Jemison

Slave Narrative of Perry Sid Jemison

Interviewer: Bishop & Taleman Person Interviewed: Perry Sid Jemison Location: Steubenville, Ohio Place of Birth: Perry County, Alabama Age: 79 Place of Residence: 422 South Sixth Street, Steubenville, Ohio WPA in Ohio Federal Writers’ Project Written by Bishop & Isleman Edited by Albert I. Dugen [TR: also reported as Dugan] Ex-Slaves Jefferson County, District #2 PERRY SID JEMISON [TR: also reported as Jamison] Ex-Slave, 79 years (Perry Sid Jemison lives with his married daughter and some of his grand-children at 422 South Sixth Street, Steubenville, O.) “I wuz borned in Perry County, Alabama! De way I remember my age is, … Read more

Monument To Deh-He-Wa-Mis (Mary Jemison) At Letchworth Park, New York

Mary Jemison was taken as a captive by a band of Seneca Indians at March Creek, Pennsylvania in 1776. She was carried down the Ohio River where she was adopted into a Seneca Indian family. In 1759 she moved with the Senecas to the Genesee River Country. She was aged 91 years when she died, Sept. 13, 1833. When offered her freedom, this white woman refused, preferring to live and die with her Seneca People. On one occasion she said, that the life of the old time Indian, before he was given liquor and crowded by the white man, was … Read more

The Captivity of Mary Jemison

Mary Jemison

The Captivity of Mary Jemison tells the story of Mary, taken captive by the Shawnee in 1755 and sold to the Seneca among whom she lived for almost 80 years. The story of Mary is like many other captivity stories, where the young captive is kept alive and sold into another tribe to replace a son or daughter who had died. Mary’s case was not common in the fact that when, after the death of her first husband, she was given a chance of freedom and returning to her white family, she chose instead to remain with the Seneca.