John Parker (pioneer)
Encyclopedia
Elder John Parker was an American
Patriot
, veteran of the American War of Independence, scout
and minor diplomat
for the American government, famous frontier Ranger
, noted Indian fighter, Texan settler, and Predestinarian Baptist minister. He helped settle Texas
before the Texas Revolution
, and was immortalized in death when he was killed during the Fort Parker massacre
in 1836, along with several members of his family, and others of the "Parker clan".
Parker was born on September 6, 1758 in Baltimore County, Maryland
. His family moved to frontier Virginia while Parker was young and took part along with Daniel Boone
and others in scouting the frontier into present day Kentucky and Tennessee. In 1777, at age nineteen, the British and Indians launched a series of ruthless campaigns at exterminating the Americans from the frontier. Many of his extended family and family friends, men, women, and children were brutally massacred in the war. As a result, he left home to fight during the next two years in the American Revolution
as survivors of the massacres held out in forts, bloc houses, and frontier settlements, foiling British led Indian death squads, and launching retaliatory raids on Indian communities in kind. Two years later, in November 1779, he married Sarah "Sallie" White before returning to war. After returning home in Virginia, the Parkers' first child, Daniel Parker
, who was named in honor of friend and compatriot Daniel Boone
, and was born on April 6, 1781. Other children soon followed.
In the years following the end of the war, Indians on the frontier once again returned to murdering American frontier families and for a time pushed back the advances made at the end of the Revolution. Fearing for her family, his wife encouraged him to move elsewhere. Travelling down the old pioneer road following the end of about 1785, Parker moved his family to Georgia
in search of safer opportunities for a better life.
However, once again Indian depredations, this time encouraged by Spanish and British colonial powers, followed him and he returned to becoming a frontier ranger in various raids against the Cherokee
and other so called Civilized tribes. After the successful conclusion of these minor, but bloody wars which saw Americans victorious against the Indians in battle and the Europeans in diplomacy, much of the Appalachian area opened up to American settlement. Therefore, in 1803, he once again moved the family, including Sallie, eight children, Daniel's wife, Martha "Patsey" Dickerson, and their daughter to newly acquired land bounties for his service during the War of Independence. They settled near Nashboro (present Nashville), Tennessee. By 1817, their family had grown to eleven children, many of whom had married and had children of their own.
The defeat of most of the Indian nations in what is now Southern Illinois opened up further land settling. In reward for his services in the Northwest Indian War
, Parker was awarded additional land bounties. Therefore the family moved to Illinois and made significant contributions in subsequent intrigues, diplomacy, land development and Indian fighting in the state. However, in 1824, Sallie died, and in 1825, Parker married the widow Sarah "Sallie" Duty, who had several daughters who had married into the Parker clan.
At age seventy-five, Parker, by now a well noted frontiersman, surveyor
, and patriot
, who had years of exemplary service both overtly and covertly on behalf of the United States government, was recruited by Stephen Austin and other Mexican authorities to settle with his extended family and allies on the frontier of Texas, thereby providing a needed bulwark against the devastating Comanche raids. After sufficient preparation and negotiation, Parker and most of his family and several other allied families moved to Texas in 1833.
During 1835, using his vast experience in frontier defense, Parker negotiated with the local Indian tribes, reconnoitered the surrounding area, and eventually coordinated with some of of his sons the building of a fort on the head-waters of the Navasota River, near present Groesbeck
in Limestone County, Texas
on the frontier of what was then called the Comancheria
. The fort stood on the path of past Comanche terrorist attacks and was thought sufficient to not only provide protection for the families who all had land grants located but block the route of future Comanche terror raids.
However, the Parker led community did not have sufficient intelligence on the full scale capabilities of the Comanche terror bands whose speed and ferocity was magnified by their numbers which at times were in the thousands. Thus, during the early part of May, the community was unprepared for the fast, overwhelming numbers of Comanche warriors which descended to murder
, rape
, loot
, burn
, and enslave any survivors. On May 19, 1836 following a quick attack which slaughtered outlying block houses and burned alive entire families in their homes, the Comanche terror army headed straight for Fort Parker and the famed American patriot and Indian fighter John Parker, whilst he and others attempted to rally the community into defense of the fort. But in the rapidity of the Comanche attack and running gun-battles which followed it was clear the Comanche had overwhelming numbers and the community was doomed. Parker ordered as many of the women and children as could be found to be sent off with several hand picked men, whilst he and other volunteers made a quick sortie into the Comanche band and divert them back towards the fort.
