Jenny Wiley Captured by Cherokee and Shawnee Indians in Eastern Kentucky in 1787 (Ep. 1 of 3)

In this episode we read from the 1910 book by William Elsey Connelley: "Eastern Kentucky papers; the founding of Harman's Station, with an account of the Indian Captivity of Mrs. Jennie Wiley and the exploration of the Big Sandy Valley in the Virginias and Kentucky .
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[@elizabethbogle3533]

Jenny Wiley was my 5th great grandmother. Im glad to see a story about her.

[@melissawilson8877]

She is my 6 th grandmother!

[@nancytestani1470]

Wow..

[@zerozero9085]

Jenny Wiley is my many times great G'ma. Thank you for covering her story. Her grave is way up in the woods, alone and quiet. Spooky

[@birddog7492]

Matthias Harman was my eighth great Grandad. Thank you for these great stories.

[@Microp3nis]

Lies

[@joeatwell2644]

I am related to Harmans from Abbs valley,Tazewell County VA

[@birddog7492]

@@joeatwell2644 It's good to hear from kin folk. I live in WV, my father was from White wood Buckhanan Co., Va. My second G grandmother was Elizabeath Suson Harman. She was married to Alexander Vance.

[@elizabethbogle3533]

​@@birddog7492my ancestry on my maternal grandmother's side is from West Virginia. Wayne County. I have traced them back to Hezekiah Sellards.

[@2gpowell]

Love, your presentations. History that needs to be taught not re-written !

[@brassteeth3355]

Our ancestors were tough.

[@AndNowIWrite]

Jenny is on my family tree. My great grandmother Victoria Meade Stepp, a Native American descendant, always talked about this story whenever I would stay with her.

[@magicray5088]

my grandmother would tell bedtime stories about Jenny and she was a Full blooded indian from the Kanawha area to the western southern part of West Virginia , Kentucky border area as well ... She was raised by white parents and never knew her own indian parents ... but her stories would scare me and my cousins / her grandchildren pretty good... we would not go off in the woods after hearing about these stories ... brutal were these stores ... dead babies , cries of children in the night .... river crossing / one side or river your safe and the other not so much....

[@AndNowIWrite]

@magicray5088 My great-grandmother would tell us how, when her grandmother's people (Native Americans) would come to visit, they'd get rowdy, and she'd end up feeding them hominy Lol. I wish I'd asked her more questions as a child. There's horror stories on both sides, the story handed down in my family is that my g.g.g. grandmother's family (native American) was killed by white men and at age 12 one of the men took her and kept her.

[@magicray5088]

your stores sound alot like my grandmother and they kept people or kids for years in that area ... if you were out and about you were not safe, well mainly in some areas, as my grandmother would tell it... she was taken at a young age but she said she was glad to be taken in by white people Thier last name was the Markums ( I am not sure about the spelling ) she was the best Grandmother and the most loving woman ever. My German grandfather married her as his second wife and he was more than 14 years older than her , she never remarried when he died ( 1979) .... she lived to 96 years old and died in a nursing (2011) home... @@AndNowIWrite

[@joshmaxwell7968]

My grandma was a Stepp...many of em up here in central Ohio... she told me about Moses, great story.

[@ropeburnsrussell]

I am from New England , parts of my family go back to colonial times. It is fascinating to discover the history of the southern colonies, which parallels our conflicts with the native peoples. I look forward to the remainder of this series and support the mission of this channel. This warfare was brutal and genocidal on both sides. But it happened and shouldn't be swept under the rug.

[@jannarkiewicz633]

My grandparents owned the 1686 House in Kingston, New Hampshire. Quite a piece of history.

[@wowbagger3505]

My ancestors ended up in the upper Ohio Valley and eventually their descendants except me went to Western Ohio, Texas, and California. I live in one of the the higher parts of the Alleghenies near the West Virginia-Maryland border. The border wars were brutal, but the natives were incorporated into the culture and ultimately blood lines. I have met many in passing, who are a significant percentage native! I have done several genetic tests including both x and y dna and was surprised I am not. Jenny Wiley interests me as I have done done a lot of geologic work in the New River including the last geologic maps of the gorge.

