Buffalo Soldier tragedy of 1877 - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Buffalo Soldier tragedy of 1877 also known as the "Staked Plains Horror" occurred when a combined force of Buffalo Soldier

Buffalo Soldier

Buffalo Soldiers originally were members of the U.S. 10th Cavalry Regiment of the United States Army, formed on September 21, 1866 at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas....

troops of the 10th Cavalry and local buffalo hunters wandered for days in the dry Llano Estacado

Llano Estacado

Llano Estacado , commonly known as the Staked Plains, is a region in the Southwestern United States that encompasses parts of eastern New Mexico and northwestern Texas, including the South Plains and parts of the Texas Panhandle...

region of north-west Texas

Texas

Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...

and eastern New Mexico

Eastern New Mexico

Eastern New Mexico is a region of the U.S. state of New Mexico. The region is sometimes termed the "High Plains" or even "Little Texas". The region is largely coterminous with the Llano Estacado. Eastern New Mexico is generally located at an altitude of over 4,000 feet and is mostly characterized...

during July of a drought year. The groups had united forces for a retaliatory attack on regional Native American

Indigenous peoples of the Americas

The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...

groups who had been staging raids on white forces in the area, during what came to be called the Buffalo Hunters' War

Buffalo Hunters' War

The Buffalo Hunters' War, or the Staked Plains War, occurred in 1877. Approximately 170 Comanche warriors and their families led by Black Horse left the Indian Territory in December, 1876, for the Llano Estacado of Texas...

. Over the course of five days in the near-waterless Llano Estacado

Llano Estacado

, four soldiers and one buffalo hunter died.

Due to the telegraph

Telegraphy

Telegraphy is the long-distance transmission of messages via some form of signalling technology. Telegraphy requires messages to be converted to a code which is known to both sender and receiver...

, news of the ongoing event and speculation reached Eastern

East Coast of the United States

The East Coast of the United States, also known as the Eastern Seaboard, refers to the easternmost coastal states in the United States, which touch the Atlantic Ocean and stretch up to Canada. The term includes the U.S...

newspapers where it was erroneously reported that the expedition had been massacred. Later, after the remainder of the group returned from the llano, the same papers declared them "back from the dead."

Buffalo Hunters' War

A large band of Comanche

Comanche

The Comanche are a Native American ethnic group whose historic range consisted of present-day eastern New Mexico, southern Colorado, northeastern Arizona, southern Kansas, all of Oklahoma, and most of northwest Texas. Historically, the Comanches were hunter-gatherers, with a typical Plains Indian...

warriors and their families, about 170, left their reservation in Indian Territory

Indian Territory

The Indian Territory, also known as the Indian Territories and the Indian Country, was land set aside within the United States for the settlement of American Indians...

in December 1876, for the Llano Estacado of Texas. In February 1877 they attacked a group of buffalo hunters and stole their stock while wounding several hunters, one fatally. On March 18, the buffalo hunters struck back and then retreated while the Comanche did the same. The Comanche would continue sporadic raiding over the next several months. This basic event would be called the Buffalo Hunters' War

Buffalo Hunters' War

or Staked Plains War and was the setting for the July 1877 "Staked Plains Horror".

Buffalo Soldier tragedy of 1877 – Setting the scene

In May 1877, a group of buffalo hunters led by James Harvey, a Civil War

American Civil War

The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...

veteran and long-time bufallo hunter, was looking for a buffalo herd. Then after a series of Comanche raids led by Red Young Man, where much stock was taken and a few hunters killed, the game changed. The hunters started after a more deadly game on the Llano Estacado

Llano Estacado

region of north-west Texas

Texas

and eastern New Mexico

Eastern New Mexico

looking for revenge against the Comanche

Comanche

. The men were a mix of former Union and Confederate soldiers, former trappers and mixed breeds and knew how to fight.

Captain Nicolas Merritt Nolan, an Irish native

Irish people

The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...

with a quick wit was one of the 10th Cavalry's favorite officers. He was described as a "very fine and soldier-like" with a large black "overhanging moustache." Nolan had joined the American Army in 1852 as a young 17 year old rising through the enlisted ranks when he found a niche riding horses. During the Civil War he fought well, received honors and became an officer. After the war he would volunteer for duty with "Buffalo Soldiers of the 10th Cavalry and command "A" company (later Troop) for almost a decade and a half.

