News of the ongoing event and speculation reached East Coast newspapers via telegraphy, where it was erroneously reported that the expedition had been massacred.

"[citation needed] A large band of Comanche warriors and their families, about 170, left their reservation in Indian Territory in December 1876, for the Llano Estacado of Texas.

"[3] Nolan had joined the American Army in 1852 as a young 17-year-old, rising through the enlisted ranks when he found a niche riding horses.

His daughter Kate attended the Ursuline Academy in San Antonio, and his seven-year-old son Ned was being cared for by a servant.

Now en route northeastward along the caprock, Nolan encountered a former scout who reported over 100 Comanche on the Llano Estacado near the head of the North Concho River with a large herd of horses and other stock.

With other hunters helping, Tafoya talked to Nolan under the shade of a huge old pecan tree on Bull Creek, which was 7 mi (11 km) east of Muchaque Peak in Borden County, Texas.

The hunters would provide guidance and firepower, while Nolan's soldiers would engage in combat and offer medical aid and supplies.

The hunters sought to reclaim their livestock and seek revenge, while Nolan aimed to redeem himself and demonstrate his worthiness of a command that would restore his good reputation.

Alongside new recruits, the oppressive heat, wool uniforms, and alcohol supplied by the buffalo hunters to the soldiers created a perilous mix, testing Nolan and his men.

The next day led them up Sulphur Draw (Tobacco Creek, Nolan called it) and made the difficult climb up the caprock up onto the "Yarner" of the Llano Estacado.

[3] July 18, at about 4:00 in the afternoon in the 100 °F-plus heat, Quanah Parker, a Kwahada leader, rode into camp from the north with two older Comanche couples.

They were equipped with Army horses, rifles, supplies, and a large official envelope that contained a pass to leave the reservation for 40 days.

It was dated July 12, and signed by the Indian Agent J. M. Haworth at Fort Sill, and more importantly, by Colonel Ranald S. Mackenzie of the 4th Cavalry.

This pass authorized them to seek out, find, and bring back the large band of Comanche under Red Young Man.

[3] After Parker departed southward, he remained faithful to his mission and successfully persuaded the Comanche raiders to return to the reservation.

Tafoya upheld his commitment and led the soldiers off the main trail, diverting them from a false path laid by the Comanche raiders.

The following day, Tafoya, Harvey, and Johnny Cook embarked on a scouting mission to the south and west of Cedar Lake.

While both men remained silent on the precise cause, many observed Umbles' frustration, evident in his behavior during the ensuing challenging period.

The buffalo hunters returned to camp excited after discovering a significant trail of signs, with Tafoya estimating a group of 40 Comanche near Rich Lake.

Upon reaching Rich Lake, they found no water, and the Indian sign reported by Tafoya was not corroborated by the other scouts, indicating the trail was likely made by only eight horses.

[3] On July 27, just after sunrise, the men continued to follow the trail with Sulphur Draw to the left and dry, short-grass stubs scattered here and there.

Johnny Cook, one of the hunters, noted that the Indians seemed to be deliberately leading them on a dry path, intending to exhaust them with thirst.

[3] Tafoya stated that the Comanche they were following were headed for Lost Lake (now near Dora, New Mexico) to the northwest, expressing assurance that the hunters and soldiers would intercept them there and find water.

[3] Later that day, Nolan and Cooper came to the conclusion that their only hope was to send the strongest men with the remaining horses ahead to Double Lakes.

[2][3] Sergeant William L. Umbles first headed toward Double Lakes, but changed his course and reached the supply camp at Bull Creek on August 1 with 14 men.

They reported to the sole officer, Lieutenant Robert G. Smithers, that Nolan's command was lost and dead or dying on the Staked Plains.

The cost was high with four soldiers and one civilian dead, about 30 horses and six mules had died during the expedition, and the rest were rendered virtually useless.

Nolan, as commander of the fort, became very busy ordering new horses and supplies, and preparing for a court-martial for four deserters led by former First Sergeant Umbles.

These men were later found guilty and dishonorably discharged, and spent time at Fort Leavenworth Military Prison in Kansas.

[6] In 1978, eight African Americans dressed in cavalry uniforms mounted a horse patrol to retrace the route of Nolan and the Buffalo Soldiers of A Troop.