In 1867, General William Tecumseh Sherman called for the extermination of the buffalo to deprive the Plains Indians of their primary food source and to force them onto reservations. Additionally, the U.S. Army often provided weapons and ammunition to white hunters to kill buffalo, and some military leaders actively encouraged the destruction of the buffalo herds. However, it's important to note that many factors contributed to the decline of the buffalo, including market hunting, sport hunting, and habitat loss due to settlement and industrialization. The U.S. government's policies towards Native Americans played a significant role in the destruction of the buffalo herds. True to size :)