There are several reasons why I do not think such a policy practicable or advisable.  It would take several months under the most favorable circumstances to organize and put into the field the Indians referred to, even were they ready and willing to enlist, of which fact I am not advised, but presume they would be very slow to enlist; besides my experience thus far with Indian soldiers has convinced me that they are of little service to the Government compared with other soldiers.  The Cherokees, who are far superior in every respect to the Kansas Indians, did very good service while they had a specific object in view—­the possession and occupation of their own country; having accomplished that, they have become greatly demoralized and nearly worthless as troops.  I would earnestly recommend that (as the best policy the Government can pursue with these Indian regiments) they be mustered out of service some time during the coming winter, and put to work raising their subsistence, with a few white troops stationed among them for their protection.

    I would not exchange one regiment of negro troops for ten
    regiments of Indians, and they can be obtained in abundance
    whenever Texas is reached.

    In ten days from this date, if I have the success I expect, the
    Indian Territory south of the Arkansas River will be in our
    possession ...[835]

Blunt’s mind was made up.  He was determined to go forward with the force he already had.  Ill-health[836] retarded his movements a trifle; but on the twenty-second of August, two days after the massacre by guerrillas had occurred at Lawrence, he crossed the Arkansas.  He was at length accepting General Steele’s challenge but poor Steele was quite unprepared for a duel of any sort.  If Blunt distrusted the Indians, how very much more did he and with greater reason!  With insufficient guns and ammunition, with no troops, white or red, upon whom he could confidently rely, and with no certainty of help from any quarter, he was compelled to adopt a Fabian policy, and he moved slowly backward, inviting yet never stopping to accept a full and regular engagement.  Out of the Creek country he went and into the Choctaw.[837] At Perryville, on the road[838] to

[Footnote 835:  Blunt to Schofield, August 22, 1863, Official Records, vol. xxii, part ii, 465.]

[Footnote 836:—­Ibid., 466.  There seems to have been a good deal of sickness at Fort Gibson and some mortality, of which report was duly made to Steele [Ibid., 956; Confederate Records, chap. 2, no. 268, pp. 192-193].]