How did Texas ranch-hand youth Francis Monroe Buckelew (1852-1930) come to be captured by the Lipan Apaches in 1866, enduring nearly a year's captivity at their Pecos River and Rio Grande camps before he was able to escape?
In 1866 Texas, while working on the Davenport Ranch and in company of a negro boy, Frank Buckelew was sent out to hunt for a lost ox bell that had dropped off somewhere on the range. The found something in a thicket that aroused their curiosity, and upon close investigation it proved to be an Indian under a blanket.
In recounting his introduction to the Indians at the village where they arrived after his capture, Mr. Bucklew, in his book, says:
"It was evident from the stir among the Indians at the village that something unusual was about to take place, as the old squaws, boys and girls, all held something in their hands, either quirts, sticks or clubs, and as I neared them, they began to form in line along the main road passing through the village. I knew that resistance would be useless, as there were hundreds of warriors standing near to subdue and punish any resistance. I walked forward, not knowing what fate awaited me... "
Although a personally painful experience for Buckelew, his personal narrative provides one of the few insights into the culture and life of the Lipan Apaches, including foods, cooking methods, various weapons, methods of warfare, and interactions with settlements in Texas and Mexico.
