On an August morning in 1824, James Wilson and his 12-year-old son, John Thomas, arrived at their harvest-field near Reedsville, Pennsylvania with two horses and a sled. They threshed the buckwheat and hauled away the chaff until lunchtime. As they sat side-by-side eating their meal, they were set upon by a party of natives of the Six Nations intent on capturing the father and son. The Wilsons could offer no resistance and their long march began. Their trail was northward, through the Kishacoquillas Valley and across the Seven Mountains until they wearily reached the Seneca village near the present site of Buffalo, NY, one hundred seventy miles from home.
Young John Thomas was exchanged for a barrel of whiskey to an English officer on duty in Canada and became his servant. The Seneca had a different plan for his …show more content…
To determine this, Mr. Wilson would run the gauntlet. The natives formed two parallel rows, leaving a narrow passageway between the rows through which James made a bold dash while they hit at him with sticks or rocks or anything else they could hold in their hands as a weapon. He made it through without being very much hurt at all which was unsatisfactory to his captors. He would have to run the gauntlet again, this time with an old woman tied to him, dragging behind. He was badly hurt this time but the old woman fared far worse.
James Wilson was now considered to be one of the Seneca people. He lived with them for several years and learned to speak their language. He became aware of a treaty between the U.S. Government and the Six Nations stipulating that U.S. citizens were allowed free passage through their lands. Confronted with this fact, James was given the freedom to leave. The Senecas wanted James to stay, though, and gave him a tract of land to persuade him. He declined to claim the land and eagerly began his trip
Young John Thomas was exchanged for a barrel of whiskey to an English officer on duty in Canada and became his servant. The Seneca had a different plan for his …show more content…
To determine this, Mr. Wilson would run the gauntlet. The natives formed two parallel rows, leaving a narrow passageway between the rows through which James made a bold dash while they hit at him with sticks or rocks or anything else they could hold in their hands as a weapon. He made it through without being very much hurt at all which was unsatisfactory to his captors. He would have to run the gauntlet again, this time with an old woman tied to him, dragging behind. He was badly hurt this time but the old woman fared far worse.
James Wilson was now considered to be one of the Seneca people. He lived with them for several years and learned to speak their language. He became aware of a treaty between the U.S. Government and the Six Nations stipulating that U.S. citizens were allowed free passage through their lands. Confronted with this fact, James was given the freedom to leave. The Senecas wanted James to stay, though, and gave him a tract of land to persuade him. He declined to claim the land and eagerly began his trip