The strategy was designed to find and destroy the camps, capture women and children, kill horses, and generally destroy the material foundation of the plains way of life.

Sheridan’s approach reflected a specific philosophy about how to end the plains Indian conflict — not through negotiation but through the destruction of the capacity for resistance.

It was a strategy that did not distinguish between hostile and peaceful camps, because Sheridan believed the distinction was meaningless.

In his view, an Indian who was peaceful in winter would be raiding in summer, and the only permanent solution was the elimination of the capacity for resistance.

This philosophy was applied to the Washita operation without regard to the specific character of Black Kettle’s band.