Lorenzo Dow Oatman

Lorenzo survived the Oatman Massacre. His father, mother and four siblings were killed by Indians. Two sisters (Olive and Mary Ann) were captured. Mary Ann later died of starvation and Olive was freed (traded) after 5 years.

age: 65 yrs

Sisters: Mary Ann Oatman Charity Ann Oatman Lucy Oatman Olive Oatman

Brothers: Roland Oatman Royce Oatman Jr

Wife: Edna Amelia Canfield --married August 3 1860 ---in Ustick, Whiteside County, IL

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On Aug 8 1850 Royce and Mary Ann Sperry Oatman and the family joined a wagon train in Independence, Missouri bound for the part of the Colorado River, now in southern California, but the train split several times until the Oatman's and their seven children were left to travel alone.

On February 18 1851, Apaches (some say Yavapais) attacked them on the Gila River in Arizona. Olive and her sister Mary were captured, Lorenzo was left for dead and the rest of the family massacred.

The girls were held as slaves for a year near what is now Congress, Arizona. They were then sold to a Mojave chief for blankets, horses and vegetables. They walked on a 10-day journey to Needles, California. Mary died of starvation and abuse.

On February 28 1856 Olive was ransomed at Fort Yuma, Arizona for a horse, blankets and beads. It was there that she was reunited with Lorenzo.

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=oatman&GSfn=L...