Grenville Dodge

The Indian character is such that he will not stand continual following, pounding, and attacking.

On foot their ability to hide behind any obstruction, in ravine, along creeks, and under creek and river banks, and in fighting in the open plains or level ground, the faculty to disappear is beyond one's belief except he has experienced…

In rapidity of movements, in perfect horsemanship, sudden whirling, protecting the body by clinging to the side of the horse, and rapid movements in open and difficult ground, no trained cavalry in the world can equal them.

The Indians of the plains are the best skirmishers in the world.

These tribes often pretended to be friendly, deceiving the Government and the Indian agent, a crafty trick that was impossible to make the Government understand.

My experience on the North Route, with the reports from the troops and from my Indians, soon satisfied me that every Indian tribe of any importance from the British Possessions in the north to the Red River in the south, were preparing to…

This caused the troops to stand and fight, preferring to die rather than to fall into their hands.

The Indians are now determined to make it a war of extermination, and nothing short of 5,000 men can make it extermination for them.

Militia companies are being organized all over the settled parts of the country (under penalty of being pressed into service) to defend the frontier settlements southward, and could I but get a Regiment here now I could keep things in a…

I have now a city organization of about 100 men organized into companies, so that in case of an attack here I would have something tangible to lay hold of and make a fight.

What we need are troops, supplies for them, and a vigorous campaign against these hostile Indians.

I predict that if more troops are not sent into this district immediately, this road will be stripped of every ranch and white man on it.

I have but 360 troops, but so long as human endurance holds out we will work night and day to get the communication perfect with the west.

I think three columns of men, 1,000 strong each, with ample garrison on the overland-mail and telegraph lines, well mounted and supplied, can clear out the country of all hostile Indians, if done before grass comes.

If they did not, the Indians would catch and scalp them, and even if they had to retreat, they must do so with their faces to the enemy.

I answered to place under arrest all officers of the companies and Regiments that refused to obey the order, and have them report to Fort Leavenworth, intending to replace them with veteran officers of the department whom I knew would…

They did not seem to appreciate the Indian character; that the only way to strengthen and protect the lines of communication was to go for the Indians.

The stopping of these trains, mail, and supplies, and the destruction of the telegraph wires, caused great consternation in that country and on the Pacific Coast, and the demands upon the Government to open and maintain these lines were…

I immediately revoked all these permits, and ordered the arrest of all traders who had in their possession Indian or Government stock.

I also found that the plains were covered with Indian traders who had permits, under the guise of which they were stealing from the Indians, both friendly and hostile, and were selling them arms and ammunition.

That charge, no doubt, saved my line, because I had a very thin line, and with the most of Hardee's Corps coming at me in double column, as it was, I have no doubt that if it had reached me it would have given me trouble; but they never…

They used canister against those columns with terrible effect.

If I had had plenty of time to select a position I could not have found a stronger one.

I saw Fuller get down off his horse, grab the colors of the Twenty-seventh, rush to the front with them in his hands, and call upon his regiment to come to the colors; and they rallied and saved his front.

We had lost our best friend,--that superb soldier, our commander, General McPherson; his death counted so much more to us than victory that we spoke of our battle, our great success, with our loss uppermost in our minds.