Jane McCrea facts for kids
Jane McCrea (born 1752 – died July 27, 1777) was an American woman. She was killed by a Native American warrior during the American Revolutionary War. This warrior was fighting alongside a British army led by John Burgoyne.
Jane was engaged to a Loyalist officer who was also with Burgoyne's army. Her death made many people in the Thirteen Colonies very angry. Patriots used her story to create propaganda against the British.
Jane was born in Bedminster, New Jersey. She later moved to Saratoga, New York, where she became engaged to David Jones, a Loyalist. When the war began, Jones went to Quebec. Jane's brothers had different loyalties, some supporting the British and some the Patriots.
During the Saratoga campaign in 1777, Jane left her brother's home. She wanted to join David Jones, who was at Fort Ticonderoga. While staying at Fort Edward, Jane was taken and killed by a group of Native American warriors.
When Burgoyne heard about it, he tried to punish the person responsible. However, he was told not to, as it might make his Native American allies leave. Jane's death was reported widely. Historians and journalists often added details to the story. Her killing also encouraged Americans to fight against the British. This helped lead to the British defeat in the Saratoga campaign.
Jane McCrea's life and death became a part of American folklore. People wrote plays, poems, songs, and novels about her. Her body has been moved several times since her death.
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Jane McCrea's Early Life
Jane McCrea was born in Bedminster, New Jersey. She was one of the younger children in a large family. After her mother passed away, Jane moved in with her brother John near Saratoga, New York. There, she met and became engaged to David Jones.
When the American Revolutionary War started, her family was divided. Two of her brothers joined the American army. Three others became Loyalists, supporting the British. Her fiancé, David Jones, went to Quebec, which was controlled by the British.
In the summer of 1777, the British army, led by John Burgoyne, moved closer to the Hudson River. Jane's brother John was a colonel in the local militia. David Jones was a lieutenant in a Loyalist group with Burgoyne's army. He was stationed at Fort Ticonderoga after the British captured it.
The Tragic Event at Fort Edward
Around this time, Jane decided to leave her brother's home. She wanted to join her fiancé at Fort Ticonderoga. She reached Fort Edward in July 1777. Jane stayed at the home of Sara McNeil, a Loyalist and a cousin of a British officer named Simon Fraser.
On the morning of July 27, a group of Native Americans attacked Fort Edward. They were led by a Wyandot warrior called Le Loup or Wyandot Panther. They killed a settler and his family. Then, they ambushed and killed Lieutenant Tobias Van Vechten and four others.
What happened next is not fully clear. Jane McCrea and Sarah McNeil were taken by the Native Americans and separated. Sarah McNeil was later taken to Burgoyne's camp. There, either she or David Jones recognized what was believed to be Jane's hair being carried by a Native American warrior.
One story of Jane's death came from a British explorer, Thomas Anburey. He said two Native American warriors, including Le Loup, were taking Jane to Burgoyne's camp. They started arguing over a reward for bringing her. One of them then killed her. Anburey also mentioned rumors that Jane was being escorted at her fiancé's request.
Another story came from Le Loup himself when the British questioned him. He said Jane was killed by American soldiers. These soldiers were firing at the Native Americans as they were retreating from Fort Edward. Historian James Phinney Baxter supported this idea. He said that when Jane's body was later examined, it showed bullet wounds, not wounds from a tomahawk.
Local historians from Salem, New York, wrote in 1896: "Jane McCrea visited Mrs. McNeill at Fort Edward. While there, the house was attacked by Native Americans. Jane and Mrs. McNeill were violently seized. Jane was placed on a horse, and Mrs. McNeill was dragged on foot. American soldiers from the fort chased them. They fired their rifles at the fleeing group. Jane was shot, fell from her horse, and was left dead." An American surgeon, John Bartlett, also reported that Jane was shot after being taken to Burgoyne's camp.
How People Reacted to Jane's Death
When Burgoyne heard about Jane's death, he went to the Native American camp. He demanded that the person responsible be given to him, threatening to execute them. However, Simon Fraser and an interpreter told Burgoyne that this would make all the Native American warriors leave his army. They might even seek revenge as they went home. Burgoyne decided not to take action against them.
News of Jane McCrea's death spread quickly across the Thirteen Colonies. News reports were published in Pennsylvania by August 11 and in Virginia by August 22. The stories became more dramatic as they traveled. They claimed that Native Americans were killing Loyalists and Patriots without mercy.
Burgoyne had hoped to use Native Americans to scare the colonists. But the American reaction was not what he expected. Patriot leaders used the news to create propaganda. This effort grew stronger after Burgoyne wrote a letter to American officer Horatio Gates. Burgoyne complained about how Americans treated prisoners from the Battle of Bennington. Gates' reply was printed many times:
That the Native Americans should hurt and scalp prisoners is not new. But that General Burgoyne, a fine gentleman and soldier, would hire Native Americans to scalp Europeans, and even pay for each scalp, is hard to believe in England. Miss McCrae, a lovely young lady, good and kind, engaged to an officer in your army, was taken into the woods. There, she was hurt in a terrible way.
News reports often described Jane's beauty. They called her "lovely in spirit, graceful in manners, and smart in features." They said her hair was "extraordinarily long and beautiful." However, James Wilkinson, who saw her, described her as "a country girl from an honest, average family, without beauty or special talents." Later stories often added details. Her hair color was described as everything from black to blonde to red. An examination in the 1840s of a lock of her hair said it was "reddish."
Jane's death, and similar attacks, made Americans more determined to fight Burgoyne. This helped lead to his defeat at the battles of Saratoga. The story was used as propaganda throughout the war, especially before the 1779 Sullivan Expedition. David Jones, Jane's fiancé, never married. He settled in British North America as a United Empire Loyalist.
The story of Jane McCrea became a part of American folklore. An unknown poet wrote "The Ballad of Jane McCrea," which became a popular folk song. In 1799, a circus performed "The Death of Miss McCrea," a play. Artist John Vanderlyn painted a picture of her death in 1805. There are several markers near Fort Edward remembering her death.
Looking Back: Exhumations
Jane McCrea's remains have been moved three times. The first time was in 1822. The second was in 1852, when they were moved to the Union Cemetery in Fort Edward. Her body was dug up again in 2003. This was done to try and solve the mystery of how she died.
Surprisingly, two bodies were found in the grave: Jane McCrea's and Sara McNeil's. The 1822 move had placed Jane's remains on top of Sara McNeil's burial vault. Sara McNeil had died in 1799 from natural causes. Both skeletons were mostly complete. The bodies were dug up again in 2005 for more study. After that, they were buried again in separate graves.
