Trained in such a hard school, no point of advantage escaped the Indians in war or on the trail. They made good use of the tall grass of the prairies to shield them, and would glide behind it like serpents toward their enemies, suddenly and unexpectedly jumping up among them with shrill, wild war-whoops.
Scouts on horses found a way up and down and in and out of the most difficult mountain passes, and watchers were ever kept on the tall cliffs that fringed the more open and fertile valleys. White explorers and emigrants seeing smoke rise from the watch fires at first looked for an attack in that direction. But while they centered their interest on the thin rising cloud of smoke, scouts in full war dress would be riding out on the opposite cliff and leisurely studying the enemy. For hours the Indians would keep up this silent exchange of signals and then at night under the cover of darkness make their unheralded attack. Dusky forms would stealthily crawl on all fours up to the very edge of the settlers’ camp, then the call of a night bird would sound out in the stillness. This would mean little to the white sentries on guard, unaccustomed as they were to the methods of their savage foe.
Suddenly the beautiful quiet of night pervading the camp would be rent with the wild piercing war-whoop. In an instant Indians would spring from every conceivable spot and a scene of horrible confusion would ensue, and the sun next morning, rising in all the splendor of the glorious western hills, would reveal the sad tale of savage massacre.
The white man coming in ever increasing numbers soon saw the wisdom of acquiring the services of white plainsmen and scouts who had been trained by hard experience and could meet the Indian on his own ground. This plan proved a great success, for without them the conquest of the Great West would have been an almost impossible task.
The spring of 1846 was a busy season on the western frontier. Not only were emigrants from every part of the country preparing for the journey to California and Oregon, but a great number were making ready for Santa Fé. These adventurous people fitted out their wagon trains at St. Louis, and from there traveled up the Missouri River by boat to a place called Independence. This was the usual starting place, although occasionally trains went out from Fort Leavenworth.