Battle of Bandera Pass facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Battle of Bandera Pass
Part of American Indian Wars
Date 1841 or 1843 Location Near Bandera, Texas Result Texan victory
Belligerents
Republic of Texas	Comanche
Commanders and leaders
John Coffee Hays	Unknown Comanche Chief reported killed by the Rangers
Strength
50 rangers and militia	Unknown, but the best guesses are 200 in the band, including women
Casualties and losses
5 killed	Unknown

The Battle of Bandera Pass in 1841 was a very important event. It marked a big change in the Texas–Indian wars. Even though these wars continued for another 34 years, the Texans started to gain the upper hand after this battle. Some records also show the battle happening in 1843.

What Led to the Battle?

Where is Bandera Pass?

Bandera Pass is a natural opening in a chain of mountains. It's about ten miles northwest of the town of Bandera, Texas. This pass was named after General Bandera, a Spanish commander. In 1733, he won a battle there against a large group of Apaches. The Apaches used these hills to plan attacks on Spanish missions near San Antonio. Later, the Comanches took over the area from the Apaches.

How Did Fighting Change Over Time?

John Coffee Hays.

Around the time of the Texas Revolution, about 30,000 Anglo and Hispanic settlers lived in Texas. There were also about 15,000 Plains Indians. The settlers mostly had single-shot guns. The Comanche warriors were very good at fighting against these weapons.

Both the Spanish, Mexicans, and later the Texans learned this. Single-shot guns were not enough to defeat the skilled Comanche horsemen. The Comanche were masters of cavalry tactics and shooting bows while riding. Their constant movement made it hard for enemies to hit them. The Comanche could easily kill their opponents before they could reload. They even used firearms well, but found bows faster.

The Comanche stopped Spanish expansion in North America. They were one of the few Native American groups to successfully defend their land. They even expanded it against strong Spanish armies. For example, in the late 1700s, they were said to have stolen every horse in New Mexico.

Until repeating rifles and revolvers came along, the Plains Indians had an advantage in weapons and tactics. But the Texans had more people and diseases affected the Native Americans. This balance slowly changed over time.

How Did New Weapons Change Things?

Things really started to change after 1840. That's when John Coffee Hays joined the Texas Rangers. He made the Rangers better organized and more confident. He also gave his men new Paterson Colt five-shot revolvers. Before this, they only had single-shot guns.

For the first time, at the Battle of Bandera Pass in 1841, the Native Americans faced these "new Rangers." The Rangers were able to push them back. This battle was a clear turning point in the war. Even so, the Plains tribes fought bravely for another 34 years.

Getting Ready for the Battle

Why Was the Frontier Strengthened?

In 1840, the Comanches, led by Buffalo Hump, attacked and looted the towns of Victoria, Texas, and Linnville. This was known as the Great Raid of 1840. After this, President Sam Houston knew he had to make the frontier safer. He wanted to stop future big raids.

President Houston chose Captain John Coffee Hays to form a company of Rangers. Their main job was to control the Comanches. This company included many famous Indian fighters. Some of them were Bigfoot Wallace, Ben Highsmith, Creed Taylor, and Sam Walker. These were the men who faced the Comanche at Bandera Pass in 1841.

Why Was the Battle Location Important?

Everyone knew that the Comanches were excellent horsemen. They used short bows and wooden lances while riding. These weapons worked best on the wide-open Great Plains. The Comanches preferred to fight in rolling, open hills.

Comanches did use ambushes, but they usually attacked from horseback. They would hide behind trees or in places that kept their horses and men hidden. However, these hiding spots were not always available in Texas. The Texas landscape is often flat and open. The Comanches would usually not set an ambush at the end of a pass. This kind of place would give their enemies a clear way to escape. Instead, the Comanches preferred wide-open areas. This allowed them to attack from any direction.

The Battle of Bandera Pass

We don't know the exact date of this battle, but we know when it happened. Captain Hays and about 50 of his men arrived at the Pass around 11 o'clock in the morning. They were surprised to find a large group of Comanches there. Hays' reports say his men were worried about how many enemies there were. But the captain reportedly told them, "Dismount and tie those horses, we can whip them. No doubt about that."

This battle was where the new repeating revolvers started to change the war. The Colt revolvers were brand new. Captain Hays and his men were lucky to have about fifty or sixty of these weapons. The Rangers said the Comanches had never seen them before. Even though the Rangers were greatly outnumbered, the new guns helped them hold their ground. The fierce battle started at 11 AM and lasted all day. The fighting finally stopped when night fell.

After the Battle

Finally, the Comanche warriors retreated. The Rangers followed them. Both sides buried their dead. The Rangers lost five men and many were wounded. But the fact that 50 Rangers held their ground against hundreds of Comanches was a huge change. It marked the turning point in the war between Texas and the Comanches.