Nolan had left Fort Concho

Fort Concho

Fort Concho is a National Historic Landmark owned and operated since 1935 by the city of San Angelo, the seat of Tom Green County in West Texas...

on July 10, 1877 with a force of 63 officers and men for a scout on the Staked Plains. They were looking for Mescalero

Mescalero

Mescalero is an Apache tribe of Southern Athabaskan Native Americans. The tribe is federally recognized as the Mescalero Apache Tribe of the Mescalero Apache Reservation in southcentral New Mexico...

Apache

Apache is the collective term for several culturally related groups of Native Americans in the United States originally from the Southwest United States. These indigenous peoples of North America speak a Southern Athabaskan language, which is related linguistically to the languages of Athabaskan...

and Comanche

Comanche

who were out raiding. Nolan's route took him past the Llano's eastern rugged cap rock northwest toward Bull Creek

Bull Creek (Texas)

Bull Creek is one of the tributaries that feed the Texas Colorado River, USA, from the Texas Hill Country. The creek passes through some of the more scenic areas in the Austin region and forms a greenbelt that is the habitat for many indigenous species of flora and fauna...

. Nolan was following a route he had followed northwest in 1875. During that scout he had followed an Indian trail into the Llano Estacado region until the trail grew cold and he turned back. He had been threatened with court-martial because he was not aggressive enough on that scout. Cooler heads prevailed, but Nolan had been deeply shamed but the event. His future patrolling was considered aggressive and the 1877 scout into the area was going to be no exception.

Another event that may have been a factor in the upcoming events was the death of Nolan's first wife on February 13, 1877 on the eve of Saint Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day

Saint Valentine's Day, commonly shortened to Valentine's Day, is an annual commemoration held on February 14 celebrating love and affection between intimate companions. The day is named after one or more early Christian martyrs named Saint Valentine, and was established by Pope Gelasius I in 496...

. This event staggered him and he was described as "bewildered and forlorn." His daughter Kate attended the Ursuline Academy

Ursuline Academy of Dallas

Ursuline Academy of Dallas is a Catholic college preparatory high school for girls located on Walnut Hill Lane, in the area around Preston Hollow in Dallas, Texas...

in San Antonio (now in Dallas) and his seven year old son Ned was being cared for by a servant. Nolan "bore his cross ... awkwardly" and tried to cope under the loss.

The last event that may have been a factor was that Nolan took command on July 6 of Fort Concho. Grierson had to go east to attend urgent family duties. Almost immediately came orders for the command to go after the Indian raiders. Nolan had already sent C Troop out, so he then went out with A Troop, leaving only one officer and sixteen men at Fort Concho. Now en route north-eastward along the cap rock, Nolan encountered a former scout who reported over 100 Comanche on the Llano Estacado near the head of the North Concho River

North Concho River

The North Concho River is a river in western-central Texas and one of three tributaries of the Concho River. The river is long. The other two tributaries are the Middle Concho and South Concho Rivers...

with a large herd of horses and other stock. That was to be to be Nolan's goal.

About noon on July 17, Nolan met the buffalo hunters led by James Harvey. One of the key players was the main buffalo hunters guide Jose Piedad Tafoya, a half breed Comanchero. He knew the Plano like the back of his hand, but was weak in English. With other hunters helping, Tafoya talked to Nolan under the shade of a huge old pecan tree on Bull Creek which was seven miles (11 km) east of Muchaque Peak in Lynn County, Texas. Nolan showed his orders to the hunters and despite an initial level of mistrust; they were willing to combine against a common enemy.

The bison hunters had had an armed conflict with the Comanche earlier and were looking to recover stock and self-pride. The hunters would guide and supply heavy hitting power while Nolan's soldier would do the fighting and provide medicine and supplies. The hunters wanted their livestock and revenge. Nolan wanted to re-prove himself and prove worthy of command which would restore his good reputation. The goal was to find water every 24 hours. Nolan set up a supply base at Bull Creek in compliance of his orders. It was across the creek from the buffalo hunter supply base.

The events to follow over the next two weeks would result in a series of mistakes in command and control combined with civilian distrust. Combine this with new recruits, the sapping heat, wool uniforms and alcohol provided by the buffalo hunters to the soldiers, it would provide a deadly combination and a test of Nolan and his men. Not all would be seen as heroes. Nolan had prepared for a 20 day scout from his Bull Creek supply base. He would use the mules from the wagons as pack animals. He sent the empty wagons back to Fort Concho for more supplies to await his return at the supply base.

