[Little Ray]

Where we went wrong?

We stopped killing the buffalo.

The Plains Indians were brave, well led, highly mobile, and well armed. They were probably the best light cavalry in the world at the time. Forcing them into a decisive engagement (that we could win...) was pretty much impossible.

So we killed the buffalo; darn near all of them. By doing so, we eliminated their primary source of food and material. The Plains Indians were left with a choice between starvation and surrender.

That is the way you beat an insurgency - you kill the buffalo.

[CodeToad]

I don’t think we went to kill all their food sources just to defeat them.

[af_vet_rr]

So we killed the buffalo; darn near all of them. By doing so, we eliminated their primary source of food and material. The Plains Indians were left with a choice between starvation and surrender.

That is the way you beat an insurgency - you kill the buffalo.

Not to split hairs, but we were the insurgents - we were moving into their territory. I'd like to think you and I would fight just as hard to defend our lands, homes, and families from outside forces, especially if the outcome was a crappy reservation somewhere.