The Horrifying Pease River Massacre Of 1860

The fate of Parker's husband, Peta Nocona, after the Pease River massacre, is uncertain. The Texas State Historical Association notes that in a famous photograph of her and Topsannah, she has short hair — a sign of mourning for the Comanche — because she believed Nocona was dead. However, her oldest son, Quanah Parker (pictured), stated firmly his father wasn't at the massacre, despite what Ross said. He told several people his father died about five years later, per Texas Monthly. Crum and Carlson's research supports that statement (via YouTube).

In addition, circa 1877, Quanah Parker told rancher Charles Goodnight — who famously considered Ross a liar — that the chief killed in the massacre was named Nobah. Crum believes that before DeShields' book came out in 1886, Quanah Parker didn't know his father was supposed to have died in the incident, so he would have had no reason to lie about it in 1877. Quanah Parker's statements were backed up by Horace Jones, a U.S. Army interpreter, who claimed to have spoken to Nocona at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, about a year after the Pease River massacre.

There has been confusion about whether Cynthia Ann Parker's sons were at the massacre or not, but she said they weren't. Quanah Parker certainly survived, later becoming a Comanche chief. However, his tribe's fortunes continued to decline after Pease River, and they were forced onto a reservation in 1875 (via Texas State Historical Association).

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