Mary Rowlandson, born Mary White, was born in 1637 in Somersetshire, England to wealthy parents, and two years later, they decided to immigrated to Salem, Massachusetts. She married a puritan minister, Joseph Rowlandson. In 1675, Joseph made a trip to Boston to rally troops to protect their hometown of Lancaster, Massachusetts. While Joseph was away, Mary and her three childeren where taken hostage by the Narragansett, Wampanoag and Nashaway/Nipmuc Indians and would only be given back for ransom of twenty pounds, roughly $31 in American dollars.
“A state of alertness prevailed in the town of Lancaster, Massachusetts. Its 50 families were always ready to crowd into the 5 or 6 garrison houses in case of an Amerindian attack. The continual war between King Philip's forces and colonial troops made everyone aware of imminent danger. Joseph Rowlandson, minister to the small frontier town, was in Boston appealing, once again, to the colonial government for protection. His appeal fell on deaf ears; the danger from attack was rated as minor.” Stated in UMASS Biography of Mary Rawlandson. At sunrise they were attacked, where was Mary Rowlandson, protecting her family every way she could. "Then I took Children to go forth and leave the house: but as soon as we came to the dore and appeared, the Indians shot so thick that the bulletts rattled against the House, as if one had taken an handfull of stones and threw them, so that we were fain to give back." (p. 119, A Narrative of the Captivity and Restauration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson)
“While a prisoner, Mary Rowlandson travelled some 150 miles, from Lancaster to Menamaset then north to Northfield and across the Connecticut river to meet with King Philip/ Metacomet himself, sachem of the Wampanoags. Next she traveled up into southwestern New Hampshire, south to Menamaset, and north to Mount Wachusett.” As stated on WSU Rowlandson Biography. As far as I can see, no damsel could be walking 150 miles, walking from Self Hall to Stone Center wears me out.
She carried her wombed child on her very own wombed side side and until the death of one of her daughters. “Her other daughter now belonged to another warrior and she soon found out her son was in a nearby encampment. It seems that although she was a captive, the Amerindians did not prevent her seeing her children and gave her a Bible to read.” Stated in UMASS biography of Mary Rowlandson. After a while she was not allowed to see her children until she was ransomed. She went on with the pain and uncertainty of the well-being of her remaining childern and morning of her lost daughter.
She servived on food she wasn’t use to, but which is far better than I would do. "The chief and commonest food was Ground-nuts : They eat also Nuts and Acorns, Harty-choaks, Lilly roots, Ground-beans, and several other weeks and roots, that I know not. They would pick up old bones, and cut them to pieces at the joynts, and if they were full of wormes and magots, they would scald them over the fire to make the vermine come out, and then boile them, and drink up the Liquor, and then beat the great ends of them in a Morter, and so eat them. They would eat Horses guts, and ears, and all sorts of wild Birds which they could catch: also Bear, Vennison, Beaver, Tortois, Frogs, Squirrels, Dogs, Skunks, Rattle-snakes; yea, the very Bark of Trees; besides all sorts of creatures, and provision which they plundered from the English." (pp. 159-160)
With all this information, I don’t believe that Mary Rowlandson was a damsel in distress, she was no Mary Draper Ingles, but she was a survivor.
Narrative. reprint of 1953 edition. Sandwich, MA: Chapman Billies, Inc. ISBN 0-939218-20-8.
