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In the Bosom of the Comanches: A Thrilling Tale of Savage Indian Life, Massacre and Captivity Truthfully Told by a Surviving Captive; Texas Borderland Perils and Scenes Depicted; The Closing Days of t
Excerpt from In the Bosom of the Comanches: A Thrilling Tale of Savage Indian Life, Massacre and Captivity Truthfully Told by a Surviving Captive; Texas Borderland Perils and Scenes Depicted; The Closing Days of the Trying Indian Struggles Upon the Frontiers of Texas
IN the unchallenged verity of the chronicle of Theodore Adolphus Babb, better known as Dot Babb, recorded in the pages that follow is vouchsafed a sustained and ab sorbing interest to the reader and the student: a dissolvent of the mystical haziness that has characterized so much of the Indian lore, current hitherto; and a contribu tion to history, an inestimable legacy and gift to posterity as rare and timely as truth is mighty and eternal. Mr. Babb, a descendant of resolute venturesome pioneer stock, entered upon an eventful boyhood in the untamed wilds of the western border of Texas in a locality and period when the mounted Indian marauder with his panoply of war and death was often seen silhouetted against the distant horizon, at a time when the spectre of tragedy and desolation, of atrocious massacre, mutilation, cap tivity, and torture, cast its terrifying shadow athwart the fireside of every pioneer home; when, unheralded, cunning monsters of vindictive savage hate, here and there among the settlers, in unguarded repose or fancied security, sprang from stealthy ambush, from the wood-lands' dark border, the sheltering hillside and gulch, or the shadowy lustre of an unwelcome fateful full moon, and amid and unheeding the shrieks of horror, and frenzied slaughter, mingled with the cries of anguish and prayers of women and children kneeling before their doom, they struck with the fangs of the most vicious, merciless, and unreasoning beast, and in their unrestrained and unresisted madness and ferocity, they left in their crimson wake a sickening chapter of ghastly human wreckage of whole families exterminated, in either a fiendish butchery or revolting captivity without a counterpart in all the annals of every race and age since the hour of the dawn of Christendom, if not since the world began.
About the Publisher
Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com
This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.
IN the unchallenged verity of the chronicle of Theodore Adolphus Babb, better known as Dot Babb, recorded in the pages that follow is vouchsafed a sustained and ab sorbing interest to the reader and the student: a dissolvent of the mystical haziness that has characterized so much of the Indian lore, current hitherto; and a contribu tion to history, an inestimable legacy and gift to posterity as rare and timely as truth is mighty and eternal. Mr. Babb, a descendant of resolute venturesome pioneer stock, entered upon an eventful boyhood in the untamed wilds of the western border of Texas in a locality and period when the mounted Indian marauder with his panoply of war and death was often seen silhouetted against the distant horizon, at a time when the spectre of tragedy and desolation, of atrocious massacre, mutilation, cap tivity, and torture, cast its terrifying shadow athwart the fireside of every pioneer home; when, unheralded, cunning monsters of vindictive savage hate, here and there among the settlers, in unguarded repose or fancied security, sprang from stealthy ambush, from the wood-lands' dark border, the sheltering hillside and gulch, or the shadowy lustre of an unwelcome fateful full moon, and amid and unheeding the shrieks of horror, and frenzied slaughter, mingled with the cries of anguish and prayers of women and children kneeling before their doom, they struck with the fangs of the most vicious, merciless, and unreasoning beast, and in their unrestrained and unresisted madness and ferocity, they left in their crimson wake a sickening chapter of ghastly human wreckage of whole families exterminated, in either a fiendish butchery or revolting captivity without a counterpart in all the annals of every race and age since the hour of the dawn of Christendom, if not since the world began.
About the Publisher
Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com
This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.
143 pages, Hardcover
First published August 6, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
January 31, 2020
The title is misleading. The part actually leading with the time spent by "Dot" Babb in the Comanche tribe is negligible. There's nothing here you could not read in a more general book dealing with the overall theme of White abductions into Indian tribes.
