The General reviewed the column as it passed, and after complimenting the appearance of the soldiers and bidding good-bye to Colonel Thomas and his staff, who were starting on a five months' campaign beyond the bounds of civilization, rode back to the fort. The column was now under way, and day after day the march went on, in solid square, so organized that all the Indians in North America could not disturb it. At night the square closed up, so as to ensure greater safety and reduce guard duty. The column moved up the valley of the Minnesota river to its source, and then took a westerly course, making daily from sixteen to twenty miles, resting on Sunday. The scouts, failing to find even signs of Indians, the march became monotonous until the valley of the Missouri was reached. Here was found General Sully's trail of the year previous, and soon some of his scouts came into camp and reported General Sully only one day's march away, where he was waiting for the fleet of boats on which were supplies for the troops. The monotony of the daily march was enlivened by the report that Indians were hovering around,--they came to reconnoiter, but not to fight yet. This of itself was encouraging, because the boys began to think they would not even see an Indian; but there was fun ahead, as we shall see in the next chapter. CHAPTER XLIII. THE BATTLE OF THE BAD LANDS. General Sully, an unpretentious man, with clear perception, appeared to know where the Indians were, and what they would do. His service in the regular army peculiarly fitted him for this service, and this, with his genial temperament, made him an agreeable commander. The boats were unloaded, the command supplied with sixty days' rations and divested of all surplus clothing and equipments, made ready for a vigorous march after Indians. The troops were reviewed by the commanding officer, General Sully, who, by the way, was at one time Colonel of the First Minnesota, and afterwards promoted to Major-General of Volunteers and Brevet Brigadier-General of the regular army. The review of the troops constituted the celebrating the Fourth of July, 1864. When the column finally moved, which was on July 19, it marched out into an unknown and unexplored country, from the white man's standpoint. [Illustration: Resting Before an Attack.] What a transformation,--then unknown and unexplored,--no highways, no railroads, no civilization,--to-day the onward march of our race has left its imprint by railroads, beautiful farms, busy cities, busy factories, Christian civilization, education and the "little red school house." But I am anticipating; turn back the leaves and we are again on the Knife river, and we snuff a battle, for the Indians are ahead in great numbers.