The Possession of Mercy Short

Mercy Short was a seventeen-year-old former Indian captive in Boston when she became possessed in 1692. Cotton Mather, the famous Puritan minister, documented her case in detail, providing one of the most complete records of colonial American possession.

The Background

Mercy Short had been captured during an Indian raid in 1690 that killed her parents and several siblings. She was held captive until ransomed. The trauma of her experience may have contributed to her later affliction.

The Beginning

In the summer of 1692, Mercy visited accused witch Sarah Good in prison. When she refused Good’s request for tobacco, Good reportedly cursed her. Shortly after, Mercy began experiencing fits and visions of tormenting devils.

The Symptoms

Mercy experienced fits during which her body contorted impossibly. She saw spectral figures tormenting her. She spoke with invisible beings. She displayed knowledge she could not naturally possess. Her affliction continued for months.

Cotton Mather’s Involvement

Cotton Mather took personal interest in Mercy’s case. He prayed with her, documented her experiences, and attempted to use her possession as evidence of the invisible world. He wrote a detailed account titled “A Brand Pluck’d Out of the Burning.”

The Resolution

Through persistent prayer and fasting, Mercy’s possession was eventually broken. She recovered and lived normally afterward. Mather considered her case proof of both demonic activity and divine deliverance.

Assessment

Mercy Short’s possession occurred during the Salem witch trials but in Boston rather than Salem. Mather’s documentation provides unusual insight into how colonial Americans understood and treated possession, separate from the accusation dynamics of Salem.