Buffalo Soldier tragedy of 1877 facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Buffalo Soldier Tragedy of 1877 |
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| Part of the Buffalo Hunters' War | |||||
 Caprock Escarpment north of Muchaque Peak |
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| Belligerents | |||||
 United States |
Comanche | ||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||
| Nicolas Merritt Nolan | |||||
| Units involved | |||||
| 10th Cavalry | |||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||
| 4 Soldiers dead + 1 Buffalo hunter deceased | |||||
The Buffalo Soldier Tragedy of 1877, also known as the Staked Plains Horror, was a terrible event. It happened when a group of Buffalo Soldier troops from the 10th Cavalry and local buffalo hunters got lost. They wandered for five days in the very dry Llano Estacado region of northwest Texas and eastern New Mexico. This was in July of a year with a bad drought. Four soldiers and one buffalo hunter died during this ordeal.
News of the event reached newspapers in the Eastern United States through the telegraph. People wrongly thought the whole group had been killed. Later, when the survivors returned, the same newspapers called them "back from the dead."
Contents
What Was the Buffalo Hunters' War?
In December 1876, a large group of about 170 Comanche warriors and their families left their reservation. They headed for the Llano Estacado in Texas. In February 1877, they attacked some buffalo hunters. They stole their animals and hurt several hunters, one of whom died.
On March 18, the buffalo hunters fought back. Both sides then retreated. The Comanche continued to raid the area for several months. This conflict was known as the Buffalo Hunters' War or Staked Plains War. The "Staked Plains Horror" in July 1877 happened during this war.
Why Did the Expedition Happen?
In May 1877, a group of buffalo hunters led by James Harvey was searching for buffalo. After several Comanche raids, where animals were stolen and hunters killed, they wanted revenge. These hunters were a mix of former soldiers and trappers.
Captain Nicolas Merritt Nolan was a popular officer in the 10th Cavalry. He was from Ireland and had a strong military background. Nolan had joined the U.S. Army at 17 and fought well in the Civil War. After the war, he volunteered to serve with the "Buffalo Soldiers" of the 10th Cavalry. He commanded "A" company for nearly 15 years.
Nolan left Fort Concho on July 10, 1877, with 63 officers and men. They were scouting the Staked Plains for Mescalero Apache and Comanche raiders. Nolan had been criticized for not being aggressive enough on a previous scout. He wanted to prove himself this time. He was also going through a difficult personal time after his first wife's death earlier that year.
Nolan met James Harvey's buffalo hunters on July 17. Their main guide was Jose Piedad Tafoya, who knew the Llano Estacado very well. Nolan and the hunters decided to join forces. The hunters wanted to get their stolen animals back and get revenge. Nolan wanted to find the raiders and restore his reputation. They planned to find water every 24 hours. Nolan set up a supply base at Bull Creek.
The next two weeks were full of mistakes and problems. The soldiers wore heavy wool uniforms in the extreme heat. Many were new recruits. Not everyone would be seen as a hero. Nolan had planned for a 20-day scout. He sent his empty wagons back to Fort Concho for more supplies.
On July 18, some buffalo hunter supplies were shared with soldiers. The next day, when 40 of the 60 men set out, some sergeants failed to make sure every soldier had filled his canteen. Many soldiers, especially new recruits, drank their water too quickly. The buffalo hunters carried more water and were better at saving it. They knew how important water discipline was in the heat.
Misunderstandings and Betrayal
On July 19, Nolan's group made a dry camp. Nolan realized his men had not saved their water. The hunters found this amusing. The next day, they climbed the caprock onto the Llano Estacado. On July 21, they reached a large playa (a shallow basin that fills with rain). Everyone enjoyed the water. It was a rare sight to see men, horses, mules, and animals all together at this small water source.
On July 18, Quanah Parker, a Kwahada Comanche leader, arrived in camp. He had a pass from the Army to find and bring back the Comanche band. Nolan was frustrated because Parker's mission competed with his own. Nolan asked Parker where the Comanche raiders were. Parker spoke English well but used Tafoya to translate.
