Texas Ranger - Three Years Among the Comanches - The Narrative of Nelson Lee

This historic story portrays the unfathomable horrors experienced by whites captured by the Indians. Only through cunning and good fortune did any captives survive. Rarely did women and children ever return to the white community. Many women and without question children adopted the Indian life without desire to return to their former lives, e.g.Cynthia Parker whose story I also highly recommend

Very authentic first hand account of life in Texas and the old west, at times brutally descriptive. Good insight into some legendary figures in history like Texas Ranger Jack Hays, and the Comanche Indians.

I found this book valuable, and well worth the time to read. I'll bet it would be even more interesting for a reader living in Texas, New Mexico or Arizona where most of the action takes place. The book is really a narrative of the adventures of the author during the years prior to the American Civil War. Viewed from a more staid era in which we live, it is more than a little hair raising. But as a pure recounting of experiences the book would probably be rather mediocre. However, the author really makes an effort to understand the habits and motivations of the Indians he encounters as adversaries and later as a captive. The book does not qualify as a broad cultural study but there is a lot of interesting and valuable insight into Indian life at that time. If you are interested in that era, those places, or a better understanding of the American Indians as they tried to hold their own under the westward expansion of the whites, this will be valuable.

A colorful tale of life as a Texas Ranger, including a period living with the Comanches -- Nelson Lee does not disappoint. His perspective is clear -- that of a man who can't sit on the sidelines when trouble is brewing, whether the trouble involves the worst renegades or the cruelest Comanche. He has to be in the middle of it, and seems always to be among the first to volunteer. A good read.

Some good descriptions of daily life for trusted captives. Reading various mountain men, Corp of discovery, and Native American stories gives depth to u/s early to mid 19th century growth of the nation.

An incredible story. The incidents are very well narrated, and Nelson Lee’s character, coupled to his time and place in history (the new Republic of Texas), makes for a collection of unique and remarkable experiences.

He was born in upstate New York in 1807, crewed on trading vessels on the St Lawrence River, headed to Iowa to fight in the Black Hawk wars, went down the Mississippi to New Orleans, and worked on naval ships along the east coast and in Brazil for several years. He then went to the Texas Republic at the age of 33 and signed up with the Texas Rangers. The first half of the book relates this early part of his life but it is mostly about his experiences with the Rangers. He later joined some others to form a company whose purpose was to run a herd of cattle and horses to California to sell to the Gold Rush miners. On the way his party was attacked by Comanche Indians, and he was taken captive. The second half of the book relates his life as a captive, his escape, and his difficult journey over unknown land to civilization.

For me being a history buff, I really enjoyed it. Half the book was the main charactor chasing Mexicans in Texas as a Texas Ranger and the rest of the book talking about his existence with the Comanche Indians after being captured. His life being a prisoner among the Indians was fascinating for me. I learned allot. There were many gaps for me. I know they didn't have Savings accounts back then. He lost his lively hood driving horses to California when he was captured. Don't know what he did after he broke away from the Comanches Indians for money. Supposedly he travelled to St Louis and around but how? One needs money?

Very fascinating book that I really enjoyed reading.