The Long Walk Home: The Harrowing Journey of Mary Draper Ingles

From Stories of Appalachia by Steve Gilly, Rod Mullins

April 25, 2026

About this episode

The episode recounts the harrowing 500-mile journey of Mary Draper Ingles after being captured during a Shawnee raid in 1755.

In 1755, the frontier settlement of Draper’s Meadow was shattered by a brutal Shawnee raid in which many settlers were killed and the survivors captured. Among those taken prisoner was Mary Draper Ingles, a young wife and mother. The group was forced into a grueling march north to a village in the Ohio country. Separated from her children and facing a winter in the wilderness, Mary made a choice that would become one of the greatest survival stories in American history. This week, we tell the story of Mary’s incredible 500-mile journey home. With nothing but a tomahawk, a knife, a blanket and sheer will, she navigated treacherous terrain and escaped starvation to return to her Virginia home in the New River Valley. If you like our stories, be sure to subscribe to the Stories podcast wherever you get your favorite podcasts. Thanks for listening!

People in this episode

Hosts: Steve Gilly, Rod Mullins

Topics covered

survival story
Appalachian history
frontier life
Native American conflicts
women in history

Keywords

Mary Draper Ingles
Shawnee raid
survival
Appalachia
frontier settlement
historical journey
1755
New River Valley

Mentioned in this episode

Places: Draper’s Meadow, Ohio country, Virginia, New River Valley