Overview
Ranald S. Mackenzie is an enigma. To General Ulysses S. Grant he was “the most promising young officer in the army.” General Philip H. Sheridan called him “the very man.” The Indians knew him as “Bad Hand,” a reference to his right hand which was mangled and missing two fingers. Little is known about him because he left few written records, as it was undoubtedly difficult to write with his crippled hand. His promising military career was cut short when he developed symptoms of mental illness; however, in his relatively short career, he posted a resume that would be the envy of most officers.
He graduated first in his class from West Point in 1862. After the Civil War in which he was wounded six times and brevetted to general, Mackenzie accepted the colonelcy of the 41st U.S. Infantry, an all Black unit. This tour begins with a focus on elements of Mackenzie’s 1871–1874 campaigns in Texas and Oklahoma. Here you will learn of the first phase of Mackenzie’s exceptional army career. An integral part of the Mackenzie story is the tragic plight of the southern tribes as they faced white encroachment on their domain.
HistoryAmerica proudly presents Bad Hand Mackenzie with Historian Guide Neil Mangum. Neil is a career historian, a well-known authority on the Indian Wars, and a master storyteller. |
Day by Day
Day 1, Sunday, April 27 Gathering day is at the MCM Elegante Suites in Abilene, Texas, with a welcome briefing and dinner hosted by Neil Mangum and HistoryAmerica.
Day 2, Monday, April 28 Today’s visits include posts that were home to Mackenzie during his Texas years: Fort Concho, one of the best preserved frontier posts in the country, and home to the famous Buffalo Soldiers, and Fort McKavett, one-time headquarters to Mackenzie and his 41st U.S. Infantry.
Day 3, Tuesday, April 29 Morning visits include Fort Griffin, one of the major outposts associated with Mackenzie's campaigns, Camp Cooper, an important staging area for the first penetration of the Staked Plains, and Fort Belknap, an early Texas frontier post. Later tour the ruins of Fort Phantom Hill. The day concludes with a reception in Abilene at Frontier Texas.
Day 4, Wednesday, April 30 Today’s feature is the panoramic south rim of Palo Duro Canyon. You may descend to the canyon bottom, as Mackenzie's troopers did in 1874, where Comanche, Kiowa, and Southern Cheyenne were camped. As the sun sets over the canyon rim, enjoy a Texas barbeque.
Day 5, Thursday, May 1 The day begins with a visit to the Panhandle Plains Historical Museum in Canyon, Texas. Next you view the battlefields at Adobe Walls where the Red River Wars originated. The final stop is the banks of the Red River, scene of Mackenzie's climactic 1872 victory over the Kotsoteka Comanches.
Day 6, Friday, May 2 En route to Ft. Sill, Oklahoma, you will visit Washita Battlefield National Historic Monument, Fort Reno, and Darlington Agency, important sites associated with the Red River War of 1874–1875.
Day 7, Saturday, May 3 Take a morning tour of Fort Sill, then on to Fort Richardson, where the 4th Cavalry was headquartered. Finally, visit the site of the May 1871 Warren Wagon Train Massacre, the catalyst for Mackenzie's thrust into the Staked Plains. Tonight’s farewell dinner is in Abilene.
Day 8, Sunday, May 4 Depart at leisure following breakfast. |
Neil Mangum