Deadly Pursuit by Michael McLean

DEATH STRETCHED IN EVERY direction in this flat, forsaken portion of the region known as the Llano Estacado or Staked Plains. The vast area of approximately 32,000 square miles takes in a good part of west Texas and far eastern New Mexico. In a letter to the King of Spain in October 1541, Francisco Vázquez de Coronado, leading more than 1,000 soldiers and Indian aides in search of the fabled golden riches of Quivira, described the expanse he had been exploring as vast plains, “…with no more landmarks than if we had been swallowed up by the sea... there was not a stone, nor bit of rising ground, nor a tree, nor a shrub, nor anything to go by.”

The prelude to what would become known as the “Nolan Expedition” or “The Staked Plains Horror,” as the Galveston Daily News was to call it, was part of the “Buffalo Hunter’s War.” The history of this “war” began in December of 1876 when a group of approximately 170 Comanche warriors, women, and children headed for the Llano Estacado from their Indian Territory reservation.

Warriors from this band of Comanche under the leadership of their war chief, Black Horse, attacked a group of buffalo hunters in February 1877. That action resulted in the death of one of the hunters, Marshall Sewall, wounding of several more, and the theft of their stock. During the following months, this band of warriors continued to conduct raids on the hunters and steal stock.

In retaliation, an armed force of buffalo hunters attacked Black Horse’s camp on March 18, 1877. During the battle of Yellow House Draw, near present day Lubbock, Texas, Black Horse fled. He was later reported to have been killed at the battle of Lake Quemado, near the present town of Morton, west of Silver Lake, on May 4, by Buffalo Soldiers of the 10th Cavalry under the command of Captain Philip L. Lee. However, the Comanche killed was Red Young Man, a fearless and reportedly reckless warrior—not Black Horse.

Two different groups, or expeditions, undertook pursuit of the marauding Comanche. The first, a cadre of twenty-eight buffalo hunters, was made up of a combination of Civil War veterans from both sides, former trappers, and an assortment of other men of mixed heritage. Diverse in background, they all shared one thing—they were fighters. This group was under the leadership of James Harvey, a Civil War 4th Cavalry veteran and experienced buffalo hunter. All were searching for buffalo herds, but the Comanche interference had become a serious problem.

A key figure in this lot was to be an ex-Comanchero and Mexican American, Jose Piedad Tafoya. The Comancheros were essentially traders from New Mexico, Texas, and other Southwestern areas that bridged the gap between the Comanche people and their desire for trade goods such as tobacco, tools, cloth, and flour. In return, the Comancheros received items such as hides and livestock. Tafoya struggled with English, but he was a skilled guide who knew the Staked Plains better than most others. It was for that reason that James Harvey made him the lead scout for the buffalo hunter’s expedition.

The second group was a United States Cavalry unit under the command of Captain Nicholas M. Nolan with Lieutenant Charles Cooper serving as his second in command. An Irish native, Nolan enlisted in the Army in1852 and soon found that working with horses suited him well. Earning an officer’s rank during the Civil War he remained after its end, volunteering to serve with the Tenth Cavalry Regiment and commanding its A Troop. It was reported that A Troop consisted of sixty African American “Buffalo Soldiers,”—so named by their Comanche and Cheyenne enemies. Many in his group were raw recruits without experience in desert country.

Under orders to find and punish the Comanche marauders, Captain Nolan left Fort Concho on July 10 headed toward Bull Creek some 140 miles distant on the southeastern edge of the hot, arid Llano Estacado. At Bull Creek, Nolan established a supply base a short distance from a camp created by the buffalo hunters. It was here, on July 17, about seven miles east of Muchaque, or Mushaway Peak, that the two groups in pursuit met. Although there was a lack of trust displayed by the buffalo hunters, Nolan showed them his orders, and the two groups agreed to mutually pursue the Comanche.

Nolan split up his troopers on July 19. Wagons were sent back to Fort Concho to gather more supplies and return to the Bull Creek supply base while Nolan and Cooper pushed on west toward Cedar Lake with forty troopers. That evening the two groups made a dry camp and prepared to start up the rugged caprock that would lead them onto the Llano Estacado proper which rises from about 3,000 feet in elevation in the southeast to 5,000 feet in the northwest. Their goal of reaching Cedar Lake entailed a brutal climb of about 700 feet in elevation, up onto the Yarner, from the Bull Creek base camp.

