George Hendricks,

Hendricks, George


 


George Hendricks, a native of Botetourt County, Virginia was not a British ally, nor a Tory supporter, or especially fond of the Indians.  What he was, however, was unlucky and after being captured by Indians, forced to participate in an attack on Fort Laurens.


 


Louis Phelps Kellogg describes who George Hendricks was in his book, Frontier Advance on the Upper Ohio. 


 


When fourteen years old he ran away from home and accompanied Boone to Kentucky, where in February, 1778, he was captured with the salt makers at Blue licks.  Hendricks went to live at the Pickaway towns, where he was adopted into a Shawnee family.  Having attempted to escape while the warriors were absent at the siege of Boonesborough (1778), he was met by the party on their return, recaptured and severely punished at the Pickaway towns.  Thense the Kickapoo rescued him, and carried him to the Wabash [Indiana] where he was some time later purchased for $100 by Isaac Zane.  Hendricks worked for Zane until he had repaid his purchase price, and then was allowed to return to Kentucky with Capt. Abraham Chapline.  They warned the settlements in [Kentucky] in 1780 of Bird’s expedition.


 


Kellogg may have error, however, when he indicated that Hendricks was rescued by the Kickapoo Indians.   Divisions of the Shawnee were called the Kishpoko (Kishpokotha, Kishpookoo, Kis-pu-go).  The Kickapoo were a separate Indian tribe, although located near where Kellogg describes. 


 


Moravian missionary, John Heckewelder, also mentions George Hendricks in two letters he sent from the Delaware capitol of Coochacking [Coshocton, OH] to General McIntosh & Col. Daniel Brodhead on 12 March 1779 and Ft. Laurens commander, Col. John Gibson on 19 March 1779.


 


The letter to McIntosh/Brodhead, which was hidden in the ‘pad of a Moravian Indian’s saddle,’ stated,


 


A Young Man whose name is George Hendricks and who was taken Prisoner last year by the Shawense [Shawnee] at Kentuck, when a boiling salt, and some time after had made his escape, but was retaken by the Mingoes, and now brought by them to fight against Fort Laurens, came to see us in our house.  He informs us that the Nations, Wyandotts, Shawense, and Mingoes, are not at all inclined for peace….


 


Heckewelder’s letter to Col. Gibson also speaks about Hendricks.


 


A prisoner by the name of George Hendricks, who was taken above a year ago at the Salt Licks with Capt. Boone, but afterwards made his escape and was taken again by the Mingoes, was forced along with the warriors to fight against your garrison;  He thought to make his escape there, but was closely watched; but says if they take him along the next time, he will give them the slip.  I told him to try to get inside of the pickets that run from the Fort to the river, where he would be quite out of site of the Indians, and might speak to you.


 


Approximately 18 days prior to Heckewelder‘s March 12th letter, on February 23rd, a wagoner and eighteen men when outside Ft. Laurens to gather horses and wood.  “The horses were needed to draw wood, which had been cut earlier, into the fort.  As the party made its way across an open plain to the south, it was fired upon.  Seventeen were killed and scalped within sight of the helpless garrison, while the other two were led off as prisoners.  One of these was released at the end of the war (See pension application of Fox, Pvt. John 13th VA), but the other was never heard of again.”


 


This was most likely the event George Hendricks was forced to fight against his countrymen.


 


Kellogg, Louis Phelps, ed. Frontier Advance on the Upper Ohio 1778-1779.  Publication of the State Historical Society of Wisconsin, Madison, WI. 1916.  A Facsimile Reprint, Heritage Books, Inc. Bowie, MD  1994. 244-245. Original information on Hendricks found in Draper MSS. 24C159-60.


 


Heckewelder, John.  “To Col. Daniel Brodhead.”  12 March 1779.  Washington Papers.  L.S.  Kellogg, Louise Phelps, ed. Frontier Advance on the Upper Ohio 1778-1779.  pp. 244-245.


 


Heckewelder, John.  “To Col. John Gibson.” 19 March 1779.  Draper MSS. 15S157-59 Transcript.  Kellogg, Louise Phelps, ed. Frontier Advance on the Upper Ohio 1778-1779.  pp. 258-260.


 


Peiper, Thomas I., and James B. Gidney.  Fort Laurens 1778-1779: The Revolutionary War in Ohio.  Kent State University Press, 1976.


 


Howard, James H.  Shawnee: The Ceremonialism of a Native American Tribe and its Cultural Background.  Athens, OH; Ohio University Press; 1981.



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