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The legend of Blue Jacket aka Wayapiersenwah By Brian J.
Evans For some people, it's hard to imagine; to visualize the indigenous natives of the Northwest Territory when western civilization began inhabiting its wild countryside. Through historical books, people are able to catch a brief glimpse of the way these natives lived and how they fought to preserve their heritage. For about nine years, one remarkable native, Chief Blue Jacket, a warrior of the Shawnee Indians, made his home in the area where Bellefontaine is located today. During that time, and after, he led a conglomeration of Indian tribes into several battles against white expansion. Today, because of sparse documentation, the life of this historical figure is obscure. His importance on the battlefield has been underestimated and his background has been misunderstood. Regardless, Blue Jacket was one of the most successful Shawnee warriors. Long after his death, numerous historical authors have written about the renowned chief. Stories about Blue Jacket have been published countless times. Many of these publications have depicted Blue Jacket as a young white captive turned Shawnee war chief. The story of this white captive has made it to Ripley's Believe it or Not! and Paul Harvey's The Rest of the Story. According to the tale, Blue Jacket's name was Marmaduke or "Duke" Van Swearingen. While out hunting with his brother during the Revolutionary War, Marmaduke was captured by a group of Shawnee Indians at the age of 17. After a short period of time, the Indians accepted him as one of their own. Soon, the young man became their leader, eventually even killing his own brother in battle. Or so one side of the story claims ... Since the publication of local author Allan Eckert's nationally acclaimed Blue Jacket: War Chief of the Shawnees, in 1967, the disputed life of Blue Jacket has developed into a controversy. As genealogist and author Richard Pangburn wrote it in his book, Indian Blood II, "Allan W. Eckert made the 'fact not fiction' claim about Marmaduke Van Swearingen and started a war - the Bluejacket war." Mr. Pangburn has since recanted that statement and now believes "that it was (genealogist and author Robert) Van Trees who started and continues this war fought by Van Trees and now ( Blue Jacket descendent Carlyle) Hinshaw against all books and plays which do not see history the way they do." This controversy or so called "war" began in Ohio and has spread across the continent, even into Europe. It's an academic issue that many take personally. Long after Marmaduke Swearingen and/or Blue Jacket died, historians, genealogists and descendants of the two men, have spent decades researching the tale, finding evidence that Marmaduke Van Swearingen and the famous Shawnee war chief Blue Jacket weren't the same man. Today, numerous historians and writers on the subject agree - they weren't the same person. They say Blue Jacket wasn't even a white man. He was born and raised a Shawnee Indian. The story of him being a white man can be traced back to a single publication. From there, after several other publications, it snowballed into what some historians consider a great misconception. "I agree that stories of white captives identifying with Indians, though not uncommon in the late 18th Century, have interest for us," commented historical biographer John Sugden from his home in England. "But then the real story, Blue Jacket's story, of an Indian who learned much about the whites, far more than most of his native contemporaries, is also unusual." Dr. Sugden, who in 2000 published what several historians consider a more accurate book on Blue Jacket, Blue Jacket: Warrior of the Shawnees, has done extensive research on the Shawnee chief and has worked with other historians to straighten out the facts. A graduate of Leeds, Lancaster and Sheffield Universities in England, Dr. Sugden has a doctorate in modern history. He has conducted research in more than 50 archives worldwide and written 60 articles and book reviews in various academic journals and periodicals. He wrote Tecumseh's Last Stand, 1985; Tecumseh, A Life, 1998; and Blue Jacket, 2000. His awards include the 1999 Distinguished Book Award of the Society for Military History for Tecumseh, A Life and the 2001 Ohioana Book Award for Blue Jacket. "We are not talking about some backwoods yokel here. Blue Jacket was a remarkably sophisticated character. To defend the Ohio country he and his associates had to unite fragmented native communities and manage armies of warriors, rather than the usual small war parties. He always had an eye for what he could borrow from the whites, for what might be useful to him," Dr. Sugden added. Today, many ask what is the truth about Blue Jacket? The truth is still being uncovered. The truth about the past, as Mr. Pangburn put it, is "just this great big jigsaw puzzle. We put it together one piece at a time, try pieces on for size, turn them this way and that. The puzzle is never complete because one puzzle just leads to other puzzles." Blue Jacket was probably born in Pennsylvania
about 1740, although some argue he was born several years before
that. He was originally called Sepettekenathe or "Big Rabbit."
Sometime before 1778, in accordance with Shawnee tradition, he adopted
the adult name Wayapiersenwah or "Whirlpool," says Blue
Jacket descendant Carlyle Hinshaw. He likely belonged to the Pekowi division of the Shawnees and by as early as 1772, he was a war chief of the Upper Scioto Shawnees, where he had a village along Deer Creek. - From about 1777 until General Benjamin Logan's defeat in 1786, his town was located where Bellefontaine is today. As the principal Shawnee war chief, he led a zealous intertribal confederacy that defended the Ohio country during the wars of 1786-95. In the defeats of Harmar and St. Clair, he was a premier leader. After the defeat at Fallen Timbers in 1794, he helped set up the Treaty of Greenville for General Wayne. Thereafter, he influenced Tecumseh and the Prophet. There are no contemporary records of the veteran war chief's death. The widely accepted date of his passing is between 1808 and 1810, in a village by the Detroit River. Because few Indians could resist Euro-American forces or inflict losses as successfully as Blue Jacket did, his record stands out today. Few Indians were able to influence such large numbers of Indians belonging to tribes or groups other than their own. His prowess as a warrior rested on his comprehensive connections and familiarity with whites. He lived a sophisticated lifestyle, building substantial, well-equipped houses. His children were educated in white schools and learned English. He even owned a store. Blue Jacket was among the first of his people to raise stock and build houses similar to those of the whites. He slept in a four-poster bed, dining with silver cutlery. He was a trader, who would buy goods in Detroit then sell them to the Indians for profit. He was an intelligent, strong entrepreneur and diplomat and was one of the greatest Shawnee war chiefs. It was over two centuries ago, that this legendary warrior walked the thick, wooded frontier where Bellefontaine and numerous other towns in Ohio are located today. And now, because of a controversial story, his presence is still felt by many. "Blue Jacket's achievements as a great warrior and diplomat stand whether he was white or Indian. Few men on the frontier at that time, of whatever race, could boast such a career," Dr. Sugden concluded. Tomorrows article will examine the first publication indicating Blue Jacket was Marmaduke Van Swearingen. |
