Empire of the Summer Moon

The Comanche numbers in 1874 were at their lowest, roughly 3,000. In August and September, the army prepared for a final campaign to destroy them or bring them all to the reservations. It was the largest force ever sent against the Indians, because it wasn’t only the Comanches but all the Plains Indians whom the army was after. The campaign consisted of many skirmishes, not all of which the Indians lost. Mackenzie and the 4th Cavalry fought the largest and most decisive of the engagements, however, which became known as the Battle of Palo Duro Canyon.

The Comanches and their allies were under the command of a powerful war chief, Lone Wolf. Mackenzie and his troops, using Tonkawa scouts, tracked the Indians over many miles. The Comanches attacked at night, but Mackenzie had commanded his men to secure the horses so that the Comanches couldn’t drive them off or steal them. The Comanche attack was repulsed with only one casualty on the U.S. side. In the morning, Mackenzie moved his troops in a strategic feint. His goal was the main camp, but he made it look like he was going in a different direction. The 4th Cavalry was then able to come upon the Indian camp unawares.