John Dunn Hunter
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John Dunn Hunter (ca. 1796–1827) was a leader of the
Fredonian Rebellion The Fredonian Rebellion or Texan revolt of 1826 (December 21, 1826 – January 31, 1827) was the first attempt by Texans to secede from Mexico. The settlers, led by Empresario Haden Edwards, declared independence from Mexican Texas and creat ...
. Hunter claimed to be ignorant of his birthplace and that he was taken prisoner with two other white children by Native Americans who either belonged to or were associated with the Kickapoo nation. Hunter lived with the Kickapoo until 1816 but he traveled widely during that time and received a good education. Not knowing his real name, Hunter took on the name of an English benefactor, one John Dunn. The "hunter" was later added due to his abilities in that field. He became famous in both the US and UK following the publication of ''Memoirs of a Captivity Among the Indians of North America'' in 1823. While in England in the early 1820s, Hunter met
Robert Owen Robert Owen (; 14 May 1771 – 17 November 1858) was a Welsh textile manufacturer, philanthropist, political philosopher and social reformer, and a founder of utopian socialism and the cooperative movement, co-operative movement. He strove to ...
and
John Neal John Neal (August 25, 1793 – June 20, 1876) was an American writer, critic, editor, lecturer, and activist. Considered both eccentric and influential, he delivered speeches and published essays, novels, poems, and short stories between the 1 ...
. Having lived at the same
boarding house A boarding house is a house (frequently a family home) in which lodging, lodgers renting, rent one or more rooms on a nightly basis and sometimes for extended periods of weeks, months, or years. The common parts of the house are maintained, and ...
for a time in 1824, Neal wrote about him in ''
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine ''Blackwood's Magazine'' was a British magazine and miscellany printed between 1817 and 1980. It was founded by publisher William Blackwood and originally called the ''Edinburgh Monthly Magazine'', but quickly relaunched as ''Blackwood's Edinbu ...
'', the most important literary periodical in 1820s Great Britain according to early American literature scholar William B. Cairns. In ''
American Writers The Lists of American writers include: United States By ethnicity *List of African-American writers *List of Asian American writers, List of Asian-American writers *List of Cuban American writers, List of Cuban-American writers *List of Egypti ...
'' (1824–25) he said Hunter was "spoiled by absurd attention" in England; of ''Memoirs of a Captivity'', he said: "He could not get up a better book, without assistance." The same year he said in the same magazine:
As for what Mr John D. Hunter (who knows nothing at all of the Indian History—or the designs of the American government) may say about "his countrymen being the worst enemies of his ''plan''," it is all trumpery and stuff. He has no ''plan'' at all: He never had any: He never will have any.... He has been ridiculously misunderstood and over-rated in this country....
Neal's coverage of Hunter in ''Blackwood's'' is a largely accurate prediction of Hunter's future reputation as an untrustworthy imposter and
filibuster A filibuster is a political procedure in which one or more members of a legislative body prolong debate on proposed legislation so as to delay or entirely prevent a decision. It is sometimes referred to as "talking a bill to death" or "talking ...
. In 1831, he published a short story called "The Adventurer"—a fictional autobiography meant to satirize Hunter's memoir. Hunter arrived in Texas in 1825 and in December he was sent by Richard Fields to Mexico with the aim of negotiating for a
Cherokee The Cherokee (; , or ) people are one of the Indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States. Prior to the 18th century, they were concentrated in their homelands, in towns along river valleys of what is now southwestern ...
settlement in Texas. Hunter arrived in Mexico City on March 19, 1826 but regretfully returned to Texas April 1826 with news of his failure. Hunter and Fields then opened negotiations with
Martin Parmer Martin Parmer (born Martin Palmer June 4, 1778 – March 2, 1850) was an eccentric 19th-century American frontiersman, statesman, politician and soldier. On March 2, 1836, Martin Parmer seconded Sam Houston's motion to adopt the Texas Declaratio ...
which culminated in the Fredonian Rebellion. The Cherokee repudiated the rebellion and ultimately it was decided that Fields and Hunter should be put to death. Hunter escaped but a Mexican militia headed by Peter Ellis Bean was tasked with tracking him down. Hunter was caught and executed in early February 1827.


References


External links


Memoirs of a Captivity Among the Indians of North America
by John Dunn Hunter (3rd. ed, 1824) 1790s births 1827 deaths Immigrants to Mexico White Savage: The Case of John Dunn Hunter. Richard T. Drinnin Schocken Books, 1972. ISBN 978-0805234619. {{texas-stub 19th-century American people 19th-century executions of American people