On July 18, in the evening some of the buffalo hunter's supplies consisting of alcohol were shared with some of the soldiers for a small price. Some of the sergeants not staying in the supply camp apparently partook. Later next day 40 of the 60 men of A Company set out for Cedar Lake, the sergeants failed to check that every soldier had filled their canteens. In the heat of the day, those that had been drinking the evening before were terribly parched and did not ration their water. Their example led many recruits to drain their canteens. The buffalo hunters carried more water that the soldiers knowing that the heat and weather would impact finding water. They also were conditioned to the heat and maintained a high level of water discipline.

Nolan and Harvey combined commands made a dry camp on the evening of July 19. This was where Nolan discovered the lack of water rationing of his men. The hunters were amused, maybe they thought it was a good lesson for the soldiers. The next day led them up Sulpher Draw (Tobacco Creek, Nolan called it) and made the difficult climb up the cap rock

Caprock Escarpment

The Caprock Escarpment is a term used in Texas and Eastern New Mexico to describe the geographical transition point between the level elevated plains of the Llano Estacado and the surrounding rolling terrain. In Texas, the escarpment stretches around 320 km south-southwest from the northeast...

up onto the "Yarner" of the Llano Estacado. They headed for a large playa

Sink (geography)

A geographic sink is a depression within an endorheic basin where water collects with no visible outlet. Instead of discharging, the collected water is lost due to evaporation and/or penetration...

the hunters reported was nearby which they reached on July 21. A playa

Sink (geography)

A geographic sink is a depression within an endorheic basin where water collects with no visible outlet. Instead of discharging, the collected water is lost due to evaporation and/or penetration...

, or shallow depression is a basin that fills only when it rains. Cooper estimated this one at about 5 acres (20,234.3 m²) in size with a maximum depth of 33 inches (838.2 mm). There all relished in the water and played. Cooper described the rare event of men of different cultures and races, horses, mules, birds and other animals enjoying the water as one of the greatest "aggregations of the animal kingdom ever witnessed" "outside a circus tent" in one small place.

Divergent goals or set up for betrayal

July 18, at about 4 o'clock in the afternoon in the 100 plus degree heat, Quanah Parker

Quanah Parker

Quanah Parker was a Comanche chief, a leader in the Native American Church, and the last leader of the powerful Quahadi band before they surrendered their battle of the Great Plains and went to a reservation in Indian Territory...

, a Kwahada leader, rode into camp from the north with two older Comanche couples. They were equipped with Army horses, rifles, supplies and a large official envelope that contained a pass to leave the Reservation for 40 days. It was dated July 12 and signed by the Indian Agent

Indian agent

In United States history, an Indian agent was an individual authorized to interact with Native American tribes on behalf of the U.S. government.-Indian agents:*Leander Clark was agent for the Sac and Fox in Iowa beginning in 1866....

J. M. Haworth at Fort Sill and more importantly by Colonel Ranald S. Mackenzie

Ranald S. Mackenzie

Ranald Slidell Mackenzie was a career United States Army officer and general in the Union Army during the American Civil War, described by General Ulysses S. Grant as its most promising young officer...

of the 4th Cavalry. This pass authorized them to seek out, find and bring back the large band of Comanche under Red Young Man. The pass also warned anyone against molesting them on their mission.

Nolan accepted the pass as real but his writings show his frustration that Parker was competing for his own mission. Cooper wrote that Nolan swore and let loose a long series of invective frustration at everyone who seemed to be against 'his' mission. It took him a while to calm down. He then asked Parker questions where the Comanche raiders were and where they were headed. Parker glanced toward one direction and pointed off in a different direction while Tafoya translated. Parker never used English with Nolan even though he spoke it well.

In a three-way conversation, Tafoya talked and translated between Parker and Nolan. The goals of all parties were different. Tafoya's and Parker's goal were the most important to them. And despite a history of hostility between them, Tafoya apparently agreed to mislead the soldiers for the return of his stock plus interest. He deliberately translated parts of the conversation wrong to Nolan. Somehow through the three-way conversation and translations, Nolan quickly realized that some type of deal was made between Parker and the half-breed Tafoya. At that point Nolan began to lose critical trust in his primary trail guide. And later his trust in the hunters faltered. And maybe, the men who witnessed Nolan's tirade faltered in their own trust of their commander.