[@skdjirrrdjdm3926]

​@wowbagger3505 growing up we were always told we had Cherokee ancestry too, alas 23&me showed no trace. However, I discovered we're related to several prominent slave traders and high ranking kkk members, yikes! I was better off living with the romantic fantasy of Cherokee ancestry LOL

[@ladybird-orginal]

@@skdjirrrdjdm3926. Don't give up on Cherokee being apart if your DNA You'll have to go thru The Cherokee Nation in TAHLEQUAH, OK

[@elizabethbogle3533]

​@@skdjirrrdjdm3926we heard the same thing, but my dna test showed zero native dna.

[@appalachianamerican7171]

Thanks from Prestonsburg, KY. Home of Jenny Wiley state park.

[@mariewheeler5626]

Beautiful park. Years ago, I visited the park, and it was part of a honeymoon package back in 1980. I'm a Southwest Native American. While visiting the park, I found the history of the area intriguing.

[@MichaelTheophilus906]

Daniel Boone was captured twice by the Indians, and managed to escape both times.

[@elainegoad9777]

One of my ancestors named Goad, was captured with Boone by Shawnee/Pawnee and taken to Ohio but escaped with Boone.

[@nancyadams9228]

Thanks for this! I live in the Big Sandy Valley. I taught the descendants of these people and told her story. The diaries and reminiscences of 18th Century settlers provide a valuable resource for us in reconstructing the narratives of the past.

[@walterwhiteboy4257]

These tales are definitely great to hear considering they really aren’t covered by modern history channels etc as you say.

[@cowboykelly6590]

Unworthy History is Worthy . 🤠🖖♨️

[@jimd8008]

Thank you for another amazing episode

[@markpalmer6760]

Always enjoy your unworthy history

[@dw6090]

True history is always welcome, thanks

[@sassyfrass4295]

really enjoyed this episode. nice images, too. looking forward to the other episodes.

[@Davidf8L]

Thank you from East Tennessee ❤

[@tobyplumlee7602]

Thank you Sir for your fine videos! As an amateur historian of many years and a 9th generation American on both sides of pioneering families I find these videos fascinating! Please never stop producing them ❤️.

[@deadhorse1391]

Thanks for another fascinating video! Is amazing to think about how things were here not that long ago

[@hyacinthlady]

Thank you! Looking forward to the next episode.

[@sherrymccarty6957]

Jane aka Jennie Sellards Wiley is my 5th Great Grandmother. I heard the "tale" of Jennie Wiley from my father, who was from WV, when I was a little girl. I am descended from 2 of Jennie's children, Mary Jane "Jenny" Wiley Williamson and Hezekiah Wiley. My grandparents were 2nd cousins! Thank you for presenting her history!

[@APHill-ip8qt]

God bless you. Great content !

[@nelliesfarm8473]

There were many giants discovered buried in Kentucky... It was used as hunting grounds by my Cherokee ancestors only when absolutely necessary; most stayed away ...sometimes Cherokee were found to be buried along with the giants...its unclear why, but the land of Kentucky was generally feared back then. My maternal grandfather was full blooded Cherokee from Kentucky

[@nelliesfarm8473]

@@Dylan-kx6fc Im not familiar.. I wasn't raised Cherokee... I'm 53 now and trying to learn more about my heritage. My mother was half Cherokee, taught me how to make fry bread and that's all I knew of my heritage as a kid lol. My sons have done much research on the history of Kentucky and they are the ones who discovered the info about tribes fearing Kentucky..

[@nelliesfarm8473]

@@Dylan-kx6fc there's so so much they have hidden from us about our true history... Not sure if you realize that

[@skdjirrrdjdm3926]

Thats pretty cool! I've heard about archeologists finding remains of giants in different parts of the world, didn't know Kentucky was a hot spot for them though.

[@ladybird-orginal]

Giants, they have pictures of them. From what I understood. Smithsonian came and got the bones. They took them to Washington DC and they got "lost". Nobody knows what happened to them!!

[@jackiemack8653]

​@@ladybird-orginalYes. Abraham Lincoln made a speech about giants after their bones were discovered I believe upstate NY.

[@a.urbanchuk513]

It's would be today that history has no place. Unless it has been rewritten to suits others. I wS raised in a time where history was a part of who we are and we must accept that. The bad good and ugly. I have all the history books that people are trying to get rid of. History will never die. Or be Forgotten

[@Charlie.a]

Another great episode Thank you for the top quality work enjoy the rest of your week.

