Mary Ann Oatman
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Mary Ann Oatman | |
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 Olive (left) and Mary Oatman, Captivity of the Oatman Girls, 1857 | |
| Born | 1844 |
| Died | 1851 (aged 6–7) |
| Nationality | American |
| Parent(s) | Royce Oatman, Mary Ann Oatman |
| Relatives | Olive Oatman |
Mary Ann Oatman (1844–1851) was the sister of Olive Oatman and a survivor of abuse by the Yavapai people, though many historians argue that it is impossible to know whether or not these were Yavapai or members of some other tribe.[1]
Mary Ann Oatman was born to Royce Oatman and his wife, also named Mary Ann, in Illinois. The Oatmans were members of the Mormon religion. Believing that they were immigrating to a divine country, the Oatmans travelled to Arizona, where they were massacred by Yavapai. The only survivors of the Oatman family massacre were Mary Ann, her sister Olive and brother Lorenzo, who had been injured and left for dead (he is known to have survived after finding a nearby settlement and receiving medical treatment). [2]
Mary Ann and her sister Olive were taken as slaves by the Yavapai. Tied with ropes and forced to walk along the Arizonan desert, the girls' health suffered deeply; they became hungry and dehydrated. Whenever they asked for rest or water, they would be poked by the Yavapai with lances.
Mary Ann and Olive were forced to hard labor, and they would be bothered by Yavapai children, who used sticks to burn them.
In 1851, the sisters were traded to the Mohave tribe for a couple of horses and bags of beans. The Mohave chief and his family welcomed the Oatman sisters with love and care, giving them food and providing them with a family life. Mary Ann after 3–4 years with the Mojave died of starvation during a famine in which many Mojave died as well. Olive stated that Mary Ann died "about a year" before her own release in 1856. The date of Mary Ann's death is significant because it suggests that they had assimilated; a team of men under the command of Amiel Weeks Whipple had been in the area in February and March 1854 to survey a railroad route, and the sisters had not communicated with them.[3] Shortly before dying, she tried to comfort her sister by telling her "I have been a great deal of trouble to you, Olive. You will miss me for a while, but you will not have to work so hard when I'm gone."
References
- ^ Braatz, Timothy (2003). Surviving Conquest. Lincoln, Nebraska: University of Nebraska Press. pp. 253–4.
{{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ Blattman, Elissa (2013), "The Abduction of Olive Oatman", National Women's History Museum
- ^ McGinty, Brian (2014). The Oatman Massacre: A Tale of Desert Captivity and Survival. University of Oklahoma Press. p. 102. ISBN 0806180242