The trail of blood along the Texas border

This series of Frontier Stories was written several years ago by John Warren Hunter, now deceased. 

During the year 1873, the Indians had been comparatively quiet along the Texas frontier, but as they again began raiding the border settlements and committing depredations it became necessary to send another expedition against them. The frontier forces had been depleted, and to make a respectable escort it was compulsory to draw off all available men within 1,000 miles of the border. Hence when Gen. Mackenzie was ready to start on this expedition, he had drawn troops from every post from Fort Richardson (Jacksboro) to Fort Duncan on the Rio Grande. And yet the fighting force, exclusive of train guards and packers, was only about 400 men. 

The gathering of the clans took place at the old supply camp on the Clear Fork and was completed by the arrival of the Seminole Scouts from the Rio Grande, twenty-one strong and seven Tonkawas from Fort Concho, on the 18th of September.

The command moved north along the edge of the staked plains on the 19th, and on the 20th, a party of four of our spies, who were a day's march in advance, were discovered and attacked by twenty-five Comanches, and after a short sharp fight they were put to flight. One of them had his horse shot from under him, but he succeeded in mounting another old animal and the four reached the Seminole camp in safety. 

The pursuers took alarm and ran off their herd of about 100 horses in a southerly direction with great haste. General McLaughlin was at once dispatched with part of the cavalry in pursuit and he followed the trail more than thirty-five miles, before dark, obliging the Indians to drop several horses and abandon considerable camp equipage in their flight. When it became too dark to follow the trail, McLaughlin, who must have been close on their heels but with another night's start on the part of the Indians the race would have been hopeless, returned to the main camp.

Mackenzie resumed his march in the direction of Palo Duro canyon, a deep, wide declivity running through the northwestern part of the plains country, sending part of the command ahead with instructions to camp in Tule Canyon and return next day for the purpose of deceiving the Indian spies, who were known to be watching the column. On the 26th a few Indians appeared and skirmished with the outposts near the Tule Canyon, after which that detachment pulled up stakes and joined the main camp near the Palo Duro. That night every man laid down to sleep with his clothes on, fully expecting an attack before morning and it came.

At fifteen minutes past 10 p. m. several parties of Indians from ten to thirty each, dashed upon different sides of our camp, firing in among the men and horses and yelling like demons, in vain attempt to stampede our stock. They charged around the camp a few times until they found that the stock would not stampede, after which they chose a position below in the Canyon. They kept up a desultory fire until morning, doing no damage except shooting Lieutenant Thompson's horse through the neck, putting another ball through the saddle pockets, while our return fire hit several horses at least, for they were found dead in the ravine the next morning.

Before it was fairly light the Indians, who had no idea of our strength, came boldly out for a fight, to the number of about 150. One company of scouts and Indians, commanded by Lieutenant Thompson, were ordered to charge and drive them from the vicinity, while the rest of the companies were saddling and packing. The charge was made in great style, our boys going through their center in the most determined manner without losing a single man, but killing several Indians. While Thompson and his scouts acted as flankers on each side, killing other Indians without loss to themselves. 

One Indian they killed attracted general attention on account of his fine appearance. He was high upon the side of the canyon, superbly mounted, when one of the Seminole scouts dismounted and, taking deliberate aim, killed the Comanche's horse. Regaining his feet, the Indian started off at a great speed across the open plain. One of the Tonkaways gave chase, ran his horse upon him and finished him with his six-shooter, the pistol being so near his head that the powder burned his skin.

The Comanches scattered in every direction but finally rallied again in plain view two or three miles in our front on the prairie and then marched off to the eastward in close column formation like a detachment of civilized troops. Our cavalry did not follow, the Indian device was too apparent. 

McKenzie knew that every step taken on following their trail, which was meant to deceive and mislead, would have carried the command that much further away from their villages and villages were what MacKenzie was after. The column remained in camp until 2 p. m. when it marched out a few miles in the direction the Comanches had gone and went into camp as if for the night at a water hole on the plain, knowing full well that Indian spies were watching its every movement.

Just after dark the command saddled up and started off almost due north at a rapid pace, arriving at the brink of the big Palo Duro canyon at dawn. It was here that McKenzie expected to find their village, and he was not disappointed. Looking far down beneath their feet, the troopers saw the Indian lodges, stretching for miles along the wide gorge of the canyon, and the Indian herds grazing in all directions. 

