Sturgis advertiser. (Sturgis, Dakota [S.D.]) 1887-1???, 1890-09-18

her Of her relatives ana her plsynatss,
and asked VIII message of love she
would send them, bat she had been conn
manded to lence, and with no hope Of
release was afraid TO APP ear sad or de-
jected, and by stoical effort controlled
her emotions. lest the ierrors of her caps
tiVity should he increased. But the anx-
iety Of her mind was betrayed by the
CULVER of her lips, showing that she was
not insensible TO the common feelings of
humanity.
AS the years rolled by Cynthia Ann de-.
velopcd the charms Of captivating
womanhood, and I'll hearts of more than
one dusky war; or W pierced by the
Ulyssean dafts of her laughing eyes and
the ripple OF her silver vote, snd laid
at her feet the trophies of the chase.
Among the number whom her budding
charms brought to her shrine was Pe-ta-
to- coma, q retioubtable Comanche war
chief, in prowess en- renown the peer of
the famous Big Foot, VINO fell in des-
perate hand-to-hand combat W Tia the no
less famous Texan Indian fighter, Cap
tain Shapley p. Ross, of Waco, the illus
trious father of the still more distin ,uish-
ed son, General Sui Ross, HOW serving
his second term as Governor of Texas,
the details of this narrative were obtain
ed. 1t is remarkable end happy co..
incidence that the son, emulating the
fathers contagious deeds of yalor and
prowess, aftefward in single combat in
the valley of the Wichita, forever put to
rest the brave and knis htly Pe-ta-no-
coma.
Cynthia Ann stranger now to every
word OF her mother tongue, save only her
childhood name, became the briie OF the
brown 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 party Of hunters, including
friends OF her family, visited the Co
manche encampment on the Upper Can
adian River, and recognizing Cynthia
Ann through the medium of her name,
endeavored to iniuce or to return to her
kindred and the abode of civilization.
She shook her head in O 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 Of fresh
scalps dangling at his belt, replied:
am happily welded; I love my hus-
band and my little ones, who are his,
too, and cannot forsake them.
RECAPTURE OF CYNTHIA Ann PARKER
PE-TA-No-CO-NA
This brilliant achievement and the
thrilling events which preceded it, can
best be tod in the graphic language of
the hero who accomplished it, General
Lawrence Sullivan Ross, Governor of
Texas, and 1 therefore append his mod
est letter: ...
EXECUTIVE OFFICE
AUSTIN, Texas, April 8, $780,
Gen. Geo. F. Afford, Dallas. Texas:
MY DEAR GENERAL: In response to
your request. 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, q. S. A., one COM
pany of infantry to guard his depot of
supplies, and 1875 friendly Indians under
my command, made q successful cam
paign against the Comanches, and by a
series OF well-directed blows, inflicted
terrible punishment upon them. On the
morning of October /, 1858, we came in
sight of 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
a Doggy branch. After placing about
thirty tive of my Indians as guard
around the Comsnche 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
few minutes of firing the smoke and
fog became SO dense that objects at but
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, I discovered a number of Co
manches running down the branch, about
$50 yards from the village, and conclud-
ed they were retreating. About this time
l was joined by Lieutenant Van Camp,
U. S. A, and n regular soldier by the
name of Alexander. With these and one
Caddo Indian I ran to intercept them,
thus becoming seperated from the balance
of my force. / soon discovered that the
fugitives were women and children. Just
then, however, another posse of them
came along, and as they passed 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 INV small party of
four from communication with our COM
Iades 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. I had Sharp's rife, and at
tempted to shoot the Indian just as he
shot Alexander, but the cap snapped.
Another warrior named Mohee, whom I
had often seen at my fathers camp on
the frontier, when he was Indian Agent,
then seized Alexander's loaded gun and
shot me through the body. fell upon
the side on which my pistol was borne,
and, though partially paralyzed by the
shot, / was endeavoring to turn myself
and get my revolver out, when the Co.
manche nearest me drew out long
bladed butcher knife and started to stab
and scalp me. Tt seemed that my time
had certainly come. He made but few
steps, however, when one of his compan-
ions cried oat something in the Co.
mancha tongue, and they all broke away
and fed in confusion. Mohee, the In
dian VINO shot me, ran only about twenty
steps when he received q load of buckshot
fired from gun in the hands of Lieut..
James Majors, of the Second Cavalry,
U. S. A., who with party of soldiers
had op9 ortunely come to my rescue.