ahead　the　first　thing　I　did　on　assuming　permanent　command　was　to　make
  a　trip　to　Fort　Larned　and　Fort　Dodge；　near　which　places　the　bulk　of
  the　Indians　had　congregated　on　Pawnee　and　Walnut　creeks。　　I　wanted　to
  get　near　enough　to　the　camps　to　find　out　for　myself　the　actual　state
  of　feeling　among　the　savages；　and　also　to　familiarize　myself　with　the
  characteristics　of　the　Plains　Indians；　for　my　previous　experience　had
  been　mainly　with　mountain　tribes　on　Ehe　Pacific　coast。　　Fort　Larned　I
  found　too　near　the　camps　for　my　purpose；　its　proximity　too　readily
  inviting　unnecessary　〃talks；〃　so　I　remained　here　but　a　day　or　two；
  and　then　went　on　to　Dodge；　which；　though　considerably　farther　away
  from　the　camps；　was　yet　close　enough　to　enable　us　to　obtain　easily
  information　of　all　that　was　going　on。
  It　took　but　a　few　days　at　Dodge　to　discover　that　great　discontent
  existed　about　the　Medicine　Lodge　concessions；　to　see　that　the　young
  men　were　chafing　and　turbulent；　and　that　it　would　require　much　tact
  and　good　management　on　the　part　of　the　Indian　Bureau　to　persuade　the
  four　tribes　to　go　quietly　to　their　reservations；　under　an　agreement
  which；　when　entered　into；　many　of　them　protested　had　not　been　fully
  understood。
  A　few　hours　after　my　arrival　a　delegation　of　prominent　chiefs　called
  on　me　and　proposed　a　council；　where　they　might　discuss　their
  grievances；　and　thus　bring　to　the　notice　of　the　Government　the
  alleged　wrongs　done　them；　but　this　I　refused；　because　Congress　had
  delegated　to　the　Peace　Commission　the　whole　matter　of　treating　with
  them；　and　a　council　might　lead　only　to　additional　complications。　　My
  refusal　left　them　without　hope　of　securing　better　terms；　or　of　even
  delaying　matters　longer；　so　henceforth　they　were　more　than　ever
  reckless　and　defiant。　　Denunciations　of　the　treaty　became　outspoken；
  and　as　the　young　braves　grew　more　and　more　insolent　every　day；　it
  amounted　to　conviction　that；　unless　by　some　means　the　irritation　was
  allayed；　hostilities　would　surely　be　upon　us　when　the　buffalo
  returned　to　their　summer　feeding…grounds　between　the　Arkansas　and　the
  Platte。
  The　principal　sufferers　in　this　event　would　be　the　settlers　in　middle
  and　western　Kansas；　who；　entirely　ignorant　of　the　dangers　hanging
  over　them；　were　laboring　to　build　up　homes　in　a　new　country。　　Hence
  the　maintenance　of　peace　was　much　to　be　desired；　if　it　could　be
  secured　without　too　great　concessions；　and　although　I　would　not　meet
  the　different　tribes　in　a　formal　council；　yet；　to　ward　off　from
  settlers　as　much　as　possible　the　horrors　of　savage　warfare；　I　showed；
  by　resorting　to　persuasive　methods；　my　willingness　to　temporize　a
  good　deal。　　An　abundant　supply　of　rations　is　usually　effective　to
  keep　matters　quiet　in　such　cases；　so　I　fed　them　pretty　freely；　and
  also　endeavored　to　control　them　through　certain　men　who；　I　found；
  because　of　former　associations；　had　their　confidence。　　These　men；
  employed　as　scouts；　or　interpreters；　were　Mr。　William　Comstock；　Mr。
  Abner　S。　Grover；　and　Mr。　Richard　Parr。　　They　had　lived　on　the　Plains
  for　many　years　with　different　tribes　of　Indians；　had　trapped　and
  hunted　with　them；　and　knew　all　the　principal　chiefs　and　headmen。
  Through　such　influences；　I　thought　I　saw　good　chances　of　preserving
  peace；　and　of　inducing　the　discontented　to　go　quietly　to　their
  reservations　in　the　Indian　Territory　as　soon　as　General　Hazen；　the
  representative　of　the　Peace　Commissioners；　was　ready　to　conduct　them
  there　from　Fort　Larned。
  Before　returning　to　Leavenworth　I　put　my　mediators　（as　I　may　call
  them）　under　charge　of　an　officer　of　the　army；　Lieutenant　F。　W。
  Beecher；　a　very　intelligent　man；　and　directed　him　to　send　them　out　to
  visit　among　the　different　tribes；　in　order　to　explain　what　was
  intended　by　the　treaty　of　Medicine　Lodge；　and　to　make　every　effort
  possible　to　avert　hostilities。　　Under　these　instructions　Comstock　and
  Grover　made　it　their　business　to　go　about　among　the　Cheyennesthe
  most　warlike　tribe　of　allthen　camping　about　the　headwaters　of
  Pawnee　and　Walnut　creeks；　and　also　to　the　north　and　west　of　Fort
  Wallace；　while　Parr　spent　his　time　principally　with　the　Kiowas　and
  Comanches。
  》From　the　different　postsWallace；　Dodge；　and　Larned　Lieutenant
  Beecher　kept　up　communication　with　all　three　scouts；　and　through　him
  I　heard　from　them　at　least　once　a　week。　　Every　now　and　then　some
  trouble　along　the　railroad　or　stage　routes　would　be　satisfactorily
  adjusted　and　quiet　restored；　and　matters　seemed　to　be　going　on　very
