welcome to dates and dead guys the conflict between the Apache and Comanche is among the most long lasting and brutal and all of Native American history sworn enemies they fought each other and what the Spanish and Mexico called a war of extermination by the late 1500s the Eastern Apache had established a dominant presence in the southern region of the Great Plains the area secured for them good buffalo hunting grounds while also giving them space to practice agriculture it was the best of both worlds a semi-agrarian lifestyle Diversified their diets and right next to the most
valuable food source in all of North America the Comanche at the same time were outcasts forced to unfavorable territory by more powerful groups like the Apache their culture became aggressive and vengeful but in the middle of the 1600s one big change caused by their greatest enemy will lead them to becoming the most powerful native group in American history in the 1500s Spanish success in Mexico led to a continued desire to conquer it was kind of their thing the Europeans gradually moved North and had continued to colonize and spread their influence until they reached Apache territory
Spanish Conquest was a directive they brought with them metal armor guns and hundreds of horses as they spread into the territory of modern New Mexico around 1600. with overwhelming power they quickly subjugated many Native groups within the region they forced them to take on Christianity and work for them as payment just as they had done in Central and South America for the previous hundred years however the nearby Apache were less agreeable the Apache violently rated these new Spanish settlements stealing horses in the process as they watched the Spanish from a distance they learned how to
ride them by the 1650s the Apache were conducting mounted raids on Horseback the added speed of the horse made an even more dangerous and effective the constant harassment was more than the Spanish in the region could tick Spanish settlements like Taos and Santa Fe were frequent targets and the Pueblo Indians the Spanish had conquered were the unfortunate victims of Apache Terror as Spanish subjects the Pueblo expected protection but the Spanish could not effectively provide them with any the rage would be over quickly but they were devastating the Apache would kill anyone who opposed them and
then disappear into the Western landscape with hundreds of horses and other supplies by 1680 the Apache rage became such a problem that the Pueblo had given up on Spanish protection and they revolted they drove the Spanish out of New Mexico but in the process 1000 of Spanish horses escaped Mustangs a horse well suited to live in the Great Plains a horse that will find its Way North here we fast forward a few decades as territory had been lost and regained the Spanish continued to be constantly raided by the Apache but Apache Behavior changed in 1706
almost at once the Spanish began to notice that the raids against them had stopped reports start to come in that the Spanish can't explain the Apache are acting strangely bands like the Jai gorilla and the mescaleros are seemingly leaving the plains abandoning their settlements and farms and doing so in a hurry the Spanish heard rumors of great battles but had no idea who the Apache were fighting they were told of Invaders from the north mounted on Horseback that they were powerful fast and Dangerous by the 1720s the Apache were so devastated that many bands had
moved entirely into the mountains or even coming to Spanish for protection some bands didn't make it that far Spanish Expeditions found that planes dwelling Apache bands like the farones carlanes and Palomas banished entirely exterminated by an enemy the Spanish couldn't even identify so what was killing the Apache the answer came from the Utes they called the northern Phantom Invaders the comanchea in their language it meant those who are against me all the time an appropriate meaning for people the Spanish would come to call the Comanche the Apache created their own undoing from the Comanche historically
the Comanche are commonly described as rather unimpressive they were bullied by the other tribes in the region including the Apache the Comanches were pushed to the Eastern side of the Rockies to scratch out a living in the least desirable territory in the rise to power that is something that they will not forget then in the middle of the 17th century like a gift from the gods they found the horse the same horses that were freed as a result of Apache harassment of the Pueblo in Spanish it changed everything for them the horses were Mustangs they
were breed suited for the planes in every way tough and rugged in the two decades that followed the Spanish Retreat from New Mexico the horse had spread like wildfire it's called the Great horse dispersal all the tribes of the region started using them but the Comanche did it better the first thing they did differently was learn to breed horses other tribes didn't bother they got their horses in raids not the Comanche they brought their own on the planes horses were currency and the Comanche were Rich the Eastern Apache like many Plains groups were at least
