The Comanche warrior culture centered around showing bravery in warfare. Ample opportunities for showing courage were provided. Leaders who had proven their bravery in many circumstances were acclaimed war chiefs and wore the war bonnet. These chiefs proposed war parties, revenge parties and raiding parties. Warriors were free to accompany a war chief or decline. If a young warrior wanted to move up quickly in status he tried to “count coup” in a battle. This was akin to hand to hand combat where a warrior touched, wounded, or scalped a living opponent. Other ways of gaining battle honor were to save a wounded comrade or retrieve the body of a fallen warrior.

Here is the story of a typical enemy skirmish based on a true account:  numeneh-defend-their-sacred-lands-2