an enviable life...
      Easter blessings, Laurie Kingery

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    2. Sharon M, you're my winner of the drawing! I'll be emailing you to get your address. Hope you enjoy the book.
      Blessings, Laurie Kingery

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  9. Linda, I wasn't familiar with it either even though I live right in Ohio and there's a school here named after him! Thanks for commenting.
    Easter blessings, Laurie Kingery

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  10. Merry, thanks. Yes, Alder had quite an interesting life, though not always happy. Thanks for commenting.
    Easter blessings, Laurie Kingery

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  11. Eliza, thanks for commenting and good luck in the drawing.
    Easter blessings, Laurie Kingery

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  12. This is an interesting story! I imagine he had a hard time deciding where he belonged. Thank you for sharing, I just love learning something new. jumpforjoy at gmail dot com

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    1. Thanks for commenting, joy. Like you, I enjoy learning new things, so that's why I enjoy writing these blogs.
      Blessings, Laurie Kingery

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  13. Hi Laurie I am chiming in a day late but loved your story of this man who lived with the indians and come to like his life there...I was surprised to read he did return to the white life and married again...quite a life for a little boy. I am sure he must have been scared to death at the beginning and he became strong by adapting. True stories like this intrigues me. thanks for sharing.
    Paula O(kyfloatyahoodotcome)

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    1. Hi Paula oh I'm a day late responding to some of the comments, too, so no worries thanks for commenting.

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  14. Hi Laurie! What a fascinating and different life Jonathan lived! I've gotten more interested in my home state's history lately with our big 125 yr land run anniversary coming up on Tuesday. So this Oklahoma set three book series you're a part of sounds very neat! Thanks for the chance to win a copy of your book!
    kam110476 (at) gmail (dot) com

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  15. Kam, thanks for commenting. Maybe that's why love inspired historical's decided to release a continuity with that topic this year. Happy anniversary to Oklahoma!
    Blessings, Laurie Kingery

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  16. Laurie, As an Ohio resident I don't remember any of this from Ohio history. I found the article very interesting. Such a life Alder had, It is hard to imagine.
    Thank you and Blessings
    mcnuttjem0(at)gmail(dot)com

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  17. Jackie, I've lived in Ohio most of my life, and I'd never checked out Jonathan Alder either. I decided It Was High Time. :)
    thanks for commenting.

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  18. Looks like a wonderful book - thanks for info on Johnathan - I didn't know that. truckredford(AT)GMAIL DOT COM

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