Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-06-19
CYNTHIA PARKERs LIFE.
A white Girl Who Became the Mother
of a Comanche Chief,

A white Girl who Became the Mother
of a Comanche Chief.
a few DAYS ago, says a Fort Worth,
Texas, special to the New York Sun, there
appeared in one of the city papers an adj
vertisement saying that Comanche Chief
living near Fort sill wanted to obtain
photograph of his mother, Cynth1a-Ann
Parker, and asking as a special favor that
any one knowing where such portrait
could be had would communicate with
him. A. F. Corning, of McLennan county,
saw the advertisement, and al once Wrote
TO the newspaper in question that he
could furnish the picture. He happened
to know that an old daguerreotype OF the
woman was in existence In waco, ana
taking this to an artist he had seNeTaI
copies made, one of which was sent TO the
chief.
Cynthia Ann Parker was the heroine OF
one of the most touching romances OF the
Texas border. Her parents ana grand
parents were among the pioneers Oh tue
State. Her grandfather, Col. Parker, al
ter whom Parker county was named, was
noted man in his day. The Pafkefs
lived on an exposed frontier, and, though
formidable in Indian warfare, tney
were frequent sufferers from raids
when the COmanches swept over that
part of the State, the Parkers lost nearly
all their property, and eyentu ally some
of them were killed, and Cynthla, tnen .
years of age, was taken prisoner. Many
efforts were made to rescue her, but all
without avail. Several times parties OF
brave men invaded the camp of the red
skins and searched for the chlld, ana, on
at least two occasions, lives were lOst III
the effort to return her to her family.
Every device was resorted to to gam IN
formation of her, Sometimes for months
it would be believed that she had been
killed, but finally a vague story would
gain circulation to the effect that white
girl had been seen with rowing band,
and search would be renewed.
When Cynthia was taken captive the
savageS placed her in charge ofthelr Wom-
en-. and the child, finding that she was
! to be well treated, soon came to enjoy the
wild life which she led. and to look upon
the Indians as her natural friends.
| When her clothing was worn out she
| adopted the savage costume. She learned
their language, took part IN their games,
and eventually, having become a sturdy
woman, joined them on some OF theiI
| raids. Ten years after her capture found
| her the wife of the war chief of the tribe,
| apparently as contented with her lot as
| any of the other women who were her
constant associates.
Some years after her marriage, when
| the Comanches were at peace with the
settlers, a party of white men entered
their camp one day and found the missing
| girl, now grown out of their recollection
| almost. Two or three children played
! about her knee, looking much like the
other youthful aborigines, save that they
were heater in appearance and much more
carefully watched by their mother. When
| they questioned her they found that she had
| almost forgotten her native tongue, and ii
was with the utmost difficulty she could
make them understand. She inquired after
| her relatives, and asked many questions
about the white people generally; but IN
reply to a suggestion that she should &C
| company them to her former home she
said she was happily married, had good
| husband and nice children, and could not
| leave them. She had made their home her
home, and no other place on earth would
be other than a prison to her. They left
her very much cast down, and on return
| ing to the settlement spread her story far
! and wide.
For time the interest in her case was
revived, and many old settlers who knew
her father and grandfather threatened to
make war on the Comanches and take her
away from them. Nothing could con-
vince these old settlers that Cynthia
would stay with the Indians of her own
| free will. and it was only after the most
| emphatic protests by the men who had
seen her in her savage home that her
would-be deliverers abandoned the idea OF
taking her by force. She was finally re-
captured most unexpectedly. Being out
with a war party of the COmanches in the
| fall of 1858, she was cut off from the
| braves in some manner by Gen. l.. 5.
Ross, of Waco, and taken prisoner in
| company with several other women. AT
| first no one recognized her, but after being
! taken to Canton, Van Zandt county, some
| close observers expressed the opinion
| that she was white woman. Then the
story was circulated that she was Gym
thia Parker, traditions of whose fate still
existed, and her brothers and venerable
grandfather were sent for. The brothers
| looked at her long and earnestly, but
could not remember her. The old man,
! however, identified her as the stolen girl,
| and she finally admitted that he was right.
| There was great joy over her recovery on
| the part of her relatives and their friends,
| but not so with her. She vainly tried to
| escape, and passed many hOurSIn tears.
| She had with her at the time of her cap
| ture her Youngest child, 2 years of age,
the two eldest having been left at home.
| The little one had smattering of Span
! ish, and the mother spoke that language,
as well as the Indian tongue, fluently, but
neither knew anything of English. After
a while Cynthia and her child accom-
panied her brothers to their home in Park
er county, where she and the babe soon
| pinned away and died.
Her two boys, who had been left with
the tribe, grew to be stalwart warriors,
handsome in form and feature, and more
than ordinarily intelligent. One Of them
is now the chief of the Comanches in the
Indian Territory, a man of great infiu-
ence with both the Indians and the whites,
and under whose guidance his tribe has
made decided progress in civilization.
| He remembers his mother affectionately,
| and his advertisement in the Fort Worth
paper was the result of his having heard
| that just before she died she had her pic
! ture taken. He did not know where to
| look for the likeness, but, determining to
obtain it, or a copy OF it, if possible, adj
vertised in the Texas papers until he
| found it. He expressed great joy when
| tho niotura was nlacpd in his hands