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

and, leaning against 1t, with one arm
around it for support, began to sing
wild, weird song, the death-song of the
savage. There was a plaintive melody
stances, flied my heart with sorrow.
At this time my Mexican servant. who
had once been captive with the Conan
ches and spoke their language as fluent
~ as his mother tongue, came up In
company with others of my men, Through
him | summoned the chief to surrender,
but he promptly tie ted every overture
with contempt, and signalized his refusal
with q savage attempt to thrust me
through with his lance, which he still held
in his left hand. / could only look upon
him with pity and admiration, for de-
plorahle as was his situation, with no
possible chance of escape, his army utterly
destroyed, his wife and child captives in
his sight, he was undaunted by the fate
that awaited him, aud, as he preferred
de ath to life, l directed the Mexican to
end his misery by charge of buckshot
from the gun which he carried, and the
brave savage, who had been so long the
scourge and terror Of the Texan frontier,
passed into the land of shadows and
rested with his fathers.
Taking UP his accouterments, which l
subsequently delivered to General Sam
Houston, as Governor of Texas and
COMMUNICATIVE chief of her soldiery, to
be deposited in the State archives at Aus
tin we rode back TO the captive woman,
whose identity was then unknown, and
found Lieutenant Kellerheir, who was
guarding her and her child, bitterly
cursing himself for having run his pet
horse so hard after an "old squaw." She
was very dirty and far from attractive in
I, ~ To oil hn~
son, but as soon as looked on her face,
l said: "Why Tom, this is a white
woman; Indians do not have blue eyes"
On our way to the captured Indian viii
lage where our men were assembling
with the spoils of battle and large cav
alcade of Indian ponies which we had
captured, [ discovered an Indian boy
about nine years old secreted in the tall
grass. Expecting to be killed, he began
to cry, but made him mount behind me
and carried him along, taking him to my
home at Waco, where he became an
obedient member of my family. When.
in after years, tried TO induce him to
return to his people, he refused to go,
and died in McLennan County about four
years ago.
When camped for the night, Cynthia
Ann, Our then unknown captive, kept
crying, and thinking it was caused from
fear of death at our hands, had the
Mexican tell her, in the Comanche Ian
guage, that we recognized her as one of
our own people and would not harm her.
She replied that two of her sons in addi-
ton to the infant daughter were with her
when the fight began, and she was dis
tressed by the fear that they had been
killed. It so happened, however, that
both escaped, and one of them-Quanah,
is now the chief of the Comanche tribe.
The other son died some years ago on
the plains. Through my Mexican inter-
prefer 1 then asked her to give me the
history of her life with the Indians and
the circumstances attending her capture
by them, which she promptly did in
very intelligent manner, and as the
facts detailed by her correspond
with the massacre at Parker's
Fort in 1886, was impressed with the be-
lief that she was Cynthia Ann Parker.
Returning to my post, / sent her and her
child to the ladies at Camp Cooper,
where she could receive the attention her
sex and situation demanded. and at the
same time I dispatched a messenger to
Col Isaac Parker, her uncle, near
Weatherford, Parker County, named as
his mem orial, for he was for many years
a distinguished Senator in the Congress
of the republic and in the Legislature of
the State after annexation. When Col.
Parker came to my post sent the Mexi-
can with him to Camp Cooper in the
capacity of interpreter, and her identity
was soon discovered to Col. Parker's
entire satisfaction. She has been cap
tive just twenty four years and seven
months, and WAS in her thirty-fourth
year when recovered.
The fruits of that important victory
n never be computed in dollars and
cents. The great Comanche confederacy
was forever broken, the blow was deci-
sive, their illustrious chief slept with his
fathers, and with him were most of his
doughty warriors, many captives were
taken, $50 horses, their camp equ1page,
accumulated winter supplies, etc.
If could spare time from my official
duties, and had patience, could furnish
you with many thrilling incidents never
published relating to the early exploits,
trials and sufferings of the pioneers. My
father was appointed Indian Agent in
1856. He had an excellent memory and
tr5 as ured these until later in life listen
ed by the hour to their recital. remain,
my dear General, sincerely your friend.
L. S. Ross.
But little of this sad episode remains
to be told. Cynthia Ann and her infant
barDar1an were taken TO AUSTIN, the cap1-
tai of the State. The immortal Sam
Houston was Governor, and the Seces-
son Convention was in session. She
was taken to the State House, where this
august body were holding grave discus
sion as to the policy of withdrawing
from the Federal compact. Cynthia Ann,
comprehending not one word OF her
mother tongue, concluded it was coun-
ell of mighty chiefs, assembled for the
trial of her life, and in great alarm tried
to make her escape. Her brother, Hon.
Dan Parker, who resided near Parker's
Bluff, Anderson County was member
of the Legislature from that county and
a colleague of this VIZ ter, who then rep
resented the Eleventh Senatorial Dis
trict-
Colonel Dan Parker took his unhappy
sister to his comfortable home, and es-
sayed by the kind Offices of tenderness
and affection to restore her to the COM
forts and enjoyments of civilized life. to
which she had been so long /" stranger.
But as thorough an Indian in manner
and looks as if she had been native born,
she sought every opportunity to escape
and rejoln her dusky companions, and had
TO be constantly and closely watched.
Tbo civil c+rifo than xraOo6 Ia