  well；　the　warm　weather　bringing　the　grass　and　buffalo　in　plenty；　and
  still　no　outbreak；　nor　any　act　of　downright　hostility。　　So　I　began　to
  hope　that　we　should　succeed　in　averting　trouble　till　the　favorite　war
  season　of　the　Indians　was　over；　but　the　early　days　of　August　rudely
  ended　our　fancied　tranquility。
  In　July　the　encampments　about　Fort　Dodge　began　to　break　up；　each　band
  or　tribe　moving　off　to　some　new　location　north　of　the　Arkansas；
  instead　of　toward　its　proper　reservation　to　the　south　of　that　river。
  Then　I　learned　presently　that　a　party　of　Cheyennes　had　made　a　raid　on
  the　Kawsa　band　of　friendly　Indians　living　near　Council　Groveand
  stolen　their　horses；　and　also　robbed　the　houses　of　several　white
  people　near　Council　Grove。　　This　raid　was　the　beginning　of　the　Indian
  war　of　1868。　　Immediately　following　it；　the　Comanches　and　Kiowas　came
  to　Fort　Larned　to　receive　their　annuities；　expecting　to　get　also　the
  arms　and　ammunition　promised　them　at　Medicine　Lodge；　but　the　raid　to
  Council　Grove　having　been　reported　to　the　Indian　Department；　the
  issue　of　arms　was　suspended　till　reparation　was　made。　　This　action　of
  the　Department　greatly　incensed　the　savages；　and　the　agent's　offer　of
  the　annuities　without　guns　and　pistols　was　insolently　refused；　the
  Indians　sulking　back　to　their　camps；　the　young　men　giving　themselves
  up　to　war…dances；　and　to　powwows　with　〃　medicine…men；〃　till　all　hope
  of　control　was　gone。
  Brevet　Brigadier…General　Alfred　Sully；　an　officer　of　long　experience
  in　Indian　matters；　who　at　this　time　was　in　command　Qf　the　District　of
  the　Arkansas；　which　embraced　Forts　Larned　and　Dodge；　having　notified
  me　of　these　occurrences　at　Larned；　and　expressed　the　opinion　that　the
  Indians　were　bent　on　mischief；　I　directed　him　there　immediately　to
  act　against　them。　　After　he　reached　Larned；　the　chances　for　peace
  appeared　more　favorable。　　The　Indians　came　to　see　him；　and　protested
  that　it　was　only　a　few　bad　young　men　who　had　been　depredating；　and
  that　all　would　be　well　and　the　young　men　held　in　check　if　the　agent
  would　but　issue　the　arms　and　ammunition。　　Believing　their　promises；
  Sully　thought　that　the　delivery　of　the　arms　would　solve　all　the
  difficulties；　so　on　his　advice　the　agent　turned　them　over　along　with
  the　annuities；　the　Indians　this　time　condescendingly　accepting。
  This　issue　of　arms　and　ammunition　was　a　fatal　mistake；　Indian
  diplomacy　had　overreached　Sully's　experience；　and　even　while　the
  delivery　was　in　progress　a　party　of　warriors　had　already　begun　a　raid
  of　murder　and　rapine；　which　for　acts　of　devilish　cruelty　perhaps　has
  no　parallel　in　savage　warfare。　　The　party　consisted　of　about　two
  hundred　Cheyennes　and　a　few　Arapahoes；　with　twenty　Sioux　who　had　been
  visiting　their　friends；　the　Cheyennes。　　As　near　as　could　be
  ascertained；　they　organized　and　left　their　camps　along　Pawnee　Creek
  about　the　3d　of　August。　　Traveling　northeast；　they　skirted　around
  Fort　Harker；　and　made　their　first　appearance　among　the　settlers　in
  the　Saline　Valley；　about　thirty　miles　north　of　that　post。　　Professing
  friendship　and　asking　food　at　the　farm…houses；　they　saw　the
  unsuspecting　occupants　comply　by　giving　all　they　could　spare　from
  their　scanty　stores。　　Knowing　the　Indian's　inordinate　fondness　for
  coffee；　particularly　when　well　sweetened；　they　even　served　him　this
  luxury　freely。　　With　this　the　demons　began　their　devilish　work。
  Pretending　to　be　indignant　because　it　was　served　them　in　tin　cups；
  they　threw　the　hot　contents　into　the　women's　faces；　and　then；　first
  making　prisoners　of　the　men；　they；　one　after　another；　ravished　the
  women　till　the　victims　became　insensible。　　For　some　inexplicable
  reason　the　two　farmers　were　neither　killed　nor　carried　off；　so　after
  the　red　fiends　had　gone；　the　unfortunate　women　were　brought　in　to
  Fort　Harker；　their　arrival　being　the　first　intimation　to　the　military
  that　hostilities　had　actually　begun。
  Leaving　the　Saline；　this　war…party　crossed　over　to　the　valley　of　the
  Solomon；　a　more　thickly　settled　region；　and　where　the　people　were　in
  better　circumstances；　their　farms　having　been　started　two　or　three
  years　before。　　Unaware　of　the　hostile　character　of　the　raiders；　the
  people　here　received　them　in　the　friendliest　way；　providing　food；　and
  even　giving　them　ammunition；　little　dreaming　of　what　was　impending。
  These　kindnesses　were　requited　with　murder　and　pillage；　and　worse；
  for　all　the　women　who　fell　into　their　hands　were　subjected　to　horrors
  indescri