The Last Comanche Raid

The last Comanche raid into the Chickasaw Nation occurred in the summer of 1866.  It was never reported to the commander of Ft. Arbuckle and no mention will be found in the War Department records.

It would not be for another twenty years that the participants of the reprisal raid by the Chickasaws would begin to talk of the event.

Even though the Chickasaws were "civilized", they were considered in the same vain as the Comanche by the government.   The Army would meet Indians fighting Indians with serious consequences.

In June of that year, the Comanches raided across the Chickasaw Nation to the western border of the Choctaw Nation.  There were three hundred fifty Comanches taking part in the raid that began near the present day town of
Purcell and the Comanches continued south crossing Mill Creek near Harris' Mill.

The raiders continued on east to the Sealy settlement on Goose Creek.  Here they began gathering horses, mules and cattle.  They did not harm any of the Chickasaw farmers or ranchers unless they resisted and did not burn any of the buildings.

From here they rode on east to the James settlement on Delaware creek near the Chickasaw Rock Academy near present day Wapanucka.  Here they turned south through a gap in the hills to the place of Mrs. Luffie Mosley the mother of Palmer Mosley, later the governor of the Chickasaw Nation.

Once again the Comanches stole every head of livestock in sight.  The rapidly moving raiders were now being trailed by a Chickasaw mounted guard who were several days behind the raiders.

After the Mosley raid the Comanches turned to the Keel community on Pennington Creek northwest of Tishomingo.  Upon reaching Blue River, the raiders crossed at the site of the old town of Bolton.  They made their first camp in the Arbuckle Mountains at Rattlesnake Springs seven miles
southeast of Mill Creek.  Their next camp was in the Arbuckles near the present day site of Springer.  Their next camp was on Wild horse Creek west of the town of Davis.

Their next camp was on Cache Creek in the Wichita Mountains where they sent the livestock on north to a canyon where they split their forces in two with half camping while the other half took the stock up the Cache Creek Valley.

All this while, the Chickasaws were in hot pursuit with two hundred fifty men of their own armed with rifles and pistols.  The Chickasaws became worried that the army might have gotten word that they were in pursuit of the raiders and feared retribution from the army.

A man was sent to Ft. Arbuckle to ask the army if they had heard of any Comanche raiding in the area.  They scout was told that there were no reports and the scout left without imparting any information to the army about the current raid.

The pursuit continued and the Chickasaw scouts reported the main camp of Comanche had been discovered on Cache Creek.  That night the two hundred fifty Chickasaws surrounded the Comanche camp. The Chickasaws had the camp completely surrounded and settled down for the night.

At dawn, a bugle call broke the morning stillness and two hundred fifty rifles sent a volley of leaden messengers into the Comanche camp.  The Chickasaw's plan was so complete that the Comanches were cut off from their horses and escape was attempted on foot.  Not a single Comanche escaped being cut down by the Chickasaw rifles.

Soon, a truce was called for by the Comanches and it was agreed that the Chickasaw could have their stock back and the Comanche could attend their wounded and bury their dead.

The Chickasaws returned to their farms and ranches with all their livestock without the loss of a single man.  Word was never leaked by the participants of the reprisal raid for fear of severe consequences from the government.  However, nothing was ever done about it.

Years later, the leaders of the Chickasaw reprisal raiders were identified as Scott Sealy, Gabriel Brown, Wash Colbert, Jim Daley, Alfred Humes, Jackson Billis, Willis Tuskatombee, Puckinchubbe, Jim Patterson, and Harris
Greenwood.

This was the last big raid by the Comanche into Indian Territory.  As the years passed there would be small raids by young Comanche braves sowing wild oats but there would never be another raid of this magnitude in Indian Territory.

 Contributed by Dennis Muncrief - June, 2003

Page 1 transcript: 

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LAST COMANCHE INDIAN RAID

The last Comanche Indian raid through this section was not reported to the commandant of Fort Arbuckle, nor was it recorded in the archives of the War Department. It occurred in June, 1865, and the details were not given out until more than twenty years later by surviving members of the Chickasaw and Choctaw tribes.

About 350 Comanches raided across the Chickasaw nation to the western edge of the Choctaw nation. They came down Mill Creek, crossed Goose Creek, Delaware Creek, and Wapanucka, stealing horses and other property, but destroying no property. They then went to the Keel settlement near Tishomingo, and from there to the Arbuckle mountains, camping near the present towns of Springer, Ardmore, and Duncan.

The Chickasaws organized to recover their property. Milton Brown, Captain; Tommy Joseph, First Lieutenant. Among the Chickasaws who took part in the pursuit were Scott Sealey, Gabriel Brown, Jim Daley, Alfred Hures, Jackson Billis, Willis Tuskotembee, Wash Colbert, Puckinchaubbe, Jim Patterson, and Harris Greenwood.

Handwritten note:
“CRUSHER – See Henderson’s Ferry site.”

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Page 2 transcript:

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old camp ground near the present town of Duncan, but fearing a surprise, as scouts reported Comanches in the vicinity, moved the camp to another site three miles away.

The raiders had divided their forces near this point and sent most of the captured stock north up the valley of Cache creek. The pursuing Chickasaws followed the trail of their stock. From the camp on Cache creek a deputation was sent back to Fort Arbuckle to ascertain whether the commander was aware of the Comanche raid.

They found the small garrison having troubles of their own with the Comanches, and had no inkling of Comanche raid or of the pursuit. The deputation left without imparting any definite information.

The pursuit continued and after a time scouts reported the main Indian village on Cache creek. After nightfall the Chickasaws surrounded the Comanche camp, the occupants being totally unaware of the presence of danger. With a force of 250 men, every one armed with rifle and revolver, the lines were drawn about the camp and set down to await daylight. Just at dawn a bugle call rang out and was immediately followed by a volley from the rifles of the pursuers.

The Comanches were cut off from their horses and tried to make their escape on foot. So well was the lines about there drawn that not one succeeded in breaking through, every one who attempted to do so was shot down. A truce was agreed upon, the Chickasaws were permitted to round up their stock and the Comanches were allowed to attend the wounded and bury the dead.

The return of the Chickasaws to their homes without the loss of a man and with all of their stolen stock was undemonstrative. Participants and their friends were apprehensive lest the story of the expedition and its outcome might reach the ears of the government authorities and lead to unpleasant consequences but nothing was ever done about it.

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[Ed. Note; I have read several versions of this raid and there are some small discrepancies in this version but is as close to the true story as I have come across.  I am posting this version as the 'official' version. There were other raids by small groups of young men of the Comanche who were sowing their wild oats.  The 1865 raid was the last large raid in I.T.  The Comanche turned their attentions to Texas and Mexico.  The Treaty of 1866 gave the western lands of the Chickasaw/Choctaw lands west of the 98th Meridian to the U.S. government to use as a reservation for the Comanche. - Dennis Muncrief, Nov. 2001]

 

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