The Captives (film)
Encyclopedia
The Captives is a 2004 American film starring Elliot Miller, produced and directed by Jude Miller for Jude True Blue Productions. It is based on the true story of Mary Draper Ingles
and her struggles during the French-Indian War. The film tells the story of Mary Draper Ingles and others in her settlement being taken captive to the Ohio Country
by Shawnee Indian Warriors
, and her journey home as she escaped from the tribe.
, British
, and Native Americans
over land. English land speculators encouraged people to move west and build farms. Mary Draper Ingles’ family was one of many who were recruited to move west of the mountains. As more English settlers moved west towards their lands and hunting grounds; Native American tribes revolted. They invaded English settlements, including that of Mary Draper Ingles.
by the Shawnee Indian Warriors. Many people were killed in the attack, including Mary Draper Ingles’ sister in law, and her mother’s babies whose heads were bashed against the side of a house. Mary, her two boys, and her sister in law were taken captive by the Shawnee on a long journey west to Ohio Country. Mary tried to remember important landmarks along the way in case they had a chance to escape. She tied knots in her pocket each day to keep track of how long they were gone. By the end of the second day of their journey, they reached the point where Indian Creek flows into the New River
. The Shawnee had two canoes filled with rocks and leaves to hide them, which they cleaned out and used to carry captives and stolen food. The Shawnee swam with the horses. That night they camped west of the New River. At this time Will and John, Mary’s husband and brother, were setting out to rescue the captives. Mary was pregnant during the time of the trip so she had to stop and give birth alongside the river. After, they continued their trip over Flat Top Mountain and along Paint Creek.
The next stop they made was at a salt spring at Canal River to make salt. When they reached the Shawnee town which was by the Ohio
and Scioto River
, the warriors were welcomed home. There was a big celebration that lasted late into the night. The next morning all the captives except Mary were forced to run the gauntlet
by the Shawnee. After the gauntlet, things got worse for the captives. Mary’s two boys and her sister in law were taken away. Mary had to give her baby to a caretaker named Sauwaseekau, so that she could work making shirts for the Shawnee. She was an excellent seamstress and was paid well. When Mary asked how much it would cost to get freedom for her children, she was told that her and her children were to become Shawnee.
The Shawnee started sending Mary and an Old Dutch woman out on daily trips to look for berries. Because they were alone, Mary started thinking they could escape. In preparation, they stole a little extra food each day before the trip. Mary left her baby with Sauwaseekau because she knew the baby could not survive the long journey home. Mary and the old Dutch woman set out on the trip, knowing they could not return to the Shawnee or they would be facing death. Mary and the old Dutch woman navigated themselves by the rivers. Neither of them could swim, so they had to go around the rivers making their trip even longer. After a while, hunger took toll on them, and the old Dutch woman tried to eat Mary. Mary escaped from her and found a canoe buried under leaves alongside the river. She used it to cross the river and keep distance between her and the old Dutch woman. They continued on their journey and from time to time saw each other traveling on the other side of the river and encouraged each other to keep going. After 43 days and 800 miles, Mary had arrived home to her husband, brother, and friends.
, Award of Excellence for Drama in the 2005 DV Awards, and Winner of 2004 West Virginia Filmmaker’s Film Festival for Best Docudrama .
"...sets the standard for skill and artistry." --Accolade Competition
"...the highest standards of creativity and execution." --International Academy of the Visual Arts (IAVA)
Mary Draper Ingles
Mary Draper Ingles was an American pioneer and early settler of western Virginia. She was abducted by Indians and later escaped, making a harrowing trek over hundreds of miles of rough terrain to return home.-Biography:...
and her struggles during the French-Indian War. The film tells the story of Mary Draper Ingles and others in her settlement being taken captive to the Ohio Country
Ohio Country
The Ohio Country was the name used in the 18th century for the regions of North America west of the Appalachian Mountains and in the region of the upper Ohio River south of Lake Erie...
by Shawnee Indian Warriors
Shawnee
The Shawnee, Shaawanwaki, Shaawanooki and Shaawanowi lenaweeki, are an Algonquian-speaking people native to North America. Historically they inhabited the areas of Ohio, Virginia, West Virginia, Western Maryland, Kentucky, Indiana, and Pennsylvania...
