I was born in Menard, Texas. The remains of the mission are on the edge of town. I grew up seeing people with flashlights at night looking for the Missions Silver and Gold treasure. The legend was the priests hid the treasure somewhere along the bank of the San Saba river. Later, it was rumored that Jim Bowie stopped by the abandoned mission on the way to the Alamo. It was said he also hid treasure there because he was headed to the battle of the Alamo. No treasure has ever been found, but I would bet there are still men searching at night because they trespass on private land sometimes. I live a real passion for history as the result of where I was born.
The painting was at my grandparents house in Mexico City, until one of my uncles inherited and later sold it. It is an impressive painting, and always scared us when we were small children. The correct name of Fray Alonso Giraldo de Terreros cousin was Pedro Romero de Terreros. An ancestor, Pedro de Terreros, born near Sevilla Spain, was the captain of one of Christopher Columbus ships, made the four Atlantic crossings and was the first Spaniard to set foot on continental land, in todays Venezuela.
It is a historic fact that the Comanches effectively stopped further advancement of the Spanish into North America. The Spaniards were not able to pass through the Comanche barrier in the Comancheria.
Spanish: "They just have bows and spears, send in our best trained horsemen with guns!" 8 hours later... "Why haven't our soldiers come home yet? They're gonna miss supper!" Comanches: *Shows up with plate armor muskets and horses and attacks the settlement* Spanish: "That didn't work. Send in soldiers who are sick! That's always worked before!" 8 hours later Spanish: "Why haven't our soldiers come home yet?" Comanches: *Attacks the settlement while laughing between coughing* ... *gets better in 14 days* ..
The Spaniards could but the cost would be to much to be worth it raising such an army in numbers to deal with the problem. If the promise of gold was their they would have removed them. With Spain it was all about the gold. In short they didn't see anything worth it. Myself would have built a medieval style fort big enough with draw bridge, towers and all they couldn't take and with enough solders to protect it just to drive the Comanche's nuts if nothing else and I'm sure the Apaches would love it and find it a safe place to live. Given the Apaches Bibles and teaching them the word of the Lord was good but along with that Spain could have armed them and gave them horses to fight back.
@@neganrex5693 You have no clue as to what you are talking about. There is still gold being found in the United States. Why would Indigenous People needs bibles? -COMANCHE NATION
once i started watching videos on this channel ive watched no other channels content since today, the back round music, the writing, the stories, the sign off, narrators delivery... its ALL SO GOOD. bravo
The barber I used to go to was a descendant of the Cananary Islanders. He was a little surprised that I was familiar with the story. I told him any true Texan knows about them.
I am part Lakota from Pennsylvania. Long story, but my great grandmother was a child survivor of wounded knee and was unofficially adopted by the German immigrant family, the Gossers. They found her in their barn, just over the line in Nebraska, close to the South Dakota line, and she was 10. She was fair haired and light skinned, as were many in the Oglala Lakota band of Crazy Horse. After crop failure, they moved back to Pennsylvania. I visited the Black Hills and the Sundance medicine wheel in Wyoming's Bighorn Mountains where Sitting Bull received his vision of the upcoming victory over Custer. Later, I visited the Battlefield, in Montana, which my Oglala Lakota called the Battle of the greasy grass. The Little Bighorn Battlefield. This complete story of the happenings that led up to the Plains Tribes greatest victory would make a great video!!
