The Comanches: Lords of the South Plains (Volume 34)

by Ernest Wallace, E. Adamson Hoebel

The fierce bands of Comanche Indians, on the testimony of their contemporaries, both red and white, numbered some of the most splendid horsemen the world has ever produced. Often the terror of other tribes, who, on finding a Comanche footprint in the Western plains country, would turn and go in the other direction, they were indeed the Lords of the South Plains.

For more than a century and a half, since they had first moved into the Southwest from the north, the Comanches raided and pillaged and repelled all efforts to encroach on their hunting grounds. They decimated the pueblo of Pecos, within thirty miles of Santa Fé. The Spanish frontier settlements of New Mexico were happy enough to let the raiding Comanches pass without hindrance to carry their terrorizing forays into Old Mexico, a thousand miles down to Durango. The Comanches fought the Texans, made off with their cattle, burned their homes, and effectively made their own lands unsafe for the white settlers. They fought and defeated at one time or another the Utes, Pawnees, Osages, Tonkawas, Apaches, and Navahos.

These were "The People," the spartans of the prairies, the once mighty force of Comanches, a surprising number of whom survive today. More than twenty-five hundred live in the midst of an alien culture which as grown up around them. This book is the story of that tribe—the great traditions of the warfare, life, and institutions of another century that are today vivid memories among its elders.

Despite their prolonged resistance, the Comanches, too, had to "come in." On a sultry summer day in June 1875, a small band of starving tribesmen straggled in to Fort Sill, near the Wichita Mountains in what is now the southwestern part of the state of Oklahoma. There they surrendered to the military authorities.

So ended the reign of the Comanches on the southwestern frontier. Their horses had been captured and destroyed; the buffalo were gone; most of their tipis had been burned. They had held out to the end, but the time had now come for them to submit to the United States government demands.
 

Genres: History, Native Americans, Anthropology, American History, Native American, Military Fiction, Ethnography

416 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1987

Reviews

[Michael Philliber · Rating 5 out of 5]

Slow, measured material detailing much about the Comanches. As one who grew up in Oklahoma, has returned, and does annual Christian ministry among the Comanches, Kiowas, Apaches and others, here in Oklahoma, this was a beneficial read. i highly recommend it.

[Gwyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Extremely educational about the Comanche Indians.

[Frank · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great history of the Comanche people.

[David Trawinski · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent history and cultural description of the Comanche peoples from 1952. Insight into their ways of living on the Southern Plains, their customs and ways.

[David]

A $1.64 thrift-store find: I had Ernest Wallace for an undergraduate survey course on American history prior to 1870 and he taught my graduate-school "research methods" class and assigned me to research and write on the Comanche chief Buffalo Hump. That was about 20 years after the publication of this book -- and Buffalo Hump isn't mentioned in the book. Am looking forward to reading it.

[Bob Peru · Rating 4 out of 5]

thorough and interesting. but it needs to be updated as it only brings the story up to 1952. if i believed in reincarnation, i'd consider comin' back as a comanche warrior circa their hey. hellin' off over the south plains and all. . .

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a splendid, scholarly, anthropological approach to a history of the Comanche people. It is full of interesting details and facts and is obviously thoroughly researched. It is interesting reading, but seems to be missing quite a bit of specific information I would've enjoyed to read. If anything, this is more of a textbook than an actual pleasure read.

There are places where the authors become repetitive. I believe he mentioned at least three separate places how the bow and arrow were more effective than muskets based on both its accuracy and speed of reloading. There are a few other details that were also repeated.

The authors wish to paint the Comanche as the noble savage, and there were characteristics of that noble being exhibited. The authors make a strong effort to present the honesty and integrity of the Comanche and that honesty is indeed impressive. The Comanche is presented as superior to those from other tribes.

One area of the "superiority" is in the treatment of captives. It is in its description of this treatment that in order to entertain the continued belief of this position that the authors must gloss over some violent and cruel treatment. It is obviously true that the Comanche treated their captives with more decency than many of the other tribes. Eventually, many captives were adopted into the tribe, which somehow makes it sound as if life as a captive was delightful. This book, however, was written before the term "Stockholm Syndrome" was adopted for this type of indoctrination. The authors mention, but practically ignore the fact that female captives were almost always raped. While returning from a raid, if a captive was troublesome or somehow slowed down the party they were sometimes simply released, but most often executed on the spot. So much for kind treatment of captives.

Noble? The sad thing is that a husband could execute his wife for any reason. Captives could be executed at any time.

The raids and the reason for them are far too often justified by the authors. Some of the time, their reasoning makes sense, some of the time it is more effort to simply make the Comanche seem noble. I was disappointed that some of the raids were not recounted in more detail.

The history of these peoples was well-told. The Comanches, by that name, weren't around for a long time, apparently breaking off from the Shoshone tribe around the beginning of the 1700's. The primary impetus into this change was the horse and the buffalo. The nomadic existence of the Comanche evolved into following the buffalo and stealing horses.

Horses were such a commodity that they were used to purchase brides, settle debts, or reward acts of bravery or kindness.

The generosity of the Comanche towards one another is emphasized thoroughly. The giving of gifts was a manner of earning prestige within a village. Prestige was very important to the Comanche and offending the community by bad behavior, Brothers often shared their wives.

[Paolo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Storia molto interessante dei Comanche, una delle più importanti popolazioni di nativi americani che come tutte le altre venne spogliata delle sue terre, tradizioni e cultura dai cosiddetti "civilizzatori" bianchi nelle pagine oscure della formazione degli Stati Uniti d'America

[David Freeman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Should be required reading for all Texans.

[Mike W · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great early 20th century ethnography of one of the most powerful empires on the North American continent.

[Pat · Rating 3 out of 5]

great book if you are a Comanche decendent; too detailed for those who are not.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Probably the best book available pertaining to the history and culture of this amazing tribe.

[Ryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Informative and good. Having recently read The Son, I recognized enough of the material here to be almost certain that Meyer relied heavily on this book for his research about the Comanches.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fascinating - an important part of American history.