SUNSHINE ON THE PRAIRIE is the story of CYNTHIA ANN PARKER, captured by a band of Comanches as a nine-year-old while living in Fort Parker with her family. It was 24 years before she was "e;re-captured"e; by her "e;white family"e;. This is the intriguing story of why she did not want to be rescued from her Comanche family. During her 24-year captivity, she had become a wife to Nocona, the most feared of the Comanche war chiefs and the mother of Quanah, last and most famous of the Comanche war chiefs. Cynthia Ann adopted completely the lifestyle and culture of the Comanches. She endured their hardships and she also learned to love the freedom of the pristine wilderness. Using exhaustive research, the author follows Cynthia's footprints over the prairie with a sensitivity rare among non-native Americans.
Three people stand out as representative of those willing to enter the conflict that was nineteenth-century Texas: Jane Long, who was in her early twenties when she first entered the province; Sam Houston, a former congressman and ex-governor of Tennessee; and Mirabeau Lamar, a Georgia ex-senator and son of a wealthy plantation owner. In spite of diverse backgrounds, all three became Texas revolutionaries. Each was misunderstood and sometimes maligned by contemporaries. All three became involved in a rebellious conspiracy against the nation that had a centuries-old claim to Texas. And when peaceful settlement was no longer possible under the leadership of empresario Stephen F. Austin, each had a part in the revolution and changes that followed. Here is a unique look at the dynamics of the interplay between Spain, Mexico, the United States, and the Republic of Texas governments, heavily illustrated with maps, flags, portraits, and political cartoons. This book tells the story of an indomitable woman, Jane Long, who holds a prominent place in Texas history, and the tragedies, triumphs, and conflicts between fellow conspirators Sam Houston and Mirabeau Lamar.