Yes, I was Lakota in a former life, belonging to the band of Crazy Horse. Interestingly, I recently found a book called Generational Times, which described how news of the Almighty, oft called the Great Mystery, or the Holy Spirit, alias the Great Spirit, came to the plains peoples. This message was originally spread by a Viking who had received tidings of both the pagan and Christian approaches to worship of the Creator, and was chosen to pass on his wisdom ito the Crow, then the Arikara, Cheyenne, and some of the Sioux. The Arikara were perhaps the most advanced of these tribes in spiritual terms, and they were also the strongest tribe for hundreds of years, until the white man spread his diseases that then very quickly wiped most of them out. These tribes had been warned of the coming of the white man, and the curse he would bring to them, if the tribes engaged with them in trade and interbreeding. They were also warned of the consequences of drinking the fire water they would offer them, and not to relinquish their lands to them. Ironic that the whites saw them as backward, and still do, but for many generations these tribes accommodated many highly evolved spiritual human spirits, oft the most mature and wisest of the human race at that time. Hence, these peoples were strong, healthy, lived by the demands of the Great Spirit, were close to nature, and received many prophecies, including that of the end of the white man's world, which is imploding before our very eyes, and will continue to do so. 2028 will be the pivotal year, when the US is nuked by N Korea, something Crazy Horse saw long ago in one of his vision quests up in the sacred Black Hills. Shortly after, Russia attacks the West too, and WW3 become a reality with acts of madness on all sides. This is due to the 'mental disease' of the white man, which prioritises the intellect, which is earthbound and linked to the physical instinct, thus stimulating the desire to be stronger and better than others, along with many sexual forms of depravity, and greed, gluttony and lust for power. The spirit of man knows only noble thoughts, feelings, and deeds, and finds the unbridled, selfish activities of the intellectually-driven men as repugnant and disgusting, and imbalanced. Balance will only return on all levels when those who have fallen too far with this mental disease are separated through the coming storms from the minority of better spirits, who will change for the good through the stronger Light energies from a Star that helps transform men back into human beings, if they are willing to once again submit to their Creator, and the Great Spirit.. Only then will peace and blessings come to the earth!
@@djquinn11 I only deal in truth, and remember, we are spiritual beings, and so have no colours surrounding us before we incarnate into this world, and within the Wheel of Reincarnation, we have all had a multitude of lives in various nations, with skins of diverse colours, and different cultures too. From time to time, some cultures receive a large number of the highest evolved spirits, which briefly happened to some tribes, I know this. However, it was the white man who was overall meant to lead all men on earth spiritually in recent centuries. Hence why he was offered so many gifts, for the benefit of mankind, yet look at his abysmal record of what he hath done with these bounties. Two world wars, a third almost upon us, invasions of the lands of the black and red men, and the desecration of their cultures, and the destruction of the ecology of the planet. Yes, other men in other races have followed suit at times, but it the white race that in particular that has caused the main issues, due to the effects of his stronger intellectual tendencies, which has usurped the power of his intuition and spirit. This is man's downfall, whatever his colour, and we shall all soon be judged upon our spiritual activities, or lack of them, according to the laws of Creation, which are also not concerned about colour, nor do they discriminate against it, but are absolutely precise in relation to Truth, and so as any man sows, so he shall reap. So watch for the fruits that man has sown, and we can all then recognise what was right, and what was wrong. This is the point of the suffering that comes our way, so we can change and find the right way again, whatever our skin colour. Interestingly, it is oft many a white man from the past who is now a non-white, who has caused the wrong paths mankind have taken, for which they must now account before their Creator. Such is the Wheel of Life.
@@ray.shoesmith No idea, I don't do drugs, and can easily discern between authentic feelings, dreams visions and truth, and hysterical paranoia and crazy falsehoods hallucinatory that stem from the imagination and effects of certain drugs, such as crack, whatever that is. Nice try!
This is the first video of yours I’ve ever seen and I subscribed and turned on notifications immediately after I finished. Excellent work and I look forward to many more!
Interesting. There was a Spanish Mission at the Yuma crossing of the Colorado River that was destroyed by the Quechan peoples. A roadside marker remains. At the Mission San Gabriel near Los Angeles is a graveyard on the mission grounds. On an iron fenced portion here is a sign saying it contains the bones of the priests from that mission.
I live in the Yukon Territory of northern Canada, I have a native girlfriend (Tglinit )and fascinated by the history of the land here..so many natives up here
Got family up there in the Yukon. There’s seven different kinds of natives up there I believe. As contact was a mere couple hundred years ago, I found that they were far more “native “ than us. (We’re Ojibwa from Ontario) Although our culture has steadily rebounded from the horrendous treatment by the catholics. You can tell we’ve been around the colonists a lot longer. I was surprised to learn about how many tribes in the Yukon considering us Ojibwa have such a vast expanse. All around the Great Lakes to at least Saskatchewan. We were named from the Sioux, Ojibwa means “to roast until puckered!😮 And what we roasted wasn’t hazelnuts, but Sioux braves who tried venturing into the trees. We kept them out on their plains. We were canoe people mainly. Also the ones who brought the world snowshoes.
