Battle of Adobe Walls

In 1874, the word on the high plains was that the savage Indians were coming after the buffalo hunters for venturing into the Texas Panhandle to hunt the buffalo. It was true that the hunters were doing just that.  As a result, the Indians were attacking the secluded buffalo hunting camps. This caused several hunting groups to come into the Adobe Walls post, reporting that they had been attacked, usually resulting in one or two of their group being killed by the savages. They felt safer at Adobe Walls. Word had come to Myers, Rath and Hanrahan of the news about the upcoming attack of the post by the Indians. However, they did not tell the buffalo hunters of what was to happen, for fear that the men would leave, resulting in the post being left unprotected & destroyed. It’s interesting that Myers and Rath did leave, taking buffalo hides on to Dodge City. Hanrahan chose to remain to protect his whiskey supply. Rath and Myers left their stores with people in charge.

Hanrahan, and perhaps Billy Dixon, knew when the Indian attack was supposed to happen.  At the post were 28 men and one woman. They would defend against 700 to 1,000 savages. Hanrahan knew that the attack would occur between four and six AM. Not wanting to have the men surprised but rather wanting them awake, he arranger for a pistol shot at two AM, which he exclaimed was the store tent’s ridge pole breaking. Thus the hunters were awake, and chose to drink at the bar for awhile. Therefore, they were awake when the Indians attacked. Right off, the savages killed, scalped, and mutilated the Shadler brothers who were camped out in their wagon. Since the other hunters were not surprised, but wide awake, the Indians suffered many losses, both killed and wounded. This included a Negro bugler would sound “charge”. Of course, this enabled the hunters to know when the next horse and rider sweep was coming.

As the Indians were being soundly slaughtered, they pulled back to rethink their situation and plan of attack. They were on a bluff hill 1,538 yards away (7/8 mile). Buffalo hunter Billy Dixon had at his use a friend’s .50-90 Sharps buffalo gun, with which a 500 yard shot was a usual accomplishment.

The medicine man assured Chief Quanah that there was good medicine that day. The Dixon bullet struck the Comanche on the horse between him and Quanah. Ever after, the medicine man was known by a name in close proximity to "Coyote Shit" or "Coyote's Asshole".

Due to this unbelievable rifle shot, the Indians were demoralized & decided to give up the fight. It was an overwhelming defeat of their large numbers on Indians.

During the month following the battle, the buffalo hunters gradually left the post, taking their hides to Dodge City. Hundreds of hides were lost south of the Canadian River as they were abandoned earlier when the hunters scrambled to the post. The Indians destroyed the post and there were large financial loses for Myers, Rath, and Hanrahan. However, the ultimate result was that the Red River Indian War soon followed, which ended the dominance of the savages on the plains and opened up all of Texas to the buffalo hunters and settlers as well.