After Parker left southward, he was true to his mission and got the Comanche raiders to return to the reservation. Tafoya was true to his word and would take the soldiers off the main trail following a false one placed by the Comanche raiders. Tafoya would eventually recover his lost stock and many others. Tafoya would later be called "the honest, loyal and gallant company guide" until the truth came out.

After a night march, Nolan, his troopers and the buffalo hunters reached Cedar Lake about 8:00 AM on July 22. The large four mile (6 km) by six miles long lake in 1875 was now a dry lake. The men dug with cups and slowly obtained water in deep holes dug during the day. The next day Tafoya, Harvey and Johnny Cook set out on a scout south and west of Cedar Lake. While they were gone, Parker arrived to visit and stayed about six hours. When Tafoya, Harvey and Cook returned they reported fresh Indian sin heading toward Double Lakes. About noon on July 25, they arrived at Double Lake and found it was dry. They dug for the scarce water.

Nolan was becoming frustrated because he realized that something was wrong. Many of the buffalo hunters were getting impatient because they believed the Comanche raiders were in the sand hills. They sent out a scout in that direction without the soldiers. Several other hunters called it quits. They were concerned about the "droughty" conditions and perceived that was what was wrong. They pointed out to the soldiers that most of the Bison

Bison

Members of the genus Bison are large, even-toed ungulates within the subfamily Bovinae. Two extant and four extinct species are recognized...

and Pronghorn

Pronghorn

The pronghorn is a species of artiodactyl mammal endemic to interior western and central North America. Though not an antelope, it is often known colloquially in North America as the prong buck, pronghorn antelope, or simply antelope, as it closely resembles the true antelopes of the Old World and...

had left the area. This was a sign of a serious drought and "if the rest had good sense they wouldn't (go further) either."

First Sergeant William L. Umbles was demoted on that day. The exact reasons are uncertain. Some said Nolan was displeased with him. It might have been that Umbles tried to convince Nolan to turn back. It may have been the last straw in Nolan's trust in the First Sergeant after the alcohol incident. The two men would be silent on the exact reason later. But many agreed Umbles was angry and his behavior would show during "The Thirsting Time" to come. The buffalo hunters came back to camp excited at finding a large trail of sign and Tafoya estimated 40 Comanche in the band near Rich Lake. Boots and saddles were called and the men made haste to get under way. Nolan had not immediately appointed another acting First Sergeant and in his excitement to be underway failed to make sure that all canteens were full. Normally, this is the First Sergeants duty, but it always is the responsibility of the commander to make sure things like this get done. "The Thirsting Time" had begun.

"The Thirsting Time" Day One

July 26, between 2:00 & 3:00 PM, Captain Nolan led his Buffalo soldiers with Jim Harvey's bison hunters westward away from Double Lakes. The goal was the trail of 40 Comanche Indians near Rich Lake seventeen hot dry miles away. When Nolan's command reached Rich Lake there was no water. The Indian sign reported by Tafoya was not confirmed by the other scouts. At best the trail was made by eight horses. Tafoya's goal had started well. Most of the soldiers were out of water and despite digging in the dry soil, nothing was found. The hunters shared their water sparingly. Tafoya declared that water was available fifteen or twenty miles (32 km) to the northwest in the direction the Indian trail went. Nolan stated they would follow the trail in the morning.

"The Thirsting Time" Day Two

July 27, just after sunrise the men continued to follow the trail with Sulphur draw to the left and dry short grass stubs here and there. As the miles went on the reddish soil became "more sandy" and much more effort was needed to move forward. By 9:00 AM the Indians they were following started west deeper into the void and away from any source of water. Between 2:00 and 3:00 PM after some twenty-five miles of hard miles the Indians scattered in eight directions with criss-crossing trails. The bison hunter's horses were exhausted and the older army horses were worse off. Men were becoming stuporous in the heat. One of the hunters, Johnny Cook wrote, that the Indians "were giving us a dry trail; they would finish us off with thirst." Nolan, aware of the need for water, had scouts checking for possible sources of water for his animals and men. Tafoya and some other scouts found where the Indian trails merged together once again. Nolan set off after them. The men suffered in the unrelenting heat. A soldier fainted off his horse from sun-stroke and had to be dealt with. Nolan sent a Trooper forward to have the scouts wait for them.

