Early Days in Iowa—A Brother’s Death—The Family Move to a New Country—Incidents on the Road—The Horse Race—Our “Little Gray” Victorious—A Pleasant Acquaintance—Uncle Elijah Cody—Our New Home—My Ponies.
Dress Parade at Fort Leavenworth—The Beautiful Salt Creek Valley—The Mormon Emigrants—The Wagon Trains—The Cholera—A Lively Scene—My First Sight of Indians—"Dolly” and “Prince”—A Long-Lost Relative Turns up—Adventurous Career of Horace Billings—His Splendid Horsemanship—Catching Wild Horses.
My Indian Acquaintances—An Indian Barbecue—Beginning of the Kansas Troubles—An Indiscreet Speech by my Father, who is Stabbed for his Boldness—Persecutions at the Hands of the Missourians—A Strategic Escape—A Battle at Hickory Point—A Plan to Kill Father is Defeated by Myself—He is Elected to the Lecompton Legislature—I Enter the Employ of William Russell—Herding Cattle—A Plot to Blow Up our House—A Drunken Missourian on the War-Path.
At School—My First Love Scrape—I Punish my Rival, and then Run Away—My First Trip Across the Plains—Steve Gobel and I are Friends once more—Death of my Father—I Start for Salt Lake—Our Wagon Train Surprised by Indians, who Drive us off, and Capture our Outfit—I Kill my First Indian—Our Return to Leavenworth—I am Interviewed by a Newspaper Reporter, who gives me a Good “Send-Off.”
My Second Trip Across the Plains—The Salt Lake Trail—Wild Bill—He Protects me from the Assault of a Bully—A Buffalo Hunt—Our Wagon Train Stampeded by Buffaloes—We are Taken Prisoners by the Mormons—We Proceed to Fort Bridger.
A Dreary Winter At Fort Bridger—Short Rations—Mule Steaks—Homeward Bound in the Spring—A Square Meal—Corraled by Indians—A Mule Barricade—We Hold the Fort—Home Again—Off for the West—Trapping on the Chugwater And Laramie Rivers—We go to Sleep In a Human Grave—A Horrifying Discovery—A Jollification at Oak Grove Ranch—Home Once More—I go to School—The Pike’s Peak Gold Excitement—Down the Platte River on a Raft—I Become a Pony Express Rider.
Trapping on Prairie Dog Creek—An Accident whereby we Lose one of our Oxen—I Fall and Break my Leg—Left Alone in Camp—Unwelcome Visitors—A Party of Hostile Sioux Call upon me and Make Themselves at Home—Old Rain-in-the-Face Saves my Life—Snow-Bound-A Dreary Imprisonment—Return of my Partner—A Joyful Meeting—We Pull Out for Home—Harrington Dies.
Introduction to Alf. Slade—He Employs me as a Pony Express Rider—I Make a Long Ride—Indians Attack an Overland Stage Coach—Wild Bill Leads a Successful Expedition against the Indians—A Grand Jollification at Sweetwater Bridge—Slade Kills a Stage Driver—The End of the Spree—A Bear Hunt—I fall among Horse Thieves—My Escape—I Guide a Party to Capture the Gang.
Bob Scott, the Stage Driver—The Story of the Most Reckless Piece of Stage Driving that ever Occurred on the Overland Road.
The Civil War—Jayhawking—Wild Bill’s Fight with the McCandless Gang of Desperadoes—I become Wild Bill’s Assistant Wagon-Master—We Lose our Last Dollar on a Horse Race—He becomes a Government Scout—He has a Duel at Springfield.
Scouting against the Indians in the Kiowa and Comanche country—The Red-Legged Scouts—A Trip to Denver—Death of my Mother—I Awake one Morning to Find myself a Soldier—I am put on Detached Service as a Scout—The Chase after Price—An Unexpected Meeting with Wild Bill—An Unpleasant Situation—Wild Bill’s Escape from the Southern Lines—The Charge upon Price’s Army—We return to Springfield.
I Fall in Love—A Successful Courting Expedition—I am Married—The Happiest Event of my Life—Our Trip up the Missouri River—The Bushwhackers Come after me—I become Landlord of a Hotel—Off for the Plains once more—Scouting on the Frontier for the Government—A Ride with General Custer—An Expedition from Fort Hays has a Lively Chase after Indians—Cholera in Camp.
A Town Lot Speculation—"A Big Thing”—I become Half-Owner of a City—Corner Lots Reserved—Rome’s Rapid Rise—We consider ourselves Millionaires—Dr. Webb—Hays City—We Regard ourselves as Paupers—A Race with Indians—Captain Graham’s Scout after the Indians.
Hunting for the Kansas Pacific—How I got my Name of “Buffalo Bill”—The Indians give me a Lively Chase—They get a Dose of their own Medicine—Another Adventure—Scotty and myself Corraled by Indians—A Fire Signal brings Assistance—Kit Carson.
A Buffalo Killing Match with Billy Comstock—An Excursion party from St. Louis come out to Witness the Sport—I win the Match, and am declared the Champion Buffalo Killer of the Plains.
Scouting—Captured by Indians—A Strategic Escape—A Hot Pursuit—The Indians led into an Ambush—Old Satanta’s Tricks and Threats—Excitement at Fort Larned—Herders and Wood-Choppers Killed by the Indians—A Perilous Ride—I get into the wrong Pew—Safe, arrival at Fort Hays—Interview with General Sheridan—My ride to Fort Dodge—I return to Fort Larned—My Mule gets away from me—A long Walk—The Mule Passes In his Chips.