During their talk, Nolan realized that Tafoya and Parker might be working together. Tafoya seemed to translate parts of the conversation incorrectly. Nolan began to lose trust in his guide. Later, his trust in the hunters also weakened.
After Parker left, he successfully convinced the Comanche raiders to return to their reservation. Tafoya led the soldiers away from the real Comanche trail, following a false one. Tafoya later recovered his stolen animals. He was praised as "honest" until the truth came out.
On July 22, Nolan's group reached Cedar Lake, which was now dry. They dug holes to find water. Tafoya, Harvey, and Johnny Cook went scouting. While they were gone, Parker visited again. When the scouts returned, they reported fresh Indian signs near Double Lakes. On July 25, they arrived at Double Lakes, but they were also dry. They had to dig for water again.
Nolan grew frustrated, sensing something was wrong. Many buffalo hunters became impatient. They believed the Comanche were in the sand hills. Some hunters left the expedition. They pointed out that most bison and pronghorn had left the area, a sign of severe drought.
First Sergeant William L. Umbles was demoted that day for unknown reasons. The hunters then reported a large Indian trail near Rich Lake. Nolan quickly ordered the men to prepare. In his rush, he failed to ensure all canteens were full. This was usually the first sergeant's job, but it was Nolan's responsibility to check. This marked the start of the "thirsting time."
The "Thirsting Time" Begins
Day One: July 26
Around 2:00 or 3:00 pm, Captain Nolan led his Buffalo Soldiers and Jim Harvey's hunters westward. They were heading for Rich Lake, 17 miles away, where they hoped to find 40 Comanche Indians. When they reached Rich Lake, it had no water. The Indian trail Tafoya reported was not confirmed by other scouts. At best, it was made by only eight horses. Most soldiers were out of water. Despite digging, they found nothing. The hunters shared their water carefully. Tafoya said water was 15 or 20 miles northwest. Nolan decided they would follow the trail in the morning.
Day Two: July 27
Just after sunrise, the men continued following the trail. The reddish soil became sandy, making travel harder. By 9:00 am, the Indian trail turned west, deeper into the dry plains. Between 2:00 and 3:00 pm, after 25 miles, the Indian trails scattered. The horses were exhausted, and men were becoming confused from the heat. Johnny Cook, a hunter, wrote that the Indians were trying to make them die of thirst. Nolan sent scouts to look for water. Tafoya found where the Indian trails merged again, and Nolan followed. A soldier fainted from sunstroke. Nolan sent a trooper ahead to tell the scouts to wait.
Tafoya claimed the Comanche were heading for Lost Lake to the northwest, where they would find water. The hunters and Nolan were willing to press on. Nolan believed Tafoya's report that water was 6 or 7 miles ahead. He gave Tafoya the best horse to find the water. Nolan watched Tafoya ride northwest, then suddenly turn west, then northeast. Nolan followed at the slowest pace of his group.
Lt. Charles Cooper thought the expedition was lost. He believed Tafoya was lost. Under the "broiling sun" and across the "barren sandy plain," men marched and some fell. Nolan assigned the strongest men to help the weakest. This plan was difficult, and the 64 men soon stretched over 2 miles of trail. Near dark, after 9 miles of hard travel, Nolan stopped the march.
Nolan decided to send eight men ahead to Silver Lake to get water. He would not see these men until August 9. He would never see Tafoya or his horse again. After dark, Nolan pushed the men another 9 miles. They stopped near a mound called "Buffalo Soldier Hill" in New Mexico. Nolan fired shots to guide lost men to camp. Sergeant Umbles and two sick men were still out. Nolan sent the bugler to find them. Those four men never returned. Nolan later accused them of desertion.
Umbles and the others said they were looking for water. They found a mule with mud on its legs. They joined a hunter and headed for Silver Lake. The main group, after 55 miles, could not eat because their mouths were so dry. The hunters camped separately. Some mules, smelling a breeze, ran off. The hunters shouted at the soldiers to get their mules, but no one moved due to exhaustion.