Although, this was successful, most of the men in the sortie were quickly killed before he and other survivors escaped into the Fort, which subsequently proved insufficient to hold off the overwhelming numbers of the Comanche raid. He was captured and forced to watch as the remaining surviving women including his daughters were repeatedly gang raped, most of the young adolescent boys were battered
to death, the babies smashed upon rocks, and a few children were led off into the mass of Indian warriors. After watching the full horror, he was tortured mercilessly, until the Comanche sliced off his genitals and stuffed them into his mouth before he was scalped and killed. However, his wife although seriously wounded, along with another son, and several other compatriots escaped in a running battle and eventually gave warning of the approaching Comanche terror party.
Although Parker and most other members of the Parker clan who were present during the siege were killed at the Fort Parker massacre
several of his kinsmen and children escaped alive, while a few remained in the hands of the Comanche. One such family member was his grand-daughter, Cynthia Ann Parker
, who although later tortured and forced to become a sex slave, remained alive in the Comanche nation for twenty-five years and became a national icon which sparked numerous rescue parties, daring Ranger searches, and the genesis of books and movies including the The Searchers
. Cynthia became a victim of the Stockholm syndrome
after she was forced by Chief Peta Nocona
to become his concubine and eventual wife. As a result of this forced marriage, she became the mother of the famous Chief of the Comanches - Quanah Parker
before finally being rescued.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Patriot
Patriot
A patriot is someone who feels a strong support for his or her country. See Patriotism.Patriot or Patriots may also refer to:- Politics :* Patriot Party , various political parties...
, veteran of the American War of Independence, scout
Reconnaissance
Reconnaissance is the military term for exploring beyond the area occupied by friendly forces to gain information about enemy forces or features of the environment....
and minor diplomat
Diplomat
A diplomat is a person appointed by a state to conduct diplomacy with another state or international organization. The main functions of diplomats revolve around the representation and protection of the interests and nationals of the sending state, as well as the promotion of information and...
for the American government, famous frontier Ranger
Ranger
-Law enforcement:* Arizona Rangers* California State Rangers* Colorado Mounted Rangers* Council ranger, a type of officer in Australia* Newfoundland Rangers* New Mexico Rangers* Pakistan Rangers, a Pakistani paramilitary force* Texas Ranger Division...
, noted Indian fighter, Texan settler, and Predestinarian Baptist minister. He helped settle Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
before the Texas Revolution
Texas Revolution
The Texas Revolution or Texas War of Independence was an armed conflict between Mexico and settlers in the Texas portion of the Mexican state Coahuila y Tejas. The war lasted from October 2, 1835 to April 21, 1836...
, and was immortalized in death when he was killed during the Fort Parker massacre
Fort Parker massacre
The Fort Parker massacre was an event in May 1836 in which members of the pioneer Parker family were killed in a raid by Native Americans. In this raid, a 9-year old girl, Cynthia Ann Parker, was captured and spent most of the rest of her life with the Comanche, marrying a Chief, Peta Nocona, and...
in 1836, along with several members of his family, and others of the "Parker clan".
Parker was born on September 6, 1758 in Baltimore County, Maryland
Baltimore County, Maryland
Baltimore County is a county located in the northern part of the US state of Maryland. In 2010, its population was 805,029. It is part of the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Towson. The name of the county was derived from the barony of the Proprietor of the Maryland...
. His family moved to frontier Virginia while Parker was young and took part along with Daniel Boone
Daniel Boone
Daniel Boone was an American pioneer, explorer, and frontiersman whose frontier exploits mad']'e him one of the first folk heroes of the United States. Boone is most famous for his exploration and settlement of what is now the Commonwealth of Kentucky, which was then beyond the western borders of...
and others in scouting the frontier into present day Kentucky and Tennessee. In 1777, at age nineteen, the British and Indians launched a series of ruthless campaigns at exterminating the Americans from the frontier. Many of his extended family and family friends, men, women, and children were brutally massacred in the war. As a result, he left home to fight during the next two years in the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
as survivors of the massacres held out in forts, bloc houses, and frontier settlements, foiling British led Indian death squads, and launching retaliatory raids on Indian communities in kind. Two years later, in November 1779, he married Sarah "Sallie" White before returning to war. After returning home in Virginia, the Parkers' first child, Daniel Parker
Daniel Parker
Daniel Parker was a leader in the Primitive Baptist Church in the Southern United States. As an elder, Parker led a group who separated from that church and formed the Two-Seed-in-the-Spirit Predestinarian Baptists...
