General Ranald Slidell MacKenzie (1840 - 1889) and the Defeat of Crazy Horse

Question

Hi Wikitreers,

We have a Union General of the U.S. Civil War who I think many will find very fascinating as he relates to U.S. History. 

Known also as “Bad Hand” General Ranald (not Ronald) Mackenzie served in the U.S. Civil War see civilwardata with the 2nd Regiment, Connecticut Heavy Artillery, United States Civil War a graduate of West Point class of 1862. 

He went on to participate in the Western Theatre of Indian Wars; his own men serving under him nicknamed him “Perpetual Punisher” per Wikipedia

We need collaboration with his service with the Indian War and his involvement as he was ordered to engage “Crazy Horse” at the famed “Battle of Tongue River” where “he successfully drove the Indians into the hills in wild disorder” 

He led the “Mackenzie Raiders” in the southwestern area of the U.S and was “decorated for cleaning up the bands of renegades and restoring law and order to the territory”

Any collaboration is appreciated 

Thank you 

Answer 1

George W. Cullum's Biographical Register of the Officers and Graduates of the United States Academy (1967), vol. 2, p. 840, has a very detailed summary of his military record:

https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Gazetteer/Places/America/United_States/Army/USMA/Cullums_Register/1967*.html

Comments

Thank you Roger 

This veteran has so much depth. He was brilliant in studies and school and wounded so many times it appears in battles. I’m still not seeing the part with his involvement with Crazy Horse? The trading card on his profile highlights this?

The sketch does mention after Gen. Cluster’s massacre 

“Mackenzie must go. In one fight he gave a band of hostiles a more thorough thrashing than any Indians had received during the year, destroyed their camp, and left the fugitives without food, clothing, or ammunition. They were the first to surrender the next spring, and were followed by the bands of Roman Nose and Crazy Horse” appears was quoted by his friend Col Joseph Haddox Dorst links to his memorial in Arlington National Cemetery 

wikitree profile created for  Joseph (Haddox) Dorst (1852 - 1916)

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LNAB I believe is spelled Mackenzie not MacKenzie with the capital letter K. If we can determine exact spelling LNAB can be updated

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It also appears he didn’t take his surname Slidell instead taking his maternal mothers maiden surname. Is this related to his uncle who was a politician and confederate John Slidell (1793 - 1871) who has a intriguing story of his own captured by union navy bound from Cuba and ends up in France daughter marries French Nobility 

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The saga doesn’t end or where does it begin with this family group. 

The father Alexander (Slidell) MacKenzie (1803 - 1848) had Philip Spencer (age 19) executed for mutiny the son of Secretary of War and Treasury John Canfield Spencer (1788 - 1855) with no court martial…

 Appears he is my 5th distant cousin so I created a profile for Philip Spencer (1823 - 1842) 

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Yes, this man had a storied military career, but please don't consider his treatment of Native Americans as something to be praised.  The "Indian Wars" were genocidal.

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Andrew:

The name change seems to have been for monetary reasons:

In the biography of his father Alexander Slidell Mackenzie, Wikipedia says:

In 1837-1838, Alexander Slidell petitioned the New York State legislature and obtained the right to change his name to Mackenzie, reputedly as a condition to claiming the inheritance of his maternal uncle."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Slidell_Mackenzie

Here's a copy of the act:

https://www.google.com/books/edition/Laws_of_the_State_of_New_York/o3NZAAAAYAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%22alexander+Slidell+Mackenzie%22+name+change&pg=PA3&printsec=frontcover

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I am reading a book "The Captured" by Scott Zesch. Ranald Mackenzie is mentioned many times as cleaning up the renegade bands of Indians in the southwest and moving them to the reservation.

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Ohhh so it wasn’t himself distancing from the Confederate side of the family. 

Very interesting. There is usually a good reason why someone in this era changed there name especially a male. Good find and update 

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I agree. I think the worse part is the breaking of the treaties. They were people of their era and the mindset of their day and age.

I do wonder if the U.S. Civil War notables that were known for their accomplishments were tarnished later with their involvement with the Native American Wars?