Skip to main content Skip to search Skip to search

Biography & Autobiography Adventurers & Explorers

Simon Girty

Wilderness Warrior

by (author) Edward Butts

Publisher
Dundurn Press
Initial publish date
Aug 2011
Category
Adventurers & Explorers, Native Americans, Criminals & Outlaws
  • eBook

    ISBN
    9781459700758
    Publish Date
    Aug 2011
    List Price
    $7.99

Classroom Resources

Where to buy it

Description

During the American Revolution and the border conflicts that followed, Simon Girty’s name struck terror into the hearts of U.S. settlers in the Ohio Valley and the territory of Kentucky. Girty (1741-1818) had lived with the Natives most of his life. Scorned by his fellow white frontiersmen as an "Indian lover," Girty became an Indian agent for the British. He accompanied Native raids against Americans, spied deep into enemy territory, and was influential in convincing the tribes to fight for the British.
The Americans declared Girty an outlaw. In U.S. history books he is a villain even worse than Benedict Arnold. Yet in Canada, Girty is regarded as a Loyalist hero, and a historic plaque marks the site of his homestead on the Ontario side of the Detroit River.
In Native history, Girty stands out as one of the few white men who championed their cause against American expansion. But was he truly the "White Savage" of legend, or a hero whose story was twisted by his foes?

About the author

Edward Butts is the author of numerous books, including Murder, Line of Fire, Running With Dillinger, True Canadian Unsolved Mysteries, and The Desperate Ones, which was nominated for the Arthur Ellis Award. He lives in Guelph, Ontario.

Edward Butts' profile page

Editorial Reviews

"Butts delivers a fine historical account of the life and times of a little known figure in eighteenth century North American history."

Canadian Materials

"Wilderness Warrior boldly describes the many battle scenes and relationship dynamics that defined the American Revolution... Butts does an excellent job keeping the reader interested."

Resource Links