Officers and men contemplated the scene with admiration and wonder, but how to reach the floor of the great gash in the plain was the question. A narrow, dizzy winding trail was soon found, such as a goat could scarcely travel, and the cavalry began the descent down the side of the yawning precipice. Observing this unexpected approach, the Indians were seized with alarm and began a wild, hasty retreat.

The descent took nearly an hour, but at last the troopers were all down and ready and eager for the fray. Thompson and his scouts and Captain Boehm and Colonel Beaumont led the charge with such impetuosity that warriors, women, children and old bucks fled in every direction. After a short but sharp fight, the troops charged down the canyon through the village, which proved to be scattered along for about three miles. It was a running fight for the entire distance but the command was fortunate in having only one man desperately wounded and only fourteen horses killed and wounded. 

After driving the Indians from their villages the general ordered all the lodges burned and a general destruction of everything found in the villages. He also directed that all the stock found in the canyon should be rounded up and driven to the plain above the canyon. While executing these orders, sharp fighting was had with isolated bunches of Indians who had rallied and taken positions high up on the sides of the canyon which they had reached by trails known only to themselves, and which could not be found by our men. However, they were driven from this position and fell back up the canyon to the mouth of Canyon City and here the main fight occurred.

Gradually the Indians were forced back to where the canyon narrows down to a gorge with a small valley in front. Here they offered such stout resistance that the general began to consider a retreat as being his next move. Hon. Chas. Goodnight of Goodnight, Texas, who was ranching in the vicinity at the time says that it being impracticable to take any sort of a wheeled vehicle into the canyon. 

General Mackenzie had two small mountain howitzers mounted on the backs of two big American mules and as he found his men closely pressed by the enemy, who were hidden from view behind rocks and brush, he ordered his mule battery into action. The two mules were turned round into position, tail foremost, and at the first fire of the cannon, these husky animals stampeded and tore around at a marvelous rate. They ran into the Indian lines, tore through them, and finally headed back to the general's command. This so demoralized the Indians, who are always more or less superstitious, that they, too, became frightened and stampeded.

Mr. Goodnight says that after the fight was over, the Indians, while recounting the events of the day, told some of the officers that they had faced all kinds of guns carried by the white man without fear but when it came to shooting mules at them they had to skip out; it was something new to them.

The Indians left the canyon and struck out for the plains, followed by Mackenzie to near the head of Tule canyon, where another fight took place in which the savages were routed, their village burned, their herds taken and 112 squaws, children and old bucks captured. In the captured herd there were about 1,500 head of horses. 

Officers and men were allowed to select one or two of each of the best ponies out of the herd while the rest, to the number of 1,300, were rounded up on the plain and shot—this in order to prevent their recapture by the Indians. While Mackenzie did not mind killing Indians he hated to kill the 1,300 horses and it was done only as a war expedient to rid the country of prowling bands of mounted Indians who would attack and kill defenseless women and children.

All the Indian lodges were burned and everything belonging to the Indians was either carried away or destroyed. The friendly Tonkawas and others found time to secure considerable plunder while the fighting was in progress and before the village was burned and some of the loot they took is worthy of mention. There were bows and arrows, lances and shields, quivers, buffalo robes dressed with and without hair, painted and decorated, new blankets just from the reservation (and it was curious to note that these blankets were only about 4 feet by 3 in size, obliging them to run two together to make one of ordinary size), stone china, kettles, tools and implements of various descriptions, even a pair of tinner's shears; breech-loading arms, with plenty of metallic cartridges, one mule being found packed with 500 rounds and another loaded with lead and powder bags; bales of calico, turkey red; sacks of Osage and Mission flour, and groceries in profusion. In addition to these there were large quantities of dried venison, buffalo meat and dressed wild turkeys, dried and ready for use.

The captured squaws, children and old bucks were escorted to Fort Concho where they were held some six or eight months, when they were sent to the Fort Sill reservation. Among those captured were three young bucks who, while enroute to Concho, butted their brains out, preferring death to captivity.

The following document was found among effects of the dead Indians, may be of interest: Office Kiowa and Comanche Agency, I. T. 4. Mo. 9-1874.

Long Hungry is recommended as a Chief among the Cochetehea Comanche Indians and promises to use his influence for good among his people while continuing to conduct himself in a friendly way and peaceable manner. I ask for him kind treatment by all with whom he may come in contact.

J. M. Harworth,
  U. S. Indian Agent,

SOURCE Frontier Times November 1923