Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-09-30
BUFFALO BILL.
What Gen. Sheridan Says of His Work
as q Scout.

Scout.
Gen. Sheridan, in his autobiography, pays
a high tribute to Buffalo Bill in telling of
his assistance and reliability during the
first winter campaign against the Indians
in 1868. He says:
IAN important matter had been to secure
competent guides for the different columns
of troops, for as have said, the section CT
country to be operated in was compare
lively unknown.
In those days the railroad town of Hays
City was filed with so-called Indian
scouts whose common boast was of hav-
ing slain scores of redskins, but the real
Scout-that is, guide and trailer knowing
the habits of the lndians-was very scarce,
and 1t was hard to find anybody familiar
with the country south of Arkansas, where
the campaign was to be made. Still, about
the various military posts there was some
good material to select from, and we man
aged to employ several men, who, from
their experience on the plains in various
capacities or from natural instinct and
aptitude, soon became excellent guides and
courageous and valuable scouts, some of
them, indeed, gaming much distinction.
MI. William F. Cody Buffalo BID, whose
lenoWn mas since become worldwide, was
one OF the men thus selected. He received
his sobriquet from his marked success in
kllnnS buhaloes to supply fresh meat to
Ine construction parties on the Kansas
hood en- the plains, and passed every ex-
perience; herder, hunter, pony express
rider, stage driver, wagon master in the
quartermaSters department, and scout of
the army, and was first brought to my
notice by distinguishing himself in bring
ing me an important dispatch from Fort
Larned to Fort Hays, distance of sixty
hVe miles, through section infested with
Indians. The dispatch Informed me that
the Indians near Larned were preparing to
decamp, and this intelligence required that
certain orders should be carried to Fort
Dodge, ninety-ive miles south of Hays.
This, too, being a particularly dangerous
1oute-several couriers having been killed
on tit was impossible to get one of the
various 'Petes,' Jacks or 'JimS' hanging
around Hays City to take my communica-
ton. Cody, learning of the strait l was in,
manfully came to the rescue, and proposed
to make the trip to Dodge, though he had
just finished his long and perilous ride from
Larned.' l gratefully accepted his offer,
and after a short rest he mounted fresh
horse and fastened on his journey, hating
but once to rest on the way and then only
for an hour the stop being made at Coon
Creek, where he got another mount from a
troop of cavalry. At Dodge he took some
Sleep and then continued on to his own
Eost-Fort Larned-wth more dispatches.
After resting at Larned he was again IN
the saddle with tidings for me at Fort
Hays, Gen. Hazen sending him, this time,
with word that the villagers had fled to the
south of Arkansas. Thus, in ALL Cody rode
about $50 miles in less than sixty hours,
and such an exhibition of endurance and
courage at that time of the year, and in
such weather. was more than enough to
convince me that his services would be ex-
tremely valuable in the campaign, so l re-
tanned him at Fort Hays till the battalion
of fifth cavalry arrived, and then made
MIN chief of ScOutS'