Blue Jacket was a brave man and a savvy American Indian — well known, respected and honored in not just his hometown, which is the present day site of Bellefontaine, but also throughout the old northwest frontier.
He lived in a log cabin and married a white woman.
He was considered one of the greatest Shawnee war chiefs of all time — a predecessor of the famous Chief Tecumseh.
Blue Jacket was a lot of things.
But clearly, as illustrated by decades of research and recent DNA tests, he was not a white man.
According to a recent scientific study conducted by genetic experts and historians in the Dayton area to be published in the September edition of the Ohio Journal of Science, Blue Jacket was all American Indian.
He and Marmaduke Swearingen were not the same person, scientists have concluded, and the story so many have grown to love is false.
For more than a century, popular historic accounts portrayed Blue Jacket as a white man of Dutch descent named Marmaduke Swearingen, who was captured by the Shawnee Indians at the age of 17. The myth claimed Swearingen ascended to the elite status of war chief after living among the Indians for years and earning their trust and respect.
The story goes so far as to claim Marmaduke Swearingen even killed his own brother on the battlefield.
None of this, however, is true, according to the conclusion of the report.
The findings will be presented April 22 at the 115th annual meeting of the Ohio Academy of Science at the University of Dayton.
“As you will recall, we did a DNA test in 2000,” said Fairborn historian Robert Van Trees, “ and Dr. (Dan) Krane (of Wright State University) indicated there was no relationship between the Swearingens and the Bluejackets.”
Mr. Van Trees has researched the controversy for decades and was one of the first people to question stories that claimed Blue Jacket was a white man.
“Unfortunately, there were no funds to use to write a report which we could share with the world,” he said
In the fall, an anonymous donor gave a gift to Wright State suggesting Dr. Krane write the report, Mr. Van Trees explained.
The 2000 study obtained DNA of descendants of both men — six male descendants of Blue Jacket and four of Swearingen — finding no common ancestor.
“Being so tasked, Dr. Krane asked me to obtain a new ‘fresh’ set of DNA and I hit the road obtaining a dozen DNA specimens,” Mr. Van Trees said.
Dr. Krane in turn contracted Marc Taylor in California to test the DNA.
Dr. Krane asked Carolyn Rowland in his office to write the report. She has presented in Chicago, Seattle and now will give a presentation at the University of Dayton.
The controversy surrounding Blue Jacket’s ethnicity is one the Examiner has explored extensively in the past.
In 2002, the Examiner published an eight-part series exploring Blue Jacket. The stories — which still can be found on the Examiner’s Web site, www.examiner.org, under the “Blue Jacket” link — listed numerous inconsistencies and inaccuracies surrounding the myth.
The controversy was fueled by former local author Allan Eckert’s The Frontiersmen. The book was the basis for Xenia’s popular outdoor drama Blue Jacket. Mr. Eckert recently moved to Corona, Calif., to research a book about the gold rush.
In the series, experts said the fallacy began in 1877 with a story written by Thomas Jefferson Larsh (a descendant of Swearingen’s) in the Feb. 15 edition of the Ohio State Journal.
The series also explained the chronological differences between the two men (records of Blue Jacket exist 20 years before Swearingen was born) and the historic descriptions of Blue Jacket as an Indian who at times needed an English translator and had children described as “half-bloods.”
Mr. Van Trees’ first DNA tests, which were not scientific, and his research were included in the series along with comments from more than a dozen historical experts and authors from as far away as England.
After the series, Mr. Eckert spoke at Bellefontaine High School and said he believed there might have been more than one person who went by the name Blue Jacket.
He did not return an e-mail inquiries about the new DNA evidence and representatives of First Frontier Enterprises Inc. — which has been producing the outdoor drama for 25 years this year, did not answer their phones Friday afternoon nor return a message left by the Examiner seeking comment.
However, Executive Director Lorrie Sparrow told the Columbus Dispatch “We show history as it was reported 25 years ago. ... so come out and see the story of Blue Jacket.”
To go directly to the series, go to www.examiner.org/blue_jacket/index.html.