#comanches

Comanches

Chief Rolling Thunder of the Comanches, a tribe from the Great Plains, gave the following account of an ancient race of white giants in 1857: “Innumerable moons ago, a race of white men, 10 feet high, and far more rich and powerful than any white people now living, here inhabited a large range of country, extending from the rising to the setting sun. Their fortifications crowned the summits of the mountains, protecting their populous cities situated in the intervening valleys.

Hostiles (2017)

Director - Scott Cooper, Cinematography - Masanobu Takayanagi

Holding a bow in one hand and an arrow in the other, [the mothers] sang near the bodies of their sons an air both gay and martial, thanking them for having given them the satisfaction of seeing them die at the hands of the enemy while fighting valiantly for the defense of their country, a death a thousand time preferable to the fate of him who on a wretched mat expires consumed by some deadly disease.

Through such testimonials, women played key roles in sustaining the warrior cult.”

Tex - La Grande Invasione

drawing: Claudio Villa 

[scanned from La grande invasione “Le Grandi Storie di Tex” #30]

Mauro Boselli (script), Carlo Marcello (pencils)

Tex recalls a tragic and painful memory of his past: the Comanches' raid led by Quanah Parker, Tonkawa and Buffalo Chief to oust settlers from Texas territories. After gathering peasant families to try to keep them safe from the Indians’ fury, Tex - meeting a patrol of escort soldiers and their convicts - has to lead them through the lands full of ambushes.  Reaching Fort Quitman, at the borders with Mexico, will be an almost desperate business, and the extreme defense against the Comanches will touch an improbable handiwork of heroes!

Fantastic story! Great appealing western !

publisher:Sergio Bonelli Editore, 2016 [special edition for Gruppo Editoriale L’Espresso]

"In the event of being pursued, immediately after the preparation of depredations; the Comanches move day and night, very often not breaking gallop except to exchange horses (which they do several times) and water the caballada, until they deem themselves safe. Under these circumstances they will travel at least 70 miles a day, which is a long distance with the encumbrance of loose animals.

A party of warriors dressed in their trappings - embellished shields, fancy moccasins, long pig tails bedecked with silver, shoulder belts worked with beads and adorned with shells, fine leggings, ornamented cases for bows and arrows - mounted upon spirited horses, singing a war song, and sweeping over a prairie is a beautiful spectacle to a man with plenty of brave fellows to back him.

Their motions are easy and graceful. They sit a horse admirably, and manage one with a master hand. Charge them and they will retreat from you with double your numbers. But beware when pursuing them; keep your men together, well in hand, with at least half their arms loaded, else you will find when it is too late, the flying Comanches will turn on you and charge you to the very teeth.

A Comanche can draw a bow when on horseback, standing or running, with remarkable strength and accuracy. They have been known to kill horses running at full speed over one hundred yards away.

In the commencement of a fight, the yell of defiance is borne to you loud, long, and startling. The war whoop has no romance in it. It thrills even a stout heart with an indescribable sensation. The excitement of battle is quite as evident among these people as among others. Let the tide turn against them, send lead messengers through some of their warriors, and then the mournful wail is heard; its lubricous notes are borne back to you with uncouth cadence, betokening sorrow, anger, and a determination to revenge.

Never ride upon a bowman's left; if you do, ten to one he will pop an arrow through you. When mounted, an Indian cannot use his bow against an object behind and to his right.

The dead are usually borne from the field. Nothing but the most imminent danger prevents them from performing the incumbent duty of not leaving the body of a comrade in the hands of an enemy. Over a fallen chief they will make a desperate stand. Their caution seems merged in the determination to risk everything to bear him from the field. To attain this object they will fight furiously, bravely, and often.

If they abandon him, it is usually in despair. Flight is no longer methodical and menacing to the pursuer. Retreat degenerates into route. After this they have seldom if ever been known to resume the offensive. They will hide themselves in the first chaparral affording security against discovery, remain during the day, and visit the dead at night, and if not able to remove them will spread blankets or some covering over them.

The bow is placed horizontally in shooting; a number of arrows are held in the left hand; the bow operates as a rest for the arrows. The distance - the the curve the missile has to describe in reaching the object - is determined by the eye without taking aim. At the distance of 60 yards and over, arrows can be dodged, if but one Indian shoots at you at a time. Under forty yards the six-shooter has little advantage over the bow.

At long distances the angle of elevation is considerable. It requires a quick eye to see the arrow and judge the whereabouts of its descent, a good dodger to move out of the way, and a good rider to keep in the saddle. A man is required to keep both eyes engaged in an Indian fight."

---- John Salmon "Rip" Ford, shown in the photo below, gives tactical advice for fighting Indians in "Rip Ford's Texas," 1885