rds, General Sully was then distant down the river 160 miles. His
delay was no fault of his, as it was occasioned by insurmountable
obstacles. The march home was a weary but uneventful one. The campaign
of 1863 may be summed up as follows: The troops marched nearly 1,200
miles. They fought three well-contested battles. They drove from eight
to ten thousand Indians out of the state, and across the Missouri river.
They lost only seven killed and three wounded, and inflicted upon the
enemy so severe a loss that he never again returned to his old haunts.
For his meritorious services General Sibley was appointed a major
general by brevet on Nov. 29, 1865, which appointment was duly confirmed
by the senate, and he was commissioned on April 7, 1866.

In July, 1863, a regiment of cavalry was authorized by the secretary of
war to be raised by Major E. A. C. Hatch, for duty on the northern
frontier. Several companies were recruited and marched to Pembina, on
the extreme northern border, where they performed valuable services, and
suffered incredible hardships. The regiment was called Hatch's
Battalion.

CAMPAIGN OF 1864.

The government very wisely decided not to allow the Indian question to
rest upon the results of the campaign of 1863, which left the Indians
in possession of the country west of the Missouri, rightly supposing
that they might construe their escape from General Sibley the previous
year into a victory. It therefore sent out another expedition in 1864,
to pursue and attack them beyond the Missouri. The plan and outfit were
very similar to those of 1863. General Sully was again to proceed up the
Missouri with a large command, and meet a force sent out from Minnesota,
which forces when combined were to march westward, and find and punish
the savages if possible. The expedition, as a whole, was under the
command of General Sully. It consisted of two brigades, the first
composed of Iowa and Kansas infantry and cavalry, and Brackett's
Battalion, to the number of several thousand, which was to start from
Sioux City and proceed up the Missouri in steamboats. The second
embraced the Eighth Regiment of Minnesota Volunteer Infantry, under
Colonel Thomas, mounted on ponies; the Second Minnesota Cavalry, under
Colonel MacLaren; the Third Minnesota Battery, under Captain Jones. The
Second Brigade was commanded by Colonel Thomas. This brigade left Fort
Snelling on June 1st, and marched westward. General Sibley and staf