semi-agricultural this tied them to land the Comanche didn't farm at all as full Nomads they could be anywhere on the Plains and horses gave them the ability to cover ranges previously thought impossible if you were within 400 miles of the Comanche you were in danger as Buffalo Hunters this range was incredibly valuable but as Warriors it made them terrifying most raids would come in spring and summer when the grass in the plains was high enough that the Comanche were sure they had enough food for their horses they would often move at night the light of
the full moon would illuminate the planes offering them visibility to both attack and escape the raids were brutal murders tortures and acts I am reluctant to bring up on YouTube this was so common that settlers refer to these conditions as the Comanche Moon but the greatest Advantage what made them more effective than everyone else was that they fought fully mounted almost no other tribe did this George Catlin the artist for this image witnessed the Comanche first hand he described what he saw quote on their feet they are one of the most unattractive and slovingly looking
races of Indians I've ever seen but the moment they mount their horses they seem at once metamorphosized I am ready without hesitation to pronounce the Comanches the most extraordinary Horseman I've seen yet in all my travels end quote they learn to fire a bow perfectly while riding at both enemy or Buffalo they would Shield their bodies from their enemies by hanging off the sides of the animals while simultaneously shooting under the neck with deadly accuracy the Apache used the horse to Aid travel but would Dismount the fight on foot they were a match for anyone
and they were just as brutal as the Comanche if they could catch the Comanche without their mounts they may have even had an advantage at times but the Comanche lived on the horse finding them was even impossible because on the war path they never slept in the same place twice it wasn't that way with the Apache their agriculture made them predictable and their fighting style was outdated author TR fahrenbach said it best in his book Comanches a history of a people quote it was this very taste for corn that killed them when their land was
invaded by true Savages on Horseback end quote if the Apache were a terror to the Spanish the Comanche were worse to the Apache but their true Mission wasn't to exterminate them they were after resources most importantly the range of the Buffalo I mentioned before the Comanche remembered how they were treated when they were weak it made them vengeful and very aggressive toward their enemies in the book light pan and Patches by Thomas Britton it's written quote the purpose of the Comanches was always the same to catch the Apache off guard of the rancherias to make
a sudden assault kill as many Apaches as they could capture some women and children for the slave trade in New Mexico and plunder the rancherias and destroy the Hudson crops end quote the war between these two great Powers lasting decades has mostly been lost to history even the Spanish only witnessed it at a distance but we do know was brutal enough that all Comanches everywhere became foes of all Apaches the results that were recorded are what tell us the story The Light pan were among the last Apache remaining on the Plains by the 1720s the
mescaleros and Jay carrillas had already retreated in 1723 a mysterious conflict occurred it's called El Gran Sierra Del Ferrero from what we can tell A Massive Attack by Comanche against the lifepan lasted several days it ended with many dead light pan Warriors but the Comanche also captured huge numbers of women and children like the other bands the Lipan were forced to retreat to the mountain deserts stuck as skulkers in the Spanish Borderlands with an overpowering Force to the north in the Comanche and a sworn enemy to their South in Spanish for the Apache it was
time for a new strategy in 1749 something weird happened the Apache rode into San Antonio looking to make a peace treaty with the Spanish the Spanish were thrilled because since the city was founded in 1719 the Apache had been constantly writing them and not on a small scale kidnappings and murders were common the Apache made off with thousands of horses and callous supplies in that time it was a serious problem and a major relief to the Spanish from the Apache asked for peace the uptick in raids coincided with the Comanche kicking them out of their
territory the planes offered them more in food and resources than the mountains and deserts that they had been forced to the Apache didn't only ask for peace they also wanted the Spanish to build a mission and Presidio in their territory so that they could convert to Christianity this is something that they had been previously reluctant to do the Spanish priests leaped at the opportunity it took a couple years to approve but doing this would solve several issues for the Spanish they could put a stop to Apache raids maybe for good and they could also make