The following two days were spent making that trek. Finally, on July 21, the combined group reached a playa in the Double Lakes area that the hunters knew of. The playa was a non-draining, closed basin that could be either dry or contain remnants of rainwater that would remain ponded until it evaporated. Fortunately for the travelers, they found water that remained from a June cloudburst and proceeded to use it to refresh themselves and their stock.

Enter Quanah Parker. A war leader of the Comanche Nation’s Antelope, or Quahadi, people, Parker was the son of Quahadi Comanche Chief Peta Nacona and an Anglo-American woman, Cynthia Ann Parker. She had been kidnapped as a child and adopted into the Comanche culture. After battling repeatedly with Colonel Ranald S. “Bad Hand” Mackenzie in the Red River Wars, Parker peacefully surrendered and led the Quahadi Comanche to the reservation at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. Parker would, in the future, be a notable spokesman for the Comanche people. To recognize his actions, the federal government would appoint him principal chief of the Comanche Nation.

However, late on the hot afternoon of July 21, 1877, Quanah Parker and a small group of Comanche

men and women rode into the camp occupied by A Troop and the buffalo hunters. He was equipped with Army horses, supplies, and rifles—and his own agenda. Armed with a forty-day pass that permitted him and his companions to leave the reservation, Parker made his intentions clear by relating it to Jose Tafoya who translated for Nolan, although Parker spoke English well. Nolan was forced to accept their objective as the pass was dated July 12 and signed not only by the Fort Sill Indian Agent J. M. Hayworth but more importantly, the 4th Cavalry’s Colonel Ranald S. Mackenzie. Parker was to be permitted—without harassment—to track, find, and lead the wayward band of Comanche back to the reservation.

Quanah Parker and his group departed the camp at Double Lakes and headed southwest toward Cedar Lake in search of the wayward Comanche. After enjoying the refreshing water of the playa and considering the situation, Nolan headed his troops out on a night trek over the remaining distance to Cedar Lake, which they reached on the morning of July 22. Nolan had been to the location in 1875 at which time there was some moisture. On this trip, however, water was very scarce and was obtained only through the all-day task of digging holes in sand and collecting small amounts at a time.

Jose Tafoya and two others left Cedar Lake early in the morning of July 23, to scout for Comanche in the direction Parker had gone. Later in the morning, Quanah Parker returned to the Cedar Lake camp, stayed for a few hours, and departed once again, this time to the west.

On the morning of the 24th, Tafoya’s group returned and reported finding the trail of a few Indians headed back toward Double Lakes. Nolan headed his troops back toward Double Lakes arriving mid-day on July 25. Conditions had not changed, and the men spent much time digging holes in the damp sand and gathering water a cupful at a time. At this point, several of the buffalo hunters decided to ride west toward Rich Lake in hopes of finding the Comanche. Others of the hunter group chose to return to the base camp on Bull Creek.

To complicate the matter, on this day Captain Nolan demoted First Sergeant William Umbles, due in part to the sergeant’s attitude, in particular with regard to the lack of water for the soldiers. Nolan was displeased that the sergeant had not done his job to see that the troops had always refilled canteens when possible. This incident lost immediate focus when two of the hunters returned from Rich Lake late in the morning of July 26 to report that many Comanche warriors had been sighted near the lake.

The Double Lakes camp was struck, and soldiers made ready to pursue the Indian group. However, several hours passed before getting underway with the temperature over 100 degrees. During the process, and perhaps because of the difficulty to get water, Nolan for some reason did not ensure that all his troopers had filled their canteens. Thus, began The Staked Plains Horror.

July 26, Afternoon and Evening. Following the late start, Nolan, his troops, and a few buffalo hunters and their leader, James Harvey, headed west toward Rich Lake. Upon reaching the lake, they found Jose Tafoya and some other hunters who then related there were only eight Comanche—not a large band. They also found the lake dry. The head scout, Tafoya, suggested that there might be water on to the northwest. Captain Nolan decided to start in that direction, but it became too dark to travel, and a dry camp was established.

