The late summer of 1868 found Major George Forsyth and his company of scouts fighting for survival.

For nine long days, they had hunkered down on a little sandbar, facing off against an overwhelming

force of Cheyenne dog soldiers, fierce warriors who were joined on the battlefield by none

other than the legendary Roman nose. But why? Why did Major Forsyth go kicking a hornet's nest deep in the

heart of Cheyenne territory? And who exactly was Roman knows? What made him such a formidable

opponent? And what's horse meat taste like anyway? Stick around and find out. By the way, I know I said

we were going to cover the Mountain Meadows Massacre today. I still have a little more work to do.

Should be ready this time next week.

In the meantime, please enjoy this encore presentation of the Battle of Beecher Island.

My name's Josh, and this is the Wild West extravaganza.

Company of Scouts that departed Fort Wallace were not a normal army unit, comprised solely of military personnel.

Aside from George Forsyth, his second-in-command lieutenant Frederick H. Beecher and an army surgeon named J.H. Moors, the other 48 men were civilian scouts. First-class hardy frontiersmen, as General Sheridan called him. Tas was bringing the fight to the hostiles. Both Major

Forsyth and Lieutenant Beecher were veterans of the Civil War. Forsyth was a horse soldier in the Army

of the Potomac and had served as aide to camp to General Sheridan. Beecher at the age of 27 was a seasoned

infantrymen who had been wounded in the battles of Fredericksburg and Gettysburg. Likewise,

many of their so-called frontiers and scouts had some military experience. Veterans of both the

Union and Confederate armies made up the ranks. Those who didn't have experience fighting back

east had plenty of experience fighting on the frontier, At least some of them. This was really an interesting company, sort of a motley crew. And when I say they were comprised of 50, quote, first-class frontiersmen, it brings to mind visions of a whole bunch of Jeremiah Johnson-like characters supporting coonskin caps and carrying booey knives. But that wasn't necessarily the case. Some of the men like Sharp Grover, for instance, were experienced on the frontier. They knew the natives, knew their language, and in Grover's case, had been married to them. And some of the men were just farmers. Now, being a farmer on the Kansas frontier in the late 1860s was not for the faint of heart. And farmers are

not, like I said, just a few short years ago, these guys had been in the bloody mess known as a

Civil War. They could shoot, they could fight, and they could ride. But still, some of the men were

barely men, in age at least. Several of these scouts were just 18, 19 years old. And you had older

guys who were in their 40s. There was a father and son duo among the scouts were just 18, 19 years old. And you had older guys who were in their 40s.

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