A party of warriors dressed in their trappings - embellished shields, fancy moccasins, long pigtails, be decked with silver shoulder belts worked with beads and adorned with shells, fine leggings, ornamented cases for bows and arrows - mounted upon spirited horses, singing a war song, and sweeping over a prairie is a beautiful spectacle to a man with plenty of brave fellows to back him.
Their motions are easy and graceful. They sit a horse admirably, and manage one with a master hand. Charge them and they will retreat from you with double your numbers. But beware when pursuing them, keep your men together, well in hand, with at least half their arms loaded, else you will find when it is too late, the flying Comanches will turn upon you and charge you to the very teeth.
A Comanche can draw a bow when on horseback, standing or running, with remarkable strength and accuracy. They have been known to kill horses running at full speed over 100 yards away....
Never ride on a bowman’s left, if you do, 10 to one that he will pop an arrow through you. When mounted an Indian cannot use his bow against an object behind and to his right.
The bow is placed horizontally in shooting, a number of arrows are held in the left hand, the bow operates as a rest to the arrows. The distance - the curve the missile has to describe in reaching the object - is determined by the eye without taking aim.
Arrows are sped after each other in rapid succession. At the distance of 60 yards and over, arrows can be dodged, if but one Indian shoots at you but one time.
Under 40 yards the six shooter has little advantage over the bow. At long distances the angle of elevation is considerable. It requires a quick eye to see the arrow and judge the whereabouts of its descent, a good dodger to move out of the way, and a good rider withal to keep in the saddle.
A man is required to keep both eyes engaged in an Indian fight.
"...if the gentlemen of Virginia shall send us a dozen of their sons, we would take great care in their education, instruct them in all we know, and make men of them." Canasatego 1744
