COMANCHES

comanches, a tribe of north american indians of shoshonean stock, so called by the spaniards, but known to the french as padoucas, an adaptation of their sioux name, and among themselves _nimenim_ (people). they number some 1400, attached to the kiowa agency, oklahoma. when first met by europeans, they occupied the regions between the upper waters of the brazos and colorado on the one hand, and the arkansas and missouri on the other. until their final surrender in 1875 the comanches were the terror of the mexican and texan frontiers, and were always famed for their bravery. they were brought to nominal submission in 1783 by the spanish general anza, who killed thirty of their chiefs. during the 19th century they were always raiding and fighting, but in 1867, to the number of 2500, they agreed to go on a reservation. in 1872 a portion of the tribe, the quanhada or staked plain comanches, had again to be reduced by military measures.