Interested in joining the MITB/WVSTA?  Click here.

Welcome to the Home of the Mary Ingles Trail Blazers


Welcome to the Home of the Mary Ingles Trail Blazers



The Mary Draper Ingles Trail (MDIT) is under construction.  It approximates the route taken by a pioneer woman, Mary Draper Ingles, and her companion, an elderly Dutch woman, following their escape in 1755 from Shawnee captors at what is now Big Bone Lick, Kentucky.  With no maps and only her memory to guide her, Mary reasoned the only way to return home was to follow the rivers.  After an incredible 40-day journey over an estimated 450+ miles of rough terrain the two nearly starved women found their way to her home near present day Blacksburg, Virginia.  In memory of their courageous journey, a group of Kanawha Valley hikers organized the Mary Ingles Trail Blazers in 1989.  Their goal is to develop and maintain the Mary Draper Ingles Trail and other trails in that part of West Virginia.  The group also works to promote an interest in hiking and an appreciation of the out-of-doors.

This page was last updated on: February 12, 2008

MARY (DRAPER) INGLES BIO

Date of birth:  1732 in  Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to George & Elenor (Hardin) Draper who came to America from Donegal, North Ireland in 1729.

Sibling:  Brother John Draper born in 1730, married Bettie Robertson in 1754.

Husband:  William Ingles, born 1729 in London England to Thomas & his wife (name unknown) who died in either England or Scotland.  Thomas' younger siblings were Matthew & John.  They along with their father & eldest brother immigrated to America at an unknown date.  William died in 1782 at the age of 53 years.

Children of Mary & William:  Thomas b.~1751, George b. 1753, Mary, Susan, Rhoda and John b. 1766.

Date of death:  1815 at the age of 83.

Captured by Shawnees:  July 30, 1755*, at the age of 23, during what is called in America "The French & Indian War" and in Europe "The Seven Years War."

Schooling:  None that anyone knows of.  Mary could not read at the time of her capture.


References:

Escape From Indian Captivity.  The Story Of Mary Draper Ingles And Son Thomas Ingles.  Originally written by Mary's son John (date unknown).  Transcribed from the original manuscript in 1934 by William Ingles (1877-1966) and Dr. Virginia O'Rear Hudson, Professor of English at Radford College.  Copyrighted 1969 by Roberta Ingles Steele and Andrew Lewis Ingles.  First edition 1969 & 2nd 1982 now in its fourth printing.  ISBN 0-318-03613-4.  Available for purchase in large quantities from:  Roberta Ingles Steele, P.O. Box 3485, Radford, VA  24143.

Trans-Allegheny Pioneers.  Originally written by John P. Hale and published in 1886.  2nd edition copyrighted by Charles H. Enicks in 1931.  3rd edition copyrighted by Harold J. Dudley in 1971 and printed by Derreth Printing Company in Rale igh, NC.

Follow The River, by James Alexander Thom and copyrighted by him in 1981.  Published by Ballantine Books, New York, NY.  ISBN 0-345-33854-5.

*  Mary's capture date is found in a list originally compiled near the end of the French & Indian War, and often assigned today to the pen of Col. Wm. Preston of the Augusta County militia.  However, the more likely author is Dr. Thomas Lloyd.  It can be found on pages 399-404 in The Virginia Magazine Of History And Biography, Volume II  published in June 1895.  The date of July 8, 1755 given in Hale's book and Thom's novel is incorrect.

MARY INGLES IN 18TH CENTURY NEWS
Information compiled by Ed Robey


The following are a few excerpts from the book titled "FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR NOTICES ABSTRACTED FROM COLONIAL NEWSPAPERS VOLUME 2: 1756-1757" by  A.F. Lucier:


PHILADELPHIA Jan 22 (1756).  Extract of a letter from Augusta County in Virginia, December 20, 1755.  "Two of the Women that were taken Prisoner from New-River, are come back, who say, they were 40 days in coming in, and they had lived all the Time on Grapes and Nuts."


PHILADELPHIA Feb. 12.  By a Traveller who lately came from New-River, in Virginia, we learn, that two Women were return'd: who had been taken Prisoners the Beginning of last Summer by the Shawanese, and carried to one
of their Towns, where there was a considerable Number of English Prisoners, who had been taken Captive from the Frontiers of Virginia.  That when the Warriors arrived within half a Mile of their Towns, It is their Custom to whip those who have been so unfortunate as to fall in their Hands, all the remainder of the way till the get to Town, and that It was in this Manner our poor unhappy Neighbours from Virginia had been treated by them.  That they  afterwards used them as well as could be expected from Persons of their Savage Disposition.  Thus they suffered some of the Men to go out a Hunting, and let them have three Charges of Ammunition, but would allow them no more, for fear of their returning back to the English.


PHILADELPHIA Feb. 26.  In a Letter from Fort Cumberland, dated the fifteenth Instant, there is Advice, that two considerable Bodies of French Indians have been lately down there, and had picked up several of the Men belonging to the Fort; but that the Commanding Officer there had detached Parties immediately in Pursuit of them, which obliged them to retreat precipitately, and thereby prevented their getting among the Inhabitants.  It is further added, that one Mrs. Inglis, who was taken Prisoner by the Shawanese when Col. Paton was killed, had made a wonderful Escape from the Lower Shanoe Town; and she was fourteen Days In the Woods on her Way home, was naked all the Time, and lived on Chestnuts, &c.  The Particulars of what Discoveries she made while among them, was not come to Hand.


MITB/WVSTA Membership Form

              Name _______________________________________________           

              Address _____________________________________________

              City ___________________________ State __ Zip __________

              Phone:
                         Work ___________________________________________

                         Home ___________________________________________

              Date: _______________________________________________

              MEMBERSHIP OPTIONS
                         Individual (10$) ________
                         Family ($12)       ________
                              Benefactor ($30) ________
                         Club Patch - 4$  ________  (One patch included with
                      each membership)                   

                         MAKE CHECK PAYABLE TO:   WVSTA

              Total Enclosed: ____________

              MAIL TO:
                         Treasurer, WVSTA
                      P.O. Box 4042
                         Charleston, WV 25364
         (Dues cover membership in the Mary Ingles Trail Blazers and the
         West Virginia Scenic Trails Association)

       Interested in joining the MITB/WVSTA?  Click here.