Tafoya stated that the Comanche they were following were headed for Lost Lake (now near Dora, New Mexico) to the north-west. And he loudly declared that the hunters and soldier would catch them there and have the water too. The hunter were game as was Nolan but a curious change in description of the events were later declared. Johnny Cook's version stated that Nolan was crying and dramatic with the hunters. And the hunters felt sympathy for him and agreed to press on. Nolan's version was different and he wrote that he believed water was to be had some six or seven miles (11 km) ahead as reported by Tafoya. And Nolan gave Tafoya the best horse to seek out the water. Nolan's claimed crying and weeping does not match his character. He had a goal to follow the Indians and to seek water and that is what he did. Nolan watched as Tafoya left north-westward then turn suddenly to the west for several miles then toward the north-east. Nolan followed at the pace of the slowest in his command.

Lt. Charles Cooper wrote that he thought the expedition was now lost. He believed that Tafoya was lost not knowing Tafoya's mission. So under the "broiling sun" and through the "barren sandy plain" the men marched, suffered and some fell. Nolan then would assign the strongest man to help the weakest. The plan while noble, was not practical and the 64 men were soon stretched over two miles (3 km) of the trail. Near dark and some nine miles (14 km) of hell, Nolan stopped the march.

Nolan now decided on plan B, one that was made earlier by Jim Harvey. Eight men soldiers were to move forward following Tafoya's trail to Silver Lake and return with water. Unknown to Nolan he would not see these men until August 9 and he would never see Tafoya or his horse again. After dark Nolan pressed the men another nine miles (14 km) before stopping for the night near a mound unfortunately called "Nigger Hill." Today it is located in Roosevelt County, New Mexico about a mile west of the Texas border. Nolan could hear men down the trail and thinking they were lost fired shots into the air for them to find camp. Some straggled into camp. Sergeant Umbles, the former First Sergeant, was still out in the dark with two sick men. Captain Nolan then had the bugler, also named Nolan to take a horse and to find and return the men to camp. Those four men never returned. Nolan would charge them with desertion upon his return.

Umbles and the others would later declare that Captain Nolan had men looking for water and that they were what they were doing. They claimed they found a mule with mud on its legs. Later they joined with a bison hunter who had chased his runaway horses. They headed for Silver Lake and water. The main body of men after some fifty five miles of tortured trail could not eat because of the dryness of their mouths. The bison hunters settled separate from the soldiers. In the dark they bemoaned their fate with the soldiers. The night without clouds allowed the heat to dissipate and a breeze helped cool the men. Some of the mules smelling the breeze took off. The hunters shouted at the soldiers to get their mules, but no one stirred in their exhaustion and the hunters settled down.

"The Thirsting Time" Day Three

Just after midnight on July 28, shots being fired woke the men. They did a head count and found one of the hunters missing. Unknown to them he had joined the four soldiers headed for water. After the alert the men had a hard time settling down. At daybreak, Nolan came to the conclusion that Tafoya was lost as was the bison hunters. He may have discussed this with Cooper, but that is not documented. Because of the exhausted men, Nolan himself repacked the remaining mules, deciding what was needed and what could be left. They made some fifteen miles (24 km) before Nolan called a halt.

Nolan figured they had missed Silver Lake and they had no choice but the set a compass course back to Double Lakes. There was no sign of the men sent out for water. Nolan figured his position some fifty-five miles north-west of Double Lakes. He knew for a fact that water was there. Now the Comanche were forgotten and the primary struggle was for survival. The hunters disagreed and the expedition began to break up. Nolan argued the best course was to stay together. The hunters strode off then went their different ways focusing on their own goals for survival. Amazingly the hunters still had two quart bottles of "high-proof brandy." They divided it and went their ways. The smartest ones dipped a cloth to moisten the lips and to inhale its vapors and so refreshed they moved onward into the wilderness.

Not all the soldiers were agreed to stay together. They began grumbling and thinking that it was going to be every man for himself as the bison hunters described it. Two men fell behind and were lost to Nolan. Through the pounding heat and endless march, men began to fall. Nolan continued to assign the strongest with the weakest. The desire for water stood above all else as Nolan headed south-east toward where he knew water was.

