LETTER TO THE SECRETARY OF WAR. 19 



CAMP McCLELLAND, WEST SIDE OF CHEYENNE RlVER, 



July 4, 1853. 



SIR: The train from Pembina and the Bed river, on their way to St. Paul s, passed the survey 

 ing party on the 2d instant, and I embrace the opportunity again to communicate with the 

 department. 



My last letter, in regard to the progress of the expedition, was written on the eve of leaving 

 Camp Davis, since which time we have made rapid progress into the interior. The command has 

 now become thoroughly organized, with broken animals, and hardy willing men. I feel the 

 utmost confidence in accomplishing the great objects of the expedition. 



Besides the difficult task of breaking-in wild animals, many too young for the service, and 

 the still more difficult task of getting into working condition those run down in the operation, 

 we have had to encounter bad roads, muddy sloughs, river crossings consuming each an entire 

 day and drenching rains. 



But for a few days the weather has been good. To-day we shall reach the Maple river and 

 enter upon the high rolling prairie. The worst portions of the road are gone over. The 

 grazing is remarkably fine. Every man is now mounted, and we shall now make our regular 

 inarches of fifteen to twenty miles per day. 



But to return to Camp Davis. On the 12th of June I despatched Lieutenant Grover, with a 

 picked party of some fifteen men, with instructions to reconnoitre carefully the country north 

 and in the vicinity of White Bear lake, with the view of ascertaining the point where the expe 

 dition should leave the Red river tract, and indicating that it was desirable to run from that 

 point north of Lake Traverse to the Dead Colt Hillock, and thence to the Yellowstone. The 

 remainder of the party followed on the 13th, 15th, and 16th; and on the 23d the whole party 

 was in camp at Pike lake, a few miles north of White Bear lake. 



Here we remained till Saturday, and made our final arrangements for the march to the Yellow 

 stone. Some inefficient men were sent home ; and a detached party of nineteen picked men, 

 two wagons, twenty-six mules, and four horses, under Lieutenant Grover, was organized to 

 explore the line he was sent forward from Camp Davis to examine. He moved on the morning 

 of the 23d, in fine spirits, determined to distinguish himself. I was then confident, and am 

 still, that he will pass over a fine route. It is an almost irresistible inference, from the general 

 course of the streams as laid down on Nicollet s map. His instructions are to push forward to 

 the Yellowstone, touching, if possible, the Missouri, to connect with Lieutenant Donelson s 

 survey. 



I moved also on the 23d with the main train, and crossed the Cheyenne early on Saturday 

 morning, (July 2.) We have moved rapidly; one day making, to reach wood, a march of 

 twenty-seven miles. We bridged the Wild Rice river, and found a good bridge on the Chey 

 enne, the work of our Red river friends. 



The train is now in motion, and I am behind to make up a mail, the last till I reach the 

 Yellowstone. We shall cross the Cheyenne a second time a few miles north of Bald Hillock 

 creek, and shall pass within fifteen or twenty miles of Miniwakan lake. Thence our course 

 will be nearly straight. With my reconnoitring force I hope to cover a broad belt of country, 

 connecting with Lieutenant Grover s route. The accompanying sketch will show the char 

 acter of our work. It is all the result of careful observation. The work north of our route, on 

 the Bois de Sioux, Wild Rice, and Red rivers, was done in a single day, by Mr. Adams, a young 

 gentleman attached to the civil engineers party : that west of our present camp, on the Chey 

 enne, by Mr. Lander, one of my civil engineers, assisted by Mr. Adams and one man. Mr. 

 Lander left this on Saturday afternoon, at four o clock, and returned last evening a little after 

 eight riding eighty miles in twenty-eight hours, and carefully observing for all that distance. 



By a comparison with Nicollet s map, it will be seen that the course of the Cheyenne at its 

 southern bend is much out of the way, and I have determined to have its southern shore care 

 fully examined by Mr. Lander. He will accordingly start to-day, with Mr. Adams and four 



