Cynthia Ann Parker, (1827 – 1871), was born to Silas and Lucinda Parker in Crawford County, Illinois. When she was about nine years old, her grandfather, John Parker, was recruited to settle his family in north-central Texas; he was to establish a settlement fortified.  The Parker family, its extended kin, and surrounding families established Fort Parker on the headwaters of the Navasota River.

Cynthia Ann Parker, (1827 – 1871), was born to Silas and Lucinda Parker in Crawford County, Illinois. When she was about nine years old, her grandfather, John Parker, was recruited to settle his family in north-central Texas; he was to establish a settlement fortified.  The Parker family, its extended kin, and surrounding families established Fort Parker on the headwaters of the Navasota River.

In 1836, hundreds of Comanche and their allies attacked the new community which was unprepared for the ferocity and speed of the Indian warriors. Cynthia was among those captured.

Over a period of years, the Comanche released other captives as their families paid ransoms but because Cynthia Parker was about nine years of age, she had already been adopted by a Tenowish Comanche couple, who raised her as their own daughter. Cynthia was called Naduah, or Preloch which means “was found” or “someone found”.

Over time, she became fully assimilated into the Comanche culture and way of life. She married Peta Nocona, a chief.  Because of his affection for her, he never took another wife, even though it was customary for chieftains to do so. Their three children were: sons Quanah, who became the last free Comanche chief, & Pecos (Pecan), and their daughter was named Topsannah (Prairie Flower).

In December 1860, after years of searching, a band of Texas Rangers discovered a band of Comanche, in Comancharia, that was rumored to hold American captives. Parker was captured by the Texas Rangers during the Battle of Pease River, also known as the “Pease River Massacre”. During this raid, the Rangers killed an estimated six to twelve people, mostly women and children.

Shortly after the Rangers attacked, the Comanches attempted to flee. As the rangers approached her, she held a child over her head. The Rangers began questioning their captives and Cynthia identified herself as a Parker.  Her information matched what they knew of the captives taken in the 1836 Massacre. The Rangers took Parker and her daughter to Camp Cooper, and notified her uncle, Colonel Isaac Parker that she had been returned. He took her to his home.

Parker’s return to her birth family captured the country’s imagination. In 1861, the Texas legislature granted her a square league of land (about 4,400 acres) and an annual pension of $100 for the next five years.

However, Cynthia never adjusted to her new surroundings and was uncomfortable with the attention she received. In 1864, Parker’s daughter, Topsannah, caught influenza and died of pneumonia. She was stricken with grief, -missing her daughter, sons, and the Comanche way of life.

Parker escaped at least once but was recaptured and was taken back to her extended biological family against her will.  Her family and community did not understand her desire to return.  They believed she had been “saved” by being returned to their society.

Cynthia died in 1871. Author and screenwriter Michael Blake states that the character of “Stands with a Fist” in the 1990 film Dances With Wolves, was actually based upon Parker.

Welcome to “Sharing the Stories of History with Tim Mann”!

Meet Timothy A. Mann, a passionate historian born and raised in the heart of Shelby County, Ohio where Tim’s roots run deep in the rich soil of American history. As the author of articles and books, including “Frontier Miscellany Concerning the Miami County Ohio Militia,” “Colonel John Mann, His Kith and Kin,” and “Frontier Militia – The War of 1812,” Tim’s literary contributions have enlightened and inspired countless history enthusiasts.

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