The Blue Jacket Controversy

[Matthew S. Schweitzer]

Here is an excellent web site regarding the ongoing and interesting controversy surrounding the famous Shawnee War Chief Wayapiersenwah...Blue Jacket.

www.examiner.org/blue_jacket/part_1.html

It deals with the touchy issue of whether or not Blue Jacket, the leader of the pan-Indian confederacy which defeated two American armies in Ohio in the 1790s, was really an adpoted white man. This controversy has raged for decades and seems to circle around delicate racial issues. After all, to Native Americans and Shawnees in particular, Blue Jacket was a great native hero and for people to assume that he was in reality a white man degrades that heroism in their eyes.

According to popular myth, sometime around 1771, 17 year-old Marmaduke Van Swearingen was captured by Shawnee hunters in Virginia and adopted into the tribe, going on to become a powerful and trusted leader. Blue Jacket, along with Miami leader Little Turtle, led a contingent of warriors from many Ohio tribes and inflicted humiliating defeats against American armies under the command of Josiah Harmar and Arthur St. Clair.

There have been several books that have dealt with Blue Jacket, most notably Allan W. Eckert's "Blue Jacket-War Chief of the Shawnee" and John Sudgen's "Blue Jacket - Warrior of the Shawnee". Both books are interesting but both have their shortcomings. Eckert's book continues to support the notion that Blue Jacket was a white adoptee, a stance that has helped to draw criticism of his work. Sudgen's book gets deeper into the history of Blue Jacket and his people, but it too is somewhat soft on real hard evidence either way.

[CPTMontour]

This "Controversy" was laid to rest many years ago thru DNA testing. It was posted on Nativelist.

[Matthew S. Schweitzer]

I was under the impression that though DNA testing was done back in 2000, the results were inconclusive as they were not able to verify the true geneaology of Charles Bluejacket.

[CPTMontour]

Inconclusive? It removed any doubt about an crossing of the Blue Jacket and Van Swag family lines.

[Matthew S. Schweitzer]

True, assuming that Charles Bluejacket was in fact a legitimate descendent of the famous Shawnee war chief, which I have read has been contested on some parts. That aside, it is possible that the Van Swearingen family really doesn't have any true ties to Blue Jacket, but that doesn't necessarily mean that Blue Jacket still couldn't have been white. Plus, it has been noted that the Blue Jacket line could have intermarried with whites sometime after his death which would make things more complicated.

Truth be told, I don't believe, given the historical evidence, that Blue Jacket was white and I understand where the controversy stems from, but again it has become entangled with political meaning for some. Are there any books or other sources you could recommend on this subject?

[CPTMontour]

To be perfectly honest, I dont know of any book that tries to be factual about the matter.

[Matthew S. Schweitzer]

Interesting update I received via email from a new member regarding this thread:

Like John Bennett's "Blue Jacket" 1943; William Horn's "Horn
Papers" 1945; and several other "writers," they all echoed Thomas
Jefferson Larsh's (1809-1883) unsupported "story" re a Marmaduke
Van Swearingen per se becoming Chief Blue Jacket. Allan Eckert
embellished the "story" with his untrue sensational tale of fratricide
in "The Frontiersmen" (1967) prefaced as "fact, not fiction." There
never was a Marmadukc Van Swearingen or Charles Van Swearingen
per se. Charles Swearingen, born Sept. 1767 lived until June, 1848
and was never in St. Clair's army. Official military records prove
Captain Van Swearinge, born 1760, son of Major Thomas Swearingen
IV, was a distant cousin of the Marmaduke Swearingen, born January
2, 1763 who, according to the HISTORY OF FAYETTE CO., PA
"disappeared one day and the family never heard from him again."
Eckert's "tale of fratricide" is genealogically and historically inaccurate.
As I indicated in my e-mail to CPTMONTOUR when my post to your
e-mail address was returned, may I suggest interested readers click
on geocities.com/bluejacket_vntrz/Home.html and read "Fact,
Not Fiction" or read my "BANKS OF THE WABASH" (Rev. 2002)
ISBN 0-9616282-3-5 if interested in the DNA testing initiated in 1999
and reported on by James Hannah, Associated Press 11 June 2000
in the COLUMBUS DISPATCH. Recently I initiated another DNA
test effort using DNA specimens provided by eleven bona fide male
descendants of Gerrit Swearingen and Chief Blue Jacket. This new
DNA test effort is being supervised by the well known DNA expert,
Dr. Dan Krane and a written report is anticipated in 2005.

Robert V. Van Trees, Maj USAF (Ret) Fairborn, Ohio

[Sharon]

TEXTI just happened onto this board, found it really interesting, since I am in process of doing a lot of intensive research on the warrior, Blue Jacket. He is such an interesting subject, and if any have not seen the book "Blue Jacket, Warrior of the Shawnee's" by John Sugden. Also Robert Van Tree's book, "Banks of the Wabash" is a very good read. Very descriptive of the war that was fought. I felt as if I was there observing all of it. The more I read about the man, the more interesting it gets! My opinion: Nope, I don't believe he was Marmaduke Swearingen!

[SharonRouse]

Re: There
never was a Marmadukc Van Swearingen or Charles Van Swearingen
per se.

Blue Jacket was born approximately 1737, while there is documented proof that Marmaduke was born Jan 2, 1763. Marmaduke did have a brother Charles, born Sep 26 1767 also. The date of Marmaduke's birth is documented by a Swearingen Bible, where his birth is entered. An individual of the Swearingen family in Indiana now owns the Bible.

There is documented evidence that Blue Jacket was already a leader of the Shawnee by 1773. He also took his first wife "Ms Baby" prior to the close of the French/Indian War (1763). I just thought I would throw these items in, for discussion if needed.

[atehequa]

If native born he was Shawano
If adopted he was Shawano

[atehequa]

The way I pictured him -

Attachments:

[brianhart]

I also thought the "controversy" had been put to rest. To my mind, extraordinary claims require extraordinary proof. I've never seen extraordinary proof that Marmaduke and Blue Jacket were the same guy. The only thing this myth has going for it is inertia, in my opinion.
Cheers,
Brian