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Fred H. and Ella Mae Moore Texas History Reprint Series
On the Border with Mackenzie; or, Winning West Texas from the Comanches (Volume 23)
When first published in 1935, On the Border with Mackenzie, or Winning West Texas from the Comanches , by Capt. Robert G. Carter, quickly became known as the most complete account of the Indian Wars on the Texas frontier during the 1870s. And even today it still stands as one of the most exhaustive histories ever written by an actual participant in the Texas Indian Wars. Carter, a Union Army veteran and West Point graduate, was appointed in 1870 to serve as second lieutenant in the Fourth United States Cavalry stationed at Fort Concho, Texas. He was awarded the Medal of Honor in 1900 for his gallantry in action against the Indians occurring on October 10, 1871, during the battle of Blanco Canyon.
Led by Col. Ranald Slidell Mackenzie, the Fourth Cavalry moved its headquarters to Fort Richardson, Texas, in 1871 where they soon became one of the most effective units on the western frontier. Among the battles and skirmishes they participated in were the Warren wagon train raid of 1871; the Kicking Bird pursuit of 1871; the Remolino fight of 1873; the Red River War of 1874–75; and the Black Hills War of 1876.
L. F. Sheffy refers to On the Border with Mackenzie as “a splendid contribution to the early frontier history of West Texas . . . a story filled with humor and pathos, tragedies and triumphs, hunger and thirst, war and adventure.” And in the words of John H. Jenkins in Texas Basic Books, Carter “pulls no punches in this outspoken narrative, and the reader always knows where he stands.” Long out of print, this definitive history of the Indian Wars will now have the accessibility that it deserves. It is as Charles Robinson states in the foreword “essential to any study of the Indian Wars of the Southern Plains.”
New in paperback.
Number 23 in the Fred H and Ella Mae Moore texas History Reprint Series.
Led by Col. Ranald Slidell Mackenzie, the Fourth Cavalry moved its headquarters to Fort Richardson, Texas, in 1871 where they soon became one of the most effective units on the western frontier. Among the battles and skirmishes they participated in were the Warren wagon train raid of 1871; the Kicking Bird pursuit of 1871; the Remolino fight of 1873; the Red River War of 1874–75; and the Black Hills War of 1876.
L. F. Sheffy refers to On the Border with Mackenzie as “a splendid contribution to the early frontier history of West Texas . . . a story filled with humor and pathos, tragedies and triumphs, hunger and thirst, war and adventure.” And in the words of John H. Jenkins in Texas Basic Books, Carter “pulls no punches in this outspoken narrative, and the reader always knows where he stands.” Long out of print, this definitive history of the Indian Wars will now have the accessibility that it deserves. It is as Charles Robinson states in the foreword “essential to any study of the Indian Wars of the Southern Plains.”
New in paperback.
Number 23 in the Fred H and Ella Mae Moore texas History Reprint Series.
- GenresHistory
600 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 1997
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48 people want to read
About the author
Robert Goldthwaite Carter
34 booksRobert Goldthwaite Carter (October 29, 1845 – January 4, 1936) was a US Cavalry officer who participated in the American Civil War and the Indian Wars, most notably against the Comanche during which he received the Medal of Honor for his role against a Comanche raiding party at Brazos River in Texas on October 10, 1871.
He became a successful author in his later years writing several books based on his military career, including On the Border with Mackenzie (1935), as well as a series of booklets detailing his years as an Indian fighter on the Texas frontier.
--Wikipedia
He became a successful author in his later years writing several books based on his military career, including On the Border with Mackenzie (1935), as well as a series of booklets detailing his years as an Indian fighter on the Texas frontier.
--Wikipedia
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
October 22, 2020
Liked the first person accounts of life on the frontier.
January 20, 2022
For a close look at life on Texas Plains during the 1870s, this is the book go to. Carter details the daily life of soldiers on the frontier and their battle against the marauding Comanche. It was interesting to see how well Carter's commander, Ronald Mackenzie, adapted to the fighting style of the natives and was able to wear them down to defeat.
There are places in which thr book drags and some information is repeated as it was a compilation of previous publications by the author. For anyone who is interested in the deep details of this specific period of history, I recommend this book.
There are places in which thr book drags and some information is repeated as it was a compilation of previous publications by the author. For anyone who is interested in the deep details of this specific period of history, I recommend this book.
August 5, 2013
After the Civil War, MacKenzie assumed command of one of the buffalo soldier cavalry unit. His regiment served in Texas and the American Southwest.
April 12, 2019
Con: Ha! The book itself is a bit of a con. Make sure to read the Foreword. The author gives us the impression that he fought in the Campaign of 1874-6 when he did not. He uses the word "we" when describing the events. This has been covered in an article in the Southwestern Historical Quarterly in 1999 and is referenced in the Foreword. So take what he writes with a grain of salt.
He was also a man of his time. So he is racist and uses phrases like "infested" to refer to areas inhabited by the native Americans. He's also a braggart, which I find off putting.
Pro: That being said, he writes these slightly hyperbolic but charming and engaging descriptions that make this worth the read.
He was also a man of his time. So he is racist and uses phrases like "infested" to refer to areas inhabited by the native Americans. He's also a braggart, which I find off putting.
Pro: That being said, he writes these slightly hyperbolic but charming and engaging descriptions that make this worth the read.
May 21, 2017
Good firsthand information. Horridly written
December 14, 2019
Great read! It is almost unbelievable how bad our soldiers had it fighting the Native Americans
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews