On the 11th it started on its return march over the same trail pursued in going, camping at the same places, reaching Dixon’s Ferry the night of June 13th, from which point it started on the 14th, and reached Fort Wilbourn, where, on the evening of the 15th, the company was mustered out by Lieut. Robert Anderson, and where, on the following day, Mr. Lincoln was mustered into the company of Dr. (Captain) Jacob M. Early, along with John T. Stuart and other ex-captains, majors and minor officers.
On the 20th his company, which was an independent one, reporting direct to General Atkinson, started for Dixon’s Ferry, arriving there the evening of the 21st, and remaining at that point until noon of the 27th, when he, with the second division of the army, began his final march in pursuit of Black Hawk. Twelve miles out he camped, and in the afternoon of the 29th once more reached and camped on Stillman’s battlefield, six miles from Sycamore or Kishwaukee Creek, as stated by Albert Sidney Johnston at the time.
On the morning of the 30th, he traveled four miles above Sycamore Creek, to a point on Rock River “which is very narrow at this place, and continues so.”
July 1st, the journal tells us: “Marched this morning seven miles from the last encampment. Came to Rock River, which is scarcely one hundred yards wide at this point. There is in the bluff a remarkably fine spring, thickly shaded with cedar trees, the first I ever saw. The bluff is pebbly. About half a mile above, a narrow, rapid creek empties into Rock River, one mile below Pecatonica, known by the name of Brown’s Creek. Encamped this evening in the fork of Turtle Creek and Rock River, above the mouth of Turtle Creek.”
On the 2d he proceeded, after considerable suffering for want of water, to the mouth of “the river of the Four Lakes,” on the banks of a large pond.
On the 3d Lake Koshkonong, or “Mud Lake,” was reached, and there the troops remained the 4th, 5th and 6th, Captain Early’s company doing constant duty as a spy company or scouting party.
On the 7th the army moved up to Whitewater River and about four miles up that stream, to which point the divisions of Posey and Alexander came and camped.
On the 8th a council of war was held, at which it was resolved to return to the mouth of the Whitewater and operate from that point. On reaching the point where the troops were encamped on the 7th, the army halted for the night. From that point Captain Early’s company was constantly engaged in scouring the country in search of the fleeing Indians, without any success at all. Many trails were reported, but on following them up each proved abortive.
Provisions had become scarce. The enemy was as far away as ever. The necessity of a different campaign became apparent. Captain Dunn, who had been shot by accident, was recovering and was about to be returned to Dixon’s Ferry under escort of Col. John Ewing’s Regiment. Henry and Alexander had been detached to go to Fort Winnebago for provisions, thus virtually disrupting the army. At that stage General Atkinson considered it best to dismiss the independent commands. Accordingly, on July 10th, 1832, the company of Captain Early was mustered out of the service, and its members, including Private Abraham Lincoln, started for Dixon’s Ferry with the detachment of Colonel Ewing, who took with him all the sick and decrepit men of the army.
The men fell down the river to Dixon’s Ferry, along the same route pursued by them up that stream, but did not move so rapidly for the reason that many of the men had lost their horses by death, theft and one or another cause.