Hermann Is Pressured Into Going Home
Comanche War party heading out. Hermann longed for the lifestyle he had grown to love but it was gone forever.
Howdy folks, greetings from the Great Plains of North Texas!
We're in a series about the Wild West and the incredible story of an 11 year old German boy, Hermann, who was captured by an Apache war party from his family's farm in 1870 in Central Texas.
He's now 18-19 years old at this point in the story and has become a full blown warrior who hates and fears the White man. And in fact, has taken many a scalp. He's been with the Comanche for a couple of years now.
Yesterday's post
In the last post Hermann agreed to go back to live in the fort with his tribe members and he was still there when we left off yesterday.
But we learned that his mother found out he had been alive a few years earlier when she talked to another German boy who'd been kidnapped by the Comanche and had seen Hermann.
Today's story
The commander of Fort Sill was a general by the name of Mackenzie and he'd been traveling through the Frontier territory in Texas visiting forts. When friends of Hermann's mom found out the general would be coming through her area the next day they sent word to her.
Side note
This general was an interesting guy. When most officers were reluctant to command Buffalo Soldiers(who were black, and this was not long after the Civil War) Mackenzie had no prejudices at all and was very successful leading the 24th Infantry regiment, who were all black.
He led his men in many Indian battles and was wounded with arrows 7 times! When he was close to retirement he bought a Texas ranch and was gettin ready to get hitched to a Texas lady when he started acting "off," or strange.
General Mackenzie. He was quite a leader.
It was because he'd fallen off a wagon at Fort Sill, Oklahoma and hit his head. He was retired early because he was showing signs of mental instability and died a few years later, never running his ranch or gettin married.
She came immediately but by the time she got there he'd already passed through. No problem though, that wasn't going to stop her. She went home and with her husband got a fresh set of horses and rode like the wind to catch the general.
They ran into his camp a few miles outside of Fredericksburg where they'd stopped for the night. Upon hearing of her situation she was escorted to the general's tent and she told him her story and how she was looking for her long lost son.
She meets with the general
Mackenzie informed her that they DID have one white boy on the reservation but he didn't think he was old enough to be Hermann.
But in case he was, he would have him sent down to her immediately. If he wasn't, the general would take him to San Antonio and place him in a facility where he could learn a trade.
Whoever the boy was "he has no business with the Indians" said the general.
He sent a telegram to the commanding officer at Fort Sill with orders to have the boy escorted down immediately. But the officer replied that Hermann was out on a buffalo hunt and wouldn't be back for three months!
The anticipation was killing her
Well, that's the way it was left and Hermann's mom said it was the longest three months of her life. She would go to the telegraph office every two weeks to send a telegram to the fort and ask if the "white boy" was back from the hunting trip yet.
When he got back from the trip the general and Quanah Parker talked to him about going home to his family. Quanah told him that he would take care of his horses while he was gone and told him how to find his way back to his village.
Quanah also said that he would be a brother to him and that if he didn't have any people that he could always come back and live with him. After all that pressure to go, Hermann finally gave in and made the agreement. He left all his Indian belongings with Quanah.
Hermann was finally coming home
A telegram was sent to Hermann's mom that said the boy was back at the fort and he would be sent immediately with an escort to Fredericksburg. Of course, it was a 400 mile trip so it would take a few days.
Traveling 30 miles per day would mean a 13 day trip and some days they wouldn't make 30 miles. Plus they stopped at Fort Griffin for a while.
Here's a map showing the locations of Fort Sill, Oklahoma, then B is Fort Griffin, then on to Fredericksburg, Texas.
In the next post Hermann starts his long trek home.
Thanks for reading folks, God bless you all!
-jonboy
Texas
Hi @janton, I’m finally having time to catch up and read your story about Hermann. Speaking as a mom and living in modern times, I can’t imagine not having contact with my 2 grown children for years, weeks or months! Having one kidnapped by someone and not returned is just unimaginable! The Indians really did do things right. Handing down their customs from generation to generation. I’m so sad that the Christians came in and took over and separated the children from their parents as you talked about in an earlier post. Since I read and study the Bible, that’s not what God intended! God The Farher left us the Holy Spirit to guide us once Jesus ascended to heaven to be with the Father. Even today some Christians are missing showing Gods Love! Anyway, I’m going to read your other posts! Have you ever thought of writing a short book with all of these entries! I know you would have sources to sight where you did all of your research. Great pictures to go with your entries also!
