Captives! The Narratives of Seven Women Taken Prisoner by the Plains Indians of the American West

Taken by the Indians of the West

As the inexorable passage of pioneer immigrants pushed westward into the vastness of the American wilderness it was inevitable that the new settlers would collide with the indigenous peoples in their path and that this clash of cultures over that most precious of commodities, the land upon which to live freely, would come to bloodshed. This was hostility that saw little mercy for the combatants, but for women and children an Indian raid could end with not only the loss of male relatives but also with captivity at the hands of tribal warriors. Many a pioneer woman disappeared never to be heard of again, but some were rescued or lived to tell of-and indeed write down-accounts of their gruelling experiences. This book chronicles the experiences of seven such women, including Cynthia Parker-the mother of Quannah Parker-one of the most renowned and feared chiefs of the Comanche's in the history of the American West. Each of these pieces is too small to achieve individual re-publication in modern times, but in this book Leonaur has gathered them together in a gripping collection which is essential reading for those interested in the pioneer movement and the fortitude and endurance of remarkable western women in adversity. Available in soft cover and hard cover with dust jacket.