General Sheridan appoints me Guide and Chief of Scouts of the Fifth Cavalry—The Dog Soldiers—General Forsyth’s Fight on the Arickaree Fork.
Arrival of the Fifth Cavalry at Fort Hays—Out on a Scout—A little Skirmish with Indians—A Buffalo Hunt—A False Alarm in camp—A Scout on the Beaver—The Supply Camp is Surprised—Arrival of General Carr—The new Lieutenant and his Reception—Another Indian Hunt—An Engagement—A Crack Shot—I have a little Indian fight of my own—Return to Fort Wallace—While hunting Buffaloes with a small Party, we are Attacked by Fifty Indians.
A Winter’s Campaign in the Canadian River Country—Searching for Penrose’s Command—A Heavy Snow-Storm—Taking the Wagon Train down a Mountain Side—Camp Turkey—Darkey Deserters from Penrose’s Command—Starvation in Penrose’s Camp—We reach the Command with Timely Relief—Wild Bill—A Beer Jollification—Hunting Antelopes—Return to Fort Lyon.
A Difficulty with a Quartermaster’s Agent—I give him a Severe Pounding—Stormy Interview with General Bankhead and Captain Laufer—I put another “Head” on the Quartermaster’s Agent—I am Arrested—In the Guard-House—General Bankhead Releases me—A Hunt after Horse Thieves—Their Capture—Escape of Bevins—His Recapture—Escape of Williams—Bevins Breaks Out of Jail—His Subsequent Career.
The Fifth Cavalry is Ordered to the Department of the Platte—Liquids vs. Solids—A Skirmish with the Indians—Arrival at Fort McPherson—Appointed Chief of Scouts—Major Frank North and the Pawnee Scouts—Belden the White Chief—The Shooting Match—Review of the Pawnee Scouts—An Expedition against the Indians—"Buckskin Joe.”
Pawnees vs. Siouxs—We strike a Large Trail—The Print of a Woman’s Shoe—The Summit Springs Fight—A Successful Charge—Capture of the Indian Village—Rescue of a White Woman—One hundred and forty Indians Killed—I kill Tall Bull and Capture his Swift Steed—The Command proceeds to Fort Sedgwick—Powder Face—A Scout after Indian Horse-Thieves—"Ned Buntline”—"Tall Bull” as a Racer—Powder Face wins a Race without a Rider—An Expedition to the Niobrara—An Indian Tradition.
I make my Home at Fort McPherson—Arrival of my Family—Hunting and Horse Racing—An Indian Raid—Powder Face Stolen—A Lively Chase—An Expedition to the Republican River Country—General Duncan—A Skirmish with the Indians—A Stern Chase—An Addition to my Family—Kit Carson Cody—I am made a Justice of the Peace—A Case of Replevin—I perform a Marriage Ceremony—Professor Marsh’s Fossil-Hunting Expedition.
The Grand Hunt of General Sheridan, James Gordon Bennett, and other Distinguished Gentlemen—From Fort McPherson to Fort Hays—Incidents of the Trip—"Ten Days on the Plains”—General Carr’s Hunting Expedition—A Joke on McCarthy—A Search for the Remains of Buck’s Surveying Party, who had been Murdered by the Indians.
The Grand Duke Alexis Hunt—Selection of a Camp—I Visit Spotted Tail’s Camp—The Grand Duke and Party arrive at Camp Alexis—Spotted Tail’s Indians give a Dance—The Hunt—Alexis Kills his First Buffalo—Champagne—The Duke Kills another Buffalo—More Champagne—End of the Hunt—Departure of the Duke and his Party.
My Visit in the East—Reception in Chicago—Arrival in New York—I am well Entertained by my old Hunting Friends—I View the Sights of the Metropolis—Ned Buntline—The Play of “Buffalo Bill”—I am Called Upon to make a Speech—A Visit to my Relatives—Return to the West.
Arrival of the Third Cavalry at Fort McPherson—A Scout after Indians—A Desperate Fight with Thirteen Indians—A Hunt with the Earlof Dunraven—A Hunt with a Chicago Party—Milligan’s Bravery—Neville—I am Elected to the Nebraska Legislature.
I resolve to go upon the Stage—I resign my Seat in the Legislature—Texas Jack—"The Scouts of the Plains”—A Crowded House—A Happy Thought—A Brilliant Début—A Tour of the Country.
The Theatrical Season of 1873-74—Wild Bill and his Tricks—He Leaves us at Rochester—He becomes a “Star”—A Bogus “Wild Bill "—A Hunt with Thomas P. Medley, an English gentleman—A Scout on the Powder River and in the Big Horn Country—California Joe—Theatrical Tour of 1874 and 1875—Death of my son, Kit Carson Cody.
The Sioux Campaign of 1876—I am appointed Guide and Chief of Scouts of the Fifth Cavalry—An Engagement with eight hundred Cheyennes—A Duel with Yellow Hand—Generals Terry and Crook meet, and cooperate Together.
Scouting on a Steamboat—Captain Grant Marsh—A Trip down the Yellowstone River—Acting as Dispatch Carrier—I Return East and open my Theatrical Season with a New Play—Immense Audiences—I go into the Cattle Business in company with Major Prank North—My Home at North Platte.
A Cattle “Round-up”—A Visit to My Family in our New Home—A Visit from my Sisters—I go to Denver—Buying more Cattle—Pawnee and Nez-Perces Indians Engaged for a Theatrical Tour—The Season of 1878-79—An experience in Washington—Home Once More.
