Battle of the North Fork of the Red River facts for kids

The Battle of North Fork or the Battle of the North Fork of the Red River happened on September 28, 1872. It took place near McClellan Creek in Gray County, Texas, United States. A special monument now marks this important spot.

This battle was fought between the Comanche people, led by Chiefs Kai-Wotche and Mow-way, and a group of U.S. Army cavalry soldiers and scouts. The soldiers were led by Colonel Ranald S. Mackenzie. During the battle, some people who were not fighting were hurt, as they were mixed in with the warriors.

This battle is remembered because it was the first time the U.S. Army attacked the Comanches deep inside their homeland. This area was known as the Llano Estacado, in the western part of the Texas panhandle.

Quick facts for kids Battle of North Fork of Red River, 1872
Part of the Indian Wars
Date September 28, 1872 Location near McClellan Creek in Gray County, Texas 35°24′41.8068″N 100°40′19.10″W / 35.411613000°N 100.6719722°W / 35.411613000; -100.6719722 (North Fork of Red River Battlefield) Result U.S. victory
Belligerents
United States 4th Cavalry Regiment (United States), Tonkawa scouts	Comanche Kotsoteka Band
Commanders and leaders
Ranald S. Mackenzie	Kai-Wotche (killed) Mow-way (escaped)
Strength
12 officers and 272 enlisted men, 20 Tonkawa scouts	Unknown, but the best guesses are 160 in the band, including 100 women and children
Casualties and losses
3 killed 7 wounded	approximately 50 killed 130 captured

Why the Battle Happened: Leading to the Red River War

This battle was an important event before the Red River War of 1873–74. In early 1872, the new military leader in Texas decided it was time to fight the Comanches. He wanted to strike at the heart of their territory, called the Comancheria. This was similar to what the Texas Rangers had done years before at the Battle of Little Robe Creek.

At this time, the U.S. government had a "Quaker Peace Policy." This policy meant that religious groups, like the Quakers, helped manage Native American reservations. The goal was to move Native Americans to reservations peacefully. U.S. troops were generally not supposed to fight them. However, troops from the Texas District could be used for combat.

Exploring the Staked Plains

Col. Mackenzie who led the cavalry at the Battle of the North Fork

Colonel Mackenzie started his campaign in July 1872 from Fort Concho. He set up a temporary base called Camp Supply on the edge of the Llano Estacado. From there, Mackenzie sent out small groups to explore.

One group found a well-used trail with tracks from many cattle. This made Mackenzie curious. On July 28, 1872, he led 272 soldiers, 12 officers, and 20 Tonkawa scouts into the Comancheria. They traveled to Fort Sumner, New Mexico, and then to Fort Bascom, New Mexico.

A scout named Ortiz helped Mackenzie's group. They searched for Comanche camps but didn't find any. The expedition returned to Camp Supply on August 31, 1872. They had marched about 700 miles in five weeks. They also found two new, shorter routes through the Staked Plains. These routes had better access to water than the Goodnight–Loving Trail.

Mackenzie's men rested until September 21. Then, they marched north to search for the last possible Comanche campsite. This was on the north fork of the Red River.

The Battle of North Fork

On September 28, a scouting team found a large Kotsoteka Comanche village. The cavalry got very close to the village before the Comanches saw them. The soldiers then charged the village and captured it after about 30 minutes of fighting.

Mackenzie's side lost three men and had three wounded. The Comanches lost around 50 or more people. This included Chief Kai-Wotche and his wife, who were both killed. Chief Mow-way managed to escape.

The army surprised the village completely. Later, a captive named Clinton Smith said that Mackenzie and the army had caused a "massacre." Mackenzie officially reported 23 Comanches killed, but there might have been more. The Comanche warriors tried to hide some of their dead in a deep pool.

The army said they found proof in the village that the Comanche band had raided white settlements. For example, a survivor from an attack at Howard's Wells recognized 43 of his mules.

The soldiers rounded up almost 800 to 3,000 horses. They burned the lodges (homes) and all the supplies like meat, equipment, and clothing. About 130 Comanches, mostly women and children, were taken prisoner. Six of these were too badly hurt to be moved far.

After dark, Mackenzie's group moved to some hills a few miles away and camped. Mackenzie had the captured horses kept close to prevent them from running away. However, during that night and the next, the Comanches managed to get most of their horses back. They also took the horses belonging to the Tonkawa scouts.

The Comanche prisoners were guarded as the soldiers returned to their main supply base. The prisoners were then moved to Fort Concho and held there through the winter. Mackenzie used these captives to try and force other Comanche groups to return to reservations. He also wanted them to release any white captives they held.

What Happened Next

Mackenzie's plan worked. Soon after the battle, Chiefs Mow-way and Parra-o-coom (Bull Bear) moved their groups closer to the Wichita Agency. A Nokoni chief named Horseback, whose own family members were among the prisoners, helped convince the Comanches to trade stolen animals and white captives for their own women and children. This included Clinton Smith, who had been a captive.

Several soldiers received the Medal of Honor for their bravery in this battle. These included Corporal William O'Neill, Blacksmith James Pratt, Farrier David Larkin, Privates Edward Branagan and William Rankin, Corporal Henry McMasters, Sergeant William Wilson, Sergeant William Foster, and First Sergeant William McNamara.

The Red River Campaign

This battle was the first time the United States successfully attacked the Comanches deep in their homeland. It showed that the Llano Estacado was no longer a completely safe place for them. The battle also made it clear that to force the Comanches onto reservations, the army needed to destroy their villages. This would make it impossible for them to survive off the reservation.

Because Mackenzie's tactics were so successful, General William Tecumseh Sherman allowed him to use them again. Mackenzie used similar strategies during the Red River War of 1874. His attack on the village at the Battle of Palo Duro Canyon and his destruction of the Comanche horse herd at Tule Canyon in 1874 were very similar to this battle in how they were planned and what they achieved.