Lyman's Wagon Train
Battles of the Red River War, Texas Panhandle 1874
Introduction
Previously in the Red River War series -
The Battle of Lyman’s Wagon Train is a story from Colonel Nelson Miles column. Colonel Miles commanded one of the five columns under Mackenzie that invaded the Texas Panhandle in a full court press to break the Comanche in the dog days of the Red River War 1874.
“The fascination with an encounter of such little real military significance is due to … a handful of soldiers, armed with new breech-loading rifles, turned back repeated attacks by an overwhelming force of hostile natives.” - Jerry Keenan.
The military technology of repeater rifles had begun to turn the tides on the native warriors. Until repeating rifle and pistol technologies, the native warriors could unleash 20 arrows to a single bullet. Suddenly the repeating rifles and revolvers made the native warriors supreme physical prowess obsolete.
Colonel Miles has penetrated deep into Comanche territory and is running low on supplies. Miles dispatches Lieutenant Baldwin and a few scouts to double back to Camp Supply to summon supplies.
[1] Sept. 7 - Lt. Baldwin and the scouts camp on Salt Fork Creek. They see 26 warriors. A running 8 mile, 3.5 hour battle ensues. The repeater rifles do damage to the Comanche.
[2] Baldwin makes it to the south bank of the Washita river. They see many lodges and several hundred head of horses on the bluffs. These are Kiowas who are laying low after battling with the 10th cavalry further east at Anadarko with Red Food.
[3] Baldwin skirts the Kiowa camp. His men capture a ‘Comanche’ named Tehan - actually a Mexican who was captured and adopted by the tribe.
[4] Midnight Sept. 9th Baldwin and the men stumble onto Colonel Miles supply wagon on the north bank of the South Canadian River under the command of Major Lyman. Lt. Baldwin leaves his captive Tehan with Major Lyman before [5] continuing north to Camp Supply, and then Fort Leavenworth.
[6] The morning of Sept. 9 - Tehan’s mates have noticed his absence and are tracking Baldwin’s passage north.
[7] Major Lyman has decamped and rolled south, running headlong into the Kiowas tracking Baldwin.
[8] Morning Sept. 9 - Major Lyman’s supply train is flanked by Comanche and Kiowa warriors. The warriors follow the wagon on both sides from bluffs, taking pot shots sniping.
[9] Lieutenant West rides ahead of the column and breaks up an ambush waiting on a ridge.
[10] Afternoon Sept. 9 - For twelve miles the train rolls on until the afternoon where the war party charges. Lieutenant Granville Lewis fights them off and is wounded. Seargeant DeArmond is killed. A wagon-master named Sanford is gut shot. The men circle the wagons.
Night of Sept. 9th.
[11] Major Lyman dispatches Scout Schmalsle to Camp Supply for help. The Kiowa and Comanche see Schmalsle leave and give chase.
[12] The captive Tehan escapes.
[13] Sgt. Singleton is wounded by an arrow in the night.
[14] Major Lyman’s men dig rifle pits.
[15] The Kiowa and Comanche also dig rifle pits.
[16] Some of Lyman’s men try to sneak to a water hole - the warriors attack them and chase them back.
The siege continues with less intensity on days Sept. 11-13.
[17] A warrior rides through the wagons and trenches four times without being hit by a bullet. The great Kiowa warrior Satanta praises the brave warrior for his unmatched bravery.
Before the repeater rifles, drawing the fire of the White Men was a valid battle tactic - as once the old-style rifles or pistols had been discharged the warriors could then get in range and unleash a number of arrows before the weapon could be reloaded.
[18] Pot shot style fighting continues throughout the day.
[19] The warriors move off on the night of the 13th.
[20-21] Scout Schmalsle made it safely to Camp Supply on Sept. 12th and has returned with Lt. Henry Kingsbury and a detachment of the Sixth Cavalry. Kingsbury finds Lyman in the early morning hours of the 14th. At the same time, Colonel Miles, concerned that the wagon supply has not arrived as expected, has marched north to find the wagon. Miles and Kingsbury meet up with Lyman in the morning.
References
White, Lonnie J. Hostiles and Horse Soldiers. 1972.