July 27. Nolan and his troops as well as the remaining buffalo hunters moved out. Their route paralleled Sulphur Draw through sandy ground that

slowed progress considerably. By mid-morning, the Comanche found the column. Apparently, the Indians decided to use the terrain, increasing temperature, and absence of water against the group. The Comanche split up going in different directions. Some of Nolan’s troops and the hunters followed, chasing false leads and spending time in vain.

Jose Tafoya, his partner, Johnny Cook, other hunters, and a few soldiers kept moving forward looking for a place where the various Indian paths might come together. Eventually they found it, and word was relayed to Nolan who started the main group moving again. Tafoya and Cook kept tracking out in front of the others, so Nolan sent a trooper to tell them to wait. When Nolan and the main column finally caught up to the trackers, Tafoya suggested there could be water at Lost Lake, near the present town of Dora, New Mexico, but that was likely where the Comanche were. Nolan knew that neither his men, nor the hunters, were up for a battle with the Comanche.

James Harvey then suggested sending a small group of hunters and troopers for water that he believed could be found in the Blue Sand Hills some six or seven miles distant. Captain Nolan disallowed the action and determined to keep moving. Following the scout, Tafoya, Nolan’s command marched two miles to the west at which point the guide turned northeast with the hunters following trailed in turn by the buffalo soldiers toward Silver Lake. As the day wore on, both Army and civilian horses started to give out. Men were starting to drop from their mounts and troopers in better shape helped them to move forward as they were able. As darkness fell, the group had travelled some fifty miles and was spread out over some two miles. Nolan called a halt to allow men and horses to rest and those lagging behind to catch up. It was at this point a small group of troopers led by former First Sergeant William Umbles separated from Nolan’s command. The day had been gruesome, hot, and frustrating—with no water to be found.

July 28. A confusion of gunshots occurred after midnight. Visibility was near zero and from whom the gunfire originated was not determined. Some felt it was the Comanche who everyone knew were in the vicinity. Others thought it might be Jose Tafoya and his water detail who had disappeared earlier to go out in front of the column—it was not.

At the break of dawn, the group, now somewhat refreshed and rested by a cool night breeze, resumed the march toward Silver Lake. After about fifteen miles, however, Nolan changed his mind and their direction. His decision was to turn and head back to the known camp at Double Lakes rather than continue toward Silver Lake, even though Double Lakes was nearly three times as far.

It was at this juncture that the soldiers of A Troop and the buffalo hunters parted ways. The hunters continued toward Silver Lake but with a lack of continuity. Due to limitations of their horses and their physical condition, the hunter group became spread out over the route. Fortunately, water was found at Silver Lake. Various hunters and a few soldiers, including William Umbles, reportedly attempted to get water back to A Troop— unaware that Nolan had changed direction.

The day grew much worse for the soldiers following Captain Nolan and Lieutenant Cooper. Men who preferred to keep going on toward Silver Lake began to complain, and the conditions of the day before intensified. The heat was almost unbearable, and again men fell from their horses and others faltered. Troopers began to drink their own urine and then that of their horses. Brown sugar was made available to attempt to make the foul liquid more palatable, however, like drinking ocean water, the salt content only worsened the situation. Many men became sick and unable to swallow. By the time the sun dropped below the western horizon, urine was no longer available as the men were almost completely dehydrated.

Nolan halted their advance. Troopers were wandering off, and his command was falling apart. At this time, an exhausted horse was killed for its blood. The action helped the men survive, but because the horse was itself dehydrated, it resulted in the same complications as with ingesting ocean water.

July 29. Before dawn, soldiers and hunters alike remained scattered over hundreds of square miles. The hunter groups were generally in much better condition having been persistent in their movement to the northeast and finding water. Sergeant Umbles, having made it to Silver Lake as well, left a note for others to follow and headed eastward toward Casas Amarillas with his small group of troops. That evening he had a disagreement with James Harvey over use of the Army horses. As a result, Umbles and his group of eleven troops separated from Harvey and his hunters. In the end, those who arrived at Silver Lake and saw the note left by Sergeant Umbles would head east to Casas Amarillas—and not in search of Nolan’s “lost” command.

James Harvey and his remaining group of hunters traveled on to the present site of Lubbock, Texas, where they, as well as Jose Tafoya, recovered much of their stolen stock and learned that the Comanche renegades were returning to their reservation with Quanah Parker. The buffalo hunters would later state that this had been the last Comanche raid in Texas.

