Dorothy Garlock's "Lonesome River" Quiz

Answer: Mercy

It was 1811 and Liberty Carroll Perry was moving her family into Indiana from New York. She left her home town of Middlecrossing to avoid the wrath of Stith, a scorned man. Liberty, or Libby, refused to marry the cruel Stith, opting instead to wed frail Jubal Perry. They fled their hometown to prevent Stith from killing Jubal in order to get to Libby.
Mercy was a two year old, and she came from a burned out homestead. Farr added her to Libby's group when he joined them.

Answer: Hull Dexter

Hull Dexter took Libby and Jubal's money to lead them safely into Indiana. But, when Jubal came down with the flux, Hull left them behind. Libby and Jubal were on their way to Vincennes to find Jubal's brother Hammond Perry.
Hull's abandonment turned out to be a blessing. He allowed river pirates to rape, murder, and pillage the settlers. It is in the carnage that Farr discovered the lone survivor of the original wagon train settlers, four year old Daniel Phelps.
Farr did not get to avenge Hull's actions in this novel, but they did find out where he was at the end. Hull was in Rock Island, Illinois.

Answer: True

Farr and Libby already had a deep admiration for each other, though Libby believed he could never love her. Since Libby was widowed on the journey, Elija had the "right" to give her in marriage to Stith. Neither Libby, nor Farr, could allow that to happen. They married for mutual convenience, but fell in-love easily as time passed quickly by.

Answer: Juicy

Juicy was Farr's 82 year old substitute father. Though Amy was falling for seventeen year old Rain Tallman, he was not ready to be tied down. Colby Carroll was in-love with another woman, so Juicy stepped in to help. Amy and Juicy were married by the Sufferite preacher, just like Farr and Libby several weeks earlier.

Answer: Illinois

Named after Farr's homestead, Quill's Station was located right on the Wabash River that separated Illinois from Indiana. It was about fifty miles from Vincennes, where Libby had been headed originally. It was here that Farr, Rain, Colby, Libby, and the surrounding settlers built up a stockade for protection in the upcoming Indian uprising.

Answer: Yes

They had not been at Quill's Station long when Stith arrived. After Libby refused to marry him yet again, Elija led Stith to the abandoned homestead Libby had planned to use. Libby's love for her father died a bit more when she realized he'd told Stith exactly how to find them.

Answer: Willa

Willa Carruthers was an English girl who'd taken over the bond her mother had when she died. She'd been sold several times, finally landing into the custody of the Thompson family. Mrs. Thompson, and her daughter Harriet, were horribly cruel to Willa.

When Libby saw the wounds the girl had sustained at their hands, she demanded Willa's bond be sold to her. Farr convinced Mr. Thompson of the awful truth, and the man relinquished Willa's bond to Farr. Under the love of the folks at Quill's Station, Willa transformed into a beautiful happy young lady.

She captured the heart of Colby, who married her after the treason trial in Vincennes.

Answer: Sugar Tree

Sugar Tree and Mr. Washington were friends of Farrway Quill. Mr. Washington was a former slave, legally freed by his owner. He ran the ferry boat on the Wabash, between Indiana and Illinois. He and Sugar Tree had no children, and agreed to care for the Luscomb baby after her parents were murdered by rogue Delaware Indians.
Sugar Tree was a real person. Mrs. Garlock listed out all of the real players in her work of fiction, at the end of the book. She listed Sugar Tree simply as a Shawnee maiden.

Answer: Tecumapese and her son

Tecumapese and her son, Chiksika, were the sister and nephew of the Shawnee leader Tecumseh. Tecumapese was nursed to health by Sugar Tree, and before heading back to her people she named Libby the White Dove of the Wabash. Oak Tree was the name given to Farr when he was a teenager. He'd climbed up an oak tree when he first encountered Tecumseh. In the Shawnee language, Oak Tree is Wahbah-comeshi. John Spotted Elk was the man who raised Rain Tallman, and also a great friend of Farr, Juicy and Colby.
In real life, Tecumseh died in August of 1813.

Answer: Zachary Taylor

Both Governor Harrison and Major Zachary Taylor were great friends to Farrway Quill. Hammond Perry and Stith Lenning had come together to find a way to legally dispose of Farr. They used his connection to Willa, who was the illegitimate daughter of Benedict Arnold, to frame him for treason. Libby and Colby Carroll contacted Governor Harrison's wife, Anna, so she could send word to Major Taylor. Taylor arrived in time to stop the trial and release Farr and Willa.
Willa married Colby the same day.
Both William Harrison and Zachary Taylor went on to become American presidents. Harrison was the ninth and Taylor, also known as Old Rough and Ready, was the twelfth.