of　the　strongest　sent　to　Fort　Arbuckle；　near　which　place　we　had　been
  able；　fortunately；　to　purchase　some　fields　of　corn　from　the　half…
  civilized　Chickasaws　and　Choctaws。
  Through　mismanagement；　as　previously　noted；　the　greater　part　of　the
  supplies　which　I　had　ordered　hauled　to　Arbuckle　the　preceding　fall
  had　not　got　farther　on　the　way　than　Fort　Gibson；　which　post　was　about
  four　hundred　miles　off；　and　the　road　abominable；　particularly　east　of
  Arbuckle；　where　it　ran　through　a　low　region　called　〃boggy　bottom。〃
  All　along　this　route　were　abandoned　wagons；　left　sticking　in　the　mud；
  and　hence　the　transportation　was　growing　so　short　that　I　began　to
  fear　trouble　in　getting　subsistence　up　for　the　men。　　Still；　it　would
  not　do　to　withdraw；　so　I　made　a　trip　to　Arbuckle　chiefly　for　the
  purpose　of　reorganizing　the　transportation；　but　also　with　a　view　to
  opening　a　new　route　to　that　post；　the　road　to　lie　on　high　ground；　so
  as　to　avoid　the　creeks　and　mud　that　had　been　giving　us　so　much
  trouble。　　If　such　a　road　could　be　made；　I　hoped　to　get　up　enough
  rations　and　grain　from　the　cornfields　purchased　to　send　out　a
  formidable　expedition　against　the　Cheyennes；　so　I　set　out　for
  Arbuckle　accompanied　by　my　quartermaster；　Colonel　A。　J。　McGonigle。
  〃California　Joe〃　also　went　along　to　guide　us　through　the　scrub…oaks
  covering　the　ridge；　but　even　the　most　thorough　exploration　failed　to
  discover　any　route　more　practicable　than　that　already　in　use；　indeed；
  the　high　ground　was；　if　anything；　worse　than　the　bottom　land；　our
  horses　in　the　springy　places　and　quicksands　often　miring　to　their
  knees。　　The　ground　was　so　soft　and　wet；　in　fact；　that　we　had　to　make
  most　of　the　way　on　foot；　so　by　the　time　we　reached　Arbuckle　I　was
  glad　to　abandon　the　new　road　project。
  Finding　near　Arbuckle　more　fields　of　corn　than　those　already
  purchased；　I　had　them　bought　also；　and　ordered　more　of　the　horses
  back　there　to　be　fed。　　I　next　directed　every　available　mule　to　be　put
  to　hauling　rations；　having　discovered　that　the　full　capacity　of　the
  transportation　had　not　yet　been　brought　into　play　in　forwarding
  stores　from　Gibson；　and　with　this　regulation　of　the　supply　question　I
  was　ready　to　return　immediately　to　Camp　Sill。　　But　my　departure　was
  delayed　by　California　Joe；　who；　notwithstanding　the　prohibitory　laws
  of　the　Territory；　in　some　unaccountable　way　had　got　gloriously　tipsy；
  which　caused　a　loss　of　time　that　disgusted　me　greatly；　but　as　we
  could　not　well　do　without　Joe；　I　put　off　starting　till　the　next　day；
  by　which　time　it　was　thought　he　would　sober　up。　　But　I　might　just　as
  well　have　gone　at　first；　for　at　the　end　of　the　twenty…four　hours　the
  incorrigible　old　rascal　was　still　dead　drunk。　　How　he　had　managed　to
  get　the　grog　to　keep　up　his　spree　was　a　mystery　which　we　could　not
  solve；　though　we　had　had　him　closely　watched；　so　I　cut　the　matter
  short　by　packing　him　into　my　ambulance　and　carrying　him　off　to　Camp
  Sill。
  By　the　time　I　got　back　to　Sill；　the　Arapahoes　were　all　in　at　the
  post；　or　near　at　hand。　　The　promised　surrender　of　the　Cheyennes　was
  still　uncertain　of　fulfillment；　however；　and　although　Little　Robe　and
  his　family　had　remained　with　us　in　evidence　of　good　faith；　the
  messages　he　sent　to　his　followers　brought　no　assurance　of　the　tribe's
  coming　inthe　runners　invariably　returning　with　requests　for　more
  time；　and　bringing　the　same　old　excuse　of　inability　to　move　because
  the　ponies　were　so　badly　off。　　But　more　time　was　just　what　I　was
  determined　not　to　grant；　for　I　felt　sure　that　if　a　surrender　was　not
  forced　before　the　spring　grass　came；　the　ponies　would　regain　their
  strength；　and　then　it　would　be　doubtful　if　the　Cheyennes　came　in　at
  all。
  To　put　an　end　to　these　delays；　Custer　proposed　to　go　out　and　see　the
  Cheyennes　himself；　taking　with　him　for　escort　only　such　number　of　men
  as　could　be　fairly　well　mounted　from　the　few　horses　not　sent　back　to
  Arbuckle。　　At　first　I　was　inclined　to　disapprove　Custer's
  proposition；　but　he　urged　it　so　strongly　that　I　finally　consented；
  though　with　some　misgivings；　for　I　feared　that　so　small　a　party　might
  tempt　the　Cheyennes　to　forget　their　pacific　professions　and　seek　to
  avenge　the　destruction　of　Black　Kettle's　band。　　However；　after
  obtaining　my　approval；　Custer；　with　characteristic　energy；　made　his
  preparations；　and　started　with　three　or　four　officers　and　forty
  picked　men；　taking　along　as　negotiators　Yellow　Bear　and　Little　Robe；
  who　were　also　to　conduct　him　to　the　head…waters　of　the　Red　River；