Troopers now collected their own urine

Urophagia

Urophagia is the consumption of urine. There are various reasons that humans may consume urine. Urine was used in several ancient cultures for various health, healing, and cosmetic purposes, practices which are still used by some people of these cultures today...

and that of their horses to drink. Nolan issued sugar for the combination. The men drank or tried to drink the vile fluid and remaining horses and mules partook also. While urine is generally sterile, it has a high content of salt and other electrolytes. Thus drinking it over time causes increased dehydration and thirst. Just before sunset Nolan called a halt. He wrote that his men were "completely exhausted." Cooper later wrote that "their tongues and throats were swollen, and they were unable to even swallow their saliva -- in fact they had no saliva to swallow." Even sugar poured into the mouth failed to dissolve.

Unknown to Nolan the men he sent off to find water, found some. Several of the soldiers filled the canteens and searched for the command. They found the bison hunters first and gave them water. Then without finding Nolan they returned to the water hole. Unknown to them, Nolan was heading back to Double Lakes. That night clouds covered the sky and many looked for sign of rain. Some found it, but most did not. Umbles left a note at Silver Lake instructing any soldiers to head east. And those soldiers (sent out for water) returning from the search for the command later did so. Sergeant Umbles was with Jim Harvey at Casas Amarillas that evening. Harvey asked Umbles to let the hunters use the horses and Umbles refused. The hunters and interpreted that decision as a refusal "to go back to the relief of his officers and comrades." Eventually, twelve soldiers would gather there and head for safety with two more being found on the way.

"The Thirsting Time" Day Four

At 2:00 AM on July 29 to take advantage of the cool of night, Nolan resumed his heartless track south-east by compass. Nolan had wanted to start earlier but a horse went down and unable to move. The men cut its throat and drank its blood. Nolan again repacked what he thought was most important and abandoned the rest. The rode then walked the horses and repeated the process over and over. As the day progressed, the walks got longer because of the condition of the animals. The clouds helped, but no rain fell on Nolan's command on the "Staked Plains." They lost another horse and watched rain appear to fall from whence they had come. After some twenty-five miles they rested from their back-breaking labor through the heat. In their dehydrated exhaustion

Dehydration

In physiology and medicine, dehydration is defined as the excessive loss of body fluid. It is literally the removal of water from an object; however, in physiological terms, it entails a deficiency of fluid within an organism...

, when several animals walked away and no one noticed. They men were becoming a bit crazed due to the lack of water and the heat. The men were thirsty but could not drink, they were starving but could not eat what they had and now vertigo with dimness of vision began to set in. The men appeared deaf and stuporous as their bodies began to shut down. Men began to fight over the thick blood cut from the remaining horses. Nolan and Cooper struggled to keep their remaining men alive and were as harsh as they needed to be. Another soldier walked away from the command and he would finally find water about 3:00PM the next day or some ninety-six hours without water.

Later that day Nolan and Cooper came to the conclusion that their only hope was to send the strongest men with the remaining horses ahead to Double Lakes. They would remain with the men for better or worse. Nolan ordered now First Sergeant Jim Thompson to ride ahead with six men and obtain water. Thompson would do this and in the process five of the seven horses would die when he got lost. In the evening the remaining supplies were abandoned and Cooper gave the men a pep talk. Whether understood him or not, they had to find water or die.

"The Thirsting Time" Day Five

July 30, just after 3:00 AM the men stumbled over an old wagon trail. After stumbling a way along the easier trail, Cooper stopped. Cooper then turned to Nolan and declared that this was the William R. Shater's 1875 wagon trail. It was a route that was between Double Lakes and Puna del Agua. The men rejoiced with harsh shouts and they fired their weapons like it was the Fourth of July. Between 5:00 and 6:00 AM the half dead soldiers staggered into Double Lakes to the water holes they had dug a week before. The men sent out for water came in last, they had gone over the trail without notice, and turned around when they heard the firing of the other men on the trail. The "Thirsting Time" was over for them. These fourteen men had gone for over eighty-six hours without any water in the desert heat. It was amazing they had survived. Nolan was not finished. He was missing men. After a rest, he sent out men with water to look for stragglers. They found some wandering horses that had been with the bison hunters. They made a diligent hunt for survivors and recovered what supplies they could. Nolan was still missing men and he feared many were dead. The men began to recover from their ordeal.