February 17, 2026
Superlative verbosity. Only 3-4 pages of real life with the Comanches the rest we learn is lightly sprinkled throughout the tale. Instead we read a narrative of his life after the time with the Comanches written in an operatic, dramatic, flowery style. His sister, in her memoir of being kidnapped and living with Comanches even commented about her brother’s “dramatic” over-the-top writing style.
As to technicalities, there are spelling errors, grammar error throughout. I expected some editing to be offered of this republished, very old story. Also, there were two sentences that made absolutely no sense. It looked as if the sentences were stuck on a circular, self-editing mouse running wheel because the author forgot to go back and edit. Lastly, there are pages and pages of names of people, cities, landmarks, rivers, etc. that my 62 year-old self cannot imagine my 16 year-old self having the patience to read. At times it felt as if I were swimming across the beloved Red River trying to fight my way through his writing style.
Did I like anything about this book? Yes. I never realized Texas was still very rural and unpopulated at the end of the 1880’s. Its brave citizens endured many Comanche attacks as late as the mid-1870’s. The Comanches went to reservations later than other Indigenous people groups.
Life on the Wild West Frontier was clearly depicted in this book for which I was thankful to learn. Tragically, many who lived there were kidnapped by the Comanches. Also cowboys murdered cowboys. Some folks simply went missing and never were heard from again. As an aside, my own family killed a well-loved sister’s cowboy husband in Texas after he inflicted regular beatings on her. Her brother killed him and buried him where his family would never find him again. I do genealogy work and wonder if his present day family ever wondered what happened to his trail that went cold.
Caution: there is talk of a scalping, murder, and other subjects that YA who are sensitive may find difficult to read. Not a lot of details given, but none-the-less just be aware.
As to technicalities, there are spelling errors, grammar error throughout. I expected some editing to be offered of this republished, very old story. Also, there were two sentences that made absolutely no sense. It looked as if the sentences were stuck on a circular, self-editing mouse running wheel because the author forgot to go back and edit. Lastly, there are pages and pages of names of people, cities, landmarks, rivers, etc. that my 62 year-old self cannot imagine my 16 year-old self having the patience to read. At times it felt as if I were swimming across the beloved Red River trying to fight my way through his writing style.
Did I like anything about this book? Yes. I never realized Texas was still very rural and unpopulated at the end of the 1880’s. Its brave citizens endured many Comanche attacks as late as the mid-1870’s. The Comanches went to reservations later than other Indigenous people groups.
Life on the Wild West Frontier was clearly depicted in this book for which I was thankful to learn. Tragically, many who lived there were kidnapped by the Comanches. Also cowboys murdered cowboys. Some folks simply went missing and never were heard from again. As an aside, my own family killed a well-loved sister’s cowboy husband in Texas after he inflicted regular beatings on her. Her brother killed him and buried him where his family would never find him again. I do genealogy work and wonder if his present day family ever wondered what happened to his trail that went cold.
Caution: there is talk of a scalping, murder, and other subjects that YA who are sensitive may find difficult to read. Not a lot of details given, but none-the-less just be aware.
April 10, 2020
Born white, circumstances dictate growing up as an indian,
Adapting their ways, speaking their language, caring for them as family, but at heart, still remembering family of birth and at last, reunification!
Adapting their ways, speaking their language, caring for them as family, but at heart, still remembering family of birth and at last, reunification!
September 7, 2022
Found this e-book on Barnes & Noble instead:
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/in-t...
(The Amazon link went to a blank page with a picture of a dog.)
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/in-t...
(The Amazon link went to a blank page with a picture of a dog.)
April 8, 2026
Deceiving title
The title implies the book is about the author’s time of captivity with the Comanche. It’s more about his life after captivity as a cowboy with a story thrown in here and there that happened to him when he lived with the Comanches.
The title implies the book is about the author’s time of captivity with the Comanche. It’s more about his life after captivity as a cowboy with a story thrown in here and there that happened to him when he lived with the Comanches.
October 9, 2026
Good read on historical conditions in Texas during the pioneer era.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews