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Captive! The Drusilla Andrews Mace Story Looking about us in the Metro-East in this modern age, it is easy to forget that this area was once the American frontier where life was hard and often dangerous. The promise of reward, land especially, was great but so was the risk. The true story of O’Fallon Township resident Drusilla Andrews Mace recalls the risk. There are differing versions with respect to the details but the events are basically as follows. In 1786, 3-year old red-haired Drusilla lived with her parents, James and Elizabeth Ogle Andrews, and two sisters about two miles northwest of present day Waterloo, IL. The Andrews, however, were in the midst of an “Indian war” in which settlers were considered unwanted invaders by Indian tribes in the Northwest Territory. During the early dawn of a Spring day that year, a band of Indians attacked the Andrews’ cabin murdering James Andrews and one of his daughters as well as neighbors James White and Samuel McClure. The Andrews’ home was looted and Elizabeth and her two remaining daughters were taken captive. Unable to keep pace, Elizabeth was killed along the way. The sisters lived with the Indians for over a year. One died in captivity but Drusilla survived.
She was ransomed by French traders. Her uncle, Capt. Joseph Ogle, bought her freedom and brought her to his home near O’Fallon. She would later marry Henry Mace, a tailor from the east, and live on land north of O’Fallon given to her by the federal government in compensation for her loss and hardships in her youth. She died in 1863 and is buried in the Mace Cemetery in O’Fallon.
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