Descriptions of "two notable soldiers--Bennet Riley and Philip St. George Cooke," involved in "1829 military escort on the Santa Fe Trail," marking "the real beginning of the conquest and pacification of our great West." Description of the careers of both men Bennet Riley's involvement in the War of 1812 and 1823 Arikara campaign in Dakota Territory and Philip Cooke's son-in-law being J. E. B. Stuart, a Confederate general.