Col. John I. Gregg 1872 Battle Site
Canyon, Randall County, Texas
Marker Inscription
The decade after 1865 was a time of transition for the U.S. Many citizens moved west, coming into conflict with Native American tribes living on the Great Plains. Settlers demanded the U.S. Army provide their protection. The Army responded by conducting campaigns against the Southern Plains Indians. In 1872, one such campaign included troops of the Eighth Cavalry commanded by Colonel John I. Gregg, who departed from New Mexico into West Texas to locate Native American raiders. On August 16, his troops skirmished here with Kiowas, killing or injuring twelve while suffering one wounded. This and the Red River War (1874-75) led to the subjugation of Plains Indians and their confinement to reservations. (2006)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
After the Civil War, waves of settlers pushed west onto the Great Plains and clashed with the Native nations who lived there, prompting Army campaigns against the Southern Plains tribes. In 1872 Colonel John I. Gregg led Eighth Cavalry troops from New Mexico into West Texas hunting raiders, and on August 16 they skirmished with Kiowas near this spot. That fight, with the later Red River War of 1874-75, drove the subjugation of the Plains tribes and their confinement to reservations.
Why it matters
The skirmish marks a step in the wrenching conquest of the Southern Plains, when the U.S. Army's campaigns ended Native sovereignty across West Texas.
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Related people
- · Colonel John I. Gregg
Related events
- · Red River War
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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