Dac Crossley's Western Blog

Where the Heck is Adobe Walls?

The Comanche Chief Quanah Parker managed to avoid capture by Colonel Ranald Mackenzie’s troops. Quanah roamed the high plains – the Llano Estacado – with his band.

But there was another problem, and that was the buffalo. Their numbers were decreasing. Quanah was aware that buffalo hunters roamed the plains freely, protected by the US Army, who’s illegal and unstated policy was – exterminate the buffalo and the Indians will be forced to come in to the Reservations.

Now there arose an Indian Prophet who had a vision. The Tribes could exterminate the buffalo hunters. Isa-tay promised the Comanches he would protect them with spells, and magic paint that would stop bullets. (“Isa-tay” has been translated as “Coyote anus” and “Coyote droppings. I prefer Jack Jackson’s translation of “Coyote shit”.)

Quanah led a huge assemblage band of Indians – Comanche, Wichita, Pawnees and others – in an attack on the little fort of Adobe Walls, where a number of buffalo hunters had assembled. Fortunately for the hunters, one man was up early and spotted the Indians.

The braves charged time after time, but fell in numbers to the guns of the hunters. Quanah recalled his fighters to a distant hill to regroup. A Cheyenne warrior was about to quirt the prophet Isa-tay, when came the famous Long Shot. Billy Dixon borrowed a 50-caliber buffalo gun and shot the Cheyenne right off his horse. It was an impossible shot at that distance. The Indian alliance disbanded.

Billy Dixon’s reputation was made. He was awarded the Medal Of Honor (for gallantry in battle). Dixon lived his life near Adobe Walls.

And where is Adobe Walls? Now a ghost town near Stinnett, Texas, some 20 miles away on the prairie. It’s now on the US National Register of Historic Places. But you can’t go there – it’s private. The Register refuses to list the coordinates but I found them anyway!

Quanah Parker led his Comanches back to the high plans for their final encounter with Broken-Hand Mackenzie. Quanah said that he never trusted another prophet.

Dac Crossley
June 26, 2017. Happy Birthday, Lance R. So long, Bobby B.

“Not for the needy but for the greedy.” – Franklin Roosevelt’s comment about the 1944 Appropriations Bill when it reached his desk.

The War for the Staked Plains (part one)

After his near-miss with the Kiowas (see my previous blog) General Sherman charged Captain Ranald Mackenzie with the task of rounding up the Comanche bands and bringing them to the reservation.

“Broken Hand” Mackenzie lost three fingers from his right hand during the Civil War. He was a capable officer but had no experience with the Llano Estacado – the Staked Plains of the Texas Panhandle. On his first attempt Mackenzie marched deep into the Panhandle. Comanches under young Quanah Parker (Cynthia Ann’s son) stampeded Mackenzie’s horse herd and left him freezing in a “blue norther.” Quanah’s braves dogged the retreating soldiers and wounded Mackenzie in the leg.

Mackenzie was learning. During the next summer he probed the Llano to find refuges and water holes. His scouts located the village of the Comanche Chief Mow-Way (“Push away”) on the Red River. Mackenzie attacked (Mow-Way himself wasn’t at home) and took 130 captives, mostly women and children. With so many held hostage, the Comanches were cautious for a few seasons. When the hostages were finally restored, the grateful Comanches preached peace. Had Mackenzie’s work been done? Not quite.

The Kiowa leader Kicking Bird successfully argued for the parole of Satanta and Big Tree from the Texas penitentiary. General Sherman didn't like that a bit. He foresaw more Indian troubles. He kept Ranald Mackenzie in the saddle.

More to come about “Broken Hand.” Stay tuned. In the meantime…

Dac Crossley
June 20, 2017

“The more I practice, the luckier I get.” – Arnold Palmer.

The War for the Staked Plains (part one)

After his near-miss with the Kiowas (see my previous blog) General Sherman charged Captain Ranald Mackenzie with the task of rounding up the Comanche bands and bringing them to the reservation.

