I was in the War Department, I ordered a light-
artillery school to be established at Fort Riley, Kansas. Also,
upon his suggestion, I directed that the four batteries which were
to compose that school should be supplied with carbines, so that
they might serve as cavalry when necessary to protect the neighboring
settlements against Indian raids, and thus overcome any objection
which might be urged on the ground that the barracks at Fort Riley
were needed for cavalry. The school was organized, under Colonel
John Hamilton; the batteries did good service as cavalry in the
summers of 1869 and 1870; and all was working, as I thought, in a
highly satisfactory manner so long as I remained in command of that
department. But after I went to California, for some inscrutable
reason the school was broken up and the batteries again scattered
to separate posts.

ORIGIN OF THE MILITARY SCHOOL AT FORT RILEY

When that department again came under by command, as part of the
Division of the Missouri, and General Sheridan was in command of
the army, a move was made by somebody to get possession of that
splendid military reservation of Fort Riley for some other purpose.
Hence it became necessary to manifest in some more striking way
the importance of that place for military uses. The occasion had
again come for carrying out that scheme which Hunt and I had devised
for doing what was so much needed for the artillery. Fortunately,
General Sheridan wanted also to do something beneficial for the
cavalry, in which he felt much the same special interest that I
did in the artillery. So a sort of alliance, offensive and defensive,
was formed, which included as its most active and influential member
Senator Plumb of Kansas, to obtain the necessary funds and build
a suitable post and establish at Fort Riley a school of cavalry
and light artillery. The result finally attained, when I was in
command of the army, is well known, and is an honor to the country.

The department headquarters were removed to St. Louis during the
winter of 1869-70 to make room at Fort Leavenworth for the cavalry
who had been on the plains during the summer. I then had the
pleasure of renewing the intimate friendships which had been formed
between 1860 and 1863 in that most hospitable city. Even those
ties which had been so rudely severed by war in the spring of 1861
were restored and became as strong as ever. I found that the memor