On July 31 at about 11:00AM Captain Phillip Lee, from Fort Griffen, with Troop G arrived at Double Lakes. He had heard on the 29th that Nolan had been at Double Lakes and he proceeded there. For many of the men it was a reunion and Nolan's men told of their ordeal. With Lee's assistance patrols were sent out looking for the missing men. Other than recovering one man and several horses nothing else was found.

Most of the buffalo hunters would proceed to the site of present day Lubbock, Texas

Lubbock, Texas

Lubbock is a city in and the county seat of Lubbock County, Texas, United States. The city is located in the northwestern part of the state, a region known historically as the Llano Estacado, and the home of Texas Tech University and Lubbock Christian University...

. This is where they found much of their stolen stock. They learned that the Comanche Indians were returning to the reservation with Parker. Tafayo had already claimed his stock and a few others. The hunters later declared this was the last Comanche raid in Texas. The first of them would send out word about Nolan's lost command with the speculation that the Comanche had wiped out Nolan's command. The story was sent east by telegraph where it made headline news.

Quanah Parker had been true to his word and had convinced the tired Comanche to go back to the reservation. In the early part of August they returned to Fort Sill after dropping off their stolen stock. Later news would come out that Parker and Tafayo had misled the Buffalo soldiers and bison hunters away from the Comanche raiders. Nolan would later be shocked to learn that Parker spoke English fairly well.

Sergeant William L. Umbles first headed toward Double Lakes but changed his course and reached the supply camp at Bull Creek on August 1 with fourteen men. Many of the men with him wanted to go to Double Lakes and search for their officers and companions. Umbles ordered them not to. Despite strong objections, the men followed his commands reluctantly. The Bull Creek supply camp was headed by First Sergeant Thomas H. Allsup. Umbles argued that he was now in command, despite knowing he had been demoted by Nolan. He suggested that Nolan and the other men were dead. Allsup refused to believe it and wanted to head to Double Lakes with supplies. The men argued and the two sergeants went their separate ways.

Allsup loaded a wagon with supplies and barrels of water. With fifteen men he proceeded and climbed the cap rock and went straight to Doubles Lakes and on August 4 he had a happy reunion with Nolan and his men. Allsup reported that Umbles had arrived at Bull Creek, and related what he had said. Several other soldiers who had been with Umbles told what had happened over the last few days. Nolan and Cooper began to realize that their problems were not over. Men had deserted and would have to be dealt with. Nolan wrote a message and sent it toward Fort Concho with two riders. The message was a general condition of his command and a warning to distrust anything Umbles and the men with him had to say.

Back from the dead

In the evening of August 3, Sergeant Umbles and a few others made it back to Fort Concho. They reported to the sole officer, Lieutenant Robert G. Smithers that Nolan's command was lost and dead or dying on the Staked Plains. Umbles implied they may have been wiped out. This report caused gloom and doom to spread around the camp. Some people thought the Fort would be attacked next. The Chaplain went to Mrs. Cooper to break the news that her husband was missing. Then he went to Nolan's children who were at Mrs. Constable's home and comforted them. Smithers then began to send telegrams up the chain of command other Forts. He requested assistance to guard Fort Concho while he sent a relief column out. Smithers gathered men from the band and hospital and with sixteen effectives and a wagon of supplies sent off for relief of the lost command. It was 140 miles (225.3 km) to Bull Creek and he made it in 41 hours. He would return on between 8:00 and 9:00 AM on August 14 with Nolan and his command.

On August 7, couriers reached Fort Concho with the good news. The telegraph sent out word that Nolan was returning with his command. The word went east that Nolan and his lost command were "back from the dead." The officer in charge of the relief force now guarding the Fort had Umbles and his three companions placed under guard.

