The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1890-08-14

counter ance warned him of the danger
| of further mentioning the SUBJECT He,
however permitted her, reluctantly, to
| sit at the root of tree and while their
| presence was doubtless a happy event to
the poor stricken captive, who In her
doleful captivity had endured everything
but death, she refused to speak one word.
AS she sat there, musing perhaps of
distant relatives and friends, her be-
reavement at the beginning and progress
of her distress, they employed every
! persuasive art to evoke from her some
/ expression of her feelings. They told
! her OF her relatives and her playmates,
! and asked what message of love she
| would send them, but she had been COM
manded to silence, and with no hope OF
release was afraid to appear sad or de-
! iected, and by a stoical effort controlled
! her emotions, lest the terrors of her cap
tivity should be increased. But the anx-
iety of her mind was betrayed by the
/ qufver of her lips, showing that she was
not insensible to the common feelings of
| humanity.
AS the years rolled by Cynthia Ann de-
veloped the charms of captivating
womanhood, and the hearts of more than
| one .dusky warrior was pierced by the
/ Ulyssean darts of her laughing eyes and
the ripple of her silver voice, and laid
at her feet the trophies of the chase.
Among the number whom her budding
charms brought to her shrine was Pe-ta-
| to-co-na, a redoubtabIe Comanche war
chief, in prowess and renown the peer OF
! the famous Big Foot, who fell in des-
perate hand-to-hand combat with the no
| less famous Texan Indial-fghter, Cap
tain Shapley P. Ross, of Waco, the illus
trious father of the still more distinguish
ed son, General Sui Ross, now serving
his second term as Governor of Texas,
from whom and his heroic father many of
the details of this narrative were obtain
/ ed It is a remarkable and happy CO.
incidence that the son, emulating the
fathers contagious deeds of valor and
prowess, afIerward in single combat In
the valley of the Wichita, forever put to
rest the brave and knightly Pe-ta-no-
| coma.
Cynthia Ann, stranger now to every
word of her mother tongue, save only her
childhood name, became the bride of the
drown warrior Pe-ta-no-co-na, bore him
three children, and loved him with fierce
passion and wifely devotion, evidenced
by the fact that fifteen years after her
capture a party of hunters. including
friends of her family, visited the Co
manche encampment on the Upper Can
adian River, and recognizing Cynthia
/
endeavored to induce her to return to her
kindred and the abode of civilization.
! She shook her head in a sorrowful mega
tive, and, pointing to her little naked
barbarians sporting at her feet and to the
great lazy chief sleeping in the shade
| near by, the locks of score o. f. n
scalps DANGLING at his belt, replied:
I am happily welded; love my bus
band and my little ones, who are his,
too, and cannot forsake them. :"
| RECAPTURE OF CYNTHIA ANN PARKER
PE-TA-NC-CO-NA.
/ This brilliant achievement and the
thrilling events which preceded 1t, can
best be to in the graphic language of
the hero who accomplished it, General
| Lawrence Sullivan Ross, Gov rnor of
Texas, and therefore append his mod
| est letter:
EXECUTIVE OFFICE,
/ AUSTIN. Texas April 8, 1890
Gen. Geo. F. Afford, Dallas Texas:
My DEAR GENERALS: In response to
your request, 1 herewith inclose you my
recolections, after lapse of thirty years,
of the events to which you refer:
In 1858, Major Earle Van Dorm, with
the Second Cavalry, =. S. A., one COM
pany of infantry to guard his depot OF
supplies, and 1876 friendly Indians under
my command, made successful cam
paign against the Comanches, and by a
series Of we1l-directed blows, inflicted
terrible punishment upon them. On the
morning of October l, 1858. we came in
sight of a large Indian village on the
waters of the Wichita River near what is
now known as Fort Sill, in the Indian
Territory. They were not apprehensive
of an attack and most of them were still
asleep. Major Van Dorm directed me, at
the head of my Indians, to charge down
the line of their lodges or tents, cut off
their horses and run them back on the
hill. This was quickly accomplished.
Van Dorm then charged the village. strik-
it at the upper end, as it stretched along
Doggy branch. After placing about
thirty-tive of my Indians as a guard
around the Comanche horses, some 400
in number, charged with the balance of
my Indian force into the lower end of
the village.
The morning was very foggy and after
a few minutes of firing the smoke and
| fog became SO dense that objects at but a
short distance could be distinguished
only with great difficulty. The Conan
ches fought with great desperation, as all
they possessed was in imminent peril.
Shortly after the engagement became
general, l discovered a number of Co.
manches running down the branch, about
lou ydIus from GA0 Vll1dSS, anu COucAUu-
ed they were retreating. About this time
/ was joined by Lieutenant Van Camp,
U. S. A., and regular soldier by the
| name of Alexander. With these and one
Caddo Indian I ran to intercept them,
| thus becoming seper ted from the balance
of my force. soon discovered that the
fugitives we're women and children. Just
then, however. another posse of them
came along and as they passed I dis
covered in their midst little white girl,
and made the Caddo Indian seize her as
she was passing. She was about eight
years of age and became badly frightened
and difficult to manage when she found
| herself detained by us. then discovered.
much to my dismay, that about twenty
| five Comanche warriors, under cover of
the smoke. had cut off my small party of
four from communication W tn our COM
rades and were bearing down upon US.
They shot Lieut.. Van Camp through the
heart, killing him while he was
! in the act of firing his double
barreled gun. Alexander was next shot
down and his rife fell out of his
hands 7 had n Sharn's rifle and at