Personal Memoirs of P. H. Sheridan, Volume 2, Part 6

The memoir begins with Sheridan’s post‑Civil War posting on the Great Plains, where he commands a district that includes Kansas, Missouri and the Indian Territory. He describes the uneasy negotiations at the Medicine Lodge Treaty, rising tensions among the Plains tribes, and a series of fierce raids that push his forces into harsh winter campaigns. Encounters with the charismatic Buffalo Bill and a perilous trek across snow‑bound buffalo country add vivid color to the frontier narrative.

Soon after, Sheridan receives orders to travel east, inspecting forts in Utah and Montana before being granted a passport for Europe. He arrives in Berlin and soon finds himself on the sidelines of the Franco‑Prussian war, watching battles such as Gravelotte and Sedan and meeting statesmen like Bismarck and the German king. His keen eye records military tactics, the mood of occupied Paris, and the diplomatic ceremonies that follow, offering an American officer’s practical perspective on a continent in upheaval.