509:
500:. On the way, they found and buried many bodies along the side of the road, including Captain John S. Marsh's men and some civilians. After crossing the river by horse and ferry and receiving the "all clear" from several skirmishers who had gone ahead, the group advanced up the hill and entered the ruins of the agency, where they stopped to bury more bodies. Brown and Anderson then left ahead of the group to reconnoiter Little Crow's abandoned village, where Brown stopped Anderson from burning down Little Crow's house. By the end of the day, the group had buried at least 17 bodies; several civilians returned to the fort after burying their relatives.
645:
soldier, but did not want to kill any "half-breeds". Grant asked Auge to find out if any mixed-blood members of the party wanted to leave. They all declined. Captain Grant then instructed Auge to tell the Dakota that they had two hundred men, each with two rifles loaded, and that the messenger should leave with his flag of truce. According to
Private Connolly, Grant was playing "a game of bluff, for at that time we only had about sixty-five effective men, and were nearly out of ammunition." After Auge delivered the message, Captain Grant gave the order to fire; the messenger escaped, but the horse was struck.
848:
Brown and
Captain Anderson, both of whom were severely wounded." Historians such as Gary Clayton Anderson have suggested that Sibley was incensed when he heard about Grant's conduct during the battle – particularly when he panicked during the ambush – and that this explains his subsequent behavior toward Grant. Others have speculated that Sibley's rebuke was due to Grant's poor choice of campsite. Still others have suggested that Sibley was trying to shift the blame for the carnage to Brown's lack of experience as a military commander, rather than taking responsibility himself.
545:
601:
all ignorant as to the use of arms and carrying army rifles which were strange to them; not one of the guns ever having been fired at a target. Not over three shots had been fired by any one of our infantry force, and even these shots were not aimed at any definite object or target." Captain
Anderson, on the other hand, was described by another soldier as "cool and unconcerned as an iceberg" as he took charge of the defense. Major Brown had taken a ball in the side of his neck and was treated by Dr. Daniels, the former government physician at the
131:
674:
their horses to see what the trouble was that the camp had not been taken, and they rode about the prairie for a time, but I do not think many of them got into the fight. I do not remember that we got many reinforcements that day. If we got any, they must have come up the coulee and I did not see them. Perhaps some horsemen came up on the east side of the coulee, but I knew nothing about it. I am sure no reinforcements came to me. I did not need any. Our circle about the camp was rather small and we could only use a certain number of men."
573:
river and valley, went up the bluffs and on the prairie, and soon we saw the white tents and the wagons of the camp. We had no difficulty in surrounding the camp. The pickets were only a little way from it. I led my men up from the west through the grass and took up a position 200 yards from the camp, behind a small knoll or elevation. Red Legs took his men into the coulie east of the camp. Mankato ('Blue Earth') had some of his men in the coulie and some on the prairie. Gray Bird and his men were mostly on the prairie."
831:
654:
701:
41:
814:
has any propositions to make, let him send a half-breed to me, and he shall be protected in and out of my camp," opening a series of communications between Sibley and Little Crow (and, unbeknownst to Little Crow, between Sibley and a few disgruntled
Mdewakanton chiefs). In his subsequent letters, Sibley urged the release of the prisoners as a prerequisite for any negotiations – a condition Little Crow was unwilling to accept.
666:
scattered them out and they all yelled and made such a noise that the whites must have thought there were a great many more, and they stopped on the prairie and began fighting. They had a cannon and used it, but it did no harm... Mankato flourished his men around so, and all the
Indians in the coulie kept up a noise, and at last the whites began to fall back, and they retreated about two miles and began to dig breastworks."
553:
662:
the 6th
Minnesota, 50 mounted rangers, and a section of artillery." However, much to the dismay of Brown's men, Colonel McPhail led his men to the opposite side of the ravine but stopped because he thought he was almost completely surrounded by the Sioux, and sent one of his lieutenants through a gauntlet of hostile Dakota, back to the fort for more reinforcements.
525:
posted just outside the wagons, and the men in the company went to sleep. One of
Anderson's men, mixed-blood soldier Joseph Coursolle (Hinhankaga), later recounted, "We were dog tired, but in spite of 'Major' Brown's assurance, many of us, mostly those with Sioux blood, dug shallow holes to lie in. These little holes saved the lives of many!"
517:
According to Boyd, "No
Indians had been seen although our officers had made diligent search for them across the prairie with their field glasses. Major Brown did not think there were any Indians in that vicinity, and at this camp assured the men that they were just as safe as if they were in their own homes."