Years ago, the great painting's ownership was legally questioned. The director of Houston's Fine Arts Museum offered to display it, in a secure climate controlled ebvironment. Therefore, I spent much time studying the giant painting. I knew the story but not in such detail. Thank you
It is interesting though that in one Spanish campaign of expansion in 1720-21, called the Villasur Expedition (named after its leader, the New Mexico Lieutenant Governor Pedro de Villasur) actually included amongst its ranks 12 Apache warriors who agreed to serve as scouts. These men would survive the horrific battle of the Loup-Platte Rivers, near present-day Columbus, Nebraska, unlike the rest of the 120-man army which saw Villasur, 36 of his 40 Spanish soldiers, some of the Pueblo allies, and the French interpreter hired for the expedition. This campaign, which resulted in the mapping out of the future states of Colorado, Kansas, and Nebraska, was proved to still have been a major disaster and the last ever effort by the Spanish crown to expand its American empire.
Having lived in San Antonio for several years, I had heard about the massacre at the San Saba mission. Unfortunately I did not know the details of the massacre or taken the opportunity to go and visit the site.
Took a couple fellow roofers to the site and told them the story while we were working the area after the storm.. Yours was better detailed, though.. I was working from memory from 7th grade Texas History.. Never seen the painting, though..
I know the current views that us European settlers stole the land and were unnecessarily cruel to the natives, however it’s history like this that explains a more full picture of the old west and why we had a hatred for the natives.
There is a book called "Empire of the Summer Moon" that tells the story of Cynthia Parker and the Comanches. The Comanches were so hard to deal with the Mexican government invited the Scots -Irish to settle the land and keep the Comanches at bay, but after they secured the land they decided to form their own country, The Republic of Texas.
@@andyk55 I forgot to mention the part about Mexican government was from "Born Fighting: How the Scots-Irish Shaped America"; so you are right about it not being in the "Empire of the Summer Moon".
Fascinating story ! The natives could be quite vicious - i live in Ontario, Canada where the Iroquois descended upon the Huron and slaughtered them in their thousands with their attending French priests - the remnant fled to safety to the French in neighboring Quebec...
Comanches had a very humble beginnings and ended up lord of the plains. They had to kidnap women and children to supplement their population, because the women rode horses, and it rendered them sterile. There are still places on the plains, where you can see remnants of their camps. They use rocks to hold down the edges of the Teepees and those rock circles are still there. Their camps were hard to locate in the middle of nowhere but you could find them by searching the sky for the vultures that fed on the camps refuse dumps.
Women do not go sterile from riding horses are bikes, that is a complete myth. Comanches often killed women and children in raids; only when they decided to take ransoms were they saved.
Much of Texas was still "Comancheria" up until Mackenzie tracked the Qwahadi Comanche to the network of canyons in the Texas Panhandle. Comanche, Kiowa, Southern Cheyenne and even some Apache left in Texas were raiding in West Texas all the way down to just north of Austin & West of Waco right up until the Buffalo were gone and Mackenzie's Cavalry and native allies took their horses en masse, Comanche style, at Palo Duro Canyon in the 1870s. It might've been Spanish, then Mexican on the map but on the ground it was Comancheria. I like to credit the Comanche for saving Texas for us Anglos and various fellow travelers.
@@thatoneguy12ize I live in Europe, so i envy you. If i were you and lived in such a place, i would spend my free time looking for indian artifacts in my surroundings.
@@thatoneguy12ize We used to ride road-bikes in and back out of Palo Duro Canyon as the only climbing time we could find in the Texas Panhandle. I was only vaguely aware of the Canyon as what I thought was the last refuge of the Comanche as pursued by the Cavalry. I was then unaware of the Panhandle's long history as the center of the Qwahadi / Kwahadi Comanche's holdings in what the Spanish called "Comancheria". I was unaware of the two "Battles of Adobe Walls" the first of which was led by Kit Carson whose command barely got out with their lives. There is richer history there than the landscape would suggest and buffalo not just jackrabbits once roamed there making it the hunting grounds of the Qwahadi Comanche..
