The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1890-04-10
MOTHER OF A CHIEF.
A Border Romance Narrated by
One Concerned In It.
Cynthia Ann. . White Girl, Captured In
Childhood and Adopted by tho CO.
manches-She Pinned for the Saw
age Life She Led.


Childhood and Adopted by tho CO.
manches-She Pinned for the Saw
age Life She Led.
The agitation of the Indian land ques-
ton brings to mind the tragedy and ro-
nance connected with the well-known
chief, Quanah. His mother
was white woman captured in her
young girlhood by the Comanches, and
taken from her home in Texas over into
New Mexico. Her family, one of the
most prominent of Texas, resided in
Anderson County.
lived in Eastern Texas at the time,
my parents home being near that of
Captain Parker. This is near what is
now Palestine, then composed of a few
cabins. 1t was away back in the days
when Texas was a republics few years
before she joined the sisterhood of
States.
l was wee bit of a barefooted
boy, attending my first school in the
pine woods. I can still see, in my men,
DRY, that old school-house and its sur.
roundings. Some of the boys and girls
who attended that old school are now
men and women of prominence, known
everywhere. The old school-house was
made of pine logs with the bark on.
This bark served as home for the
scorpions, which made themselves free
and easy in livening up the
pupils, and the ''tsek, tsek,
tsek" of the sawyer worm work.
ing in those logs was the constant
music of the day. The great wide
chimney, made of cross sticks covered
with clay and moss, was not the least
picturesque of the surroundings. The
inevitable spring branch was just under
the hill whore we got water from the
spring and waded in the brook with our
little juvenile sweethearts, a pastime for
which we inevitably received the good
old-style thrashing. The desks were
simply rough pine boxes with the lids
sloping toward you, held on by strips Of
leather for hinges. The seats were pine
slabs, hewn smooth on the straight sur
face, holes bored in the under side and
pegs driven into them for legs. Each
bench extended the length of half the
room. The floor was what was called a
puncheon. This was made of pine slabs,
split and put together as closely as pos
slble, and pegged to the sleepers. Pick
ing splinters out of the bare feet of the
scholars" as the pupils we're called,
was regula business, the puncheon
floors furnishing splinters every day
and every year, from generation to gen.
Grafton. Many tender little feminine
heart was captured while its owner,
playing the surgeon, was picking the
splinters out of the feet of some youth
full Romeo, who bravely kept back the
tears, when it was plain to the tender
hearted surgeon that he was suffering
mortal agony.
There was in this school very pretty
blue-eyed little maiden about my own
tender age. She was named Cynthia Ann,
daughter Of Captain John Parker. Cap.
tain Parker was quite "a big man. in
the neighbcrhood; lived in large
plank" house with real glass windows
and green blinds. Favored, indeed, was
the boy who could win smile from OF
claim the favor of sweet little Cynthia
Ann. Wasn't her father member of the
Texas Congress? So was the envy Of
oil the boys. as Cynthia Ann and be-
came fast friends, and, of course; was
the cause of many fight. In short
time we acknowledged, without blush
ing, that we were sweethearts, Cynthia
Ann and I. In fact, she was not back
ward in letting it be known herself
This settled the dispute, but resulted il
more fights and some few lickings fol
me.
One dark night the Comanche Indians
then raiding in that part of Texas, were
announced in our neighborhood. Every
body took shelter in the block house
nearest his immediate abode. Captain
Parker's family took refuge in the grea
Foster block house, near where Pales
tine now is. The Indians attacked thi
nd killed and scalped every one of tn,
inmates, including all of Captain Par
ker's family except Cynthia Ann. The!
carried her into captivity away into thu
barren hills of New Mexico. As man,
men as could be spared from the neigh
Dorhood followed the Indians for severa
weeks, hoping to be able to retake Gym
hia Ann, but they were unsuccessful.
In 1861 Colonel L. Sui. Ross, of Waco
then commander of the Texas Rangers
afterwards distinguished as dashinj
cavalry General at the head of tn
Texas troops during the late war, VIII
is now Governor of Texas, gave battl'
to an invading band of Comanches il
the Northwestern part of the State. H,
utterly routed them, killing and captur
ing many of their warriors Among tn
latter was an exceptionally fierce littl
brave who refused to surrender until
six-shooter was pointed at him and wa
on the point of being discharged. H
then threw up his hands and in soft
feminine voice cried out:
Americana! Americanav'
Throwing back the red covering Q
skins he revealed to the astonishe
Texans the neck, throat and breast of
woman, and, though she was brownies
by exposure, they Immediately saw tina
she was undoubtedly of white parent
age She was dressed as were the othe
warriors, and was fiercer and more skill
full than any of them. Colonel Ros
sent her with the other prisoners to tn
capital of the State. The legislator
was in session. was then serving m
first term as legislator, and was put o
the committee to make disposition 9
! the Indians. Through the medium G
an interpreter had an interview wit
the captured squaw, as 1 imagined sh
must have very interesting history
What was my surprise and sorrow t
learn thatshe was my little sweethear
Of earlier days, Cynthia Ann Parker
: who had been captured seventeen year
before. She W1s recognized by he
incle, Hon. Dave Parker, then and 70
nearly thirty years afterward membe
Of the Legislature. She was taken t
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