For all the men involved it had been a test of character, which some failed. It was an adventure of endurance, determination, fortitude and sheer will. The cost was high with four soldiers and one civilian dead, About thirty horses and six mules had died during the expedition and the rest were rendered virtually useless. Nolan's fear of his lost men would eventually turn to anger when men would come slowly back to Fort Concho and the stories were told. Nolan as commander of the Fort became very busy ordering new horses, supplies and preparing for a court-martial

Court-martial

A court-martial is a military court. A court-martial is empowered to determine the guilt of members of the armed forces subject to military law, and, if the defendant is found guilty, to decide upon punishment.Most militaries maintain a court-martial system to try cases in which a breach of...

for four deserters

Desertion

In military terminology, desertion is the abandonment of a "duty" or post without permission and is done with the intention of not returning...

led by former First Sergeant Umbles. These men would later be found guilty and be dishonorably discharged and spend time at Fort Leavenworth Military Prison

United States Disciplinary Barracks

The United States Disciplinary Barracks is a military prison located on Fort Leavenworth, a United States Army post in Kansas....

in Kansas.

Nolan would write his formal report regarding the loss of military equipment, the death and suffering of his men. Many of the events described by Nolan would later be found in the letters written home by Lieutenant Cooper. However, the documentation left to historians by the buffalo hunters, the soldiers court-martialed, Nolan and Cooper's material would lead to divergence and more questions. While Nolan's mission was a failure, the press was positive and he was commended by his superiors in the press, but not officially for the record.

Nolan remained in command of A Troop for another 5 years. Nolan and his second in command, Lieutenant Cooper lost their ability to work together over a long series of minor incidents. In late 1879, Nolan placed Cooper on report "for failure to forward personal reports." Cooper would go on serving in the military and retire just after the turn of century as a lieutenant colonel.

On December 19, 1882 Nolan was promoted to a major in the Regular Army and transferred to the 3rd U.S. Cavalry Regiment. On October 24, 1883 he died unexpectedly in Holbrook, Navajo County, Arizona

Holbrook, Arizona

-Historical events:*During 1881 & 1882, railroad tracks were laid down and a railroad station was built. The community was then named Holbrook after the first engineer of the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad...

due to a stroke

Stroke

A stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...

. His body was shipped to the San Antonio National Cemetery

San Antonio National Cemetery

San Antonio National Cemetery is a United States National Cemetery in the city of San Antonio in Bexar County, Texas. It encompasses , and as of the end of 2005, had 3,163 interments.- History :...

in San Antonio, Texas

San Antonio, Texas

San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...

where he lays at rest in section A site 53 near the flag pole that flies the flag of his adopted country.

1978 reenactment

In 1978, eight African-Americans dressed in cavalry uniforms mounted a horse patrol to retrace the route of Nolan and the Buffalo Soldiers of A Troop. They were led by Eric Strong of the Lubbock-based Roots Historical Committee. They made every effort to camp where they soldiers had stopped 101 years prior. This was done to honor those soldiers who had sacrificed so much for their Country.

Author Elmer Kelton traveled with this group for a short time. He was gathering material for a western fiction book he writing. This 1986 work would have a portion that represented what the Buffalo Soldiers face during their ordeal.

Related fiction

The 426 page western fiction book The Wolf and the Buffalo by Elmer Kelton has two chapters that fairly accurately portrays the real life "Buffalo Tragedy of 1877."

Historical Marker

Remembering the dead soldiers of Troop A, 10th U.S. Cavalry, Captain Nicholas M. Nolan commanding.

Trooper John H. Bonds, 24, A day laborer from Virginia who enlisted in the Army in Washington, D.C. in early 1877.
Trooper John T. Gordon, 28, Joined the Army in Baltimore, Maryland in December 1876.
Trooper John Isaacs, 25, A waiter from Baltimore who joined the Army in January 1877.
Trooper Isaac Derwin, 25, A laborer from South Carolina who joined the Army in Tennessee in November 1876.

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 of Company A, 10th Cavalry next to their burial site at Morton Memorial Cemetery. The Cochran County Historical Commission had applied for the marker and headstones of the fallen and money was collected from the community. No mention was made of the death of the white bison hunter.

External links

Alice Kirk Grierson and the Tenth Cavalry Officers' Wives at Fort Davis
http://www.forloveofliberty.net/stories/10th-cavalry-buffalo-soldiers/94 The Story of America's Black Patriots, US Army

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.

Buffalo Hunters' War

Buffalo Soldier tragedy of 1877 – Setting the scene

Divergent goals or set up for betrayal

"The Thirsting Time" Day One

"The Thirsting Time" Day Two

"The Thirsting Time" Day Three

"The Thirsting Time" Day Four

"The Thirsting Time" Day Five

Back from the dead

1978 reenactment

Related fiction

Historical Marker

See also

External links