@@reuterromain1054 If you can find it. Once when on a seal coat paving crew up by Sunrise Texas a coworker actually spotted a perfect small arrowhead, right at my feet,, by itself on top of the ground in the roadside ditch while we were waiting for the asphalt distributor to make it's shot. That was a very rare find up there that was probably turned up and separated from it's shaft by the road construction building the county road. It could even predate the Comanche presence. But I'd bet you'd have better chances down in the whole network of canyons south of there by maybe 100 miles or so.
0:54 Texas was largely Caddo and Lipan Apache before the Spanish. The Comanches were nomadicized Shoshone who arrived 150 years after the Spanish, having acquired some horses while moving through Colorado and New Mexico. Yep, this battle was considered a major reason why the Spanish had to abandon much of the Texas interior. The Mexicans later inherited this mantle of the Comanches' enemy, and there is reason to believe some Comanches went as far as Yucatan to keep that conflict going. The Texans were later told by the Comanches not to interfere in that war, but some folks didn't listen. 😕🧐
I don’t know man and if it’s happened then it’s an amazing achievements what Comanches did because traveling from Texas to Yucatán is like traveling from China to Greece, not joking here
@@diegolopez000, their oral histories make remarks of large colored birds and jungles some of them saw while on raids deep in to Mexico. For sake of discussion, the distance from the Texas Hill Country to Yucatan can be approximated at 1500-1800 miles. The time frame is uncertain, but admittedly, it is a long way to pursue someone.
Once again a very well-done video. I had heard of San Saba but knew nothing about it. The bestiality of the Comanche had to be overcome and although it took over a hundred years to do it the fearless resolve of the Texans finally brought civilization where there had never been civilization before.
Had to be overcome ? It was their land that was invaded, first the Spanish, then the Taxans were the imposters here. To be honest what would you expect the Comances to do about an invasion of their land ?
@@splynk1 Comanches had committed genocide on the tribes they pushed out. They knew how it worked. Kill or be killed, take it, keep it, or die losing it. There was no Supreme Court in indian country.
@@therealsecrettoweightloss So you are saying that 2 wrongs makes a right ? The spanish and americans (texans and others) first tryed, and the latter then succeded in commiting genocide on a much much larger scale. If that is the thought process then i guess the inhabitans now also "have to be overcome" Did you forget that americans slaughtered men, woman and children in the indian wars, only real difference is that history belongs to the latest "winner"
My family on my fathers side has been in Texas since it was part of Spain and they almost always got along with the Commanche lost a little stock every once in a while My sister has several family journals from the 1800 to 1860 era and none have anything bad to say about any of the natives it was always the various governments that caught hell there and the weather
Your sister should publish these journals. They offer a wealth of information needed by society. No history should ever be unpublished. These people who do PC "sensitivity" whining are fools.
I had a Mexican grandmother who I was told had an “Indian” father and I had always assumed he must have been a Mexican Indian and there were also stories from her about ancestors being murdered by people from the north, who I think we just assumed were yankees possibly various raids and wars then my mother had her dna analysed and up pops “North American plains indian” dna which surprised everyone but this conflict and the alliances and population movements that must have occurred as a result begins to explain some other possibilities I guess.
Well trained horse archers and lancers, reminiscent of the Mongols or other tribes of the European steppes. Imagine if they were an iron age technology.
Perhaps the best to ever be, supreme light Calvary. A warrior could ride hanging on the side of his horse, and accurately fire three arrows while being completely covered.
You are wrong about Texas belonging to the Comanche before the Spanish. The Spanish were here before the Comanches. The Comanches, previously a part of the Shoshone people, used the horse, brought here by the Spanish, to become the most powerful tribe in the Southern Plains. Many historians liken the Comanches to the Mongol tribes of Asia under the rule of Genghis Khan. They displaced, and wiped out, a lot of native Americans in the Southern Plains, including the Apache, who had previously done the same, using the same tool, the horse. The difference was that the Apache were a farming people too. Because of that, the Comanche knew where they would be and attacked their rancherias.
Peace to the Martyrs. The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church. Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord; and let light perpetual shine upon them. May their souls and all the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Our Lady of Guadalupe, Pray For Us ✝️🇻🇦🕊
I enjoy how so many of the "greatest" warriors in history were just bands of warriors slaughtering women, children, and priests, wether vikings or native Americans.
