“If I had Buffalo Bill, as my chief of scouts, I believe he could, with his knowledge of the country, of these Indians, and his great skill as a frontiersman, head off these would-be settlers and bands of gold seekers from what they regard as a promised land, and this done, the Sioux would be more willing to make peace with the army, realizing that our desire was to protect them.” So wrote Major Armes, the commandant of Fort Aspen, to Colonel Carr, in seeking to have the valuable services of William F. Cody as chief of scouts. And the letter further said: “The Tenth Cavalry of colored troops also needs just such a man as Buffalo Bill to steady them and give them perfect confidence in the one who leads them upon deadly trails. “They one and all have perfect confidence in Buffalo Bill, believe that he bears a charmed life--as I also am inclined to believe--and they know that the Indians dread him, regard him with a certain superstitious fear, and his influence is very great along the whole border. “I, therefore, respectfully urge that he be sent to Fort Aspen, for a while at least, if only to bring confidence to the garrison.” The result of Major Armes’ letter was that the next courier through to Fort Aspen brought dispatches stating that Buffalo Bill should come very soon, and that, spoken to upon the subject, he had said that, instead of making up a scouting band of white scouts, he would pick colored soldiers to be his allies. In other words, he would have a company of black scouts from the Tenth Cavalry. Major Armes at once notified the garrison that Buffalo Bill was coming to Fort Aspen, and what his intention was regarding the band of black scouts. There was excitement at once in the garrison, and the colored troopers were delighted that the great borderman was going to show his confidence in them by taking his scouts from their regiment. “Now we’ll blow de Injuns off de farm.” “You better believe I speaks fer bein’ a nigger scout.” “Annudder nigger heah does say de same.” “Wonder if Massa Bill gwine ter brack hissef up so as ter look like us?” “Won’t dem red niggers git up an’ lead us brack scouts arter ’em?” “An’ I guesses dem palefaces as wants ter go inter de Promised Lan’ will tarn back an’ settle somewhar else.” Such remarks and others of a like kind ran the rounds of the colored troopers, when they heard the good news that Buffalo Bill was coming, and better still that he intended to pick men from their regiment for his scouts. Major Armes was much pleased, and knowing about the time the scout was expected, he ordered a negro sergeant and twenty men to take the trail as a guard of honor and meet him a day’s ride from the fort. The sergeant and his picked men were as proud as peacocks at the duty and the envy of all the rest of the regiment, who had to remain behind. Had the colored troopers had their say, all would have gone to meet the scout and Fort Aspen would have been left without a garrison.