Delaying Action: The Battle of Plum Creek
Delaying Action: The Battle of Plum Creek, 1978
Oil on panel
Lee Herring
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. William Adams
Lee Herring is a well-known artist and illustrator who favors Western subjects in his work. After a successful stint as an illustrator, he devoted himself full-time in 1975 to producing epic paintings of the American West, Texas history and the traditional western scenes for which he has become so well known. Herring is committed to historical accuracy in his work, traveling to the places he depicts and conducting extensive research.
His painting Delaying Action: The Battle of Plum Creek is no different. Herring used historical accounts to create fascinating details in this painting, which depicts a significant battle in Texas history. On August 12th, 1840, the Battle of Plum Creek began on Comanche Flats near present-day Lockhart, Texas. It was the culmination of conflicts between Comanche Indians, and Texan volunteers and allied Tonkawa Indians.
The conflict began following the Council House Fight of 1840, in which peace negotiations between Comanche chiefs and Anglo Texans went sour. When Texans attempted to hold the chiefs hostage, violence erupted and the chiefs, as well as many onlookers, were killed. The Comanche retaliated by organizing one of the largest raids in Texas history, plundering and burning the towns of Victoria and Linnville. The volunteers gathered at Plum Creek to meet the Comanche in battle, which is the moment depicted in this painting.
For more information on the subject of this painting, see the article links below: