Captivity Of The Oatman Girls: Being An Interesting Narrative Of Life Among The Apache And Mohave Indians

In 1851 the Oatman family set out alone in covered wagons along the Santa Fe trail to California. Seventy miles from the California border they were attacked by Indians who massacred the entire family except a boy Lorenzo and two girls Ann and Olive. The girls were taken into captivity soon to be sold to other Indians farther west. Lorenzo though badly wounded found his way back to civilization. As soon as he was able he began to search for his sisters. The author narrative is based upon interviews with the Oatman's themselves. Olive Oatman's account of her captivity provided one of the earliest descriptions of life in Indian villages of the Southwest. For five years Lorenzo sought to locate his sisters and a subplot involves his efforts to rescue the girls. Olive Oatman was rescued from her captor in February 1856. Later married John B. Fairchild and spent the rest of her life in Sherman Texas. Where she passed away in 1903.