Which 1874 battle in the Texas Panhandle was a major defeat for the Comanche, Kiowa, and allied Plains peoples?

The 1874 battle in the Texas Panhandle that became a major defeat for the Comanche, Kiowa, and allied Plains peoples was the Battle of Palo Duro Canyon.

The battle occurred on September 28, 1874, during the Red River War. Colonel Ranald S. Mackenzie led United States Army troops against a large encampment in Palo Duro Canyon. The soldiers attacked at dawn, and the Indigenous warriors withdrew after losing control of the camp and its supplies.

The army destroyed lodges, food stores, and equipment, leaving many families without resources during winter. Mackenzie’s campaign, combined with pressure from other army columns, contributed to the surrender of the remaining Comanche and Kiowa groups on the Southern Plains.

Palo Duro Canyon is sometimes confused with the 1874 Second Battle of Adobe Walls, another Red River War engagement. Adobe Walls involved civilian buffalo hunters and attacking warriors, whereas Palo Duro Canyon was an army assault on a winter encampment.