661:
Back at Fort
Ridgely, which was about sixteen miles away, Colonel Sibley had been alerted to the sound of gunfire coming from Birch Coulee, and sent out a relief party of 240 soldiers with two six-pounder guns. The relief party, led by Colonel Samuel McPhail, "was composed of Companies B, D, and E of
623:
As the siege dragged on, both sides resorted to conserving ammunition and fired only occasionally over the course of the day. Brown's men had to ration what little water and food they had as they suffered in the hot sun. Captain
Anderson later reported, "The men fought throughout the whole engagement
939:
Wounds: Captain Joseph Anderson {wounded in upper left arm and left foot}; Farrier Thomas Barton {dangerously wounded}; Privates A.H. Bunker {wounded through both arms}; Peter Burkman {wounded in both thighs and ruptured}; James Buckingham {wounded through the left shoulder}; George Dashney {wounded
813:
One of the most significant developments connected with Birch Coulee was that Colonel Sibley left a message for Little Crow – enclosed in a cigar box and attached to a stake in the ground – on the battlefield afterwards, knowing it was likely to be found. In his letter, Sibley wrote, "If Little Crow
673:
Captain Grant speculated that on the night of the September 2, the Dakota forces were "reinforced by about five hundred warriors" – a claim dismissed by Big Eagle. On the topic of Dakota reinforcements, Big Eagle stated: "Late in the day some of the men who had been left in the villages came over on
669:
Big Eagle continued: "Mankato followed them and left about thirty men to watch them, and returned to the fight at the Coulie with the rest. The Indians were laughing when they came back at the way they had deceived the white men, and we were all glad that the whites had not pushed forward and driven
631:
explained, "We had an easy time of it. We could crawl through the grass and into the coulie and get water when we wanted it, and after a few hours our women crossed the river and came up near the bluff and cooked for us, and we could go back and eat and then return to the fight. We did not lose many
584:
While most horses were hit by the first volley, a few broke loose and galloped wildly in terror. Soon, only one horse was left alive in the campsite. Coursolle recalled, "The unscathed horse seemed to have a charmed life and we clung to a faint hope that somebody might mount him and dash through the
362:
warriors followed a U.S. burial expedition, including volunteer infantry, mounted guards and civilians, to an exposed plain where they were setting up camp. That night, 200 Dakota soldiers surrounded the camp and ambushed the Birch Coulee campsite in the early morning, commencing a siege that lasted
788:
After the Battle of Birch Coulee, the "hostile" camp invited the "friendly" camp to a large council, with nearly a thousand people in attendance. During the council, warriors who had fought in the battle spoke about their experience, and several mentioned that they had recognized the voice of Major
747:
asking to be relieved, but the governor refused and instead ordered Sibley to attack the Dakota more forcefully. Frustrated at the lack of trained soldiers, horses and ammunition available to him, Sibley feared another ambush and was cautious about acting prematurely; he was also conscious that any
739:
was stunned by the carnage and was devastated at the loss of so many horses. The loss of all the horses on the Birch Coulee campsite, combined with mounts lost by Colonel McPhail, "literally destroyed Sibley's precious little cavalry." By September 13, after his remaining cavalry had left for home,
580:
Many of Grant's soldiers were wounded or killed as they sprung awake and left their tents in shock and confusion, looking for cover. The soldiers had, however, gone to sleep with their muskets loaded, and many were able to return fire, crouching behind the fallen horses they used as barricades, and
572:
Big Eagle recounted: "We felt sure we could capture it, and that 200 men would be enough for the undertaking... I had about thirty men. Nearly all the Indians had double-barreled shotguns, and we loaded them with buckshot and large bullets called 'trader's balls.' After dark we started, crossed the
524:
Instead, the men placed their 20 wagons in a horseshoe shape and tied them together with ropes, enclosing about one-half acre of land. The horses were left to graze in the open part of the corral on the east side, about 200 yards west of the coulee. Tents were pitched inside the corral, guards were
691:
at Fort Ridgely. The shelling forced the Dakota to disperse, and Sibley entered Brown's camp around 11am on September 3. He encountered a "sickening sight," with 13 soldiers dead on the ground, over 90 horses dead, and 47 men severely wounded. (Five men died later of their wounds. Grant wrote many
640:
heard the trader Alex Faribault call out in Dakota, "You do very wrong to fire on us. We did not come out to fight; we only came out to bury the bodies of the white people you killed." In another exchange, Joseph Coursolle heard one of the Dakota warriors call out, "Hear me, Hinhankaga. We saw you
600:
To the alarm of Dr. Jared W. Daniels, Captain Grant himself was heard shouting, "We all shall be scalped!" The infantry in particular was young and inexperienced. Robert K. Boyd, who was seventeen years old himself at the time, wrote, "It should be considered that our men were new recruits, nearly
520:
Little thought was given to the location of the campsite, which was on an exposed plain near the coulee, which was covered heavily with trees and tall grass. Also, since most of the burial detail felt themselves safe, they failed to take precautions against attack such as digging entrenchments and
395:
and obtain the release of the settlers they were holding captive. While Sibley was training his inexperienced soldiers and struggling to procure arms, family and friends of settlers who had been killed reminded him that their bodies remained unburied. On August 29, Sibley sent two scouts north who
847:
Colonel Sibley himself referred to the battle in military reports and in the press as "the attack on J.R. Brown's party," writing, "That the command was not destroyed before I arrived to rescue them from their perilous situation may be ascribed chiefly to the coolness and nerve displayed by Major
838:
The controversy over who was "actually" in command over the Minnesota burial operation was ignited on September 4, 1862, when Captain Grant tried to submit his report about the expedition and battle to Colonel Sibley, only to be rebuffed by Sibley who "coolly" told him to report to his commanding
817:
The exchange of messages allowed both Sibley and Little Crow to gather intelligence about each other from the messengers. As Little Crow and his soldiers' lodge learned that Sibley's army was growing in number and would likely start marching soon, they broke up camp on September 9 to move further
644:
Toward evening, one of the Dakota men approached the campsite waving a white flag. Captain Grant sent one of the "mixed-blood" soldiers, Corporal James Auge, out to speak to the messenger and translate. The message was that the Dakota warriors had reinforcements in place and planned to kill every
532:
in the afternoon. Upon reaching Little Crow's village, the men in advance had seen a column of mounted men and wagons to the north, moving east; they also saw signs that "white men" had been there a few hours prior, and sent four or five scouts to follow them, "creeping across the prairie like so
576:
At 4:30 in the morning on September 2, one of the guards at the Birch Coulee campsite saw two figures crawling through the grass and fired. The Dakota commenced their ambush immediately, killing at least a dozen men, wounding thirty, and killing most of their horses within the first few minutes.
