The Tragic Life of Olive Oatman: Apache Captive

By Robert F. (Bob) Turpin

The Apache war party suddenly attacked the unsuspecting Oatman family. With wild yells and war cries, the screaming savages swarmed around their helpless victims, leaving their bodies a bloody mass on the ground. A four-year-old girl was killed instantly with a blow that caved in her skull. Two young girls, Olive and Mary Oatman were spared to become Apache slaves. The two youngsters were dragged away at the end of rawhide ropes. If they fell, they were dragged until they could get back to their feet. The Indians plundered the wagon taking what they wanted, then scattered everything else over the bloodstained ground.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Apr 16, 2015
• ISBN: 9781329072084

Book preview

The Tragic Life of Olive Oatman: Apache Captive

The Tragic Life of Olive Oatman: Apache Captive

by Robert F. (Bob) Turpin

Copyright

© 2015 by Bob Turpin – All Rights Reserved

ISBN: 978-1-329-07208-4

No part of this book may be copied or reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages for review purposes.

Dedication

To the folks who like to read about the Old West.

Chapter One: Apache Massacre

The small wagon train had some eighty travelers, men, women and children. They left Independence, Missouri, August 10, 1850, moving west over the Santa Fe Trail. The soon-to-be settlers planned to start a new colony near the headwaters of the Gila River in Arizona Territory.

The Oatman family was the largest, having seven children. Royse Oatman, a merchant from LeHarpe, Illinois, decided to go west when his health begin to fail him. He hoped the warm, dry weather would help his lungs. He knew moving his family would be a challenge, but if it helped his breathing, it was worth it.

The mood of the travelers was one of good cheer and happiness. Everyone was excited about their coming adventure to the great unsettled frontier. They had heard from fellow travelers that the sun always shone in Arizona, and the weather was mild and warm the year round, especially in the Gila area where they were going. They had no idea of the hardships they were to face, nor that their good-natured mood could suddenly change to one of terrible despair, bitter regret, and great heartbreak.

After traveling a few days, the differences in religious beliefs and feelings began to cause a certain amount of trouble among the people. By the time the wagon train reached the north and south junction of the trail near the Santa Fe Pass, two parties were at each other’s throats. The two factions decided it would be best to split and go their separate ways. The larger party took the road north and the smaller group, some twenty people in this group of eight wagons, headed due south. The Oatman family was with the smaller group. The southern trail would take them to the Rio Grande River traveling the route General Cook had established earlier.

The large prairie schooner’s (covered wagons) traveled through tall mountains, ranges, and across broad, seemingly endless plains and

Reviews for The Tragic Life of Olive Oatman

[Michael Levy · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Very interesting story of olive oatman and the terrible hardships she endured during her capture.