Wednesday, June 28, 2017

Adobe Walls Clash For Western Wednesday...!

Picture this, if you will. 28 men pinned down by 700...and winning the day. Sounds like a tall tale, doesn't it. It's true and it happened at a place called Adobe Walls. Here is the story, right out of the history books!

Buffalo hunters and Indians clash at Adobe Walls

Using new high-powered rifles to devastating effect, 28 buffalo hunters repulse a much larger force of attacking Indians at an old trading post in the Texas panhandle called Adobe Walls.

The Commanche, Kiowa, and Cheyenne Indians living in western Texas had long resented the advancement of white settlement in their territories. In 1867, some of the Indians accepted the terms of the Treaty of Medicine Lodge, which required them to move to Indian Territory (present-day Oklahoma) but also reserved much of the Texas Panhandle as their exclusive hunting grounds. Many white Texans, however, maintained that the treaty had ignored their legitimate claims to the area. These white buffalo hunters, who had already greatly reduced the once massive herds, continued to hunt in the territory.

By the early 1870s, Commanche, Kiowa, and Cheyenne hunters were finding it harder to locate buffalo, and they blamed the illegal white buffalo hunters. When the federal government failed to take adequate measures to stop the white buffalo hunters, the great chief Quanah Parker and others began to argue for war.

In the spring 1874, a group of white merchants occupied an old trading post called Adobe Walls near the South Canadian River in the Indian’s hunting territory. The merchants quickly transformed the site into a regional center for the buffalo-hide trade. Angered by this blatant violation of the treaty, Chief Quanah Parker and Lone Wolf amassed a force of about 700 Commanche, Kiowa, and Cheyenne braves. On this day in 1874, the Indians attacked Adobe Walls.

Only 28 hunters and traders occupied Adobe Walls, but they had two advantages over the Indians: the thick walls of the adobe structure were impenetrable to arrows and bullets, and the occupants had a number of high-powered rifles normally used on buffalo. The hunters’ .50 caliber Sharps rifles represented the latest technology in long-range, rapid firing weaponry. Already skilled marksmen, the buffalo hunters used the rifles to deadly effect, decimating the warriors before they came close enough even to return effective fire. On the second day of the siege, one hunter reportedly hit an Indian warrior at a distance of eight-tenths of a mile.

Despite their overwhelmingly superior numbers, after three days the Indians concluded that Adobe Walls could not be taken and withdrew. The defenders had lost only four men in the attack, and they later estimated that the Indians had lost 13. Enraged by their defeat, several Indian bands subsequently took their revenge on poorly defended targets. Fearful settlers demanded military protection, leading to the outbreak of the Red River War. By the time the war ended in 1875, the Commanche and Kiowa had been badly beaten and Indian resistance on the Southern Plains had effectively collapsed.

Here is another case where the technology of the day won the battle against superior numbers and beat the odds. Doesn't matter that the reason for the clash was another case of treaty violation which was and is common place for the PTB.

Coffee in the kitchen one more time. Rain is still hanging around.

5 comments:

linda m said...

Seems technology has been having the upper hand a lot lately. Don't know if that is good or bad. Still think the Indians got a raw deal from TPTB back then. Better get my walk in early today, supposed to rain.

JO said...

Just another case of the white mans greed. Sad very sad.

Really nice morning here to bad it won't last but another hour or 2.

HermitJim said...

Hey Linda...
Gotta wonder if we really need all this high tech stuff, and if it really does us much good!
Thanks for stopping by this morning!


Hey Jo...
Enjoy the nice weather while it's there, cause you know it will change pretty quick!
Thanks for dropping by today, sweetie!

Unknown said...

I think it is a shame the Native Americans got such a raw deal and still do in some cases. Seems "immigrates" get more consideration. I recommend to anybody who likes to read a historical novel Ride he Wind by Lucia St Claire Robson. A great story of Quanah Parker's life. His descendants still hold family reunions at Fort Parker.

Leah Hart said...

I believed God has sent dr onokun to help people out from this horrible virus. i was diagnosis with hpv for 3 years, few months ago a friend introduced me to dr onokun and i only took his natural treatment for a week & 3 days, and i totally got cured with his herbal treatment. if you are suffering from hpv, you don't have to be roaming round dr onokun email is been attached to contact him on email: dronokunherbalcure@gmail.com