Chapter 17 Cultures in Conflict

West Texas After the Civil War

The Plains tribes still lived in West Texas after the Civil War … In the Piney Woods of East Texas, in contrast, Native Tribes such as the Cherokees had been removed from the land and sent to “Reservations” in places like Oklahoma; They were no longer attacking …

To prevent further raids,  Federal soldiers were stationed in West Texas and the American West  Forts were built

Western Forts

Texas Forts

Stockade Fort Pictures

At first, soldiers were too few in number and often untrained … … Many forts were too far apart or too far west to provide protection; supplies were short …

The Advantages of Indians Disappeared: BEFORE the Colt and Remington Revolvers-  Natives knew their home territory.  They were skilled fighters.  They could ride a few hundred yards and shoot 20 arrows while an American reloaded.  So, the Natives “drew fire” & then rushed the settlers while the Americans reloaded. LATER – Difficult for Natives to Survive the REVOLVER! The Native Americans usually had the advantage in early battles with the U.S. Army - until the Colt Pistol was invented …

Natives Resisted Reservation Life  They needed the Buffalo to survive  They insisted West Texas belonged to them!  They wanted to roam free over the plains …

Indian Reservations Then …

Indian Reservations Now…

More Accurate Reality on Indian Reservations Now

The Peace Policy Fails; Many Chiefs Resisted  Satanta (Kiowa) “The Orator of the Plains;” he was the most famous Kiowa Chief – he fought back!  Lone Wolf (Kiowa) called for WAR to avenge his son’s death  Ten Bears (Comanche) argued his people needed freedom of the plains …

Some Chiefs Did “Give In”  Kicking Bird was a Kiowa chief who urged his people to accept Anglo ways …  Horseback was a Comanche chief who led his people to a reservation …

Quanah Parker  Great Comanche Chief  Son of Peta Nocona and Cynthia Parker  (Cynthia Ann Parker – An American woman who, as a young girl, was kidnapped by the Comanches; she was recaptured by the Americans, but she was very unhappy and was prevented from returning to her tribe!)  QUANAH  Spent 10 years resisting the White settlements on the land of his people  Finally surrendered in 1875 & led his people to a reservation in Ft. Sill, Oklahoma.  Fought for Natives’ rights and even went to D.C.

The U.S. Cavalry Conducted Military Campaigns A Campaign is a connected series of military operations

These Campaigns Occurred in the American West in the Decades Just After the Civil War 1870’s-1880’s

William Tecumseh Sherman  Peace policy ended; it was abandoned  Natives were still raiding in Texas and the American West  Sherman ordered the Natives to be forced on to Reservations and their camps destroyed

Colonel Ranald Mackenzie Colonel Ranald Mackenzie   Civil War officer  Daring, aggressive, persistent  Fought vs. Comanches, including Quanah Parker at the Battle of Palo Duro Canyon  Fought with Apaches and Kickapoos in the Rio Grande Valley …

Continual Battles for Territory!

Bison Herds Slaughtered  Buffalo hunters 1870’s  The Plains tribes fully depended on the bison for its meat and skin  “To kill a bison was to to kill a Plains Native”  1000’s of animals killed

Attack on Adobe Walls  In June of 1874  Quanah Parker led 100’s of Comanche warriors to attack a Buffalo Hunters’ camp  Sod house camp  Borger, Texas, near the Canadian River  Failure by Natives  But the fighting spread across 5 states and territories …

Red River Campaign-1874  Because of all of the fighting, President Grant put the Army in charge of Natives in West Texas  1200 warriors in the Panhandle prepared to defend their land  3000 U.S. soldiers came in …  Success for the U.S. Army!

The Battle of Palo Duro Canyon  Decisive battle  Many Plains tribes camped in the Canyon  Mackenzie set fire to Plains people’s villages  September 28, 1874  Captured supplies  Destroyed over a 1,000 horses  Most of the tribes finally went to reservations in Oklahoma – “Indian Territory”

Fighting Continued on the Rio Grande

Buffalo Soldiers  African-American Cavalry  Respected by the Natives  1876 warfare broke out along the Rio Grande Rio Grande  Mackenzie involved  Kickapoo raiders subdued  Apaches continued to raid in West Texas …