, and her journey home as she escaped from the tribe.
Background
The 7 Years War, better known as the French-Indian War, was a conflict between the FrenchFrench people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
, British
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
, and Native Americans
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
over land. English land speculators encouraged people to move west and build farms. Mary Draper Ingles’ family was one of many who were recruited to move west of the mountains. As more English settlers moved west towards their lands and hunting grounds; Native American tribes revolted. They invaded English settlements, including that of Mary Draper Ingles.
Plot
The movie begins in the summer of 1755, with a terrible attack on Drapers MeadowDraper's Meadow massacre
On July 8, 1755, a small outpost among the rolling ridges of southwest Virginia, was raided by Shawnee Indians. Rising tensions between the natives and western settlers were exacerbated by fighting in the French and Indian War and the encroachment on tribal hunting grounds. Recent victories by the...
by the Shawnee Indian Warriors. Many people were killed in the attack, including Mary Draper Ingles’ sister in law, and her mother’s babies whose heads were bashed against the side of a house. Mary, her two boys, and her sister in law were taken captive by the Shawnee on a long journey west to Ohio Country. Mary tried to remember important landmarks along the way in case they had a chance to escape. She tied knots in her pocket each day to keep track of how long they were gone. By the end of the second day of their journey, they reached the point where Indian Creek flows into the New River
New River (West Virginia)
The New River, part of the Ohio River watershed, is a tributary of the Kanawha River about 320 mi long. The river flows through the U.S. states of North Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia...
. The Shawnee had two canoes filled with rocks and leaves to hide them, which they cleaned out and used to carry captives and stolen food. The Shawnee swam with the horses. That night they camped west of the New River. At this time Will and John, Mary’s husband and brother, were setting out to rescue the captives. Mary was pregnant during the time of the trip so she had to stop and give birth alongside the river. After, they continued their trip over Flat Top Mountain and along Paint Creek.
The next stop they made was at a salt spring at Canal River to make salt. When they reached the Shawnee town which was by the Ohio
Ohio River
The Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. At the confluence, the Ohio is even bigger than the Mississippi and, thus, is hydrologically the main stream of the whole river system, including the Allegheny River further upstream...
and Scioto River
Scioto River
The Scioto River is a river in central and southern Ohio more than 231 miles in length. It rises in Auglaize County in west central Ohio, flows through Columbus, Ohio, where it collects its largest tributary, the Olentangy River, and meets the Ohio River at Portsmouth...
, the warriors were welcomed home. There was a big celebration that lasted late into the night. The next morning all the captives except Mary were forced to run the gauntlet
Running the gauntlet
Running the gauntlet is a form of physical punishment wherein a captive is compelled to run between two rows—a gauntlet—of soldiers who strike him as he passes.-Etymology:...
by the Shawnee. After the gauntlet, things got worse for the captives. Mary’s two boys and her sister in law were taken away. Mary had to give her baby to a caretaker named Sauwaseekau, so that she could work making shirts for the Shawnee. She was an excellent seamstress and was paid well. When Mary asked how much it would cost to get freedom for her children, she was told that her and her children were to become Shawnee.
The Shawnee started sending Mary and an Old Dutch woman out on daily trips to look for berries. Because they were alone, Mary started thinking they could escape. In preparation, they stole a little extra food each day before the trip. Mary left her baby with Sauwaseekau because she knew the baby could not survive the long journey home. Mary and the old Dutch woman set out on the trip, knowing they could not return to the Shawnee or they would be facing death. Mary and the old Dutch woman navigated themselves by the rivers. Neither of them could swim, so they had to go around the rivers making their trip even longer. After a while, hunger took toll on them, and the old Dutch woman tried to eat Mary. Mary escaped from her and found a canoe buried under leaves alongside the river. She used it to cross the river and keep distance between her and the old Dutch woman. They continued on their journey and from time to time saw each other traveling on the other side of the river and encouraged each other to keep going. After 43 days and 800 miles, Mary had arrived home to her husband, brother, and friends.