Comanches recognized a threat to their empire and dealt with it. Very similar to biblical stories and other meetings of dissimilar societies. Medical Europe was no less bloody nor were any colonizers.
In this instance I think you're right. Though I think people are too quick to dismiss the sincerity of the intentions of the priests at this mission. But to your point, yes the Comanche treated this like any other empire treated any other incursion on their territory.
You said that the Comanche want's to extinct all Apache? In this times?? You're damned right pard! And the movie with Richard Widmark about this is an oldie but Goldie.
as an European American history always strikes me as 'mini history'. everything is shorter and smaller in scale, unlike (ironically) the country itself. it's interesting to see several ignoramuses commenting here about either how natives were savages or about how the natives should get their land back. people were brutal back then, be they native or spanish, there were no good or bad guys, never were, never are never will be. to look at that period through a modern day lense is to miss the point. I'm not entirely sure why people in the 21st century feel they should expres a strong opinion on this topic, but it's clear they haven't learned a thing from history as they continue to propagate the tribal bullshit mentality, regardless what side of the discussion they are on.
This is my opinion as a Comanche who is fairly proud of my history, with an interest in relearning archery. Every society on this planet has some deranged cultural/tribal torture ceremony. Every society delighted in bloodshed, every society on this earth venerates the warrior and strength. Why is it okay to enjoy Roman history when they’ve raped, pillaged, and subjugated perhaps millions of innocent people? Why not the same scorn for the Japanese? Or the Mongolians? Where do we draw this line and throw an entire people (who were keeping an enemy who brought them disease and slavery) into the crybaby metaphorical dumpster? I think these people are goofy insisting that the Indian is actchwlee an awful brute and savage, look inwards at what societies and culture (maybe their own) they have an interest in or even admire. If you have any brain you’ll see the hypocrisies.
@@saintultra2737 relearning the archery is pretty cool man! do you have any research or learning resources available or do you have start from scratch? for the rest of your comment: absolutely agree.
@@lebell79 I would love to relearn, but it would take some effort. My tribal preservation group has some resources, but archery is a bit more of a lost art whereas we make an effort to preserve horseback culture (as horses are very important to us). Personally? I think we need to be contacting different archery groups around the world and sending people to learn. Could we 100% restore Comanche archery? Possibly not, but we could get close as we shared techniques with many of the steppe people in Central Asia. Thank you for listening to my perspective, and I wish you well! If you are ever in the Lawton area, come visit our tribal museum! And the Wichita Wildlife preserve is a direct look into the land that we once lived, and that too is a very spiritual place.
@@saintultra2737 I don't know much about archery but how about you try to recreate to the best of your knowledge a proper authentic Comanche bow? not just the design, but also use the authentic materials, that way you can feel how it behaves and perhaps discover some aspects about it you'd otherwise not have known. It's just a brainfart but who knows? If I'd ever visit the USA I'd def go to the old west places, personally I don't really like the ultracapitalist culture of the USA, but I do like nature and the sites of the old West and native Americans, also if I'd ever visit i'd go to the pacific Northwest aswell, those giant forests with giant trees look amazing.
You have bo understanding of Turtle Island. Your depth of this place is shallow. We are spirits. We knew we were going to die. It is a good day to die. We knew we were coming back. I am here cause my spirit is strong
wait a second! where, and from whom, did the Comanches obtain their firearms? we are talking about an event that dates back long before there was even an exchange of goods between the natives of North America and the colonizers.
Interesting story, but a few misleading aspects to it. First, to say the Comanche Empire was larger than any European Nation/Empire is not correct. Second, to say that the Comanche battled the Spanish Empire is not valid; they raided and or attacked some Missions, etc., not really that impressive for an empire. Finally, why would the establishment of the Mission be a ‘declaration of war?’
Certainly larger than Western European continental territories at the time. Second, how else would you propose they battle an empire whos only representation on the frontier are those very missions, etc would you propose the necessity of a Comanche attack on the King of Spain to warrant that description of an attack on the Spanish Empire? Just wondering what the bar is. Finally, as with any empire, territory is a tangible marker that defines borders upon whose encroachment would be aptly defined as a de facto declaration of expansionist intentions.
