The Battle of Palo Duro Canyon

The Battle of Palo Duro Canyon. September 28, 1874. One of the most significant battles of 1874-75 Indian campaign; columns of troops converging from five directions harassed Indians on the Panhandle Plains for over six months. , The 4th Cavalry under Col. Ranald S. Mackenzie, moving north from Fort Concho, tracked a large band of Indians to their secret canyon camp. , Moving silently at dawn down a perilous path on the south rim, the first troops reached the floor of the canyon before the aroused camp fled. , Some of the warriors took up positions on the canyon walls from which they fired on the troops, seeking to give their families time to escape. , Realizing his tactical disadvantage, Mackenzie ordered the Indian camp and supplies burned and withdrew, taking along 1,400 captured horses (1,000 of which he later destroyed). , The cavalry suffered no causalities in the fight and only four Indian dead were counted. , Having lost half their horses as well as all their supplies and shelter, the Indians drifted back to their reservations at Fort Sill and Fort Reno.