Qualla: Battle of Pease River https://qualla.com/battle-of-pease-river en-us © 2026 Bendyline Mon, 20 Jul 2026 10:21:04 GMT Qualla serial false Qualla support@bendyline.com yes https://qualla.com/_m/9/y/1/1/battle-of-pease-river-wp/hero-small.webp Qualla: Battle of Pease River https://qualla.com/battle-of-pease-river Battle of Pease River: Introduction https://qualla.com/battle-of-pease-river/ Photo credit Nzeemin, CC BY-SA 3.0. She pointed at herself and said two words: "me Cynthia." On December 19, 1860, beneath the sandstone bluffs where Mule Creek meets the Pease River in what is now Foard County, Texas, a blue-eyed woman clutching an infant was pulled from the chaos of a Comanche camp under attack by Texas Rangers. Cynthia Ann Parker had been taken from her family at age nine during the Fort Parker massacre of 1836. She had grown up Comanche, married war chief Peta Nocona, borne three children, and spent 24 years as Na'ura. Her uncle James Parker had exhausted his fortune searching for her. Now, through violence, she was being "rescued" -- though she never wanted to leave.

Read more: Battle of Pease River on Qualla

Image: Nzeemin | CC BY-SA 3.0

]]> Fri, 06 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://qualla.com/_m/9/y/1/1/battle-of-pease-river-wp/9y11-battle-of-pease-river-intro.mp3 0:06 1 full Battle of Pease River: The Wanderer's Wife https://qualla.com/battle-of-pease-river/ Photo credit Pi3.124, CC BY-SA 4.0. Cynthia Ann Parker's story began with one raid and ended with another. In 1836, Comanche warriors attacked Fort Parker in east-central Texas, killing five settlers and taking five captives. Nine-year-old Cynthia Ann was among them. She grew up fully Comanche, eventually marrying ...

Read more: Battle of Pease River on Qualla

Image: Pi3.124 | CC BY-SA 4.0

]]> Fri, 06 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://qualla.com/_m/9/y/1/1/battle-of-pease-river-wp/9y11-battle-of-pease-river-the-wanderers-wife.mp3 0:06 2 full Battle of Pease River: Ranger Captain Sul Ross's Gambit https://qualla.com/battle-of-pease-river/ Photo credit Pi3.124, CC BY-SA 4.0. By 1860, Comanche raids had made the Texas frontier desperate. Governor Sam Houston commissioned Ranger Captain Lawrence Sullivan "Sul" Ross to organize 40 Rangers and 20 militia from Fort Belknap in Young County to stop the attacks. Ross decided offense was the only option. Afte...

Read more: Battle of Pease River on Qualla

Image: Pi3.124 | CC BY-SA 4.0

]]> Fri, 06 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://qualla.com/_m/9/y/1/1/battle-of-pease-river-wp/9y11-battle-of-pease-river-ranger-captain-sul-rosss-gambit.mp3 0:06 3 full Battle of Pease River: Two Truths on the Prairie https://qualla.com/battle-of-pease-river/ Photo credit Pi3.124, CC BY-SA 4.0. The battle's central controversy endures: did Sul Ross kill Peta Nocona? Ross claimed he did, and the story helped launch a political career that eventually made him governor of Texas. But Quanah Parker adamantly denied it. He told anyone who would listen that he and his father h...

Read more: Battle of Pease River on Qualla

Image: Pi3.124 | CC BY-SA 4.0

]]> Fri, 06 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://qualla.com/_m/9/y/1/1/battle-of-pease-river-wp/9y11-battle-of-pease-river-two-truths-on-the-prairie.mp3 0:06 4 full Battle of Pease River: A Rescue That Destroyed https://qualla.com/battle-of-pease-river/ Photo credit Pi3.124, CC BY-SA 4.0. Cynthia Ann's "rescue" was her second captivity. Though lovingly cared for by her white relatives, she was devastated. Her remembered English was nearly gone. Her sons were lost to her -- both had escaped the attack, though she did not know it. Famous scout Charles Goodnight trai...

Read more: Battle of Pease River on Qualla

Image: Pi3.124 | CC BY-SA 4.0

]]> Fri, 06 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://qualla.com/_m/9/y/1/1/battle-of-pease-river-wp/9y11-battle-of-pease-river-a-rescue-that-destroyed.mp3 0:06 5 full Battle of Pease River: The Place He Would Not Visit https://qualla.com/battle-of-pease-river/ Photo credit Pi3.124, CC BY-SA 4.0. A Texas historical marker now stands near the site along Mule Creek. John Wesley of Foard County acquired the land in 1880 and befriended Quanah Parker in the early 1880s when the chief came to trade in nearby Vernon. Wesley invited Quanah to visit the site. Quanah declined. He t...

Read more: Battle of Pease River on Qualla

Image: Pi3.124 | CC BY-SA 4.0

]]> Fri, 06 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://qualla.com/_m/9/y/1/1/battle-of-pease-river-wp/9y11-battle-of-pease-river-the-place-he-would-not-visit.mp3 0:06 6 full