him, soon afterwards, making inquiries in relation
to the state of feeling among the Indians who inhabited the country
through which he had to pass.

The appointment of civilians to the responsible duties of a command in
the United States army has, of late years, become, in many instances,
very unfortunate. Perhaps it is this that has taught our legislators
a lesson. But there is a truth which lies above this difficulty. The
severe ordeal necessary to be gone through with at West Point, in
order to make military men of the proper standard, has very naturally
raised a jealousy between these two classes of men. This is very
healthy for the country, as it stimulates each to noble exertions.
In order to make the army less secluded, it is necessary to appoint
a certain per-centage of men from the walks of private life, and
therefore the most meritorious should be selected. West Point men, as
a body, are a great credit to our country; and, as a scientific corps,
they cannot be surpassed; but, the fact is incontrovertible, that
many, if not most of the leading officers of the United States army,
are self-educated, and have risen to their exalted positions by
untiring industry and distinguished services. For frontier work, men,
to be capable of taking command, are required to have great experience
in Indian strategy, and to become accustomed to endure privations and
vicissitudes. These cannot be taught by schools or books. For these
positions those are best fitted who have been trained to the mountains
from earliest boyhood, and where is the man in North America who has
battled in this service longer or more successfully than Christopher
Carson? But Kit Carson could see no reason why the votes of the United
States Senators, refusing to confirm the President's effort to reward
him for his services to his country, should cause him for one moment
to swerve from his duty. He pocketed at once his disappointment, and
went to work. Colonel Newby informed him that the Camanches had
of late been very hostile, and that they were then roaming in war
parties, numbering from two to three hundred, scattered along the old
Santa Fe road, on which their depredations had, so far, been mostly
committed. On learning this, Kit Carson determined to make a trail of
his own, and endeavor thus to avoid them. He reduced the number of his
escort to ten trusty followers. With them, he returned to Taos, and
after a halt there of two days, once more was on