Sam Savage, Captive of the Comanches
Mineral Wells, Palo Pinto County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Buried in the nearby Staggs Prairie Cemetery, Sam Savage (1861-1951) was a rancher, farmer, and champion fiddler. At the age of five, he survived a Comanche Indian raid on his father's farm in Parker County and lived in captivity with the Comanches for a time. The attack on Bolin Savage's homestead occurred on March 2, 1866, and was followed by a raid on his brother's farm. Both Bolin and James Savage were killed. Sam Savage, his brother, and a cousin were taken captive by the Indians. A posse headed by Parker County Judge A. J. Hunter failed to overtake the Comanches. The children were discovered by trader John Fields in November 1866 and were ransomed for the sum of $414 at Fort Arbuckle, Oklahoma. Sam Savage lived until the age of 90 to relate his experiences of life with the Indians. After a time, he and the other children adapted to their situation, learning the language and the use of a bow and arrow. In 1911, Sam Savage and the trader, John Fields, held a reunion during which many of the old tales were recounted. Sam Savage married Arizona Pierce in 1881, and they lived in Palo Pinto County until their deaths. Texas Sesquicentennial 1836-1986.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
In March 1866, five-year-old Sam Savage survived a Comanche raid on his father's Parker County farm that killed his father Bolin and his uncle James; Sam, his brother, and a cousin were carried off into captivity. After a posse failed to overtake the raiders, trader John Fields located the children that November and ransomed them for $414 at Fort Arbuckle. Sam went on to become a rancher, farmer, and champion fiddler, living to 90 and often recounting the months he spent learning the Comanche language and the bow before his return.
Why it matters
Captivity stories like Sam Savage's lay bare the violent, intimate frontier between settlers and the Comanche, whose raids shaped the human cost of Anglo expansion across the Texas plains.
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Related people
- · Sam Savage
- · John Fields
- · A. J. Hunter
Related events
- · 1866 Comanche raid on the Savage homestead
Themes & tags
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