Simon Girty
1741–1818
 |
| INDIAN ATTACK LED BY SIMON GIRTY |
Simon Girty was born to a family of settlers in Pennsylvania, but at a young
age, he and his brothers were taken prisoner and adopted by the Seneca Indians.
Seven years later, Girty was returned to his family, but by that time he had
come to prefer the Indian lifestyle to that of his own people. During the
Revolutionary War, he sided with the colonists for only a short time before
instead serving the British Loyalists, a traitorous move that turned the
American frontiersmen against him.
Toward the end of the war, he furthered this opposition by helping an Indian
force attack a troop of U.S. soldiers on their return from New Orleans. Girty
was also present for the torture and execution of Colonel William Crawford, but
different accounts offer two opposing positions on Simon’s response—one witness
claimed that he enjoyed the colonel’s suffering, while another insisted that he
did all he could to prevent it, ceasing to resist the Native Americans only when
his life was also threatened. The first account was used during and after
Girty’s life to vilify him, but the latter might in fact be closer to the truth;
Simon was said to have saved the lives of many American prisoners, often by
putting himself in danger as well.
After the war’s conclusion, Girty moved to Canada and settled in present-day
Ontario. His son was killed during the War of 1812, but Girty himself did not
become directly involved in the war. By this time completely blind, he passed
away in 1818.
Key events during the life of Simon Girty:
| Year |
Event |
| 1741 |
Born |
| 1779 |
Assisted a large group of Native Americans in attacking and killing a U.S. force. |
| 1812 |
Son served in the war of 1812 |
| 1818 |
Died. |
Other Resources
| Contemporary |
Short Biography |
| Benjamin Franklin |
Statesman, publisher, inventor, and non-conformist. Founding father, and benefactor of Philadelphia. |
| Nolichucky Jack |
Frontiersman and Indian fighter who became the first governor of the state of Tennessee. |
| Benedict Arnold |
Hero of the Revolutionary War, but tragically turned traitor. He escaped to the British before discovery. |