Arizona republican., 1909-10-16
PIONEER OF VIRGINIA
HISTORIC CHARACTER
A DESCENDANT OF A PRESIDENT
AT PHOENIX.
Story Brought out BY Brief Article
In The Republican.

The Republican yesterday morning
printed an article from an exchange
mentioning the dedication Of a monu-
ment couple of weeks ago at Rad
ford, Va. to Mary Draper Ingles, the
first English bride, married west of
the Alleghenies. That brought out
from Paul Renau Ingles yesterday an
interesting story of Mrs. Ingles and
her descendants. Mr.. Ingles is a
Draper Ingles.
The story is interestingly told in
'Trans-Allegheny Pioneers by John
p. Hale. a millionaire bachelor of
Charleston, w Va. and an uncle of
Mr.. Ingles. Mr.. Hale was formerly
proprietor of the Hale House at
Charleston, which. until it was de-
stroyed by fire in the eighties was
the most famous -hostelry in the state.
Much of the information concerning
Mary Draper Ingles was furnished by
Melinda Charlton. a member of an
other branch of the Ingles family and
who in her youth knew Mary Draper
Ingles as a very old woman and had
the story from her. Also from her
and other members of the family as
old. She gathered facts regarding the
family at even earlier period so that
when she impaired her story to Mr.
Hale she covered n period Of more
than $50 years. Mrs. Charlton was
alive as late as 1886. in full possession
Of her faculties and with a vivid mem
81 no 81.
told.
Mary Draper was born in Philadel-
phia in 1882. Her father moved to
Virginia and became a large landed
proprietor west Of the Alleghenies.
his domains there being known as
Diapers Meadows. She was married
to William Ingles i'm 1850 and a year
later a son. Thomas. was born. In
1855 she was carried off with her son
in a Wyandotte Indian raid and was
taken beyond the Kenawha mountains.
A few days after her capture she gave
birth to a daughter and the follow
ing day the Indians resumed their
march. carrying Mrs. Ingles on horse
back
Not long after her capture she es-
capped with a Dutch woman who had
been taken in the same raid and they
set out for Virginia. They lived on
roots and herbs as long as they were
obtainable and when they could no
longer be found and the fugitives were
facing starvation. it was decided to
resort to cannibalism. one of them
must die and which it should be was
determined by lot The Dutch woman
was doomed but she resisted the ex-
ecution of the sentence but after q
fierce struggle she was overpowered
for Mrs. Ingles had been from youth
a woman of great strength and agil-
ity.
But after she had won the victory
she lost her appetite for human flesh
and pushed on leaving the Dutchwo-
man alive but helpless. In a day or
two she encountered a hunting party
of whites and was rescued. A rescu-
ing party was sent to bring in the
Dutch woman.
Mrs. Ingles had left her little son
and new born baby in the hands or
the Indians. Nothing was ever heard
of the babe but some years after. Will
liam Ingles learned that his son was
with tribe of Wyandottes at De-
troit. He sent an agent. Baker, to
negotiate for his return. Baker bought
him. then a boy of seventeen. of the
Indians for 500. The youth could
speak no English and was in all re-
spects save blood an Indian He be
lieved he was an Indian and he re-
scented the sale. He was taken by
force and Baker set out on his return
tying the boy at night. on the second
night out. Baker neglected to tie him
but slept with his arms about him. In
the night the boy escaped and went
back to the tribe. Baker returned but
the Indians had hidden the youth and
the agent returned with the story of
his failure. A year later another
agent secured possession of the boy on