nence, the smoke of camp-fires was to be seen at a distance of four miles. Hastening our march, shortly after three o'clock we reached Sully's camp, and pitched our tents in a sheltered ravine near by.

The arrival of the Commanding General was formally recognized by the officers of the command calling to pay their respects. After dark, the band of the 7th cavalry visited headquarters, and performed several popular airs, in honor of the occasion. It was an unusual scene. But a few days before the buffalo and the deer resorted thither to enjoy the rich winter pastures of this fertile and charming valley-the melancholy howl of the wolf alone disturbed the stillness of the night. Now the scene was changed. The former solitudes were broken by the spectacle of war and martial preparation.

CHAPTER XVII.

▲ SNOW STORM-CUSTER TAKES THE "WAR-PATH "-SHERIDAN'S POLICY IN A NUT-SHELL-BUILDING A FORT-THE VOLUNTEERS SNOWED UP

RELIEF SENT-A THANKSGIVING-DINNER.

E were now in the heart of the chosen hunting-grounds
of the hostile bands. "The red man's paradise," as
it was frequently designated, in view of the abundance
of game, pasture, wood, and water.
We were now

more than one hundred miles south of the Arkansas river, and two hundred miles away from the railroad. The intervening country was a barren waste, traversed by roaming bands of savages, closely watching every movement of the invaders of their lands, and ready to pounce upon small parties should they leave camp. In his instructions from the Commanding General, General Sully had been ordered to proceed south to the Canadian river, and to select a suitable point, which should possess the requisite natural advantages of a depot of supply, with sufficient wood, water, and winter pasturage for a large command-the distance, south of the Arkansas, not to exceed one hundred miles. As guide, there had been secured the services of an old plainsman of thirty years' experience, familiarly known as Uncle John Smith. Smith had passed much of his life among the Indians then on the war-path, and had the additional recommendation of a Cheyenne squaw as the partner of his isolation from civilization and the world. The site selected was suggested by Uncle John, who claimed to have been the first white man that had visited the country bordering the two Canadians. Acting upon his suggestion, Sully visited the spot, and, after a thorough reconnoissance,

found the country to possess all that was claimed for it. On a tongue of land, formed by the junction of Beaver and Wolf creeks, which formed the North Fork of the Canadian, the army pitched its tents, and began preparations for the building of a fort.

The force now concentrated at the Camp of Supply, as the new post was termed, consisted of eleven companies of the 7th cavalry, under Custer, and a battalion of infantry, under Major Page, composed of three companies of the 3d, one company of the 5th, and one company of the 38th regiments of infantry. This force, with the troops attending the Commanding General, formed an aggregate of eleven hundred men. The supplies of the expedition were transported on a train of four hundred and fifty wagons, in charge of Major Inman.

Hardly had the tents at headquarters been pitched, than a violent snow-storm set in, lasting, with but trifling intermission, for three days. At one time, fears were entertained that we were destined to a snow blockade, and thus an end, for some weeks, be put upon active operations. Notwithstanding the storm, Sheridan, with characteristic energy, resolved to send out a column at once, in hopes of striking the savages when he knew their vigilance would naturally relax, and it would be impossible for them to offer any determined resistance. Custer, ever ready to undertake a desperate mission, was to be entrusted with the command; the troops designated for the service were the eleven companies of the 7th cavalry, numbering about seven hundred men.

The very next day after our arrival at the camp, regardless of snow and wet, a train was made up to convey thirty days' supplies for the expedition. The troops and horses, arms and accoutrements, were inspected. But few tents were allowed. A pair of blankets, strapped to the saddle, and the clothes on their backs constituted the quota of baggage alike for officers and men. By the same night, the command was in condition

to move,

At three o'clock, on the morning of the twenty-third of Novem

ber, the reveille sounded the trooper from his slumbers. The camp of the "Seventh" was now a scene of busy preparation. Horses were groomed and saddled, and the men buckled on their weapons to await orders to mount. By six o'clock the bugle called the troopers to "boots and saddles." The line was formed, and the train started. "By fours, right;" "forward," was borne along the line. The dark forms of horse and rider broke into column, and, led off by their gallant leader, set out on their hazardous mission.

The storm was still at its height. The snow lay upon the ground to the depth of twelve inches; but, with a determination of purpose, the command moved out with cheers and the highest anticipations of inaugurating the campaign by striking a decisive blow.

It was the gray of dawn. The camp was buried in snow. As the column passed through the long line of tents occupied by the infantry, officers and men turned out to say a last word of cheer, and express a pious wish that "they might kill plenty of red devils and have a speedy return."

The column moved out on the plain, followed by the long train of wagons. Through the falling flakes, the dark mass could be traced pressing forward at a tedious pace, braving the elements overhead, and struggling through the soft snow beneath.

The instructions issued for the expedition were brief and simple: "To proceed south, in the direction of the Antelope hills, thence towards the Washita river, the supposed winter seat of the hostile tribes; to destroy their villages and ponies; to kill or hang all warriors, and bring back all women and children." This, in a nut-shell, was the Sheridan policy towards refractory savages, not only to break their power, but also to afford them a salutary lesson of "two parties playing at the same game."

The Commanding General determined to have on hand a large amount of extra supplies, at the store depot, to be constructed in connection with the new fort, and, notwithstanding

the heavy weather, sent a train of over two hundred wagons back to Fort Dodge, with orders to draw from the large stock accumulated there, for store, at the Camp of Supply.

After the return of Sully to the north, to resume command of his district, and the departure of Custer, and the supply train, the force at the new post was materially reduced and scattered over a large space. It became necessary, therefore, in order not to be caught napping, to keep a number of lookouts posted during the day, and at night the guards were strengthened and ordered to fire upon any approaching object without waiting to challenge. Reveille was sounded at four o'clock each morning, at which time, officers and men were required to be fully armed and prepared to repel an attack.

On the morning of the fourth day after our arrival, the sun rose upon a clear sky. The storm had passed, leaving several feet of snow as the evidence of its presence. The first advantage taken of the turn in the weather, was to concentrate the camp into a smaller compass. All tents were now pitched in close vicinity to the site of the fort. As it was expected we would not move for several weeks, the headquarters' tents were heavily banked, and thus rendered quite comfortable. Strong wooden frames were also set inside to strengthen the frail structures in resisting the terrific winter blasts. In the course of a few days, our little canvass dwellings presented quite an appearance of luxury and taste, considering hundreds of miles. intervened between us and civilization.

During the recent storm, work had been almost entirely suspended upon the fort. The reappearance of sun-light, and the grateful heat, imparted by the welcome luminary, caused the snow to vanish almost as rapidly as it had fallen. The camp, as a consequence, was once more a scene of industry.

The entire work of building the fort was to be accomplished by the troops. In order to perform the duty without confusion, and, at the same time, to be prepared for the emergency of an attack, the infantry of the command was divided into reliefs, each having certain duties assigned to them. A large detail of