“Broken Hand” Mackenzie lost three fingers from his right hand during the Civil War. He was a capable officer but had no experience with the Llano Estacado – the Staked Plains of the Texas Panhandle. On his first attempt Mackenzie marched deep into the Panhandle. Comanches under young Quanah Parker (Cynthia Ann’s son) stampeded Mackenzie’s horse herd and left him freezing in a “blue norther.” Quanah’s braves dogged the retreating soldiers and wounded Mackenzie in the leg.

Mackenzie was learning. During the next summer he probed the Llano to find refuges and water holes. His scouts located the village of the Comanche Chief Mow-Way (“Push away”) on the Red River. Mackenzie attacked (Mow-Way himself wasn’t at home) and took 130 captives, mostly women and children. With so many held hostage, the Comanches were cautious for a few seasons. When the hostages were finally restored, the grateful Comanches preached peace. Had Mackenzie’s work been done? Not quite.

The Kiowa leader Kicking Bird successfully argued for the parole of Satanta and Big Tree from the Texas penitentiary. General Sherman didn't like that a bit. He foresaw more Indian troubles. He kept Ranald Mackenzie in the saddle.

More to come about “Broken Hand.” Stay tuned. In the meantime…

Dac Crossley
June 20, 2017

“The more I practice, the luckier I get.” – Arnold Palmer.

General Sherman Catches a Lucky Break

After the Civil War, Federal Troops entered Texas and began trying to secure the Frontier. The Comanche reservations in Texas were shut down and the Indians moved to Oklahoma, where they remained under the watchful eye of Quaker Agent Lawrie Tatum. Together with their friends the Kiowas, Comanche warriors continued to slip away and raid down into Texas.

The Texans kept complaining to the Army, and at last General Sherman, Commander of the Army, paid a personal visit. With a light escort he made his way west to Fort Richardson. Sherman found the country to be peaceful enough, and asked what the Texans were complaining about.

Kiowa medicine had kept Sherman alive. He didn’t know that a large war party had watched him on the trail. The Kiowas decided they’d wait for the next wagon before attacking.

And attack they did. They charged down on a teamster train of wagons, destroyed everything, and tortured and killed the teamsters. One man escaped, badly wounded, and made his way to Fort Richardson where he reported to General Sherman.

Furious, Sherman raced to Fort Sill and arrested the Kiowa Chiefs Satanta, Satank and Big Tree, who were openly bragging about the raid. Sherman put the reservation under military rule. He adopted a get tough policy. Ranald Mackenzie and the Fourth Cavalry were charged to bring in the Comanches still operating on the High Plains.

The three Kiowa Chiefs were sent back to Texas for trial. On the journey, Old Satank managed to free himself and stabbed a guard. He was shot and his body left in a roadside ditch. A Texas jury found the other two Chiefs guilty of murder and sentenced them to hang. Texas Governor Davis, fearing a full-scale Indian war, commuted their sentences.

Ranald Mackenzie – “Broken Hand” – now that’s another story…

Dac Crossley
June 16, 2017.

“I speak as a Republican. I speak as a woman. I speak as a United States Senator. I speak as an American. I don’t want to see the Republican Party ride to victory on the four horsemen of calumny – fear, ignorance, bigotry and smear.” – Margaret Chase Smith.

Horse Marines -- Of the Republic of Texas?

Texas General Thomas B. Rusk was concerned about Mexican activities off the Texas coast, in the many bays of the Gulf of Mexico. He heard rumors of a suspicious vessel anchored in Copano Bay, so he sent a company of Texas Rangers to investigate.

Major Isaac Watts Burton concealed his Rangers on the shore of the bay and sent up distress signals. The ship responded by hoisting American and then Texas signals. The Rangers ignored them. When the vessel hoisted Mexican signals the Rangers responded. The Mexican captain thought he’d found a troop of the Mexican army and rowed ashore. Burton’s Rangers captured him and, with the captain as hostage, rowed out to the ship (the Watchman) and seized its cargo of provisions intended for the Mexican army.

The ruse worked so well that Burton and his Rangers used it twice more, capturing the Mexican vessels Comanche and Fanny Butler, with more supplies intended for the Mexican Army.

This must be unique in the annals of the Texas Rangers. Swapping horses for a rowboat. Who knew?

Dac Crossley
June 5, 2017

“You can either grow old gracefully or begrudgingly. I chose both.” – Roger Moore, sometimes James Bond, RIP.