The amazing story of Mary Draper Ingles came to the attention of American readers in 1980 when James Alexander Thom’s book Follow the River became a national bestseller. The book, based on historical accounts written by Ingles’ descendants and acquaintances, tells the compelling story of her journey to freedom through the wilderness. Much of the story takes place in the New River Gorge in November of 1755, which is why we are planning a very special event on November 16.

A Brief Overview of Follow the River

Mary Draper, the daughter of Scotch-Irish immigrants, was born in Philadelphia in 1731. In the 1740s, her family moved to the colony of Virginia where they founded a small settlement near present-day Blacksburg called Drapers Meadows. Mary married her neighbor, William Ingles, and together they built a homestead and began raising their family.

In July of 1755, Shawnee warriors attacked Drapers Meadows. They killed three men, one woman, an infant, and took one man, two women, and two young boys captive. Among these captives were Mary Draper Ingles and her two sons, Tommy, age 4, and George, 2. The captives were forced to march to the Shawnee’s home village near present-day Chillicothe, Ohio (and later much farther west near present-day Indiana). On arrival at the Shawnee town, the tribe adopted the boys. Mary was forced into servitude to a French trader.

During her captivity, Mary met another captive known from history only as the “old Dutch woman.” In October, the two women escaped into a vast, rugged wilderness, following the rivers eastward toward Mary’s home. For forty days, Mary and the Dutch woman struggled along riverbanks and deep rocky gorges. They scavenged for food and shelter, living off the land as best they could. Starting with the Ohio River, the two made their way to the Kanawha River and finally the New River.

After walking more than 500 miles, Mary arrived naked and starving at the snow-covered remains of her home in Draper Meadows. Neighbors found her, took her in, and nursed her back to health.

Based on an Amazing True Story

Follow the River is a dramatized retelling of Mrs. Ingles’ story and contains dialogue and details that deepen the story but are most assuredly fabricated. But many of the details that might seem fabricated have corroboration in the form of several historical sources.

One of these is Escape from Indian Captivity written by Thomas Ingles, Mary’s youngest son. In his book Thomas Ingles retells his mother’s story as it was told to him. It includes many details of her journey that James Alexander Thom used in his narrative. Another source, written by Letitia Preston Floyd, an acquaintance of Mary’s, contains different versions of parts of the story, but also confirms much of Thomas Ingles’ account.

Yet another source is Trans-Allegheny Pioneers by John P. Hale. Hale was a descendant of Mary Draper Ingles, and he assembled family and other accounts of her journey into a cohesive narrative that makes up one chapter of his book. Because we’re nerds, we’ve read them all. And we have opinions.

First of all, Follow the River is a great read. The book starts strong and never lets up. We found some of the author’s expressions of Mary’s inner thoughts unrealistic but certainly not enough to stop reading.

The story is so brutal that it’s easy to think the details are exaggerated, and that is where reading the other sources is helpful. Many of the scenes that seem gratuitously violent can be found in the historic documents. That violence, however, elevates the courage and determination shown by Mary Draper Ingles. She pursued liberty at the risk of capture, torture and perhaps death.

Mary’s Story is Our Story

Because so much is known about the route that Mary traveled home, we can retrace her footsteps through New River Gorge National Park with confidence. She traveled on the western bank of the New River from Kanawha Falls to the Bluestone River. This means Mary was in the areas we now know as Southside Trail and Stone Cliff Trail.

She heard the roar of the same rapids that we hear and saw the same towering cliffs that we still see from the bottom of the gorge. But while the geology of the New River Gorge has changed little since Mary was here, the river and forest it contains have seen many changes over the past 270 years.

Some things Mary likely encountered we can only read about because they have been lost to history. Perhaps she saw clouds of Passenger Pigeons as they flew through the natural migration path the Gorge provides. These birds, that were so plentiful in her lifetime, were hunted to extinction less than 150 years later.

No doubt Mary would have sought out Chestnut Trees as a food source on her journey home. They were a dominant species in 1755, making up a large percentage of the total tree population of the Appalachian Mountains. They were the largest, fastest-growing and most abundant nut producers in the land until a blight began to kill them in the mid-1800s. By the early twentieth century, they were functionally extinct.

Perhaps Mary cowered at the fierce roar of mountain lions which are now long gone from this part of Appalachia. Maybe she watched ospreys (which she would have called fish hawks) fishing in the river. We see them today, but for many decades they were pushed away from the New River Gorge by industrialization.

The heavy industrialization in the New River Gorge during the Nineteenth Century brought with it a great deal of human-induced changes to the landscape. Coal mines were established and railroad tracks were laid along the river and up several large tributaries. As coal production increased, more and more trees were cut to use as roof supports inside the mines, railroad ties, and for housing. With these changes came new sounds like the thunderous rumble of train locomotives and mine blasting (even explosions).

Many industrial age wounds healed after mining left the New River Gorge, but some scars remain. Great fields of kudzu have taken over clearcut areas, and roadbeds and railroad grades still exist in the forest today. Many of these areas have become home to invasive non-native plants like knotweed, stiltgrass, Paulownia Trees, and Trees of Heaven. None of these things would have greeted Mary Draper Ingles.

Of course, one of the most major differences between then and now is the river itself. A system of dams has been built for navigation, power generation, recreation, and flood control all along her route. The free-flowing rivers that Mary walked along in 1755 now are dammed at no less than seven places. Two of these dams on the New River now flood the paths on which she walked.

Experience Her Story

Join us for a special Mary Draper Ingles Experience on Saturday, Nov.16, 2024 from 1:00 – 4:00.

You’ll hear this astounding story told by Mary herself (brought to life by a local living history presenter) as you sit alongside the very river she followed home. After the campfire presentation, guides will lead you on a half-mile walk along the Stone Cliff Trail. On this gentle walk, we will provide opportunities designed to enhance your understanding and appreciation of the monumental challenges Mary faced as she braved the wilds. We will also highlight the ways in which the New River Gorge differs now from when Mrs. Ingles passed, and you will walk away with a true appreciation for this part of our shared heritage.

There are two ways you can share in this special event:

Option 1: Mary Draper Ingles Experience – This special three-hour event presented by New River Gorge Eco Tours is open to the public. It includes the living history presentation and guided walk. Tickets are $49/person and may be purchased at newrivergorgeecotours.com

Option 2: Mary Draper Ingles Package at Lafayette Flats Boutique Vacation Rentals – Enjoy a two-night stay, early check-in on Friday, Nov. 15 and late check-out on Sunday, Nov. 17, and two complimentary tickets to the Mary Draper Ingles Experience. Please email us at hello@lafayetteflats.com to initiate your booking.

• Flat No. 1, Nuttall – $415 +tax
• Flat No. 2, Corten – $350 +tax
• Flat No. 3, Quinnimont – $450 +tax
• Flat No. 4, Eddy – $385 +tax