Two or three of our horses were hit.  One man was wounded.  We were ready and willing to stay with the Indians as long as they would stay with us.  But they gave it up at last.  We finished our hunt and returned to the Post with plenty of buffalo meat.  Here we received the compliments of General Carr on our little fight.

In a few days orders came from General Sheridan to make a winter campaign in the Canadian River country.  We were to proceed to Fort Lyon on the Arkansas River and fit out for the expedition.  Leaving Fort Wallace in November, 1868, we arrived at Fort Lyon in the latter part of the month, and began the work of outfitting.

Three weeks before this, General Penrose had left the Post with a command of three hundred men.  He had taken no wagons with him.  His supply train was composed of pack mules.  General Carr was ordered to follow with supplies on Penrose’s trail and to overtake him as soon as possible.  I was particularly anxious to catch up with Penrose’s command, as my old friend, “Wild Bill,” was among his scouts.

For the first three days we followed the trail easily.  Then we were caught in Freeze-Out Canon by a fearful snowstorm.  This compelled us to go into camp for a day.

It now became impossible longer to follow Penrose’s trail.  The ground was covered with snow, and he had left no sign to show in which direction he was going.

General Carr sent for me, and told me it was highly important that we should not lose the trail.  He instructed me to take some scouts, and, while the command remained in camp, to push on as far as possible to seek for some sign that would indicate the direction Penrose had taken.

Accompanied by four men, I started out in a blinding snowstorm.  We rode twenty-four miles in a southerly direction till we reached a tributary of the Cimarron.  From here we scouted up and down the stream for a few miles, and at last turned up one of Penrose’s old camps.

It was now late in the afternoon.  If the camp was to come up the next day it was necessary for us to return immediately with our information.

We built a fire in a sheltered spot, broiled some venison we had shot during the day, and after a substantial meal I started back alone, leaving the others behind.

It was eleven o’clock when I got back into camp.  A light was still burning in General Carr’s tent.  He was sitting up to await my return.  He was overjoyed at the news I brought him.  He had been extremely anxious concerning the safety of Penrose.  Rousing up his cook, he ordered a hot supper for me, which, after my long, cold ride, I greatly appreciated.  I passed the night in the general’s tent, and woke the next morning fully refreshed and ready for a big day’s work.

The snow had drifted deeply overnight, and the command had a hard tramp through it when it set out next morning for the Cimarron.  In many ravines the drifts had filled in to a great depth.  Often the teamsters had to shovel their way through.