, who was named in honor of friend and compatriot Daniel Boone
Daniel Boone
Daniel Boone was an American pioneer, explorer, and frontiersman whose frontier exploits mad']'e him one of the first folk heroes of the United States. Boone is most famous for his exploration and settlement of what is now the Commonwealth of Kentucky, which was then beyond the western borders of...
, and was born on April 6, 1781. Other children soon followed.
In the years following the end of the war, Indians on the frontier once again returned to murdering American frontier families and for a time pushed back the advances made at the end of the Revolution. Fearing for her family, his wife encouraged him to move elsewhere. Travelling down the old pioneer road following the end of about 1785, Parker moved his family to Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
in search of safer opportunities for a better life.
However, once again Indian depredations, this time encouraged by Spanish and British colonial powers, followed him and he returned to becoming a frontier ranger in various raids against the Cherokee
Cherokee
The Cherokee are a Native American people historically settled in the Southeastern United States . Linguistically, they are part of the Iroquoian language family...
and other so called Civilized tribes. After the successful conclusion of these minor, but bloody wars which saw Americans victorious against the Indians in battle and the Europeans in diplomacy, much of the Appalachian area opened up to American settlement. Therefore, in 1803, he once again moved the family, including Sallie, eight children, Daniel's wife, Martha "Patsey" Dickerson, and their daughter to newly acquired land bounties for his service during the War of Independence. They settled near Nashboro (present Nashville), Tennessee. By 1817, their family had grown to eleven children, many of whom had married and had children of their own.
The defeat of most of the Indian nations in what is now Southern Illinois opened up further land settling. In reward for his services in the Northwest Indian War
Northwest Indian War
The Northwest Indian War , also known as Little Turtle's War and by various other names, was a war fought between the United States and a confederation of numerous American Indian tribes for control of the Northwest Territory...
, Parker was awarded additional land bounties. Therefore the family moved to Illinois and made significant contributions in subsequent intrigues, diplomacy, land development and Indian fighting in the state. However, in 1824, Sallie died, and in 1825, Parker married the widow Sarah "Sallie" Duty, who had several daughters who had married into the Parker clan.
At age seventy-five, Parker, by now a well noted frontiersman, surveyor
Surveyor
Surveyor may refer to:Professions and their activities* Surveying, the process of determining accurate positions on, or near the Earth's surface** Cadastral surveying, the process of establishing boundary locations and land parcel corners...
, and patriot
Patriot
A patriot is someone who feels a strong support for his or her country. See Patriotism.Patriot or Patriots may also refer to:- Politics :* Patriot Party , various political parties...
, who had years of exemplary service both overtly and covertly on behalf of the United States government, was recruited by Stephen Austin and other Mexican authorities to settle with his extended family and allies on the frontier of Texas, thereby providing a needed bulwark against the devastating Comanche raids. After sufficient preparation and negotiation, Parker and most of his family and several other allied families moved to Texas in 1833.
During 1835, using his vast experience in frontier defense, Parker negotiated with the local Indian tribes, reconnoitered the surrounding area, and eventually coordinated with some of of his sons the building of a fort on the head-waters of the Navasota River, near present Groesbeck
Groesbeck, Texas
Groesbeck is a city in and the county seat of Limestone County, Texas, United States. The population was 4,291 at the 2000 census. The community is named after a railroad employee.- History :...
in Limestone County, Texas
Limestone County, Texas
Limestone County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of 2000, the population was 22,051. Its county seat is Groesbeck.-Geography:According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and is water....
on the frontier of what was then called the Comancheria
Comancheria
The Comancheria is the name commonly given to the region of New Mexico, west Texas and nearby areas occupied by the Comanche before the 1860s.-Geography:...
. The fort stood on the path of past Comanche terrorist attacks and was thought sufficient to not only provide protection for the families who all had land grants located but block the route of future Comanche terror raids.
