were not near me as I was when they were
in sight. In all my travels I never allowed them to camp near or occupy my
camps even in the time of peace, when they were friendly, and I never
allowed myself to knowingly do them an injustice, making it a point never
to lie to them in any of my councils and treaties, or never allow, if I
knew it, the interpreter to deceive them. That brought me respect in all
my dealings with them, and I treated them with respect, courtesy, and
consideration, and demanded the same from them. This, no doubt, was one of
the principal reasons that in fifteen years, more or less, of intercourse
with them, traveling through their country both during the times they were
hostile and at peace, that I escaped many of the misfortunes that befell
others.

Although this short campaign was not remarkable for great battles or large
loss by killed and wounded, still it required great fortitude from the
troops, and often great personal courage, and its success was of great
moment to the Government and to the people of the plains and the Pacific
Coast, for over these three great overland routes were carried the mails,
telegrams, and traffic during the entire war of the rebellion, which did
much to hold these people loyal to our Government. A long stoppage was a
destruction to business, and would bring starvation and untold misery; and
when, with only thirteen days and nights of untiring energy on the part of
the troops in a winter of unheard-of severity, California, Utah and
Colorado were put in communication with the rest of the world, there was
great rejoicing. In seventeen days the stages were started and overland
travel was again safe, after being interrupted for two months, and by
March 1st the commercial trains were all _en route_ to their destinations
and I had returned to my duties at the headquarters of the Department, in
St. Louis.

It was with no little satisfaction that I answered a personal letter
General Grant had written me, when he assigned me to this duty, and which
I found awaiting me on my return to Fort Leavenworth. In his letter he
outlined what it was necessary to do and why he had asked me to take the
field. He judged rightly of the condition of affairs and the necessity of
immediate action. I wrote him how promptly the troops responded to my
call. They had opened the overland routes; they had made them secure and
were then guarding them, and they would be kept open. But after grass
came