▁pressure ▁them ▁onto ▁the ▁Indian ▁res erv ations ▁during ▁times ▁of ▁conflict . ▁Without ▁the ▁b ison , ▁native ▁people ▁of ▁the ▁pla ins ▁were ▁often ▁forced ▁to ▁leave ▁the ▁land ▁or ▁star ve ▁to ▁death . ▁One ▁of ▁the ▁biggest ▁advoc ates ▁of ▁this ▁strategy ▁was ▁General ▁William ▁T ec um seh ▁Sh erman . ▁On ▁June ▁ 2 6 , ▁ 1 8 6 9 , ▁the ▁Army ▁Navy ▁Journal ▁reported : ▁" General ▁Sh erman ▁remarked , ▁in ▁conversation ▁the ▁other ▁day , ▁that ▁the ▁quick est ▁way ▁to ▁comp el ▁the ▁Indians ▁to ▁sett le ▁down ▁to ▁civil ized ▁life ▁was ▁to ▁send ▁ten ▁reg iments ▁of ▁soldiers ▁to ▁the ▁pla ins , ▁with ▁orders ▁to ▁shoot ▁buff alo es ▁until ▁they ▁became ▁too ▁scar ce ▁to ▁support ▁the ▁red sk ins ." ▁However , ▁it ▁has ▁been ▁argued , ▁" Wh ile ▁there ▁is ▁am ple ▁evidence ▁that ▁this ▁belief ▁was ▁shared ▁by ▁some ▁of ▁the ▁army ▁leadership ▁... ▁there ▁is ▁little ▁evidence ▁that ▁it ▁was ▁directly ▁acted ▁upon ▁in ▁any ▁significant ▁way ." ▁According ▁to ▁Professor ▁David ▁Sm its : ▁" Fr ustr ated ▁blue co ats , ▁unable ▁to ▁deliver ▁a ▁pun ishing ▁blow ▁to ▁the ▁so - called ▁' Host iles ', ▁unless ▁they ▁were ▁imm obil ized ▁in ▁their ▁winter ▁cam ps , ▁could , ▁however , ▁strike ▁at ▁a ▁more ▁accessible ▁target , ▁namely , ▁the ▁buff alo . ▁That ▁t actic ▁also ▁made ▁curious ▁sense , ▁for ▁in ▁soldiers ' ▁minds ▁the