Fort Parker massacre facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Fort Parker massacre |
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| Part of the Native American Wars | |||||||
 Fort Parker |
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| Belligerents | |||||||
| Comanche Kiowa Caddo Wichita |
Texas | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| unknown | John Parker | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 100–600 fighters | ~15 militiamen | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| none | 5 killed, 5 captured |
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The Fort Parker attack happened in May 1836. It is also known as the Fort Parker raid. During this event, a group of Native American fighters attacked American settlers from the Parker family. These fighters were from the Comanche, Caddo, and Wichita tribes.
During the attack, a nine-year-old girl named Cynthia Ann Parker was captured. She lived most of her life with the Comanche people. She later married a Comanche chief named Peta Nocona. They had a son, Quanah Parker, who became a very important leader of the Comanche tribe. Cynthia's brother, John Richard Parker, was also captured. He stayed with the Comanches for six years before he was set free. However, he found it hard to live in American society again and chose to return to the Comanche Nation.
Contents
Building Fort Parker
Fort Parker was built about two miles north of where Groesbeck is today. It was built by Elder John Parker (1758–1836) and his family. They were part of a church group from Illinois.
John Parker's group came to Texas in 1833. They settled near the Navasota River and built a fort to protect themselves from Native Americans. The fort was finished in March 1834.
Fort Parker had 12-foot-high log walls that surrounded four acres of land. It had watchtowers on two corners and six cabins inside. There were two entrances: a large double gate facing south and a small gate for easy access to a spring. Most people living in the fort were part of John and Sarah Parker's large family.
The Attack on Fort Parker
The settlers began to make their homes and farm the land around the fort. They made peace agreements with nearby Native American tribes. However, after a battle at the Alamo, the Comanche and other tribes felt stronger. They wanted to take back their lands.
On May 19, 1836, a large group of Native Americans attacked Fort Parker. This group included Comanches, Kiowas, Caddos, and Wichitas. Rachel Plummer, one of the settlers, wrote that "one minute the fields... were clear, and the next moment, more Indians than I dreamed possible were in front of the fort."
One of the Native Americans came close to the fort holding a white flag. The settlers inside did not believe it was a real peace sign. Silas Parker, one of the settlers, wanted the five men in the fort to fight from the walls.
Benjamin Parker, another settler, thought he could gain time for the women and children to escape. He believed five men could not hold off the attackers for long. He felt that if they fought, everyone would be killed. He argued that they should try to talk to the attackers to give others a chance to run. Their father, John Parker, agreed with Benjamin.
Benjamin knew he might be killed. According to Rachel Plummer, Benjamin told his brother and father that they should run to the woods. Silas still wanted to fight. Benjamin told Rachel to "run little Rachel, for your life and your unborn child, run now and fast!" He then went back outside to talk to the attackers.
The few minutes Benjamin bought allowed most of the women and children to escape. Rachel Plummer, who was pregnant, stayed because she was afraid she could not keep up while carrying her two-year-old son. She heard Silas shout as he fought alone, and then he was killed.
Benjamin Parker was killed first. Before the fort's gates could be closed, the attackers rushed inside. Silas Parker was killed outside the gate. Samuel Frost and his son Robert were killed inside the fort as they tried to escape.
John Parker's wife was captured after coming out of the woods. Lucy Parker and her two youngest children were captured but then rescued. However, Lucy's two oldest children, Rachel and her son, and Elizabeth Kellogg were all taken captive.
In total, five men were killed. Two women and three children were captured. The rest of the settlers escaped into the wilderness.
Who Was at Fort Parker?
Here are some of the people at Fort Parker on May 19, 1836:
- Elder John Parker (killed) and his wife, Sarah Pinson Duty
- Benjamin F. W. Parker (killed)
- Silas Mercer Parker (killed) and his wife, Lucinda Duty
- Cynthia Ann Parker (captured)
- John Richard Parker (captured)
- Samuel Frost (killed) and his wife
- Robert Frost (killed)
- Rachel Parker (captured) and her son, James Pratt Plummer (captured)
- Elizabeth Duty Kellogg (captured)
All the captured people were later set free or exchanged for money. Elizabeth Kellogg was freed within three months. The others were held for several years.
The Captives
Cynthia Ann Parker
Cynthia Ann Parker was nine years old when she was captured. She lived with the Comanches for almost 25 years. She married a Comanche chief named Peta Nocona. They had three children, including Quanah Parker.
In 1860, Cynthia Ann was found by Texas Rangers during the Battle of Pease River. She was identified by her uncle, Isaac Parker. She was returned to his home in Texas. Cynthia Ann never felt comfortable living in American society again. She died in 1870 at age 43.
She was first buried in Texas. Later, her son Quanah had her moved to be buried next to him in Oklahoma. In 1957, their graves were moved to a military cemetery in Fort Sill, Oklahoma. In 1965, Cynthia's daughter, Prairie Flower, was also moved to be buried with them.
John Richard Parker
Cynthia Ann's brother, John Richard Parker, was set free in 1842. His cousin, James Pratt Plummer, was also freed at the same time. John found it hard to live in white society and went back to the Comanche.
Later, he got smallpox during a Comanche raid. The war party left him to die. A Mexican girl who was a captive cared for him. After he recovered, he helped her return to her family. He then lived the rest of his life in Mexico, where he married her. He died in 1915.
Rachel Plummer
Rachel Plummer was 17 years old when she was captured. She was the daughter of James Parker and cousin to Cynthia and John. She was held by the Comanche for two years. Her father later paid to have her freed.
Rachel wrote a book about her time as a captive. It was published in 1838 and became very popular. Rachel died in 1840 during childbirth, just a year after being freed.
James Pratt Plummer
James Pratt was Rachel Plummer's son. He was separated from his mother after being captured. He was later given to another Comanche group. In late 1842, he was set free. In 1843, he was reunited with his grandfather, James W. Parker.
James Pratt Plummer married twice and had four children. He died in 1862 while serving in the Confederate Army.
Elizabeth Duty Kellogg
In May 1836, Elizabeth Kellogg was taken by a group of Kichai Indians. Later that summer, Delaware Indians bought her. They then sold her to her brother-in-law, James W. Parker, in August 1836. She was reunited with her sister on September 6, 1836.
Important People Connected to the Story
James W. Parker
James W. Parker was working in the fields when the attack happened. He spent much of his life and money searching for his daughter Rachel, his grandson James, and his niece and nephew, Cynthia and John Richard. He faced many dangers during his search.
James W. Parker was Cynthia Ann Parker's uncle, Rachel Plummer's father, and James Pratt Plummer's grandfather.
Quanah Parker
Quanah Parker, Cynthia Ann Parker's son, became a very important leader among the Comanche. After most of the Comanche and other tribes were defeated, Quanah and his group surrendered. They were moved to an Indian reservation in Oklahoma Territory.
Quanah Parker was made chief of all the Comanche tribes on the reservation. Before he died in 1911, he arranged for his mother and sister to be moved. They were reburied next to where he would be buried in Oklahoma. In 1957, all three were moved again to a military cemetery in Fort Sill, Oklahoma.
Images for kids
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Fort Parker
