Carson had decided to march first to Adobe Walls, which he was familiar with from his employment there by Bent more than 20 years earlier. Carson, long familiar with the Utes and Jicarillas, had confidence in his Indian scouts. They covered his flanks and each morning two of them rode far ahead of the slow-moving column to search for Comanche and Kiowa encampments.<ref>Pettis, George H. "Kit Carson's Fight with the Comanche and Kiowa Indians. Historical Society of New Mexico. Personal Narrative No. 12, Battles of the War of the Rebellion, Santa Fe, 1908, pp. 9–13</ref> Inclement weather, including an early snowstorm, slowed progress. On November 24 the 1st Cavalry reached Mule Springs in Moore County, approximately west of Adobe Walls. That same afternoon the Indian scouts reported they had found the trail of a large Indian village. Carson left his infantry behind to guard his supply train and ordered a night march of cavalry and artillery. He rode in the van with the Utes and Jicarillas. Next morning he ordered the two howitzers forward to join him in the van. Coming to the easily fordable Canadian River, he deployed one company of cavalry on the north side of the river and continued with the remainder on the south side. Battle Approximately two hours after daybreak on November 25, Carson's cavalry found and attacked a Kiowa village of 176 lodges. The chief Dohäsan and his people fled, passing the alarm to allied Comanche villages nearby; Guipago led the warriors to protect the fleeing women and children. Marching forward to Adobe Walls, four miles from the Kiowa village, Carson dug in there about 10:00 am, using one corner of the ruins for a hospital. He discovered to his dismay that there were numerous villages in the area, including a large Comanche village. Carson saw large numbers of Indians pouring forward to engage him in battle, a much greater force than he had expected. Pettis, who wrote the most complete report of the battle, estimated that 1,200–1,400 Comanche and Kiowa attacked the soldiers and Indian scouts who numbered 330 (75 men had been left behind to guard the supply train). Carson dismounted his cavalry and deployed them around the two howitzers. His Indian scouts skirmished with about 200 Comanche and Kiowa warriors "mounted and covered with paint and feathers . . . charging backwards and forwards . . . their bodies thrown over