The battle ended with the recovery of Cynthia Ann Parker, who had been held captive by Comanches for 24 years following the 1836 Fort Parker massacre.
Key Facts
- Date
- December 19, 1860
- Location
- Near Margaret, Foard County, Texas
- Commanding Officer
- Captain 'Sul' Ross, Texas Rangers
- Notable Outcome
- Recovery of Cynthia Ann Parker
- Years Parker held captive
- 24 years
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Comanche raids on Texas settlers prompted a retaliatory military response. Texas Ranger Captain 'Sul' Ross led a combined force of Rangers and militia to strike a Comanche camp along the Pease River as a direct reprisal for recent attacks on frontier settlements.
On December 19, 1860, Ross's detachment attacked the Comanche camp near present-day Margaret, Texas. The engagement, described variously as a battle or massacre, resulted in the deaths of a number of Comanche Indians. During the raid, Cynthia Ann Parker, captured at Fort Parker in 1836, was recovered.
The action ended Cynthia Ann Parker's 24 years among the Comanches, though she struggled to readjust to Anglo-American life and reportedly never accepted her return. A monument now marks the site, and the event became one of the most noted episodes of Texas Ranger history on the antebellum frontier.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Captain 'Sul' Ross.
Side B
1 belligerent