, unless these hostile Indians were thoroughly chastised, they would
certainly and successfully attack them and prevent safe travel overland,
and from my letter the order soon came for me to prepare for the extensive
campaign of the next summer and winter that followed these Indians to the
Yellowstone on the north and the Cimarron on the south, and conquered a
peace with every hostile tribe.

[Illustration: JAMES BRIDGER

Chief Guide to Indian Campaign, 1865-6.]

THE INDIAN CAMPAIGNS 1865 AND 1866

During the Indian campaigns of the winter and spring of 1864-65, against
the Indians that were holding all the overland roads, stations, telegraph
and emigrant routes over the plains, my command reopened them in a short
campaign of sixty days in which many fights occurred in which the troops
were uniformly successful. The telegraph-lines were rebuilt, the stages
re-established, the mails transported regularly, and protection given.
Although we were able to drive the Indians off of all of these routes and
open them successfully and hold them open, my experience convinced me that
as soon as grass started on the plains these Indians would again come down
on the routes, and that the only possible way of settling the Indian
question was to make a well-planned and continuous campaign against them
on the Arkansas, the Smoky Hill, the Republican, and the North and South
Platte Valley routes, and to keep them off the traveled roads. To do this
we would be obliged to get our troops into their country as soon as
possible and go for their villages.

In my report to the Government, in April, 1865, I set forth the necessity
for this and outlined the plans. Upon the receipt of that report I
received authority from General Grant and General Pope to go forward and
carry out the plans that I had suggested. This plan contemplated placing
upon the plains about 5,000 men to protect the stations and
telegraph-lines, furnish escort to emigrants and Government trains of
supplies that were necessary to supply the wants of that vast country with
provisions and outfit five movable columns of soldiers, a total of 6,000
or 7,000 men. Contracts were immediately made for the supplies for this
number of men; for horses for the cavalry, and for the supplying of the
posts on the plains with a surplus at each, so that if the campaign
extended into the winter it would not have to stop for want of provisions.
The campaign in the spring had to be ma