However, the Parker led community did not have sufficient intelligence on the full scale capabilities of the Comanche terror bands whose speed and ferocity was magnified by their numbers which at times were in the thousands. Thus, during the early part of May, the community was unprepared for the fast, overwhelming numbers of Comanche warriors which descended to murder
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
, rape
Rape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
, loot
Looting
Looting —also referred to as sacking, plundering, despoiling, despoliation, and pillaging—is the indiscriminate taking of goods by force as part of a military or political victory, or during a catastrophe, such as during war, natural disaster, or rioting...
, burn
Burn
A burn is an injury to flesh caused by heat, electricity, chemicals, light, radiation, or friction.Burn may also refer to:*Combustion*Burn , type of watercourses so named in Scotland and north-eastern England...
, and enslave any survivors. On May 19, 1836 following a quick attack which slaughtered outlying block houses and burned alive entire families in their homes, the Comanche terror army headed straight for Fort Parker and the famed American patriot and Indian fighter John Parker, whilst he and others attempted to rally the community into defense of the fort. But in the rapidity of the Comanche attack and running gun-battles which followed it was clear the Comanche had overwhelming numbers and the community was doomed. Parker ordered as many of the women and children as could be found to be sent off with several hand picked men, whilst he and other volunteers made a quick sortie into the Comanche band and divert them back towards the fort.
Although, this was successful, most of the men in the sortie were quickly killed before he and other survivors escaped into the Fort, which subsequently proved insufficient to hold off the overwhelming numbers of the Comanche raid. He was captured and forced to watch as the remaining surviving women including his daughters were repeatedly gang raped, most of the young adolescent boys were battered
Battery (crime)
Battery is a criminal offense involving unlawful physical contact, distinct from assault which is the fear of such contact.In the United States, criminal battery, or simply battery, is the use of force against another, resulting in harmful or offensive contact...
to death, the babies smashed upon rocks, and a few children were led off into the mass of Indian warriors. After watching the full horror, he was tortured mercilessly, until the Comanche sliced off his genitals and stuffed them into his mouth before he was scalped and killed. However, his wife although seriously wounded, along with another son, and several other compatriots escaped in a running battle and eventually gave warning of the approaching Comanche terror party.
Although Parker and most other members of the Parker clan who were present during the siege were killed at the Fort Parker massacre
Fort Parker massacre
The Fort Parker massacre was an event in May 1836 in which members of the pioneer Parker family were killed in a raid by Native Americans. In this raid, a 9-year old girl, Cynthia Ann Parker, was captured and spent most of the rest of her life with the Comanche, marrying a Chief, Peta Nocona, and...
several of his kinsmen and children escaped alive, while a few remained in the hands of the Comanche. One such family member was his grand-daughter, Cynthia Ann Parker
Cynthia Ann Parker
Cynthia Ann Parker, or Naduah , was an American woman of old colonial stock of Scots-Irish descent who was captured and kidnapped at the age of nine by a American Indian band which massacred her family and...
, who although later tortured and forced to become a sex slave, remained alive in the Comanche nation for twenty-five years and became a national icon which sparked numerous rescue parties, daring Ranger searches, and the genesis of books and movies including the The Searchers
The Searchers
The Searchers may refer to:* The Searchers , a 1956 American movie** The novel it was based on, by Alan Le May* The Searchers , a music group* The Searchers , a 2009 Iranian television show* A comic from Caliber Comics...
. Cynthia became a victim of the Stockholm syndrome
Stockholm syndrome
In psychology, Stockholm Syndrome is an apparently paradoxical psychological phenomenon wherein hostages express empathy and have positive feelings towards their captors, sometimes to the point of defending them...
after she was forced by Chief Peta Nocona
Peta Nocona
Peta Nocona was a chief of the Comanche band Noconi. He led his tribe during the extensive Indian Wars in Texas from the 1830s to 1860. He was the son of the Comanche chief Iron Jacket and father of chief Quanah Parker. His band Noconis, or Wanderers, or travellers were named after him...
to become his concubine and eventual wife. As a result of this forced marriage, she became the mother of the famous Chief of the Comanches - Quanah Parker
Quanah Parker
Quanah Parker was a Comanche chief, a leader in the Native American Church, and the last leader of the powerful Quahadi band before they surrendered their battle of the Great Plains and went to a reservation in Indian Territory...
before finally being rescued.