Mrs. Rebecca Davidson’s Captivity.
Some where in the years of 1789 or 1790 in the small community of Rocky Gap Va. Andrew Davidson and his family was living life without any worries. One day Andrew remembered some business that he hadn’t attended to. It was very important that he finished this business but he would have to leave his home and family for a few days. Mrs. Davidson had three children of her own plus two orphan children at the time. While Andrew was to be gone on his trip, Mrs. Davidson was expected to do her job as well as his to keep the house in order. The children would be of no great help considering they were very young. Before Andrew mounted up on his horse he kissed his wife and children before he began his journey. Mrs. Davidson was silently weeping as he rode out of sight holding her children close to her.
One day Mrs. Davidson was just tending to things in her house without a worry in her mind. It had been several days since she had last seen her husband and she was looking forward to him coming home. Then all of a sudden the room became dark! She turned to see what she so desperately didn’t want to see. There was a group of Indians in her door way! They knew quiet a bit of English and told her “you must come with us to our towns in the west!” Terrified she didn’t know what to do! Should she grab her children and try to escape or do as they said?! She though for a minute and decided she wouldn’t risk all of their lives just because of a wrong decision. She hated the idea of making the long trip but there was nothing else she could do. She went and picked up her youngest child carrying him while the Indians took the others. Mrs. Davidson didn’t know what to expect to happen to her. She had heard so many stories of people being taken and killed by Indians! The baby was starting to get very heavy and Mrs. Davidson was becoming weak in her arms. One of the Indians saw this and took the baby from her and carried it himself. She knew the baby was safe for now. They stopped and rested for about two hours, which was great for Mrs. Davidson because with her not being used to traveling like this was growing very tired and not to mention her pregnancy! This was the reason for the stop. It was here where Mrs. Davidson had her fourth child. They proceeded on the long trip. She didn’t get to carry her own baby. The Indians took it from her arms and carried it themselves! She thought the Indians just felt sorry for her and was taking pity on her. She found this very unusual. After a day, the Indians got tired of the baby and drowned it right in front of Mrs. Davidson!
They arrived at the Indian town and considering how the Indians treated her and her children on the way there; she was in for a big surprise! Mrs. Davidson was forced to watch her two little girls be tied to a tree and shot right in front of her! Her little boy on the other hand was given to an old squaw who lived in the town. She gladly took the baby boy and started across the river in her canoe. Some how the squaw had misjudged the water and canoe and ended up flipping it in the water and the little boy not being able to swim drowned in the river. No one knows what became of the bound boy and girl that was with the Davidson’s at the time. Mrs. Davidson was eventually sold off to a French gentleman, and had moved to Canada.
Two years passed since the Indians captured Mrs. Davidson. Andrew set out once again to look for his wife. He went to the town of the Shawnee Indians, hoping to find out some information about his wife. He asked everyone he saw but had no luck. Finally he came upon as old Indian that had some information. The Indian told him that if any one did know any thing about his wife no one could tell about it. They would have to refund the price paid for her if she had to be given up to him if he found her. The old Indian told Mr. Davidson to go home and when he got some information on his wife he would notify him about it. Mr. Davidson didn’t believe the old Indian but went home anyway. He thought he would never hear from the Indian again.
To Mr. Davidson’s surprise one day the old Indian came and told him where he could find his wife! Andrew didn’t wasn’t any time getting packed and ready to go. He headed toward Canada and finally after a long journey arrived at the Canadian settlement. Here he stopped at the farm of a very wealthy French farmer, to stop and hopefully get a meal to continue on his way to look for his wife.
As he went up to enter the house a woman passed him before he entered. He bowed to her and went on in. he talked to the farmer for a bit, and finally got his meal. The woman entered the room and laid down the pile of wood she was carrying in for the fire she looked at the man for a minute and retreated back to talk to the mistress. She told her mistress “I know that man!” The mistress replied, “Well, who is he?” she said with great excitement “It is my husband! Andrew Davidson, I am your wife!”
Mr. Davidson was shocked for a second. She looked so different than she had the last time he had saw her. She used to have coal black hair and now it was gray. She looked to be years older than what she really was, but he knew it was Rebecca!
The French farmer taking pity on them gave her up to her husband and gave them a large amount of cash. They stayed over night there with the farmer and happily set out on their way back home the next morning.
