The Gruesome Story Of Olive Oatman's Captivity Among The Mohave
Tragedy, resilience, and a journey of astonishing transformation…Olive Oatman was a fourteen-year-old girl in 1851 when her life took a harrowing turn in the unforgiving landscapes of what is now Arizona. Her family was brutally attacked and killed by Native Americans, plunging Olive and her younger sister Mary Ann into a world of captivity and uncertainty…
In the early years of her life, Olive Oatman was born into the devout Mormon family of Royce and Mary Ann Oatman in Illinois in 1837, as one of seven siblings. The Oatman family's deep-rooted faith in the Mormon religion played a significant role in shaping their destiny. In 1850, the family made a fateful decision to embark on a westward journey, driven by their commitment to a wagon train led by James Brewster, a charismatic figure whose followers were known as Brewsterites. Brewster's dissent from the mainstream Mormon leadership in Salt Lake City led him to break away, and the Oatmans saw his leadership as an alternative path to spiritual fulfillment. However, as they embarked on the challenging journey to the Colorado River in southern California, their faith would soon be tested. The journey proved arduous, marked by unforgiving terrain and harsh climates, ultimately leading to a rift within the group, with Brewsterites choosing a northern route and the Oatman family opting for the southern route via Socorro and Tucson. This decision would lead to the tragic events that followed, culminating in the fateful encounter with Native Americans and the Oatman Massacre in 1851…
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