There’s so many of these acts of barbarity that if you lived in the times you can understand why removing the Indians was so necessary. Imagine if this was going on today.
Comanches didn't hit TX until the 18th century and Coronado encountered the Apaches in KS (1541), not TX, so the Spaniards may have fought them for a century or so, but no longer.
"Save one for your self..." A pragmatic father would save one for each member of his family. Hopefully it's 6 or less, otherwise you must re-load. That's rough.
1:02 into this and I've found historical error. The Apache preceeded the Commanche in Texas . The Comanche were a plains tribe in the vein of the Arapaho, whose homeland rested above the Platte. The introduction of new technology, the European horse, transformed that culture into wide ranging raiders and colonizers invading the Apache homeland. The Apache were between the hammer and the anvil. To the south were the Spanish (Latinex is the politically correct term), who alternated between oppressive military enslavement and Catholic missionary zeal. To the north they were under attack by the north plains tribes who learned to use the horse as a war machine. But let's see what comes next in your narrative.
0.1 seconds into reading your comment and we've found contemporary error. 😭The narrative was explicitly taken back to the Comanche era, implicitly to the Apache. Would you prefer we had gone back to the paleolithic era? Just curious. And it's actually "LatinX". 🙏🏻 Much love.
The Apache feared the Comanche!? From little I do know of the native peoples, the Apache were usually the ones who caused dread in others. Was there any retribution for this?
I used to buy into the idea that we the white man did so much wrong to the Indians. But the more I learn about the brutality the Indians inflicted on everybody they fought with, especially the women and children. They were unbelievably sick and sadistic. I can't feel bad for them. It's a damn shame both sides were so horrible. What we did to the herds of buffalo was more than just stupid. It showed how mentally challenged people had to be. But even years later man wiped out the passenger pigeon. The pictures alone are too much for a person to fathom.
Basically the counterpart to the Huns, Mongols and other nomadic peoples in Eurasia. Some were more ruthless then others. Some settled down (like the Magyars and Bulgars), others vanished or were wiped out by stronger peoples.
You must understand that Comanche weren’t just like this with the Whites, they were like this to fellow Native Tribes. You should feel bad about what white man did to Natives because there are plenty of tribes across the Americas,(who were peaceful, strictly did farming and never went to war with others) and were taken advantage of by white people. Many of these tribes taught white men how to live off the land and survive cold winters. There’s also instances of Native people being given “gifts” of blankets (that were filled with diseases). Do you know about Residential schools? 215 graves(of Native Children) found at Kamloops Residential Schools. There’s still 3000+ graves and counting, of Indigenous Children who were forcibly taken away from their families, sent to school to learn “right way,” (which was Christian and only speaking English). Many of these children died at these schools because of lack of care or they were trying to runaway home. You sound very ignorant.
@@leamyrtille1957 exactly. Both sides have a valid point. My people were warriors who ran an empire, and yes we did absolutely savagely murder people in defense of it. We have some part in our destruction. However, many other nations were peaceful people who abhorred violence. North America is an enormous place, and at the time was full of hundreds of unique cultures and languages. You certainly wouldn’t group all Europeans of Europe together, as that’s ignorant. The plains Indians were a fearsome warrior people, but they did not represent every native culture. There were in fact, many legit victims along the coasts who farmed rather than raid, who chose peace rather than war.
Don't you think the slaughter of the buffalo was a deliberate ploy to force tribes onto reservations?-even Crazy Horses band had to come in because they were starving.
The "Unworthy History" channel covers this era and a bit later for indian depredations in Texas. Great narratives...advised not to eat before the videos. Horrific!
The time frame that the Comanche came before the Spaniards is not correct, the Spanish were in the American Southwest 100 years before the Comanches existed.
The historian that composed the events must be a racist because the agrarian peace-loving native indigenous people were not capable of hurting anybody, they respected the land and the animals that they consumed. I think it's a misunderstanding.
Depends on the tribe. Many tribes on the coasts WERE very peaceful people who did not like conflict, had diverse systems of gov that prioritized peace, etc. But the Comanche, my people, were warriors who did as warriors did from every society. Rather than frame the Indians as victims, I think it’s good to acknowledge our fearsome past and to remember it. We were warriors.
