EXPEDITION

Four of my oral and maxillofacial surgery friends and I have read several books on the Indian Wars in Comancheria.  The primary battles were between the Comanches and the Anglo settlers, US Cavalry Troopers, Texas Rangers, and Buffalo hunters.  The most notable Comanche was Quanah Parker.

Our goal was to visit several of the most significant battle sites to view "the lay of the land."  My goal was to find a chicken fried steak and a piece of fried chicken.  I found both!

Above is the Red River as it leaves the Llano Escatado.  Palo Duro Canyon houses the Prarie Dog Creek that feeds into the Red River.  It was the battle of Palo Duro Canyon that broke the spirit of the Comanches.  The Cavalry killed over 1,000 of their horses and trappers had virutally killed all the buffalo.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Palo_Duro_Canyon

 



http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/2220



Nothing was left to chance and every minute was treated as valuable.  Dr. Allen Neece of Abilene, Texas had every detail planned to make certain we saw the most significant sites from our readings.





In Palo Duro Canyon which was created by the erosion of Prarie Dog Creek.



The region's cotton crop had just been harvetsed.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adobe_Walls,_Texas

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Battle_of_Adobe_Walls

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Battle_of_Adobe_Walls

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billy_Dixon

http://www.levergun.com/articles/bdixon.htm

Pointing from the Adobe Walls ruins to the mesa 1,538 yards (7/8s of a mile!) away where Quanah Parker's Medican Man was shot by Billy Dixon.

The garb worn by Quanah Parker's Medican Man with his War Drum.

The rifle used by Billy Dixon for his remarkable shot.

Billy Dixon's rifle and Congressional Medal of Honor.

A Chicken Fried Steak with Fried Okra!

Back seat accommodations were close.

The ranch house of the Arrington Ranch.  This house is 100 years old and was built from a kit that was shipped from Chicago to this site and then assembled.  We stayed one night there.  Throughout the evening we could hear the wail of the coyotes.

I was tasked with ringing the bell from Ft. Elliot which is now in front of the old jail in Mobeetie, Texas.



 

This is the home that Texas ranchers built for Quanah Parker if he'd stopped raiding Texas, stealing cattle and horse, and top killing settlers.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quanah_Parker_Star_House

The team with a statue of Quanah Parker.

A very special "Thank You!" to Dr. James Allen Neece, affectionately known as "iBurns", for organizing, banking, planning, facilitating, and making this trip a meaningful adventure into Comancheria.