Recently I produced a video about The Battle of Buffalo Wallow, a strange and formerly overlooked conflict of the Red River War. The video took off, indicating to me that folks are interested in obscure battles of, in this case, a little-known war: The Red River War.

The Red River War was consciously, strategically and purposefully ordered by the United States Government to rid the Plains of a stronghold of Native Americans that were limiting the progress of the western movement of our nation. There is much more to it than just that, but the Red River War officially began in 1874 at the Second Battle of Adobe Walls, with the stage being set for that conflict ten years earlier at the First Battle of Adobe Walls.

In the decade between the First and Second Battles of Adobe Walls the United States fought a Civil War and survived, and the Plains Indians won a battle but understood they would, more than likely, not survive the next.

The First Battle of Adobe Walls is the largest battle between the Indians and the U.S. Army and the only time the army had to retreat. It involves legends, heroes, pride, cleverness, bravery, cruelty, and audacity.

I live in the Panhandle of Oklahoma and all the battles of the short-lived Red River War took place within 100 miles of where I live, but I’ll bet I can count on one hand the people I know that know anything about it. That bothers me because this war was important. It was destined to happen, and its outcome had a tremendous impact on not just the Panhandle or the western states of our country, but on the entire United States, and in turn the world.