Jude Miller
Writer, producer, and director of The Captives. Jude became interested with the story of Mary Draper Ingles after the disaster on September 11th, and began writing the screenplay in 2002. She was deeply inspired by the story of Mary Draper Ingles and her bravery and determination through trying times.Main characters
- Garlan Miller- Narrator
- Sarah "Sadie" Jones- Storyteller
- Elliot Miller- Mary Draper Ingles
- Hayley Schmidt- Betty Draper
- Katie Gaughan- Draper Infant
- James Blake- Shawnee War Captain
- Kayla Walker- Thomas Ingles
- David Walker- George Ingles
- Andrew Miller- John Draper
- James Zablocki- Will Ingles
- Susan Greathouse- Mrs. Stump
- Christian Hays- Chief
- Tony Gerard- Fur Trader
- Maria Hays- Sauwaseekau
Awards and reviews
The Captives is the Winner of 2005 Gold Davey Award , which honors films made by small production companies. It also received the Award of Excellence in the 2005 Accolade CompetitionAccolade Competition
The Accolade Competition is an international, non-traditional, virtual awards venue. Awards go to those filmmakers who produce fresh, standout entertainment, animation and compelling documentaries....
, Award of Excellence for Drama in the 2005 DV Awards, and Winner of 2004 West Virginia Filmmaker’s Film Festival for Best Docudrama .
“The South CharlestonSouth Charleston, West VirginiaSouth Charleston is a city in Kanawha County, West Virginia, U.S. The population was 13,450 at the 2010 census. South Charleston was established in 1906, but not incorporated until 1919 by special charter enacted by the West Virginia Legislature...
Museum is sponsoring a showing of "The Captives", the new Mary Ingles film directed by Spencer filmmaker Jude Miller, at 7 p.m.July 31 2004 at The LaBelle Theater in downtown South Charleston. In June, the film premiered at the Robey Theater where more than 600 people saw it at two screenings. The film stars Miller's daughter, Screen Actors Guild actress Elliot Lowe Miller, in her first film role. Her performance can be compared to Nicole Kidman in "Cold Mountain". The period costumes, especially for the Shawnee warriors, are as good as anything in Hollywood film. The film was an official 'indie SAG' film which is limited to a budget of $75,000. If you love WV history, see this film." Steve Fesenmaier -- Graffiti News
"...sets the standard for skill and artistry." --Accolade Competition
"...the highest standards of creativity and execution." --International Academy of the Visual Arts (IAVA)
Movie locations
- Camp Shepard – Roane County, West Virginia
- Charles Fork Lake- Spencer, West Virginia
- The McIntosh Mansion- Spencer, West Virginia
- New River Gorge- Fayetteville, West Virginia
- The Pioneer Shop- Ripley, West Virginia
- Pricket’s Fork State Park- Fairmont, West Virginia
- Spring Heights Education Center- Roane County, West Virginia
- West Virginia Museum of Culture and History- Charleston, West Virginia
Original compositions
- “Release” written by Elliot Miller, performed by Elliot and Andrew Miller.
- “Music for The Captives” written and performed by Scott Schmidt.
- “Forever” and “Fields of Alyssum” written and performed by John Sheltmire.
Movie facts
- It is unknown whether Mary actually gave birth during the journey to Ohio Country. It is believed that it could have happened at this time because of the difference in age between her children.
- The clock shown at the beginning of the movie actually belonged to Will and Mary Ingles. It is held at the Museum of Culture and History in Charleston West Virginia.
- Mary did say that the old Dutch woman actually tried to eat her.
External links
- http://www.wvheritage.com Mary Ingles Trail Association
- http://roanecountylibrary.org Roane County Library
- http://www.wvfff.tripod.com West Virginia Film Makers Film Festival
- http://www.jakekrack.com Music by Jake Krack
- http://www.digitalvisionworks.com/flashhome.html Digital Vision Works