Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1885-02-13
A Story Of Indian Captivity.

Parker from the Comanche Indians,
says that an oil painting of the fam
GUS woman will be exhibited at the
New Orleans exposition. Cynthia
was captured when about 10 years
old, and, when taken from the In
dians and placed in the household of
her uncle, Col. Parker, near Wealth
erford, she was the squaw Of the
Chief. Gen. Ross writes: "In the
campaign against the Comanches, as
| could take but 40 of my men from
my post, requested Capt. N. G..
Evans, in command of the United
States troops at Camp Cooper, to
send me detachment of I'd caval-
ry. He promptly sent me a sergeut
aud 20 well-mOunted men. My force
was still augmented by some 70 vol
unteer citizens, under command of
the brave old frOntiersman, Captain
Jack Cureton, of Bosque county.
On one of the Pease River sand
hills | found -four fresh pony tracks,
and being satisfied that Indian
videttes had Just gone l galloped
forward about mile TO higher
point, and riding to the top, TO my
inexprcssiblc surprise found myself
within 200 yards Of Comanche
village, located on a small stream
winding around the base Of the hill.
1t was most happy circumstance
that piercing north wind was blow :
ing, bearing with 1t clouds of sand,
and my presence wa1 unobserved
aud the surprise complete. by
signalling my men as stood con-
cealed, they reached me without
being discovered by the Indians, who
were busy packing up preparatory
TO a move. By tbs time tie Indians
mounted moved of north across the
level plain. My command, with the
detachment of the 2nd cavalry, had
outmarched aud become separated
from the citizen command which LETT
me but GO men. In making DISPOSE
ton for attack the sergeant and his
20 men were sent at gallop, behind
chain of sand hills, TO compass them
in and cut off their retreat, while
with 40 men | charged them. The
attack was so sudden that consider
able number were killed before they
could prepare for dcfeuce, They fed
precipitately right into the presence
of the sergeant and his men. Here
they met with warm reception, and
finding themselves completely en-
compasscd every one fled his own
way.
"rhc chief of the party, noted
warrior of great repute, with a young
girl about l5 years of age, mounted
on his horse behind him and Cynthia
Ann Parker, with girl child about
two years of age in her arms aud
mounted on fleet pony, fled togeth-
er, while Lieutenant Tom Kelliher
aud | pursued them. After running
abouta mile Kellihcr ran up by the
side of Cynthia's horse and 1 was In
the act of shooting, when she held
up her child and stopped. | kept on
after the chief, and about half mile
further, when in about 20 yards OF
him, | fired my pistol, striking the
girl (whom | supposed TO be man,
as she rode like one, and only her
head was visible above the bufldlo
robe with which she was wrapped)
near the heart, killing her instantly,
and the same ball would have kil.e |
both but for the shield of the chief,
which hung down, covering his back,
When the girl fell from the horse she
pulled him of also, but he caught on
his feet, and before steadying himself,
my horse, running at full speed, was
very nearly on top ofhim, when he was
struck with an arrow, which caused
him to fall TO pitching or bucking,
and IL was with great difficulty that
kept my saddle, and in the mean
time narrowly escaped several arrows
coming in quick succession from the
chiefs bow. Being at such disadvan-
tage, he would have killed me in a
few minutes but for random shot
from my pistol (while l was clinging
with my left hand to the pommel OF
my saddle) which broke his right
arm at the elbow, completely dis
abling him. My horse then became
quiet and l shot the chief twice
through the body, whereupon he
deliberately walked TO small tree,
the only one In sight, and, leaning
against it, began to sing a wild
weird song.
Riding back to the squaw as soor
as / looked OH her face l said: "Why
Tom, this is white woman; Indians
do not hayc blue eyes, She said two
of her boys were with her when the
fight La lbegun and she was distressed
by the fear that they had been killed
| 1t so happened, however, that botl
| escaped, and one of them, Guiana, il
now chief. The other died somt
years ago on the plains. Ithen asked
her to give me the history of her lif'
with the Indians and the circumstan
ces attending her capture by them
which she promptly did in very
sensible manner, and as the fact
detailed corresponded with tin
massacre al Parker's fort, l was i'm
pressed with the belief that she wa
| CYNTHIA Ann Parker. Subsequcn
| -