[@lambastepirate]

Great story thanks.

[@jeffreygibson1629]

Good job. I'm just starting to learn about frontier history. Interesting story, can't wait to see the next episode

[@58landman]

I love these stories. I wonder though if Ernest T. Bass ever declared for any of Hezekiah's daughters. He was a most skilled rock thrower and he could sang and he could make a garden and dig up a posskum with his bare fingernails. He was strong too and fast....Lord he was fast and nobody could ketch, even if'n they tried!

[@BWIL2515]

Always look forward to your videos

[@eunicestone6532]

Im from this area. Read this book when i was nine. Ive been looking for this! Thank you!!

[@kickapootrackers7255]

Good 👍

[@dogparty-tt8qw]

Left comment yesterday, don’t know why it didn’t post. Just joined you on Patreon, keep up the great work!

[@unworthyhistory]

Awesome, thank you!

[@michaelbillhymer8327]

Man, I love this stuff. I just looked for you on Patreon, didn’t find….

[@unworthyhistory]

That seems like a really good idea. Just created a Patreon if you want to take a look: patreon.com/UnworthyHistory?Link&

[@juliecramer7768]

Thank you!

[@Khatoon170]

How are you doing sir . Thank you for your wonderful cultural documentary channel. I gathered main information about famous figure you mentioned briefly here it’s Jenny Wiley ( 1760- 1831 ) she was born in British Columbia American. She was pioneer woman Who was taken captive by native Americans in 1789 where she witnessed death of her brother , children. She escaped after 11 months of captivity. Jenny willet state resort park in Peterborough Kentucky is named in her honor . She also honored by through bred horse race named in her honor and run each year at keen land race course in Lexington, Kentucky. Event of fillies and mares race is called Jenny Wiley stakes and attract some of best female horses in American horse racing . There are book about Jenny Wiley titled dark hills ; saga of Jenny Wiley . It’s real sad story when was young wife and mother at Virginia when band or Native Americans attacked her , killed her children and dragged her hundreds of Miles, across rugged hills and swollen rivals to wilderness of present day eastern Kentucky. Wiley family dog , which has been with her throughout her captivity,also survived mrs Wiley returned to her husband at walker creek and two relocated to Johnson county , where they had five more children . Thank god for happy end . Thank god in past I love history subject at school and watch Arabic historical television series . Now Iam subscriber to American historical KZbin channel. We appreciate your great efforts as foreigners subscribers as overseas students want to increase our cultural level improve our English language as well. Merry Christmas happy new year. Best wishes for you your dearest ones .

[@jillconnelly8206]

Great effort here! I appreciate your effort to research and then turn the information into a comprehensive yet concise small "article." On the other hand, or converse, I'm in the U.S. and I love to study other cultures history in depth.

[@Khatoon170]

Thank you sir . Iam Arabic lady subscriber subscriber to several British and American KZbin channels since Christmas 2019 . Happy new year.

[@user-oh7tn1bu3r]

Nice one Daryl well told

[@rustynaild4247]

Great stuff. 👍

[@manleynelson9419]

So think about this. A full-grown Indian chiefs son was trying to kill a 9 year old boy and was killed in the process instead. So the Chiefs father retaliated by killing a bunch of small children and taking a woman captive with her baby. The men who got in the Skirmish originally with that Cherokee Chief should have just killed him right then and there. And as far as people thinking the settlers tried to exterminate the Indians completely because that's the narrative in the schools today the schools today, that's absolutely untrue.

[@tyus1932]

Thank you for this...I love it.

[@ronniemitchell448]

"Quick in mind and body for an Indian"?

[@mariewheeler5626]

There was a Vanderbilt University professor who wrote a book, I believe the author's name is Arville Wheeler, he wrote a book called, White Squaw, the book is of Jenny Wiley. I was once married into the Wheeler clan.

[@rachelperdue5947]

Love the channel. Live in southwest WV. I collect old books such as the ones from which you read. Thanks for sharing!

[@christigoth]

Thanks for telling the stories of what really happened in our history. instead of the baloney that's real PC nowadays.