  where　it　was　supposed　the　Cheyennes　would　be　found。　　His　progress　was
  reported　by　couriers　every　few　days；　and　by　the　time　he　got　to　the
  Witchita　foot…hills　he　had　grown　so　sanguine　that　he　sent　California
  Joe　back　to　me　with　word　that　he　was　certain　of　success。　　Such
  hopeful　anticipation　relieved　me　greatly；　of　course；　but　just　about
  the　time　I　expected　to　hear　that　his　mission　had　been　achieved　I　was
  astonished　by　the　party's　return。　　Inquiring　as　to　the　trouble；　I
  learned　that　out　toward　the　Staked　Plains　every　sign　of　the　Cheyennes
  had　disappeared。　　Surprised　and　disappointed　at　this；　and　discouraged
  by　the　loneliness　of　his　situationfor　in　the　whole　region　not　a
  trace　of　animal　life　was　visible；　Custer　gave　up　the　search；　and　none
  too　soon；　I　am　inclined　to　believe；　to　save　his　small　party　from
  perishing。
  This　failure　put　a　stop　to　all　expeditions　till　the　latter　part　of
  February；　by　which　time　I　had　managed　to　lay　in　enough　rations　to
  feed　the　command　for　about　thirty　days；　and　the　horses　back　at
  Arbuckle　having　picked　up　sufficiently　for　field　service　they　were
  ordered　to　Sill；　and　this　time　I　decided　to　send　Custer　out　with　his
  own　and　the　Kansas　regiment；　with　directions　to　insist　on　the
  immediate　surrender　of　the　Cheyennes；　or　give　them　a　sound　thrashing。
  He　was　ordered　to　get　everything　ready　by　March　1；　and　then　move　to
  the　mouth　of　Salt　Creek；　on　the　North　Fork　of　the　Red　River；　at　which
  place　I　proposed　to　establish　a　new　depot　for　feeding　the　command。
  Trains　could　reach　this　point　from　Camp　Supply　more　readily　than　from
  Arbuckle；　and　wishing　to　arrange　this　part　of　the　programme　in
  person；　I　decided　to　return　at　once　to　Supply；　and　afterward　rejoin
  Custer　at　Salt　Creek；　on　what；　I　felt　sure；　was　to　be　the　final
  expedition　of　the　campaign。　　I　made　the　three　hundred　and　sixty　miles
  from　Sill　to　Supply　in　seven　days；　but　much　to　my　surprise　there
  found　a　despatch　from　General　Grant　directing　me　to　repair
  immediately　to　Washington。　　These　orders　precluded；　of　course；　my
  rejoining　the　command；　but　at　the　appointed　time　it　set　out　on　the
  march；　and　within　three　weeks　brought　the　campaign　to　a　successful
  close。
  In　this　last　expedition；　for　the　first　few　days　Custer's　route　was　by
  the　same　trail　he　had　taken　in　Januarythat　is　to　say；　along　the
  southern　base　of　the　Witchita　Mountainsbut　this　time　there　was　more
  to　encourage　him　than　before；　for；　on　getting　a　couple　of　marches
  beyond　old　Camp　Radziminski；　on　all　sides　were　fresh　evidences　of
  Indians；　and　every　effort　was　bent　to　strike　them。
  》From　day　to　day　the　signs　grew　hotter；　and　toward　the　latter　part　of
  March　the　game　was　found。　　The　Indians　being　in　a　very　forlorn
  condition；　Custer　might　have　destroyed　most　of　the　tribe；　and
  certainly　all　their　villages；　but　in　order　to　save　two　white　women
  whom；　it　was　discovered；　they　held　as　captives；　he　contented　himself
  with　the　renewal　of　the　Cheyennes'　agreement　to　come　in　to　Camp
  Supply。　　In　due　time　the　entire　tribe　fulfilled　its　promise　except
  one　small　band　under　〃Tall　Bull；〃　but　this　party　received　a　good
  drubbing　from　General　Carr　on　the　Republican　early　in　May。　　After
  this　fight　all　the　Indians　of　the　southern　Plains　settled　down　on
  their　reservations；　and　I　doubt　whether　the　peace　would　ever　again
  have　been　broken　had　they　not　in　after　years　been　driven　to
  hostilities　by　most　unjust　treatment。
  It　was　the　2d　of　March　that　I　received　at　Camp　Supply　Grant's
  despatch　directing　me　to　report　immediately　in　Washington。　　It　had
  been　my　intention；　as　I　have　said；　to　join　Custer　on　the　North　Fork
  of　the　Red　River；　but　this　new　order　required　me　to　recast　my　plans；
  so；　after　arranging　to　keep　the　expedition　supplied　till　the　end　of
  the　campaign；　I　started　for　Washington；　accompanied　by　three　of　my
  staffColonels　McGonigle　and　Crosby；　and　Surgeon　Asch；　and　Mr。　DeB。
  Randolph　Keim；　a　representative　of　the　press；　who　went　through　the
  whole　campaign；　and　in　1870　published　a　graphic　history　of　it。　　The
  day　we　left　Supply　we；　had　another　dose　of　sleet　and　snow；　but
  nevertheless　we　made　good　time；　and　by　night…fall　reached　Bluff
  Creek。　　In　twenty…four　hours　more　we　made　Fort　Dodge；　and　on　the　6th
  of　March　arrived　at　Fort　Hays。　　Just　south　of　the　Smoky　Hill　River；　a
  little　before　we　got　to　the　post；　a　courier　heading　for　Fort　Dodge
  passed　us　at　a　rapid　gait。　　Suspecting　that　he　had　despatches　for　me；
  I　directed　my　outrider　to　overtake　him　and　find　out