remained in the hands of the Comanche, including those who remained by their own desire. In reprisal, the Texans launched a series of retaliatory attacks on Comanche settlements, finally forcing the war-chiefs to sue for peace. The negotiations for the end of hostilities and the return of the captives was to take place in San Antonio. However, at the subsequent negotiations, the Comanches' aggressive posture and known behavior of quickly attacking anyone led to a series of confrontations during the meeting and full-scale violence. Peta Nocona's wife and daughter were captured and his band scattered on December 18, 1860, by Captain Lawrence Sullivan Ross and his Texas Rangers and militia at the Battle of Pease River. Death While Peta Nocona's death is a matter of dispute, the destruction of his band is not. In early 1860, Peta Nocona led his band in a raid through Parker County, Texas, which had been named in honor of his wife's family after their massacre. After the raid, he returned with his band to what he believed was a safe retreat under the sandstone bluffs of the Pease River near where Mule Creek flowed into the stream. The site was long a favorite of the Comanche, providing both cover from the fierce "blue northers" that hit the plains, and ample forage for their ponies, with easy buffalo hunting from the nearby herds. The settlers had reacted to the Comanche raids with pressure in Austin to protect them. Texas Governor Sam Houston commissioned Ranger Captain Sul Ross to organize a company of 40 Rangers and 20 militiamen to put a stop to the raids. The company of 60 was based at Fort Belknap, in Young County. Ross quickly realized he did not have enough men to defend the frontier. He decided to take the offensive to the Indians. To this end, he began to scout the area for sign of Indian camps, determined to confront them at the earliest opportunity. After Peta Nocona's raid into Parker County, Ross and his fighters started tracking the Kwahadi, who were considered the hardiest fighters among the Comanche. The tribe overall was thought to be the fiercest of the Plains Indians. Modern research has revealed that Peta Nocona did not intend to stay at Pease River, and was preparing to move on when his camp was attacked. At daybreak on December 18, 1860, Ranger Captain Ross had sent scouts