Herman Lehmann facts for kids

Herman Lehmann (born June 5, 1859 – died February 2, 1932) was a boy who was captured by Native Americans when he was almost 11 years old. He lived with the Apache and later the Comanche tribes for many years. His story became famous because he was a white child raised by Native Americans. He later wrote a book about his experiences called Nine Years Among the Indians.

Herman Lehmann's Early Life

Herman Lehmann was born on June 5, 1859, near Mason, Texas. His parents, Ernst Moritz Lehmann and Augusta Johanna Adams Lehmann, were immigrants from Germany. Herman was one of several children in the family. His father passed away in 1862. A year later, his mother, Augusta, married Philip Buchmeier, a stonemason from the area.

The Capture of Herman Lehmann

On May 16, 1870, Herman Lehmann, who was almost 11, and his 8-year-old brother, Willie, were helping their mother. They were in the fields, trying to scare birds away from the wheat. Suddenly, a group of eight to ten Apaches captured them. Their two sisters managed to escape safely.

Four days later, the Apache group met some African-American cavalry soldiers. These soldiers were led by Sergeant Emanuel Stance and were looking for the Lehmann boys. During a short fight, Willie Lehmann was able to get away. However, the Apaches fled with young Herman. Sergeant Stance later received a Medal of Honor for his bravery on this mission. The place where Herman was captured is now a special historical site in Texas.

Life with the Apache Tribe

A few months after Herman was captured, the Apaches told him a lie. They said his whole family had been killed. This made Herman feel like he had no reason to try and escape. The Apaches took him to their village in eastern New Mexico. A man named Carnoviste and his wife, Laughing Eyes, adopted Herman.

Herman lived with the Apaches for about six years. He learned their ways and became part of their culture. He even became a minor chief. As a young warrior, he was involved in a famous fight with the Texas Rangers. This happened on August 24, 1875, near Fort Concho. A Ranger named James Gillett almost shot Herman. But he realized Herman was a white captive just in time. When the Rangers tried to find him later, Herman escaped by crawling through the tall grass.

Joining the Comanche Tribe

Around the spring of 1876, Herman Lehmann killed an Apache medicine man. He did this to get revenge for the medicine man killing Carnoviste, who was his chief and adoptive father. Fearing revenge from the Apaches, Herman ran away and hid alone for a year. He became very lonely and decided to look for a Comanche tribe to join.

He watched a Comanche tribe all day. Then, after dark, he entered their camp. At first, they were going to kill him. But a young warrior who spoke the Apache language came forward. Herman explained his story: he was born white, adopted by Apaches, and had left them after killing the medicine man. Another brave confirmed his story, and he was welcomed to stay. The Comanches gave him a new name, Montechema.

In the spring of 1877, Herman and the Comanches attacked buffalo hunters in Texas. Herman was hurt by hunters in a surprise attack. This happened at Yellow House Canyon (now Lubbock, Texas) on March 18, 1877. This was one of the last big fights between Native Americans and non-Native Americans in Texas.

In July 1877, the famous Comanche chief Quanah Parker went to find the remaining fighting Comanches. Herman Lehmann was with a group Quanah found near the Pecos River in New Mexico. Quanah convinced them to stop fighting and go to the Indian reservation near Fort Sill, in what is now Oklahoma. Herman didn't want to go at first, but he later followed Quanah's request.

Returning Home and Adjusting to a New Life

Herman Lehmann lived with Quanah Parker's family on the Kiowa-Comanche reservation from 1877 to 1878. Many people noticed the white boy living among the Native Americans. Herman's mother was still searching for him. She asked Colonel Mackenzie, the leader at Fort Sill, if there were any blue-eyed boys on the reservation. He said yes, but the description didn't seem to match her son. Still, she asked for the boy to be brought to her.

In April 1878, Herman was sent with soldiers to his family in Texas. Five soldiers and a driver took him to Loyal Valley in Mason County, Texas. Herman arrived on May 12, 1878, eight years after he was captured. The people of Loyal Valley gathered to see him. When he arrived, neither he nor his mother recognized each other. Herman had believed his family was dead because the Apaches had shown him false proof.

It was his sister who found a scar on his arm. She remembered causing it when they were playing with a hatchet as children. His family surrounded him, welcoming him home. Distant memories slowly began to come back. When he heard someone say "Herman," it sounded familiar, and he realized it was his own name.

At first, Herman was quiet and didn't want much to do with his family. He said, "I was an Indian, and I did not like them because they were palefaces." It was hard for him to get used to his original culture again. He didn't like the food offered and wasn't used to sleeping in a bed.

Herman Lehmann later wrote two books about his life. The first, published in 1899, was called A Condensed History of the Apache and Comanche Indian Tribes. Herman didn't like this book because he felt the writer had added things that weren't true. His second book, Nine Years Among the Indians, was published in 1927. Herman asked for this book to be written exactly as he told his story. This book is considered a very important story about being captured by Native Americans.

Throughout his life, Herman Lehmann felt caught between two very different cultures. He became a popular figure in Oklahoma and Texas. He would appear at fairs and rodeos. To entertain people, he would chase a calf, kill it with arrows, jump off his horse, cut out the calf's liver, and eat it raw.

Herman Lehmann's story also inspired a book called Savage Sam by Fred Gipson. This book was a sequel to Old Yeller.

Personal Life and Death

On July 16, 1885, Herman Lehmann married N.E. Burke. This marriage later ended. On March 4, 1896, Herman married Fannie Light. They had two sons (Henry and John) and three daughters (Amelia, May, and Caroline).

In 1900, they moved back to Indian Territory (now Oklahoma) to be closer to his Apache and Comanche friends. On August 26, 1901, Quanah Parker officially stated that Herman Lehmann had been his adopted son from 1877 to 1878. Because of this, in 1908, the United States Congress gave Herman Lehmann 160 acres of land in Oklahoma. He chose a spot near Grandfield and moved there in 1910. He later gave some of his land for a school.

Herman Lehmann passed away on February 2, 1932, in Loyal Valley, Texas. He is buried there next to his mother and stepfather.