The Red Cloud chief., 1877-05-24
important Historical Letter.

Globe.
important Historical Letter.
Very Iassrssti.x Ysess Abe.s . Noted
Indian Chief.
A letter from C~ircleville. in the Sun
day Herald. Of last Sunday. relates a
short anecdote, in which the names OF
both these Shawnee chiefs occur. II
seems to have dropped out OF the MEM
DRY Of the present generation Of men.
IL indeed 1t was ever generally known.
that the chief Blue Jacket va u white
man. He was . Virginisn by birth. n
Of a numerous family Of brothers and
sisters. many Of whom settled In this
State and Kentucky at an early day. and
many descendants Of whom still reside
In this State.
His name was Marmaduke Won Swer.
ingen. / can not now recall the name
Of his father. or the place Of his nativ-
ity, except that it wss in Western Vir-
ginia. He had brothers-JOhn, Vance.
Thomas. Joseph, Stull and Charles-and
one sister, Sarah, and perhaps others.
Marmaduke was captured by the Shaw
nee Indians, when out with q younger
brother on a hunting expedition. some
time during the Revolutionary War.
He was about seventeen years Of age
when taken, and wa q stout, healthy.
well-develOped, athletic youth, and be-
came a model Of manly activity. strength
and symmetery when Of full age. He
and q younger brother were together
when captured, and he agreed TO 60
with his captOrs and become natural
lied among them, provided they would
allow his brother to return home In
safety. This proposal wa agreed to by
his captOrs, and carried out in good
faith by both parties.
When captured. Marmsduke Tor Duke
as he vas familiarly called was dressed
in a blue linsey blouse or hunting
shirt" from which garment he took his
Indian name Of Blue Jacket. During
his bOyhood he had formed q strong
taste or prediction for the free savage
life, a. exempli6ed In the habits and
customs Of the wild American Indians.
and frequently expressed his determin-
alton that when he attained manhood
he would take up his abode with some
one Of the Indian tribeA
l am not able to tx the exact date Of
this transaction, except by apprOxima-
ting it by reference to other events. 1t
il additionally understood that Mar
maduke vas taken by the Indians about
three years before the marriage Of his
sister Sarah (whe was the grandmother
Of the writer Of this articlel. and she
was married in the year 1851. So that
it must have been about in the year
ITS when the event in question oc-
CURED.
Although We have no positive infor-
nation Of the fact, traditional or other.
wise, yet it is believed that the band or
tribe with which Blue Jacket took up
his residence, lived at that time on the
Scioto River, somewhere between Chill.
icothe and Circleville. After arriving
at his new and adopted home Marina
duke-Or Blue Jacket-entered with
such alacrity and cheerfulness into all
the habits, sports and labon Of his A.
sociateb, chat he soon became very pop
ular among them. So much VA this
the case that before be va twenty-five
years Of age, he va chosen - . Chief
of his tribe and a such took part In all
the councils and campaigns Of his tnbe.
He took . wife Of the ShaWDeea. and
reared several children. among them
but one con. This son. who was called
Jim Blue Jacket VA . rather dissipa-
ted, Wild and reckless fellow. who vas
quite well known on the upper Miami
River during and after the war Of 1872.
he left . family Of several children.
sons and daughters, who are now liv.
ing in Kansas. and with one Of whom
Charles Blue Jacke-the writer Of this
has long kept up . correspondence /
first saw Charles It the time the Shaw
nee Nation va removed from Ohio to
Kansas, under the conduct Of ofScen Of |
the National Government in 1881. He
ID . well educated. highly intellectual
and intelligent gentleman; and In I'll
Fespectstfestures voice. contour and
- to his dark color.
N exact foe simils Of the Van Sver-
Charles Blue jacket has been
, visitor It my house. not above eleven
years ago. and exhibits m the attn
Of . ven brsd. polished, setf-pos-
Deaoed gentleman.
Before closing this commmicat5on /
1atrs tosay one woed t relation 70 ths'