Howdy violetmed! so good to hear from you. You are so correct in that there is no way that it was God's plan to handle the Indian situation the way it was handled. And actually the Indian wars could have largely been avoided if the government hadn't constantly lied, cheated, stole, disrespected and broke every single treaty we ever made with the tribes.
Our behavior right there tells you it was not even close to God's plan because He loves all people equally.
Thanks so much for reading and commenting and for your kind words. I haven't thought about a book but perhaps someday when I have more time. God bless you!
You are so welcome. When I had only been on Steemit a few months a very kind Japanese woman that lived in Hawaii @cabbagepatch told me I should publish a book for children with my information and photos of butterflies. She was so thoughtful and commented all of the time on my sons's poetry @d-pend and he told her about my blog. We think about her a lot because she told us she was sick and then stopped posting. Anyway, I guess my point is my son really needs to publish his poems even though he tells me poets don't make much money - but aren't we told to share our gifts with the world? Maybe I should work on my children's book. :) Anyway, enough of my deep thoughts on this beautiful June morning. Have a great weekend!
howdy violetmed! What a great story about the Japanese lady, I hope she's okay. Well, I think you and your son should both publish books and share with the world! yes, we are supposed to share our gifts and I think it's a wonderful idea. I'm not sure how to go about that do you?
People have no idea how important butterflies are so that would be very educational. And people love poetry. He is already getting them to a small part of the world because he posts his poetry right?
Howdy Sir @janton, so the return of the prodigal son is about to take place. The only difference is that this one does not have the same heart. It seems that some re orientation is going to have to take place.
Great story thus far!
Blessings!
thank you sir papilloncharity! very true, not any heart at all in fact. lol. He thinks he's being punished by having to go live with his enemies.
Aww hell no. 400 miles. Momma's white ass better meet me half way.
haha! she would have too, actually I'm surprised she didn't offer to pick him up at the fort up in Oklahoma.
I can't even begin to imagine what is going through his head, but he has had a long time to think about it since he first heard that his family is alive and he has had time to begin to sift through his feelings. And he know he always has a home with the Comanche.
Howdy Melinda! Yes, I think the promise by Quanah was the only reason he agreed to go. It was either that or try to escape because they already threatened to take him by force. Did I ask you how things have gone today?
All is well here. More thunderstorms this morning and more arriving overnight. 24 hours without rain would be eventful. I feel so sorry for the folks downstream.
oh, the Northern states are contributing to the flooding aren't they? That's one good reason to live in the North if you are anywhere close to the river or even halfway close. It's supposed to rain here the next couple of days and then dry out and the 95 degree temperatures start this weekend.
Very incredible story! How could a life be so complicated and horrific!
Howdy sir kaminchan! It was a very stressful, violent and dangerous time back then that's for sure!
Well janton, it is so hard to imagine the time it took to travel the distances in those days. So different to our fast cars!
Poor General Mackenzie sustaining a head injury like that and I am thinking he probably suffered concussion which came back to bite him.
Howdy angiemitchell! yes, he went through all though Indian wars and got shot 7 times with arrows and a fall from a wagon does him in! it makes you wonder if modern medicine could have saved him if it was in our time.
It could have janton, medicine has gone ahead in leaps and bounds since the western days. But of course I was only guessing. He may have developed a malignant brain tumour. It is a shame that a brave good man did not have a wife or family and when he could have he left the world. Must have meant to be.
Yes I thought his story was very sad and ironic but much of history is!
With Hermann’s love of the Indian way of life and his hatred of the white people, I can’t imagine how he will adjust to life back with his birth family.
Howdy redheadpei! I think it might be a problem. lol.
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Oooooh! the general fell from the wagon !!! He fought so much, but he suffered more because of the fall than on the battlefield
yes, isn't that a strange twist of fate? he fought in all those Indian wars and was wounded 7 times with arrows and then what ultimately kills him is a fall from a wagon!