Day Three: July 28
Just after midnight, shots woke the men. A hunter was missing; he had joined the four soldiers heading for water. At daybreak, Nolan concluded that Tafoya and the hunters were lost. Nolan repacked the mules himself, deciding what to keep. They traveled about 15 miles before Nolan halted.
Nolan realized they had missed Silver Lake. Their only choice was to head back to Double Lakes. He knew water was there. The search for Comanche was forgotten; now it was about survival. The hunters disagreed and the group began to split up. Nolan argued they should stay together. The hunters left, each going their own way. They still had two bottles of brandy, which they divided. Some moistened their lips with a cloth dipped in brandy to feel refreshed.
Not all soldiers stayed together. Two men fell behind and were lost to Nolan. Men continued to fall from exhaustion. Nolan kept assigning the strongest to help the weakest. The desire for water was most important as Nolan headed southeast.
Unknown to Nolan, the men he sent for water found some. They filled canteens and looked for the command. They found the buffalo hunters first and gave them water. Then, without finding Nolan, they returned to the waterhole. Nolan was heading back to Double Lakes. That night, clouds covered the sky, but no rain fell on Nolan's group. Umbles left a note at Silver Lake for any soldiers to head east. Sergeant Umbles was with Jim Harvey that evening. Umbles refused to let the hunters use the horses. The hunters saw this as a refusal to help their officers. Eventually, 12 soldiers gathered there and headed for safety.
Day Four: July 29
At 2:00 am, Nolan resumed his difficult march southeast by compass. He wanted to start earlier, but a horse collapsed. Nolan again repacked what was most important and left the rest. They rode, then walked their horses, repeating the process. As the day went on, the walks became longer. The clouds helped, but no rain fell. They lost another horse. After about 25 miles, they rested. In their extreme dehydration, several animals wandered off unnoticed. The men became confused from lack of water and heat. They were thirsty but couldn't drink, starving but couldn't eat. They began to feel dizzy and their vision blurred. Men seemed deaf and confused as their bodies shut down. Nolan and Cooper struggled to keep their men alive. Another soldier walked away and found water about 3:00 pm the next day, after 96 hours without water.
Later that day, Nolan and Cooper decided their only hope was to send the strongest men with the remaining horses to Double Lakes. Nolan ordered First Sergeant Jim Thompson to ride ahead with six men to get water. Thompson did so, but five of the seven horses died when he got lost. That evening, the remaining supplies were abandoned. Cooper gave the men a pep talk, telling them they had to find water or die.
Day Five: July 30
Just after 3:00 am, the men stumbled onto an old wagon trail. After walking along the easier trail, Cooper stopped. He told Nolan it was William R. Shafter's 1875 wagon trail, which led between Double Lakes and Puna del Agua. The men cheered loudly and fired their weapons like it was a holiday. Between 5:00 and 6:00 am, the exhausted soldiers staggered into Double Lakes. They found the water holes they had dug a week before. The men sent out for water arrived last. They had passed the trail without noticing it and turned back when they heard the firing. The "thirsting time" was over for them. These 14 men had survived over 86 hours without water in the desert heat. Nolan was still missing men. After resting, he sent men with water to look for stragglers. They found some wandering horses that had been with the buffalo hunters. They searched diligently for survivors and recovered supplies. Nolan feared many men were dead. The men slowly began to recover.
On July 31, Captain Phillip Lee arrived at Double Lakes with his troop. He had heard Nolan was at Double Lakes. Nolan's men told him about their ordeal. With Lee's help, patrols searched for the missing men. They found one man and several horses, but nothing else.
Most buffalo hunters went to present-day Lubbock, Texas, where they found many of their stolen animals. They learned that the Comanche were returning to the reservation with Parker. Tafoya had already claimed his animals. The hunters later said this was the last Comanche raid in Texas. The first hunters to return spread the word that Nolan's command was lost, possibly wiped out. This story was sent by telegraph and became headline news.