[@jannarkiewicz633]

I know it is 1910 jargon. The 2023 "noble savage" makes no sense -- Native Americans were pretty dang cruel as were settlers from Europe.

[@jackiemack8653]

Agreed!

[@moestuegil490]

Is she the one they named the state park after

[@jessewilliamson7228]

YES

[@karenpeeks1396]

Very interesting 👌 4.15pm

[@Dewalt2023]

Good Stuff

[@melanie1632]

JENNY WILEY IS MY ANCESTOR MY PARENTS ARE BOTH FROM WEST VIRGINIA MY MATERNAL GRANDFATHER WAS A WILEY MY PATERNAL GRANDFATHER WAS A DALTON IM PROUD TO BE BOTH

[@Ericat257]

Pronounced SASS-UH-FRASS. sassafras. Took me a minute to realize what you meant 😅

[@chuckstapleton171]

I'm proud to say. I'm related to her on both sides of my family. This lady had more strangth than wonder women.

[@jennyandrews1671]

Wow!

[@dougmorris5625]

Check out Mary Jemison captured as a teenager and lived until age 90 with the indians.

[@thehorseman8271]

❤❤❤❤

[@judithmccrea2601]

Lucky woman.

[@manleynelson9419]

Once again I apologize for correction but for historical accuracy I can't let it pass it is not stress nor straasburg virginia. It is pronouned Strawsburg va

[@manleynelson9419]

It's amazing I'll just honorable and cowardly these Indians were. People paint them as Noble Savages that are peaceful. When they were attacking women and children on purpose when the men weren't around and they were fleeing before the men returned because they didn't want any resistance. What a bunch of cowards

[@manleynelson9419]

I need to make a correction here. Hezekiah sellards what's not from the upper Shenandoah valley. The northern Shenandoah Valley is called the lower Shenandoah Valley because the Shenandoah River runs north therefore being lower than the southern part of the Shenandoah Valley. I don't mean to be nitpicky here but you could confuse a lot of people who do know the proper terms

[@user-yw9mh6bj1j]

My sister and I are also descendants of Jenny Wiley.

[@manleynelson9419]

I'm sorry to have to correct you again but there is no one that refers to the Shenandoah Valley and its environs or mountains as the Western Highlands of Virginia

[@coraleeowensmiller7288]

Since the first slave owners were Indians

[@suzannakoizumi8605]

I heard her real bio father was indigenous.

[@daleolson3506]

Video starts at 1700

[@rocroc]

The truth is it wasn't the Indians invading the white settlers it was the white settlers invading the land of the Cherokee nation. The Cherokee's had homes and schools and settled property. That's why the white soldiers went in first to establish a fort. My early family was one of the Irish who settled in West Virginia, the fringes of which bordered the Cherokee nation.

[@MichaelTheophilus906]

My great great grandmother was supposedly an Indian princess. No one in the family has Indian DNA. Get a DNA test, please.

[@mariewheeler5626]

Indians? You mean Native American. We don't have princesses, kings, queens as such. The word is a European concept to assign "royalty " to an individual tribal member. It's a colonizer term!

[@MichaelTheophilus906]

@@mariewheeler5626 What do you call them? Please tell me.

[@ESNDN]

@@MichaelTheophilus906 you call them, “the daughter of the Chief”. A woman leader is also called Chief.

[@lorettadurbin4404]

No such thing as a dang indian princess. Tell us, how many king or queen native Indians have you heard of? Oh, none you say. Then how does one get a princess? Why doesn't anyone claim my gpa was a cherokee prince. Im sorry if i come off as rude but im so sick of hearing the princess crap. IF there was a native princess in you family it would only be because a native was actually named Princess not because she was one.

