About February 18, 1851, the Oatman family, while on their way to California, was attacked in a remote part of Arizona by natives. After the attack, six members of the family were dead, and two of the Children were taken by the attackers as slaves. When one of the girls, Olive Oatman, returned to western society five years later, she became a media sensation due to her story, and the tattoos she now sported on her face.

The incident, which became known as the Oatman Family Massacre, took place in a remote part of Arizona, located north east of what is now Sentinel, Arizona near the Gila River. At the site of the massacre you can find the traces of a couple of old wagon roads, and a lone sign marking the spot where the Oatman's were killed and once laid buried.

Near the massacre site, across the Gila River, is the grave of the Oatman family and a memorial to them. In this video we drive to the site of the massacre, explore the wagon road, and cross the Gila River to visit the memorial.

Here is a link to R.B. Stratton's 1857 book Captivity of the Oatman Girls: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/55071...

A much better book is The Oatman Massacre by Brian McGinty, available on Amazon and elsewhere.

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