Her Troubles Renewed.--John's Jealousy towards his brother
Jesse.--Circumstances attending the Murder of Jesse Jemison.--Her
Grief.--His Funeral--Age--Filial Kindness, &c.
Being now left a widow in my old age, to mourn the loss of a husband,
who had treated me well and with whom I had raised five children, and
having suffered the loss of an affectionate son, I fondly fostered the
hope that my melancholy vicissitudes had ended, and that the remainder
of my time would be characterized by nothing unpropitious. My children,
dutiful and kind, lived near me, and apparently nothing obstructed our
happiness.
But a short time, however, elapsed after my husband's death, before my
troubles were renewed with redoubled severity.
John's hands having been once stained in the blood of a brother, it was
not strange that after his acquital, every person of his acquaintance
should shun him, from a fear of his repeating upon them the same
ceremony that he had practised upon Thomas. My son Jesse, went to Mt.
Morris, a few miles from home, on business, in the winter after the
death of his father; and it so happened that his brother John was there,
who requested Jesse to come home with him. Jesse, fearing that John
would commence a quarrel with him on the way, declined the invitation,
and tarried over night.
From that time John conceived himself despised by Jesse, and was highly
enraged at the treatment which he had received. Very little was said,
however, and it all passed off, apparently, till sometime in the month
of May, 1812, at which time Mr. Robert Whaley, who lived in the town
of Castile, within four miles of me, came to my house early on Monday
morning, to hire George Chongo, my son-in-law, and John and Jesse, to
go that day and help him slide a quantity of boards from the top of
the hill to the river, where he calculated to build a raft of them for
market.
They all concluded to go with Mr. Whaley, and made ready as soon as
possible. But before they set out I charged them not to drink any
whiskey; for I was confident that if they did, they would surely have
a quarrel in consequence of it. They went and worked till almost night,
when a quarrel ensued between Chongo and Jesse, in consequence of the
whiskey that they had drank through the day, which terminated in a
battle, and Chongo got whipped.
When Jesse had got through with Chongo, he told Mr. Whaley that he would
go home, and directly went off. He, however, went but a few rods before
he stopped and lay down by the side of a log to wait, (as was supposed,)
for company. John, as soon as Jesse was gone, went to Mr. Whaley with
his knife in his hand and bade him jogo (i. e. be gone,) at the same
time telling him that Jesse was a bad man. Mr. Whaley, seeing that
his countenance was changed, and that he was determined upon something
desperate, was alarmed for his own safety, and turned towards home,
leaving Chongo on the ground drunk, near to where Jesse had lain, who
by this time had got up, and was advancing towards John. Mr. Whaley was
soon out of hearing of them; but some of his workmen staid till it was
dark. Jesse came up to John, and said to him, you want more whiskey, and
more fighting, and after a few words went at him, to try in the first
place to get away his knife. In this he did not succeed, and they
parted. By this time the night had come on, and it was dark. Again they
clenched and at length in their struggle they both fell. John, having
his knife in his hand, came under, and in that situation gave Jesse a
fatal stab with his knife, and repeated the blows till Jesse cried out,
brother, you have killed me, quit his hold and settled back upon the
ground. Upon hearing this, John left him and came to Thomas' widow's
house, told them that he had been fighting with their uncle, whom he had
killed, and showed them his knife.
Next morning as soon as it was light, Thomas' and John's children came
and told me that Jesse was dead in the woods, and also informed me how
he came by his death. John soon followed them and informed me himself of
all that had taken place between him and his brother, and seemed to
be somewhat sorrowful for his conduct. You can better imagine what my
feelings were than I can describe them. My darling son, my youngest
child, him on whom I depended, was dead; and I in my old age left
destitute of a helping hand!
As soon as it was consistent for me, I got Mr. George Jemison, (of whom
I shall have occasion to speak,) to go with his sleigh to where Jesse
was, and bring him home, a distance of 3 or 4 miles. My daughter Polly
arrived at the fatal spot first: we got there soon after her; though I
went the whole distance on foot. By this time, Chongo, (who was left on
the ground drunk the night before,) had become sober and sensible of the
great misfortune which had happened to our family.
I was overcome with grief at the sight of my murdered son, and so far
lost the command of myself as to be almost frantic; and those who were
present were obliged to hold me from going near him.
On examining the body it was found that it had received eighteen wounds
so deep and large that it was believed that either of them would have
proved mortal. The corpse was carried to my house, and kept till the
Thursday following, when it was buried after the manner of burying white
people.
Jesse was twenty-seven or eight years old when he was killed. His temper
had been uniformly very mild and friendly; and he was inclined to copy
after the white people; both in his manners and dress. Although he was
naturally temperate, he occasionally became intoxicated; but never was
quarrelsome or mischievous. With the white people he was intimate,
and learned from them their habits of industry, which he was fond of
practising, especially when my comfort demanded his labor. As I have
observed, it is the custom amongst the Indians, for the women to perform
all the labor in, and out of doors, and I had the whole to do, with the
help of my daughters, till Jesse arrived to a sufficient age to assist
us. He was disposed to labor in the cornfield, to chop my wood, milk
my cows, and attend to any kind of business that would make my task the
lighter. On the account of his having been my youngest child, and so
willing to help me, I am sensible that I loved him better than I did
either of my other children. After he began to understand my situation,
and the means of rendering it more easy, I never wanted for anything
that was in his power to bestow; but since his death, as I have had all
my labor to perform alone, I have constantly seen hard times.
Jesse shunned the company of his brothers, and the Indians generally;
and never attended their frolics; and it was supposed that this,
together with my partiality for him, were the causes which excited
in John so great a degree of envy, that nothing short of death would
satisfy it.
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