them Catholic saving their souls there were rumors of gold and silver deposits in the area but I am sure that that was entirely unrelated to their decision locations for the mission were scouted and it was decided that they would build the mission and Presidio at a location called San Saba funding was secured by a rich Spaniard all he wanted in return for footing the bill was that his brother father Alonso Geraldo di Toreros run the mission a competent and experienced Spanish officer Don Diego Ortiz de perilla would Overlook the project in April 1757 the Spanish
gathered their supplies a few priests a hundred soldiers and about 2 000 animals for the project but strangely once they got on the way the Apache were absent when the party arrived at San Saba the Apache were also nowhere to be found regardless the mission and Presidio were built about two miles apart from each other and both were protected by a large wooden Palisade occasionally the Apache would visit the Mission they would ask for gifts and promise to relocate there soon but after months of them not doing that the Spanish were becoming increasingly frustrated some
of the priests felt this whole thing was just a trick and that the Apache really only wanted gifts this whole thing was a trick but not for gifts in March the Spanish learned the real reason the Apache had led them there San Saba was not part of apacheria it was Comanche territory and the Apache were trying to start a fight as it turns out the Apache had been going north to conduct raids against the Comanche while the Apache were North they would spread rumors the fort built in San Saba to provoke the Comanche even more
following the rage the Apache would leave things like Spanish tools and shoes in their camps leading them to believe the Spanish were allied with the Apache in early March 1758 the spring grasses were beginning to grow and recent clear nights had left the full moon to brighten the plains the Spanish noted that all the Apache around San Saba had disappeared completely as the sun rose they began to hear War whoops from Beyond their walls over 60 of their horses were missing 15 soldiers sent out for reconnaissance returned in a hurry claiming the hills were alive
with enemies for nearly the next two weeks the Comanche took their time staying at a distance the Presidio locked down most refused to leave the walls followed Toreros as well as about 30 others stayed in the mission two miles away from the Presidio on March 16th the Comanches showed up at the gates of both as the Spanish looked over the walls of their Palisade they were struck with all with what they saw farrenbach writes quote the Savages were breathtaking barbaric spectacle planes and mayor Indians in the full panoply of war the long lines of riders
wore fantastic headdresses of plumes deer antlers and bison horns their face were painted red and black the color of death every Warrior carried a bow and Lance or spear the soldiers noticed that at least a few hundred had new muskets end quote at the mission the Comanche first feigned friendship and the priest just let them in the Comanche were accompanied by several other native tribes the Spanish had previously worked with peacefully once inside the gates the Spanish tried to appease them with gifts but it didn't take long to turn into a Slaughter I have seen
differing figures but the Comanche killed between 8 and 10 in the mission including father toreiros they set fire to the buildings and mutilated the bodies of the dead as they were looting Goods a number were able to escape to the better defended Presidio likely the Comanche prioritized looting over fleeing missionaries who were no threat to them perilla tried to reinforce the mission but the soldiers he sent were immediately attacked and forced to retreat the Comanche never even attacked the Presidio they wouldn't they were smart they had the advantage against the mission and they had made
their point two days later just as quickly as they appeared they were gone the immediate aftermath of the San Saba Massacre gets worse for the Spanish the next year in 1759 they sent out a punitive Expedition the point was retaliation against the Comanche it was led by Parilla it didn't go great the Spanish traveled North and killed a bunch of tonkwa for no reason other than that they were there they later encountered the Comanche at the Red River in October but the Comanche were prepared there was no going into their land without them knowing you
were coming and there was no finding them without them letting you their force was overwhelming the Spanish had around a thousand people the Comanche had at least twice that it horrified the Spanish but at least they were initially somewhat organized the 130 Apache with them and the other Indian auxiliaries knew full well what the Comanche were capable of and were not looking for a fight like this Perla tried to keep the Expedition together but many fled just as the battle started it led to a panic in full Retreat without almost any fighting having occurred they