In the hours before dawn, Captain Nolan moved his command out with hope of using the cool night air to their advantage in their trek to Double Lakes. Going was slow, and both men and animals struggled to move forward, but move they did, to get a head start on the hellish day they knew was coming.

And come it did. The remaining group of troopers halted mid-morning, then continued their descent into the nightmare. The terrible conditions experienced the day before deteriorated even more. More horses were killed for their blood and organs which provided meager moisture. Food and equipment were abandoned Another halt was called mid-afternoon. Some horses were abandoned, and a few mules wandered off. Men were unaccounted for, and the command now numbered eighteen.

At this time Nolan and Cooper decided to change course again. It was also recounted that Acting First Sergeant Jim Thompson would take six troopers and the strongest of the remaining horses and push on to Double Lakes. As night fell, the remaining men struggled on. All supplies had been abandoned save for weapons.

July 30. In the early morning darkness, the small band came across what appeared to be a wagon trail. From his experience in 1875, Lieutenant Cooper believed that the ruts led to Double Lakes. Morale was immediately greatly improved. Nolan and Cooper rode on ahead to Double Lakes as the straggling troopers plodded forward to the life-saving waters about sunup. Men from Sergeant Jim Thompson’s group that arrived hours earlier and were now refreshed went back along the route searching for men and animals with canteens of the precious fluid. For the remnants of the 10th Cavalry’s A Troop, the horror that had unfolded on the Yarner was over.

In the meantime, Sergeant Umbles returned to Fort Concho and reported that Nolan and his command were dead, lost, or dying. The erroneous report was communicated to other forts in the area along with requests to help provide defense for Fort Concho. A relief column under the leadership of Lieutenant Robert Smithers started out toward the Bull Creek camp to take up the search. He found Nolan, Cooper, and their remaining command and immediately sent couriers back to the fort with the good news which was telegraphed around the country that Nolan’s lost command was “back from the dead.” The entire group returned to Fort Concho on August 14.

At the close of the “Staked Plains Horror,” four soldiers of Troop A, 10th U.S. Cavalry were dead. The deceased soldiers were 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, who joined the Army in Baltimore, Maryland, in December 1876; Trooper John Isaacs, 25, a waiter from Baltimore who joined the Army in January 1877; and Trooper Isaac Derwin, 25, a laborer from South Carolina who joined the Army in Tennessee in November 1876.

Upon Nolan’s return to Fort Concho, former First Sergeant William Umbles and his three companions were arrested. Following much testimony, some of which was contradictory, Umbles and the three other men were charged with desertion and court martialed. All were found guilty and sentenced to prison time at Fort Leavenworth Military Prison in Kansas.

In addition to the human loss of life, the toll on animals was high. Nolan’s command had departed the Double Lakes camp with forty-four horses and eight mules. Eighty-six hours later A Troop returned with four horses and two mules. Although other horses survived, in particular those with Sergeant Umbles’ group, the horses that endured were determined to be unfit for further use.

Although the story of Captain Nolan’s expedition has been told many times and various perspectives presented, in his superbly documented work The Buffalo Soldier Tragedy of 1877, Professor Emeritus of History Paul H. Carlson charts in detail the interactions leading up to the Staked Plains Horror, the five days of “The Thirsting Time” itself, and the aftermath of the tragedy. In examination of this event, it can be concluded that the chain of events which unfolded on the Llano Estacado represented not only a clash of cultures but of conflicting purpose. Testimonies and viewpoints differ but one thing is consistent throughout—the persistence of the human spirit to survive when pitted against abject adversity.

—MICHAEL MCLEAN has packed on horseback in Montana’s high-country wilderness, mined gold and silver thousands of feet below the earth’s surface, fly-fished Yellowstone Park’s blue-ribbon waters, and explored the deserts of the West. Through personal and professional experiences, he has collected a wealth of information to develop story settings, plots and characters. His work has been published in Saddlebag Dispatches, New Mexico Magazine, Rope and Wire and The Penmen Review. His story, “Backroads” was the winner of the 2012 Tony Hillerman Mystery Short Story Contest. He works in New Mexico’s oil and potash-rich Permian Basin and lives in Carlsbad, New Mexico, with his wife, Sandie.