al Carr's command. It appears that the
Mexicans living near Fort Union had manufactured the beer, and were
taking it through to Camp Evans to sell to the troops, but it struck a
lively market without going so far. It was sold to our boys in pint cups,
and as the weather was very cold we warmed the beer by putting the ends
of our picket-pins heated red-hot into the cups. The result was one of
the biggest beer jollifications I ever had the misfortune to attend.

One evening General Carr summoned me to his tent, and said he wished to
send some scouts with dispatches to Camp Supply, which were to be
forwarded from there to Sheridan. He ordered me to call the scouts
together at once at his headquarters, and select the men who were to go.
I asked him if I should not go myself, but he replied that he wished me
to remain with the command, as he could not spare me. The distance to
Camp Supply was about two hundred miles, and owing to the very cold
weather it was anything but a pleasant trip. Consequently none of the
scouts were anxious to undertake it. It was finally settled, however,
that Wild Bill, a half-breed called Little Geary, and three other scouts
should carry the dispatches, and they accordingly took their departure
next day, with instructions to return to the command as soon as possible.

For several days we scouted along the Canadian River, but found no signs
of Indians. General Carr then went back to his camp, and soon afterwards
our wagon train came in from Fort Lyon with a fresh load of provisions.
Our animals being in poor condition, we remained in different camps along
San Francisco Creek and the north fork of the Canadian, until Wild Bill
and his scouts returned from Camp Supply.

Among the scouts of Penrose's command were fifteen Mexicans, and between
them and the American scouts there had existed a feud; when General Carr
took command of the expedition--uniting it with his own--and I was made
chief of all the scouts, this feud grew more intense, and the Mexicans
often threatened to clean us out; but they postponed the undertaking from
time to time, until one day, while we were all at the sutler's store, the
long-expected fight took place, and resulted in the Mexicans getting
severely beaten.

General Carr, upon hearing of the row, sent for Wild Bill and myself, he
having concluded, from the various statements which had been made to
him, that we were the instigators of the affair. But after listening to
wha