Voices of the Past
Historical Romance Author
Quanah Wins His Bride
Friday, January 12, 2024 by Sherry Shindelar
Comanche Love Story
Quanah Parker fell in love with a young Comanche maiden named Weckeah, but his prospects were dim. Weckeah returned his affection, but her father, Old Bear, didn’t favor Quanah. Old Bear had no idea that the young warrior would one day be the most famous chief of the Comanche ever. Quanah only owned one horse, he was an orphan (so no family connections), and he was half-white. Horses were the currency of choice amongst the Comanche, and Quanah’s rival for the young lady’s hand was the son of a prominent chief, Eckitoacup. The chief’s son offered ten horses.
But Quanah had a gift for leadership. He convinced his friends to give him some of their horses. However, when he led the ten horses to Weckeah’s teepee with expectations of triumph, he discovered that his rival, Tannap, had upped his offer to twenty horses.
Not one to accept defeat, Quanah asked Weckeah if she would elope with him. In Comanche culture, this was a last resort when a parent would not approve a marriage, but it was risky. It brought dishonor to the bride’s family, and a young man could only hope to make amends through many horses, something Quanah didn’t have. With his rival being the son of a powerful chief, it was more likely that Tannah’s father would send a war party after Quanah.
Quanah had a plan. He convinced twenty-one young warriors to accompany him and his bride. They rode for seven hours at a gallop, and then traveled by night, dividing into smaller groups to elude any trackers, reuniting in west Texas at the North Concho River. This would be their new home. From there, they did what Comanches had been doing for centuries in Texas: raid and steal horses.
For over a year, they lived along the river and prospered. Some of the braves traveled back to the tribe’s main encampment to retrieve their wives and sweethearts, convincing other warriors to join in the adventures of riding with Quanah.
At last, Eckitoacup determined to make the upstart rebel pay for his audacious disregard for tribal hierarchy and customs. He gathered a war party and headed south to attack Quanah’s camp. But he was taken aback by the hundreds of Quanah’s warriors who rode out to confront him in battle. The old chief decided it’d be better to negotiate instead of fight. For the price of nineteen ponies, Quanah was allowed to return to the main tribe with his men and his bride in peace and was awarded the honor of becoming the new war chief.
Source
Gwynne, S.C. *Empire of the Summer Moon: Quanah Parker and the Rise and Fall of the Comanches*. Scribner, 2010.
Join Sherry's
Writing Journey
Previous Posts
When We Can't, God Can
S.R. Shindelar
1/17/2025
A Civil War Christmas
Rev. John R. Paxton
12/18/2024
Maybe you
Erma Ullrey
9/20/2024
Interview with Historic Romance Author Susan Mathis
Sherry Shindelar
8/16/2024
I Was Born on the Prairie
Sherry Shindelar
8/12/2024
Waiting….
Jamie Ogle
2/9/2024
Quanah Wins His Bride
Sherry Shindelar
1/12/2024
Transforming Christmas
Sherry Shindelar
12/15/2023
Moravians: Missionaries to the Cherokee
Sarah Hanks
11/9/2023
A New Twist on Benjamin Franklin
Susan Page Davis
10/11/2023
Meet a Historical Romance Editor
Denise Weimer
9/15/2023
Making a Stand at King’s Mountain
Sherry Shindelar
8/11/2023
Female Spy Saves the Day
Sherry Shindelar
7/14/2023
Preparation Commune
Cathy Richmond
6/14/2023
The Teen Who Sculptured Lincoln
Sherry Shindelar
5/5/2023
Recipes from the Past: With Giveaway and Favor
Donna Schlachter
4/21/2023
Emeline Pigott: Confederate Spy
Sherry Shindelar
3/24/2023
First Great Awakening
Lynne Tagawa
3/10/2023
Stories that Haunt
Sherry Shindelar
2/24/2023
Valentine's Day 1983
Sherry Shindelar
2/10/2023
The Battle for Miss Nellie’s Heart
Sherry Shindelar
1/27/2023
Ukrainian Love Story
Sherry Shindelar
1/13/2023
Hannah
Sherry Shindelar
12/30/2022
The Bible Controversy of King James
Tamera Kraft
12/26/2022
Spymaster Extraordinaire
Sherry Shindelar
12/2/2022
Unshakeable
Sherry Shindelar
11/28/2022
God’s Tapestry: One Thread at a Time
Sherry Shindelar
11/4/2022
Ruth: Where Thou Goest, I Will Go (Part 1)
Sherry Shindelar
10/21/2022
Courtship in the Midst of War
Sherry Shindelar
9/30/2022
Identity Theft 597 BC
Sherry Shindelar
9/16/2022
Celebrating with Jamie Ogle
Sherry Shindelar
8/18/2022
Two Husbands for Pocahontas
Sherry Shindelar
8/5/2022
The Power of Stories
Sherry Shindelar
7/22/2022
Indian Princess and the Soldier: Love Story or Myth
Sherry Shindelar
7/15/2022
Tobacco Brides: Slavery, Indentureship, or Empowerment
Sherry Shindelar
7/1/2022
Jamestown: New Hope or Death Trap?
Sherry Shindelar
6/24/2022
Conquering Black Elk Peak and Staying Out of the Basement
Sherry Shindelar
6/3/2022
Encouraging Women and Shaping Culture with her Pen
Sherry Shindelar
5/20/2022
Operation Pied Piper
Linda Shenton Matchett
4/29/2022
A Crazy Summer of Romance
Kathy McKinsey
4/22/2022
When Prayers Aren’t Answered the Way You Expected
Sherry Shindelar
4/18/2022
Paper Bag Queen: A Female Edison
eMarie
4/1/2022
James Taylor: Capturing the World with a Pencil
Sherry Shindelar
3/18/2022
Undercover Girl Scout
Marie Sontag
3/3/2022
Forbidden Romance: From First Impression to Elopement
Sherry Shindelar
2/18/2022
What Can We Do with these Women
Sherry Shindelar
2/4/2022
Award-winning Historical Fiction Author Lori Benton Shares her Heart
Sherry Shindelar
1/21/2022
Bankrupt and Broke but Not Defeated
Sherry Shindelar
1/14/2022
From Shunned and Rowdy to Christmas as We Know It
Sherry Shindelar
12/17/2021
Where Thou Goest, I Will Go
Sherry Shindelar
12/3/2021
Edwardian Era: Most Photographed Woman
Jessica Sly
11/19/2021
