Nine Years Among the Indians
Herman Lehmann
Language: English
Pages: 109
ISBN: 1519035918
Format: PDF / Kindle (mobi) / ePub
Herman Lehmann may be the most famous person taken captive by Indians in Texas. Snatched from his family’s home in Loyal Valley in May 1870, at about the age of twelve, he did not return home until he was a grown man, and then only under compulsion—he longed to return to his Comanche family. After his abduction, Lehmann spent his early years among the Apaches, learning their ways from his captor and tutor Carnoviste. After killing a powerful medicine man in an intra-Apache conflict, Lehmann fled into the wilderness, wandering alone until he decided to approach the Comanches for shelter. They took him into their band, and he gave them his loyalty, joining the extended family of famous chief Quanah Parker. During his years with the Indians, Lehmann participated in numerous raids and battles with settlers, other Indians, the U. S. army, and the Texas Rangers. Lehmann tells of these days in detail—sometimes in violent, bloody detail, and always without a note of remorse. He lived the life that the Indians had always lived, and as it had been complicated by the arrival of white strangers who drove the Indians from their lands. After the U. S. government returned Lehmann to his mother, it took some time for Lehmann to re-adapt to the ways of civilization, but he eventually regained his roots and became a respectable citizen. His younger brother Willie, who had been abducted with Herman, but escaped in less than ten days, was there to greet him and help him adapt to his new circumstance. Over time, Lehmann became a local celebrity, demonstrating his Indian skills to tourists, and dressing up in colorful native garb. He died in 1932 and is buried in Loyal Valley.
to the white man and fired his Winchester, and the white man returned the salute with a .44 calibre Colt’s revolver. Several shots were exchanged while the white man beat a slow and dogged retreat. We saw our companion reel and fall to the ground, and hurried to him, but he was dead. We hastened toward the white man, but he, too, tumbled from his horse and made an effort to rise, but failed. He made several attempts to shoot us, but was too far gone. He rolled over on his face and expired. We
to retake the cattle, and in the attempt two Mexicans and one Indian were killed—the Indian shot through the neck—and we had four horses killed. We repulsed them and got possession of two of their dead, who were promptly scalped. I do not know what other losses they sustained. We went on southwest with the herd, and had over a thousand head when we reached the village. These we traded to Mexicans and immediately stampeded them. I remember some of these cattle were branded HEY. The scalps of the
shot down and he fell on me. Nusticeno had broken his bow, so he seized mine and ran for life. I implored him not to leave me, but he heeded not my entreaties in his mad scramble for life. I was pinned underneath the dead horse, and it seemed as if I would have to stay there and accept my fate whatever it might be. I lay perfectly still, when two or three Rangers dashed up, and one of them pointed his gun at me and I thought my time had come. I closed my eyes, there was a loud report, and it
encouraged education, house building, and agriculture, and discouraged dissipation and savage extravagance, while holding strictly to his native beliefs and ceremonies. Polygamy being customary in his tribe, he had several wives and a large number of children, all of whom have received a school education, and some of his daughters have married white men. For many years before his death he was the most prominent and influential figure among the three confederated tribes in all leases, treaty
taught to crouch closely to the neck of the horse so an enemy could not hit me, and how to use the shield and ward off arrows. I have often been asked how the Indians made their shields, and I will here try to tell. To make a shield required several days time. The Indian took the hide of an old bull (sometimes the thick part of the buffalo hide was used), cut a round piece from the neck and shoulders, threw this over the fire and heated it while green. When it was as hot as it would stand without