The Battle of Palo Duro Canyon was a military confrontation and a significant

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

victory during the Red River War. The battle occurred on September 28, 1874, when several U.S. Army regiments under

Ranald S. Mackenzie Ranald Slidell Mackenzie, also called Bad Hand, (July 27, 1840 – January 19, 1889) was a career United States Army officer and general in the Union Army during the American Civil War. He was described by General Ulysses S. Grant as i ...

attacked a large encampment of

Plains Indians Plains Indians or Indigenous peoples of the Great Plains and Canadian Prairies are the Native American tribes and First Nation band governments who have historically lived on the Interior Plains (the Great Plains and Canadian Prairies) of ...

in Palo Duro Canyon in the

Texas Panhandle The Texas Panhandle is a region of the U.S. state of Texas consisting of the northernmost 26 counties in the state. The panhandle is a square-shaped area bordered by New Mexico to the west and Oklahoma to the north and east. It is adjacent to ...

Background

Late in the summer of 1874, Quahada

Comanche The Comanche or Nʉmʉnʉʉ ( com, Nʉmʉnʉʉ, "the people") are a Native American tribe from the Southern Plains of the present-day United States. Comanche people today belong to the federally recognized Comanche Nation, headquartered in ...

, Southern

Cheyenne The Cheyenne ( ) are an Indigenous people of the Great Plains. Their Cheyenne language belongs to the Algonquian language family. Today, the Cheyenne people are split into two federally recognized nations: the Southern Cheyenne, who are enr ...

Arapaho The Arapaho (; french: Arapahos, ) are a Native American people historically living on the plains of Colorado and Wyoming. They were close allies of the Cheyenne tribe and loosely aligned with the Lakota and Dakota. By the 1850s, Arapaho ba ...

and

Kiowa Kiowa () people are a Native American tribe and an indigenous people of the Great Plains of the United States. They migrated southward from western Montana into the Rocky Mountains in Colorado in the 17th and 18th centuries,Pritzker 326 and e ...

warriors led by Lone Wolf left their assigned reservations and sought refuge in Palo Duro Canyon in the Texas Panhandle.Carter, R.G., 1935, ''On the Border with Mackenzie'', Washington D.C.: Eynon Printing Co. There they had been stockpiling food and supplies for the winter. Colonel

, leading the

4th U.S. Cavalry The 4th Cavalry Regiment is a United States Army cavalry regiment, whose lineage is traced back to the mid-19th century. It was one of the most effective units of the Army against American Indians on the Texas frontier. Today, the regiment ...

, departed Fort Clark, Texas on August 15, reached

Fort Concho Fort Concho is a former United States Army installation and National Historic Landmark District located in San Angelo, Texas. It was established in November 1867 at the confluence of the North and South Concho Rivers, on the routes of the Butt ...

on the 21st and the mouth of

Blanco Canyon Blanco Canyon is a canyon located in the U.S. state of Texas. Eroded by the White River into the Caprock Escarpment on the east side of the Llano Estacado, the canyon runs for in a southeasterly direction, gradually widening from its beginning i ...

on the 23rd with eight companies plus three from the 10th Infantry and one from the 11th Infantry. Mackenzie's orders from General

Christopher C. Augur Christopher Columbus Augur (July 10, 1821 – January 16, 1898) was an American military officer, most noted for his role in the American Civil War. Although less well known than other Union commanders, he was nonetheless considered an able battl ...

stated he was "at liberty to follow the Indians wherever they go, even to the Agencies." Mackenzie formed three columns, the first column consisting of eight companies of the 4th Cavalry and two infantry companies, the second column under Lt. Col.

George P. Buell George Pearson Buell (October 4, 1833 – May 31, 1883) was an American civil engineer and soldier. He served as a Union Army general during the American Civil War, and remained in the United States Army following the conflict. Early life an ...

consisting of five companies of the 9th Cavalry, one from the 10th Cavalry, and two infantry companies, and the third column under Lt. Col. John W. Davidson consisting of eight companies of the 10th Cavalry and two infantry companies. The first column moved north along the edge of the Staked Plains, the second advanced up the Red River and the third marched from

Fort Sill Fort Sill is a United States Army post north of Lawton, Oklahoma, about 85 miles (136.8 km) southwest of Oklahoma City. It covers almost . The fort was first built during the Indian Wars. It is designated as a National Historic Landmark ...

. By September 25, Indians began to gather around Mackenzie's troops so that on the night of September 2627, they were attacked near Tule Canyon and Boehm's Canyon, resulting in the deaths of 15 warriors including the Kiowa chief Woman Heart. Early in September,

Black Seminole Scouts Black Seminole Scouts, also known as the Seminole Negro - Indian Scouts, or Seminole Scouts, were employed by the United States Army between 1870 and 1914. The unit included both Black Seminoles and some native Seminoles. However, because most ...

in advance of the 4th Cavalry were ambushed by Comanche near the Staked Plains and escaped with their lives. The scouts relayed the Comanche position and put Mackenzie on alert.

The battle

Early on the morning of September 28, two of Mackenzie's Tonkawa scouts found a "fresh trail" and Mackenzie resumed the march, reaching a "wide and yawning chasm" at dawn, where they could see the Indian lodges. Mackenzie's cavalry dismounted and led their horses single-file along a narrow zig-zag path. Mackenzie first hit Chief Lone Wolf's Kiowa camp and routed it. Chiefs Poor Buffalo and Lone Wolf and the Indians managed to get away, leaving behind their possessions and horses, climbing up both sides of the canyon. The Indian warriors began firing on the troops from 800–1000 feet above, making "it so hot", it prompted one to say, "How will we ever get out of here", to which Mackenzie stated, "I brought you in, I will take you out". Part of the command started a retreat up the "precipitous cliffs" from which they had descended while others pulled down the lodges, chopped up the lodge poles, and burned all of the Indian belongings in huge bonfires. Almost 2000 horses were captured and moved from the canyon with the remaining troops by 4 PM. Mackenzie's troops made it back to their supply camp in Tule Canyon on the morning of the 29th.

Results

The loss of the Palo Duro camp meant the loss of the Indians' safe haven and all of their winter supplies. Some horses fled with the Indians onto the plains but Mackenzie was able to capture 1500-2000 ponies, which he slaughtered to prevent them from falling into the hands of the Indians. Casualties were light in the engagement since it had been a complete rout, but without sufficient mounts or supplies the tribes could not hold out over the winter and many returned to the

reservation by November 1874; Lone Wolf's Kiowas did not return until February 1875. The battle marked the final major engagement of the Red River War and was one of the last battles of the Texas-Indian Wars. Col. R. S. Mackenzie recommended seven soldiers of the 4th U.S. Cavalry and Adam Payne of the

for the Medal of Honor.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Palo Duro Canyon Conflicts in 1874 Battle of Palo Duro Canyon Battles involving the Cheyenne Battles involving the United States Texas–Indian Wars Comanche campaign 1874 in Texas Red River of the South September 1874 events

Background

The battle

Results

See also

References