After serving in the Indian Wars, Edward S. Farrow set out to provide a manual for soldiers and officers bound for frontier army duty. I have endeavored to present, Farrow writes, such knowledge as the young officer often acquires by bitter experience and under the most unfavorable circumstances.

Mountain Scouting, first published in 1881, is a valuable instruction guide for novice soldiers, describing how to care for their horses, shoot accurately with their rifles, fix broken bones, and ward off diseases and ailments. Farrow guides troops on the use of equipment, offering advice on proper clothing, bedding, tents, and rations. For the soldier who becomes lost, Farrow comes to the rescue with a diagram on following mountain divides and with a chart on how best to relocate a trail. The book concludes with a glossary of Chinook-English terms.