Battle of Devil's River facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Battle of Devil's River
Part of the Comanche Wars, Texas-Indian Wars
Comanches watching an American caravan in West Texas by Arthur Lee Tracy.
Date July 20, 1857 Location Devils River, Val Verde, Texas 30°10′40.8612″N 101°5′34.85″W / 30.178017000°N 101.0930139°W / 30.178017000; -101.0930139 (Devil's River Battlefield) Result United States victory
Belligerents
United States	Comanche
Commanders and leaders
John Bell Hood	unknown
Strength
18 cavalry	~50 warriors
Casualties and losses
2 killed 5 wounded (7 dead from exposure)	9 killed 10 wounded
Seven American soldiers died of exposure on the march before the battle. Several Comanche women and children were captured during the battle but quickly released.

The Battle of Devil's River was a small but important fight in 1857. It happened in Texas near the Devils River. A small group of United States Army cavalry soldiers faced off against a larger group of Comanche warriors. The American soldiers won after a very difficult journey through the desert.

A Tough Desert Journey

A map of the Rio Grande watershed. The Devil's River is in the center.

In July 1857, Lieutenant John Bell Hood led a group of twenty-five soldiers. Hood would later become a famous Confederate general. They left Fort Mason to patrol the desert. It was incredibly hot, but the soldiers kept going.

They reached the Concho River and found tracks left by a Comanche war party. The tracks led into a harsh, dry wasteland. Hood believed his men could survive there, just like the Comanches.

Pushing Onward

The soldiers traveled about 150 miles with very little water. Hood started to think they might not catch the Comanches. But he kept pushing his men forward. By the time they reached the Devil's River, seven soldiers had fallen behind. They were too exhausted from the heat. Sadly, these seven men were never seen again.

The Battle Begins

On July 15, as Hood and his seventeen remaining men got close to the river, about fifty Comanches suddenly appeared. One Comanche warrior held up a white flag. Hood immediately rode towards the flag. But after only a short distance, the Comanches opened fire. The white flag was dropped.

A Surprise Attack

At the same time, more Comanches hidden in the bushes also started shooting. They used both arrows and rifles. Some warriors even charged forward. They got so close that they grabbed the horses' reins. They tried to pull the soldiers off their horses. Lieutenant Hood fired his shotgun several times. Then, an arrow hit his left hand, pinning it to his horse's bridle.

The American soldiers fired their revolvers as they pulled back about fifty yards. They quickly got ready to defend their position. Hood later said they were "nigh meeting a similar fate to that of the gallant Custer and his noble band". He was thinking of the Battle of the Little Bighorn that happened later in 1876.

Holding Their Ground

The Comanches then attacked the American position. But the cavalrymen held their ground. By this time, the soldiers had gotten off their horses. They fought on foot, using the ground for cover. After a long fight, the Comanches finally gave up.

According to Hood's report, nine Comanche warriors were killed on the battlefield. Ten others were wounded. On the American side, one soldier was killed. Five others were wounded, including Lieutenant Hood. One more soldier went missing during the fight and was believed to have died.

Remembering the Battle

The site of the Battle of Devil's River received a special historic marker in 1987. This marker helps people remember the events that happened there.