even left their materials including cannons behind what was intended to be a show of Force turned into a massive humiliation the Apache plan to create a buffer of Spanish against the Comanche had failed miserably it appeared the Spanish couldn't stand up to them either but it's going to get worse for the Apache within a few years the Comanche had moved far enough South that they were regularly raiding the Spanish Borderlands Spanish settlements were spread out over arid country it was like Highway for the Comanche it was easy for them to avoid forts which were the
only real threat that they perceived the brutality of the time is captured by SC Gwen in the book Empire of the summer Moon quote they never attacked an armed Fort they relished surprised insisted on tactical Advantage they would attack whole Villages and burn them torturing and killing their inhabitants leaving young women with their end Trails carved out men burned alive they skewered infants and took young boys and girls as captives then they used the speed of the Spanish Mustangs to get away leaving the elaborately equipped dragoons to rumble ponderously after them end quote any attempt
for the Spanish to retaliate was generally met with disappointment the Spanish like the Apache struggled even fine the Comanche occasionally punitive Expeditions would be sent after the Comanche anyway some would come back empty-handed some wouldn't come back at all whether victims of the Comanche or the harsh plan's geography history will never truly know now it was the Spanish who needed a new strategy and the Apache will force them into one since the San Saba disaster the Apache had resumed their raids in the Spanish II it wasn't all malice having been driven completely from The Plains
by the Comanche they were unable to farm and required more things in 1780 the Texas governor Domingo Cabello wrote from San Antonio quote there was no instant day or night when the reports of barbarities and disorders do not arrive from the ranches totally unprotected as we are this can only result in the complete destruction and loss of this province end quote the Spanish started to consider something they never had before a war of extermination they were being attacked by two great Powers simultaneously but those Powers hated each other the Spanish hoped to leverage that up
until almost 1780 the Spanish had mostly failed at even communicating with the Comanche but that all changed when an officer named Don Juan Batista De Anza was able to earn some respect he led an expedition into comancheria using familiar mounted tactics as the Comanche he was able to destroy a band they caught off guard near greenhorn Peak there was definitely some hubris involved in the part of the Comanche they were not impressed with the Spanish fighting ability up until this point and it seems they did not take them as seriously as they should have Anza
followed up his success with more attacks and subsequent years after his attacks he would release those that he had captured with a message the Comanche could have peace and trade whenever they wanted it by 1785 the Comanche losses were not great but serious enough that they were ready to meet several bands sent representatives to a meeting in Taos and in a work of magic byanta he got them agreed to let one person speak for them at the end of the meeting they agreed to three things one the Comanche would stop attacking the Spanish two trade
would open up between the Spanish and the Comanche and three the Comanche would help the Spanish destroy the Apache this was a massive victory for the Spanish not only do hostilities stop against the Comanche but their oldest enemy in the region would be hunted down and destroyed Band by Band something that Comanche were happy to agree to the best example of these Spanish Comanche campaigns comes from January 1790 a Spanish General Juan de ugaldi led a powerful horde of Spanish Comanche in wichita's against the Lipan Apache hundreds of warriors were trapped at a Canyon west
of San Antonio and slaughtered after their defeat the Lipan Apache were left with less than a thousand Warriors in total the tribe like the rest the Apache bands abandoned whatever land they had left on the fringes of comancheria and retreated entirely into the mountains again for good as the most powerful tribe in North America the Comanche had completed their claim for the planes and the Spanish for time no longer had to consider the Apache a serious threat to their settlements and the peace between the Spanish and Comanche held for decades but the Apache are resilient
on the plains the Comanches were victorious but the rugged nature of the mountains made the horses less of an advantage there and in that environment the Apache could resist successfully in that they did both the American civilizations of the Spanish and the Comanche would fall before them but those are stories for another day [Music] thanks for watching the video I hope that you enjoyed it and you come back to check out some of the other ones on the channel if you have any questions comments or ideas for future videos please send them in and we'll
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