[@jillconnelly8206]

This was long the truth AS TOLD by both my family and my husband's family, mine was supposed to be Blackfoot and on my husband husband's side, Cherokee. Stories of how the intermarriage or offspring children occurred we all took for gospel truth. However, along comes DNA testing and 0% native am DNA on either side. His mother & sisters black hair would have to come from Irish, and my brothers firm belief he is part self styled 'mestizo' and shield of blackfeet nation on his social media along w efforts to "join the band" have become utterly ridiculous. Funny turn in the story, my father's father was adopted by a (100% "white", predominantly English man and took last name without formal adoption, his mother just took 2 kids by prior marriage, left, and married 2nd husband but not adopted w name change thru court. Biological father was "swarthy" complection and I think his mother was some kind of hungarian/turkish which led to some similar facial features to native am & easily tanned, black hair, etc. I was born with a shock of black hair as was 1 of my daughter's. (Later turned platinum blonde)SO it was easy to believe. My husband's fam lore was grandfather's parents supposed to have been tall daughter of chief cornstalk (cherokee) who cursed with moth man legend up in appalachian/Alleghany areas and his daughter had to take over governing their band and married a white/Irish ex military guy, Boling or Bowles and had alot of children, she and most of her children died from ? Smallpox. Sad story & is legitimate/factual. Just that my husband is not related or have any nat am DNA at all, which if 4-5 generations ago, would show on DNA testing.

[@lisacaudle1357]

Fascinating story but storytelling is too fast.

[@Jbritto]

"Savage bands", "mongrel hordes of painted Indians", "barbarians". It is interesting to note the language and selective nature of the history you are reporting. I wonder if you are merely reading severly dated materials, which still perpetuate this stereotypical vocabulary and simplified view of history, or if you are actually writing this way intentionally. I have come across several of your videos and appreciate your interest in local history. However, as an Indigenous person, I do find many of the narratives involving Indigenous history to be incomplete and one-sided.

[@LionquestFitness]

So raiding homesteads, murdering children, and kidnapping is not savage and barbaric? You forget these narratives were written close to the memories of those who experienced it. By the way, as an "Indigenous" person, do you just identify as one, or actually have a direct bloodline?

[@Jbritto]

Given that "barbarian" actually just refers to someone or something considered different from the society of the person writing the history, no, I would not define these acts as such. There are plenty of instances of American militia, military, and civilians murdering, mutilating, and enslaving Indigenous non-combatants, so to define such behavior as "different" really only does a disservice to both sides of history. I only want to call attention to why the vocabulary we use around these events needs to change. By only speaking to the attrocities committed by one group and generally labelling historical actions as "savage", many of these narratives written during and long after these events seem to attempt to justify retaliatory violence by dehumanizing Indigenous peoples. And yes, I know my family history and my culture, sir. It's interesting that anytime someone brings up a point about indigeneity or correcting historical misrepresentation, the opposition immediately expects you to produce your tribal ID or CDIB. Only 2 groups of beings are classified by blood quantum: dogs, horses, and Indians. Would you feel the need to ask any other ethnicity in the world that same question?

[@bcbloc02]

@@Jbritto I agree it is very one sided but I believe so too is the written history. Sadly I don't know of much existence of the history of Kentucky written from the side of the Native Americans that lived it. My family history goes back in Kentucky from before Kentucky was a state and I know at least 2 of my ancestors were also native american but to be honest I know very little beyond their names and who they were married to. They didn't keep any kind of written records themselves and it has been several generations ago so the oral stories are all lost.

[@mariewheeler5626]

I feel the same way. As a tribal member of the Navajo Nation, there are books, namely Bill O'Reilly's book of Kit Carson. He wasn't a good character, according to oral narratives. He killed Navajos through starvation, forced encampment (treated like animals), and use of germ warfare. Only 10% of my people survived the horrific attempted annihilation.

[@LionquestFitness]

Jbritto, you said a lot without saying anything. It doesn't matter which side of a conflict savagery occurs; it is still savagery. Mongrel means mixed, and mixed eastern bands were known as Mingos and had no tribal affiliation. As well, referring to Native Americans as "indigenous peoples" is condescending and reeks of social justice platitudes. So yes, I question whether or not you have Native American ancestry or are someone who just identifies with being Native American.@@Jbritto

[@godschild3640]

You mean the Nephilim, the Canaanites, the 28 tribes of the Nephilim Deuteronomy 20:17 Deuteronomy, 23:1 to 5 ,, there was the Nephilim before, and after the flood read your holy Bible

[@supremepizza3710]

It is rough to hear this history of barbary... though little has changed through the millennia of centuries, such as Vietnam. There are many Nations in my bloodline and through marriage. I feel bad for all that has gone before... I only want Peace, though still can appreciate a fine head of hair. Today some of my family scalps you with a casino blade, I have no part of... I earn my way as any white man.🪶