Escape!
While Mary was in the Northwest Territory in the area known today as northern Michigan, French villagers helped her escape from her Indian captors.  

She was hidden in a French couple's home while her Indian captors searched the village for her. When they determined it was safe for her to leave their home, they enlisted the aid of French fishermen, who brought her into Lake Huron by boat.

The French fisherman at left is from the museum at Fort Massac, Illinois.
However, there were too many Indians on the Lake that night and the fishermen deposited her at an island, where she was picked up by British soldiers and held as a prisoner of war.  
She remained on the island until the fall. The British rounded up dozens of women captives and herded them into the hold of a ship. It is presumed the ship was bound for Fort Niagara, which was also under British rule. However, a gale came up while en route and the ship was run aground. During the confusion of the moment, Mary escaped into the brush, moving down an embankment to shield her escape.
Alone, she traveled hundreds of miles through dangerous territory, evading capture by both the Indians and the British. She traveled and slept in the same areas that were inhabited by wild animals. Not knowing who were British sympathizers and who would be sympathetic to her, she made her way alone through New York and into Pennsylvania.

The wildlife pictures here are housed at Historic Collinsville. Many thanks to JoAnn Weakley for her hospitality and knowledge of pioneer life.

For the rest of the story: Songbirds are Free by p.m.terrell will be released in the fall of 2007. Approximately 450 pages, it is a suspense-filled book that begins with Mary Neely's capture and follows this amazing and brave woman through her captivity and harrowing escape.