Quanah Parker had kept his word and convinced the Comanche to return to the reservation. In early August, they returned to Fort Sill. Later, news came out that Parker and Tafoya had misled the Buffalo Soldiers and buffalo hunters away from the Comanche raiders. Nolan was surprised to learn that Parker spoke English quite well.
Sergeant William L. Umbles first headed toward Double Lakes but changed course. He reached the supply camp at Bull Creek on August 1 with 14 men. Many men with him wanted to search for their officers, but Umbles ordered them not to. Umbles argued that he was in command, even though he knew Nolan had demoted him. He suggested Nolan and the others were dead. First Sergeant Thomas H. Allsup, who was in charge of the Bull Creek camp, refused to believe it. He wanted to go to Double Lakes with supplies. The men argued, and the two sergeants went their separate ways.
Allsup loaded a wagon with supplies and water barrels. With 15 men, he went straight to Double Lakes. On August 4, he had a happy reunion with Nolan and his men. Allsup reported what Umbles had said. Other soldiers who had been with Umbles told their stories. Nolan and Cooper realized their problems were not over. Men had deserted and would need to be dealt with. Nolan sent a message to Fort Concho, warning them not to trust anything Umbles and his men said.
Back From the Dead
On the evening of August 3, Sergeant Umbles and a few others made it back to Fort Concho. They reported to Lieutenant Robert G. Smithers that Nolan's command was lost and likely dead. Umbles suggested they might have been wiped out. This news caused sadness at the fort. Smithers sent telegrams to other forts, asking for help. He gathered men and sent a relief column with supplies. They traveled 140 miles to Bull Creek in 41 hours. Smithers returned to Fort Concho on August 14 with Nolan and his command.
On August 7, messengers reached Fort Concho with the good news. The telegraph spread the word that Nolan was returning. News went east that Nolan and his lost command were "back from the dead." The officer guarding the fort placed Umbles and his three companions under guard.
This event was a test of character for all involved. Four soldiers and one civilian died. About 30 horses and six mules also died. Nolan's fear for his lost men turned to anger as men slowly returned to Fort Concho and told their stories. Nolan, as commander, became busy ordering new supplies and preparing for a court-martial for four deserters, including former First Sergeant Umbles. These men were later found guilty, dishonorably discharged, and sent to military prison.
Nolan wrote a formal report about the loss of equipment and the suffering of his men. While Nolan's mission was a failure, the newspapers praised him. His superiors also commended him, though not officially.
Nolan remained in command of A Troop for five more years. Nolan and his second-in-command, Lieutenant Cooper, later had trouble working together. Nolan was promoted to major in 1882 and transferred to another regiment. He died unexpectedly in Arizona in 1883 from a stroke. He is buried in the San Antonio National Cemetery in Texas.
1978 Reenactment
In 1978, eight African Americans dressed in cavalry uniforms rode horses to retrace Nolan's route. They were led by Eric Strong of the Lubbock-based Roots Historical Committee. They tried to camp in the same spots as the soldiers 101 years before. This was done to honor the soldiers who had sacrificed so much.
Author Elmer Kelton traveled with this group for a short time. He was gathering material for his 1986 Western fiction book, The Wolf and the Buffalo. Two chapters in the book accurately show the real "Buffalo Soldier Tragedy of 1877."
Historical Markers
Historical markers remember the soldiers who died:
- Trooper John H. Bonds, 24, from Virginia.
- Trooper John T. Gordon, 28, from Maryland.
- Trooper John Isaacs, 25, from Baltimore.
- Trooper Isaac Derwin, 25, from South Carolina.
The Nolan Expedition route received a historic marker in 1972. 33°17′46.122″N 102°13′33.4158″W / 33.29614500°N 102.225948833°W
On July 1, 2008, Texas placed a new historical marker to honor the men of the "Buffalo Soldier Tragedy of 1877." Markers were placed for the four fallen soldiers at Morton Memorial Cemetery. This is not their burial site. The Cochran County Historical Commission applied for the markers and headstones. No mention was made of the white buffalo hunter who died.
Images for kids
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Map of the Concho River and its tributaries
