October 16th. During the night wolves were howling in the vicinity of the camp. Left camp before daylight and commenced ascending the Coteau des Prairies, the highest table-land in this section of the United States, and full of lakes. A chain of twenty or more lakes could be seen from the highest point, which form the headwaters of the Lac qui Parle, Yellow Medicine, and Whetstone Rivers, on one side, and furnish many tributary streams to the Big Sioux on the west side,--many miles of land and bluffs, prairies, and lakes seeming as not ten miles distant. At various points we passed through fields of buffalo bones. Arrived at "Two Lakes" (Mde-nonpana), where the Indians camped last night and left a sign indicating that they had moved to the westward two days previously. In order to overtake them, Colonel Marshall took the mounted men, howitzer, and the best teams, and pushed ahead, leaving the infantry and baggage train, under command of Captain Valentine, to follow on his trail and camp at the next creek for the night, with instructions to continue the forward movement if he did not return. Instead of following instructions, Captain Valentine crossed the creek, and, ascending the next hill, perceived what appeared to be a beautiful lake a few miles distant; he continued the march, intending to camp there; so we marched and marched, but no lake appeared; the men, worn and fatigued, lagged behind, some straggling back for five miles, and curses, loud and deep, were heard on every hand,--the lake turned out to be a mirage, a sight not uncommon in this region. Failing to arrive at the lake, we finally camped in the prairie grass, without wood or water; and, the rations being short, we went to sleep, supperless, after marching until 10 o'clock at night.
October 17th. The morning found us camped on the top of the Coteaus with no sign of Colonel Marshall and his men. Struck tents before daylight and were on the march without breakfast. At about two miles from the last camp we arrived at the Big Sioux River (here very narrow, with marshy banks), and halted for breakfast; but there was no feed for the horses. The men of the Third Regiment dealt out their last crackers, and Company G had one ration of flour, sugar, and coffee. Flour mixed with water and fried in fat was indeed and in truth a great luxury, of which even a white plumed knight might well be proud,--at this stage of the game. The expedition was now four days' march from Camp Release, and the provisions were all gone. The scouts returned and reported that they had seen "nothing of Marshall or any other man." We again resumed the march, and at sundown arrived at Hawk's Nest Lake. Here we met Quinn (the scout), and some mounted men, who brought the cheering news of the capture of 150 Indians, including 34 warriors.