Peta Nocona facts for kids

Texas historical marker in Crowell, Texas

Peta Nocona (around 1820-1864) was a respected chief of the Kwahadi division of the Comanche people. He was the son of another chief, Iron Jacket. Peta Nocona is well-known for marrying Cynthia Ann Parker, a white girl who was captured in a raid and later became part of the Comanche tribe. Their son, Quanah Parker, grew up to be the last great war chief of the Comanche.

Peta Nocona chose Cynthia Ann Parker as his wife from the Nokoni band. He led his people during the Indian Wars in Texas from the late 1840s to the 1860s. During this time, the United States government tried to control the Native American tribes. Peta Nocona became so famous that some people thought the Nokoni band was named after him, but the band existed long before he was born. The city of Nocona, Texas is named in his honor.

There is some disagreement about how Peta Nocona died. While some, like Sul Ross, claimed he was killed at the Battle of Pease River, Peta Nocona's son, Quanah Parker, said his father was not there. Quanah stated that his father died several years later from an illness caused by an old battle wound. This idea is supported by Texas historian John Henry Brown.

The Fort Parker Attack

Cynthia Ann Parker was born in Crawford County, Illinois. Her exact birth year is debated, but she was likely born around 1824 or 1825. The Mexican government had encouraged American settlers to move to Texas. They hoped these settlements would help stop Comanche raids into Mexico. The Parker family, known for settling on the frontier, moved to Central Texas.

When Cynthia was nine years old, her family built Fort Parker, a log fort, in what is now Limestone County. Her grandfather, Elder John Parker, had made peace agreements with local tribes. He believed these agreements would keep his family safe from all Native American attacks.

However, the Comanche had their own customs. They did not feel bound by treaties made by other tribes. Raiding was a common practice for the Comanche. When the Comanche raiding season began, Fort Parker was one of many settlements that faced attacks. Many Texas forces were busy elsewhere, leaving frontier settlements like Fort Parker with few defenders.

On May 19, 1836, a large group of about 500 Nokoni Comanche warriors attacked Fort Parker. They were joined by allies from the Kiowa and Kichai tribes. The attackers killed most of the men at the fort. However, the Comanche chose to spare some children, taking them as captives. Cynthia Ann Parker was one of five people captured during this attack. After Mexico lost the Texas War of Independence, the new Texas government focused on finding and bringing back the many children and women who had been captured.

Cynthia Ann Parker and Peta Nocona's Family

Peta Nocona was a very successful war chief, leading many raids. Because of his strong leadership, his Kwahadi band became very important. Peta Nocona married Cynthia Ann Parker, who was known as Naduah among the Comanche. She was a white captive adopted by the Nokoni Comanche. Her foster father was named Tabby-nocca.

Even though it was common for successful Comanche chiefs to have many wives, Peta Nocona never married anyone else. He and Cynthia Ann had three children. Their oldest son was Quanah Parker, who also became a famous war chief. They had another son named Pecos, and a daughter named Topsannah, which means Prairie Flower.

The Texans never stopped trying to find the captives taken during the raids. Many captives were eventually returned through ransoms or rescue missions by Texas Rangers. However, some, like Cynthia Ann, chose to stay with the Comanche. In response to the raids, Texans launched their own attacks on Comanche settlements. This eventually led the Comanche war chiefs to seek peace.

Peace talks were planned in San Antonio. However, during these meetings, tensions grew, leading to fighting. Peta Nocona's wife and children were captured, and his band was scattered on December 18, 1860. This happened during the Battle of Pease River, led by Captain Lawrence Sullivan Ross and his Texas Rangers and militia.

Peta Nocona's Death

While there is debate about how Peta Nocona died, his band was definitely broken up. In early 1860, Peta Nocona led his band on a raid through Parker County, Texas, which was named after his wife's family. After the raid, he returned with his band to a place he thought was safe. This was near the Pease River, where Mule Creek flows into it. This spot was a favorite for the Comanche because it offered shelter from cold winds and good grazing for their horses. There were also many buffalo herds nearby for hunting.

Settlers in Austin pressured the Texas government to protect them from Comanche raids. Texas Governor Sam Houston asked Ranger Captain Sul Ross to form a group of 40 Rangers and 20 militiamen to stop the raids. This group of 60 men was based at Fort Belknap in Young County.

Ross realized he needed to go on the offensive. He began looking for signs of Native American camps, determined to confront them. After Peta Nocona's raid, Ross and his men tracked the Kwahadi. The Kwahadi were known as some of the toughest fighters among the Comanche, who were considered the fiercest of the Plains Indians. Modern studies suggest that Peta Nocona was planning to move his camp when the attack happened.

At dawn on December 18, 1860, Captain Ross's scouts found a large hunting party and camp along the Pease River. Ross moved his men close to Peta Nocona's Kwahadi camp. Ross sent 20 men to block any escape to the northwest. With the remaining 40 men, Ross led a charge into the camp. The Comanche were completely surprised. Many were killed where they stood or as they tried to flee.

There are two main stories about Peta Nocona's death. The first, widely believed and reported by Sul Ross, says that Peta Nocona died trying to escape with his wife and infant daughter. This account says that Peta Nocona and Cynthia Ann fled up a creek bed. A 15-year-old Mexican girl was reportedly on Peta Nocona's horse, while Cynthia Ann carried her two-year-old daughter, Topsannah. Captain Ross and his lieutenant, Tom Killiheir, chased the man they believed to be Peta Nocona.

However, Quanah Parker, Peta Nocona's oldest son, said his father was not at the battle. Quanah stated that his father died two or three years later from old war wounds. This story is strongly supported by the Comanche people's oral history. In this version, Peta Nocona was away hunting with Quanah Parker and a few others when the attack happened.

Several years after the Pease River battle and his father's death, Quanah Parker joined his mother's people, the Nokoni Comanche. Chief Horseback took Quanah and his brother Pecos under his care. Quanah Parker had not known his mother was white until Cynthia Ann Parker was taken back to white society. He then learned about his mixed heritage. His parents had never discussed his white background before.

According to Quanah Parker and other Comanche warriors, Peta Nocona was a sad and broken man after his wife was taken from him at Pease River. He was never the same. He died around 1863 or 1864 from complications of old war wounds from fighting the Apache, and from grief over losing his wife and infant daughter.

Some accounts, like those from historian Nye, support Quanah Parker's story. Nye claimed he met men who saw Peta Nocona alive several years after Pease River, suffering from an infected war wound. Nye also confirmed that Peta Nocona and Cynthia Ann Parker had a very happy marriage. Their forced separation was so painful that it led to both their deaths: Cynthia Ann Parker reportedly stopped eating, and Peta Nocona slowly faded away.

Peta Nocona in Stories and Movies

• The 2008 TV miniseries Comanche Moon included Peta Nocona as a character, played by Alan Tafoya.