[or-roots] Adoption, 18th century style

[Cecil Houk]

In 1868 my great grandfather, Jacob Houk, his wife and her family, crossed the plains in a wagon.  Years later his sister-in-law, Florence Courtney Melton, wrote her memories of that journey.  My grandfather, William Houk, was born 3 weeks after they arrived in Linn County, OR.  The following is from that writing.
     "Ours was a family of pioneers, always going west.  My mother's grandfather (Jacob Ashbaugh) was a Holland Dutchman.  He, or his father, was a captain of a sailing ship that sailed on Chesepeake Bay, and other coastal points.  He married and Englishwoman.  They settled in Maryland not far from Chesepeake Bay.  There was constant war with the Indians.  Each was determined to annihilate the other.  In one of their skirmishes, our ancestor, with others, was taken prisoner by the Indians.  It was customary with that tribe, where any of their braves were killed in battle, their nearest of kin had a right to choose from the prisoners [someone] to take his place.  One aged squaw had lost her only son.  The prisoners were lined up for her to take her choice.  She chose my great grandfather.  He had a wife and two babies, so he was careful to make good to his old Indian mother.  All the other prisoners were put to death.  He helped her carry her loads, cut her wood, and treated her like he was accustomed to seeing white women treated.  He could not eat some of the dishes as prepared by the Indians.  His civilized stomach revolted; he would throw up and the braves would laugh with great glee, but the old Indian mother would cook something especially for him.  The men laughed to see him doing squaw work, but kindness will usually win out, and his squaw mother was very fond of him.  Before the white settlers got knowledge that he was alive and got strength enough to win any concessions from the Indians, more than a year had elapsed.  He was finally redeemed by the colonists and nearly two years had passed when he was united with his family.  His Indian mother wept bitterly when parted from him."

Read "the rest of the story" at:
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~cchouk/courtney/

Cecil

Cecil Houk, ET1 USN Ret.
PO Box 530833
San Diego CA 92153
FAX 619-428-6434
mailto:cchouk at cox.net
ANDERSON - BLAKELY - FORD - HOUK - KIMSEY - MOE - RULAFORD - SIMPSON
Searchable GEDCOM: http://worldconnect.rootsweb.com/~cchouk
My web page MENU: http://members.cox.net/~cchouk/
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