along　the　Smoky　Hill　and　Arkansas　had　to　be　garrisoned；　emigrant
  trains　escorted；　and　the　settlements　and　routes　of　travel　and　the
  construction　parties　on　the　Kansas…Pacific　railway　protected。　　Then；
  too；　this　same　force　had　to　furnish　for　the　field　small　movable
  columns；　that　were　always　on　the　go；　so　it　will　be　rightly　inferred
  that　every　available　man　was　kept　busy　from　the　middle　of　August　till
  November；　especially　as　during　this　period　the　hostiles　attacked　over
  forty　widely　dispersed　places；　in　nearly　all　cases　stealing　horses；
  burning　houses；　and　killing　settlers。　　It　was　of　course　impossible　to
  foresee　where　these　descents　would　be　made；　but　as　soon　as　an　attack
  was　heard　of　assistance　was　always　promptly　rendered；　and　every　now
  and　then　we　succeeded　in　killing　a　few　savages。　　As　a　general　thing；
  though；　the　raiders　escaped　before　relief　arrived；　and　when　they　had
  a　few　miles　the　start；　all　efforts　to　catch　them　were　futile。　　I
  therefore　discouraged　long　pursuits；　and；　in　fact；　did　not　approve　of
  making　any　at　all　unless　the　chances　of　obtaining　paying　results　were
  very　evident；　otherwise　the　troops　would　be　worn　out　by　the　time　the
  hard　work　of　the　winter　was　demanded　from　them。
  To　get　ready　for　a　winter　campaign　of　six　months　gave　us　much　to　do。
  The　thing　most　needed　was　more　men；　so　I　asked　for　additional
  cavalry；　and　all　that　could　be　sparedseven　troops　of　the　Fifth
  Cavalrywas　sent　tome。　　Believing　this　reinforcement　insufficient；
  to　supplement　it　I　applied　for　a　regiment　of　Kansas　volunteers；　which
  request　being　granted；　the　organization　of　the　regiment　was
  immediately　begun　at　Topeka。　　It　was　necessary　also　to　provide　a
  large　amount　of　transportation　and　accumulate　quantities　of　stores；
  since　the　campaign　probably　would　not　end　till　spring。　　Another
  important　matter　was　to　secure　competent　guides　for　the　different
  columns　of　troops；　for；　as　I　have　said；　the　section　of　country　to　be
  operated　in　was　comparatively　unknown。
  In　those　days　the　railroad　town　of　Hays　City　was　filled　with　so
  called　〃Indian　scouts；〃　whose　common　boast　was　of　having　slain　scores
  of　redskins；　but　the　real　scoutthat　is；　a　'guide　and　trailer
  knowing　the　habits　of　the　Indianswas　very　scarce；　and　it　was　hard
  to　find　anybody　familiar　with　the　country　south　of　the　Arkansas；
  where　the　campaign　was　to　be　made。　　Still；　about　Hays　City　and　the
  various　military　posts　there　was　some　good　material　to　select　from；
  and　we　managed　to　employ　several　men；　who；　from　their　experience　on
  the　Plains　in　various　capacities；　or　from　natural　instinct　and
  aptitude；　soon　became　excellent　guides　and　courageous　and　valuable
  scouts；　some　of　them；　indeed；　gaining　much　distinction。　　Mr。　William
  F。　Cody　（〃Buffalo　Bill〃）；　whose　renown　has　since　become　world…wide；
  was　one　of　the　men　thus　selected。　　He　received　his　sobriquet　from　his
  marked　success　in　killing　buffaloes　for　a　contractor；　to　supply　fresh
  meat　to　the　construction　parties；　on　the　Kansas…Pacific　railway。　　He
  had　given　up　this　business；　however；　and　was　now　in　the　employ　of　the
  quartermaster's　department　of　the　army；　and　was　first　brought　to　my
  notice　by　distinguishing　himself　in　bringing　me　an　important　despatch
  from　Fort　Larned　to　Fort　Hays；　a　distance　of　sixty…five　miles；
  through　a　section　infested　with　Indians。　　The　despatch　informed　me
  that　the　Indians　near　Larned　were　preparing　to　decamp；　and　this
  intelligence　required　that　certain　orders　should　be　carried　to　Fort
  Dodge；　ninety…five　miles　south　of　Hays。　　This　too　being　a
  particularly　dangerous　routeseveral　couriers　having　been　killed　on
  itit　was　impossible　to　get　one　of　the　various　〃Petes；〃　〃Jacks；〃　or
  〃Jims〃　hanging　around　Hays　City　to　take　my　communication。　　Cody
  learning　of　the　strait　I　was　in；　manfully　came　to　the　rescue；　and
  proposed　to　make　the　trip　to　Dodge；　though　he　had　just　finished　his
  long　and　perilous　ride　from　Larned。　　I　gratefully　accepted　his　offer；
  and　after　four　or　five　hours'　rest　he　mounted　a　fresh　horse　and
  hastened　on　his　journey；　halting　but　once　to　rest　on　the　way；　and
  then　only　for　an　hour；　the　stop　being　made　at　Coon　Creek；　where　he
  got　another　mount　from　a　troop　of　cavalry。　　At　Dodge　he　took　six
  hours'　sleep；　and　then　continued　on　to　his　own　postFort　Larned
  with　more　despatches。　　After　resting　twelve　hours　at　Larned；　he　was
  again　in　the　saddle　with　tidings　for　me　at　Fort　Hays；　General　Hazen
  sending　him；　this　time；　with　word　that　the　villages　had　fled　to　the
