Follow the River
U.S. History Essay: Follow The River by James A. Thom
The book that I have decided to read and do an essay on was Follow the River by James
Alexander Thom. Follow the River is about five colonists taken from their homes by Shawnee
Indians and the escape that followed Mary Draper Ingles captivity. Mary Draper Ingles is the main capture and a mother of three; two boys and one girl. I believe it would be somewhat an accurate account of the events that may have happened during her long journey to and from the
Shawnee village. Mary Draper Ingles, who is a brave soul; having to be tortured to do inhumane things on the trail ride to the Shawnees village such as, climbing up small cliffs for forty days and walking through freezing rivers, with hardly anything to eat since it was winter.
Mary is an amazing mother, to help take care of her newborn daughter, which she gave birth to on the trail. “Beside the smoky fire they had built to baffle mosquitoes, the Indians stopped talking when they heard a baby’s cry quaver in the nearby darkness among calls of owls and crickets.” (Ch. 4, pg. 50) On the night of the third day out, Mrs. Ingles gave birth to an infant daughter. She makes it appear she is immortal to have a child in a wilderness that is harsh. To make her children’s spirits happier and to make them stay positive now that they are thousands of miles away from home. Mary is brave to escape from the Shawnees village with Ghetel and survive all the way back home. 1
Ghetel, (later known as Gretel) is an elderly old Dutch lady who was also captured by the
Shawnee tribe far longer than Mary Ingles and her children. Ghetel is the total opposite of
Mary. Ghetel is a very unhappy woman and is not pleased that she is out in the wilderness, all cold and hungry. She is slow and does not keep up with Mary when they trek their way back home to safety. “The two French men take Mary and the Dutch woman down
The book that I have decided to read and do an essay on was Follow the River by James
Alexander Thom. Follow the River is about five colonists taken from their homes by Shawnee
Indians and the escape that followed Mary Draper Ingles captivity. Mary Draper Ingles is the main capture and a mother of three; two boys and one girl. I believe it would be somewhat an accurate account of the events that may have happened during her long journey to and from the
Shawnee village. Mary Draper Ingles, who is a brave soul; having to be tortured to do inhumane things on the trail ride to the Shawnees village such as, climbing up small cliffs for forty days and walking through freezing rivers, with hardly anything to eat since it was winter.
Mary is an amazing mother, to help take care of her newborn daughter, which she gave birth to on the trail. “Beside the smoky fire they had built to baffle mosquitoes, the Indians stopped talking when they heard a baby’s cry quaver in the nearby darkness among calls of owls and crickets.” (Ch. 4, pg. 50) On the night of the third day out, Mrs. Ingles gave birth to an infant daughter. She makes it appear she is immortal to have a child in a wilderness that is harsh. To make her children’s spirits happier and to make them stay positive now that they are thousands of miles away from home. Mary is brave to escape from the Shawnees village with Ghetel and survive all the way back home. 1
Ghetel, (later known as Gretel) is an elderly old Dutch lady who was also captured by the
Shawnee tribe far longer than Mary Ingles and her children. Ghetel is the total opposite of
Mary. Ghetel is a very unhappy woman and is not pleased that she is out in the wilderness, all cold and hungry. She is slow and does not keep up with Mary when they trek their way back home to safety. “The two French men take Mary and the Dutch woman down