The relentless soldier of the Plains

August 13, 2025

by Jim Fish

Ranald Slidell Mackenzie (July 27, 1840 – January 19, 1889) was one of the United States Army’s most formidable yet tragic figures. Known to Native Americans as “Bad Hand” and to his soldiers as the “Perpetual Punisher,” Mackenzie rose from West Point valedictorian to celebrated Civil War hero before becoming the relentless commander who helped bring the Indian Wars to a close.

Born in Westchester County, New York, to a prominent military and diplomatic family, Mackenzie graduated first in his class of 28 cadets from West Point in 1862. In contrast to the flamboyant George Armstrong Custer, who had finished last the previous year, Mackenzie’s time at the academy was marked by discipline, academic brilliance, and unwavering dedication.

Commissioned as an engineer officer, Mackenzie fought in some of the Civil War’s bloodiest battles, including Second Bull Run, Antietam, Gettysburg, and Petersburg. Wounded six times, he lost two fingers at Petersburg, earning the “Bad Hand” nickname. His leadership at Appomattox in 1865 earned high praise from Ulysses S. Grant, who called him the army’s “most promising young officer.”

After the war, Mackenzie joined the regular army, taking command of the 4th U.S. Cavalry at Fort Richardson, Texas, in 1871. Tasked with forcing resistant Native American tribes onto reservations, his campaigns were swift and uncompromising:

Battle of Blanco Canyon (1871): Wounded for the seventh time, Mackenzie disrupted Comanche operations in the Texas Panhandle.

Remolino Raid (1873): In a bold, unauthorized strike into Mexico, verbally sanctioned by President Grant and Gen. Sheridan, he attacked Kickapoo villages to stop cross-border raids.

Battle of Palo Duro Canyon (1874): A decisive Red River War victory, destroying five villages and over 1,500 horses, leading to the surrender of Comanche leader Quanah Parker in 1875.

Dull Knife Fight (1876): His defeat of the Northern Cheyenne in Wyoming avenged Custer’s Little Bighorn loss and crippled tribal resistance.

His discipline was harsh, but his results were undeniable. By 1882, he was promoted to brigadier general and placed in command of the Department of Texas.

Then, the unraveling began. In 1883, Mackenzie showed signs of mental illness, perhaps the result of repeated head injuries, chronic stress, or what might now be called PTSD. After a violent outburst in a San Antonio saloon, he was declared unfit for duty and confined to Bloomingdale Asylum. Retired in 1884, he spent his remaining years in institutions and with family in Staten Island, dying on January 19, 1889, at age 48. He was buried at West Point.

Mackenzie’s campaigns cemented U.S. control over the frontier, enabling settler expansion at devastating cost to Native American communities. His name survives at Fort Mackenzie in Wyoming and Mackenzie Park in Texas, and historians continue to wrestle with his complex legacy, a brilliant, unyielding soldier who conquered the frontier but could not survive its toll.

%> "