  south　of　the　Arkansas。　　Thus；　in　all；　Cody　rode　about　350　miles　in
  less　than　sixty　hours；　and　such　an　exhibition　of　endurance　and
  courage　was　more　than　enough　to　convince　me　that　his　services　would
  be　extremely　valuable　in　the　campaign；　so　I　retained　him　at　Fort　Hays
  till　the　battalion　of　the　Fifth　Cavalry　arrived；　and　then　made　him
  chief　of　scouts　for　that　regiment。
  The　information　brought　me　by　Cody　on　his　second　trip　from　Larned
  indicated　where　the　villages　would　be　found　in　the　winter；　and　I
  decided　to　move　on　them　about　the　1st　of　November。　　Only　the　women
  and　children　and　the　decrepit　old　men　were　with　the　villages；　however
  enough；　presumably；　to　look　after　the　plunder　most　of　the　warriors
  remaining　north　of　the　Arkansas　to　continue　their　marauding。　　Many
  severe　fights　occurred　between　our　troops　and　these　marauders；　and　in
  these　affairs；　before　November　1　over　a　hundred　Indians　were　killed；
  yet　from　the　ease　with　which　the　escaping　savages　would　disappear
  only　to　fall　upon　remote　settlements　with　pillage　and　murder；　the
  results　were　by　no　means　satisfactory。　　One　of　the　most　noteworthy　of
  these　preliminary　affairs　was　the　gallant　fight　made　on　the
  Republican　River　the　17th　of　September　by　my　Aide；　Colonel　George　A。
  Forsyth；　and　party；　against　about　seven　hundred　Cheyennes　and　Sioux。
  Forsyth；　with　Lieutenant　Beecher；　and　Doctor　J。　H。　Mooers　as　surgeon；
  was　in　charge　of　a　company　of　citizen　scouts；　mostly　expert　rifle…
  shots；　but　embracing　also　a　few　Indian　fighters；　among　these　Grover
  and　Parr。　　The　company　was　organized　the　latter　part　of　August　for
  immediate　work　in　defense　of　the　settlements；　and　also　for　future　use
  in　the　Indian　Territory　when　the　campaign　should　open　there。　　About
  the　time　the　company　had　reached　its　complementit　was　limited　to
  forty…seven　men　and　three　officersa　small　band　of　hostiles　began
  depredations　near　Sheridan　City；　one　of　the　towns　that　grew　up　over…
  night　on　the　Kansas…Pacific　railway。　　Forsyth　pursued　this　party；　but
  failing　to　overtake　it；　made　his　way　into　Fort　Wallace　for　rations；
  intending　to　return　from　there　to　Fort　Hays。　　Before　he　started　back；
  however；　another　band　of　Indians　appeared　near　the　post　and　stole
  some　horses　from　the　stage　company。　　This　unexpected　raid　made
  Forsyth　hot　to　go　for　the　marauders；　and　he　telegraphed　me　for
  permission；　which　I　as　promptly　gave　him。　　He　left　the　post　on　the
  10th　of　September；　the　command　consisting　of　himself；　Lieutenant
  Beecher；　Acting　Assistant　Surgeon　Mooers；　and　the　full　strength；
  forty…seven　men；　with　a　few　pack　mules　carrying　about　ten　days'
  rations。
  He　headed　north　toward　the　Republican　River。　　For　the　first　two　days
  the　trail　was　indistinct　and　hard　to　follow。　　During　the　next　three
  it　continued　to　grow　much　larger；　indicating　plainly　that　the　number
  of　Indians　ahead　was　rapidly　increasing。　　Of　course　this　sign　meant　a
  fight　as　soon　as　a　large　enough　force　was　mustered；　but　as　this　was
  what　Forsyth　was　after；　he　pushed　ahead　with　confidence　and　alacrity。
  The　night　of　the　16th　of　September　he　encamped　on　the　Arickaree
  branch　of　the　Republican；　not　far　from　the　forks　of　the　river；　with
  the　expectation　of　resuming　the　march　as　usual　next　day；　for　the
  indications　were　that　the　main　body　of　the　savages　must　be　still　a
  long　way　off；　though　in　the　preceding　twenty…four　hours　an　occasional
  Indian　had　been　seen。
  But　the　enemy　was　much　nearer　than　was　thought；　for　at　daybreak　on
  the　morning　of　the　17th　he　made　known　his　immediate　presence　by　a
  sudden　dash　at　Forsyth's　horses；　a　few　of　which　were　stampeded　and
  captured　before　the　scouts　could　reach　them。　　This　dash　was　made　by　a
  small　party　only　to　get　the　horses；　so　those　engaged　in　it　were　soon
  driven　off；　but　a　few　minutes　later　hundreds　of　savagesit　was
  afterward　learned　that　seven　hundred　warriors　took　part　in　the　fight…
  …hitherto　invisible；　showed　themselves　on　the　hills　overlooking　the
  camp　and　so　menacingly　as　to　convince　Forsyth　that　his　defense　must
  be　one　of　desperation。　　The　only　place　at　hand　that　gave　any　hope　of
  successful　resistance　was　a　small　island　in　the　Arickaree；　the
  channel　on　one　side　being　about　a　foot　deep　while　on　the　other　it　was
  completely　dry；　so　to　this　position　a　hurried　retreat　was　made。　　All
  the　men　and　the　remaining　animals　reached　the　island　in　safety；　but
  on　account　of　the　heavy　fire　poured　in　from　the　neighboring　hills　the
  packs　containing　the　rations　and　medicines　had　to　be　abandoned。
  On　seeing　For