472:
Symptomatic of the challenges in coordinating the volunteer militia, the question of whether Grant or Brown was actually in command of the expedition became a topic of major controversy in the disastrous aftermath of the battle, continuing among historians today. (See "Aftermath" below.) Written
751:
As panic set in within eastern Minnesota, angry newspaper editors accused Sibley of incompetence, expressing frustration that he had underestimated the ruthlessness of the belligerent Sioux and was overly cautious. Referring derisively to the burial party at Birch Coulee, St. Cloud newspaper
665:
In fact, the Dakota warriors had been preparing to rush the camp, but once they saw the large number of mounted soldiers, they stopped the charge. Big Eagle recounted: "Mankato at once took some men from the coulie and went out to meet them. He told me he did not take more than fifty, but he
516:
After dark on the evening of September 1, Captain Grant set up camp "on the prairie near a narrow valley known as Birch Coulee." Major Brown and Captain Anderson and their men joined the camp soon afterwards. The two detachments had buried more than 75 bodies without encountering any Dakota.
473:
accounts by Grant and a member of the burial party, Robert K. Boyd, make it clear that Captain Grant believed he was in command and that Major Brown was merely in an advisory capacity. Captain Anderson, on the other hand, was told from the start that the commander of the expedition was Major
492:
On the second day, after burying more bodies near the log house, the company split up. Grant's group went north into the Beaver Creek region and buried 30 more bodies, many of which were severely decomposed. They also found a wounded survivor, Justina Kreiger, who had been shot in the back.
760:
person in command of the force against the Sioux as Col. Sibley has 100 men or thereabouts in his undertaker's corps." Some suggested that Sibley was hesitating because of his personal and business connections with many Dakota. On his part, Ramsey made repeated pleas to Washington, the war
588:
At least two men in the campsite completely panicked, ran out and were shot down by the Dakota, including Peter Boyer, one of Anderson's "mixed-blood" mounted guards whom he later accused of deserting, and Jonathan Henderson, a settler who had buried his wife and children the day before.
533:
many ants." After sundown, they received word that Brown's men had set up camp at the head of Birch Coulee. Big Eagle later recalled: "At the time, we did not know there were two companies there. We thought the company of mounted men was all, and that there were not more than 75 men."
843:
as "Commander of the Expedition," and deliberately left out any mention of Grant. On the other hand, Colonel McPhail, who led the advance troops of the relief party, wrote in his report to Sibley on September 5, 1862, that he had "proceeded to the relief of Captain Grant's command."
692:
years later that a total of 22 men were killed at Birch Coulee, suggesting that there were also civilian deaths not counted toward the militia totals.) The survivors, finally relieved from duty at 12 noon, were exhausted from a thirty-one hour siege without water, rest or food.
641:
shoot. You killed the son of Chief Traveling Hail. Now we kill your little girls!" Coursolle was filled with emotion upon hearing that his two daughters might still be alive, but a few moments later, another soldier a few feet away was shot in the head and killed instantly.
593:
460:
commanded by Captain Hiram P. Grant, and Company A of the Cullen Frontier Guards, including 70 mounted men under Captain Joseph Anderson. They were accompanied by approximately 20 civilians who had asked to join the burial party, including former Indian agent Major
818:
north, only to be repelled by Red Iron, who refused to let them pass. On September 19, Sibley finally departed Fort Ridgely with his entire army of 1,619 men, heading in the direction of Yellow Medicine. The two sides would clash in the decisive
1570:
682:
Finally on the morning of September 3, 1862, Sibley arrived at Birch Coulee with a massive infantry force and artillery, including the remaining six companies of the 6th Minnesota, bolstered by the arrival of Lieutenant Colonel
925:
Captain Joseph Anderson of Company A of the "Cullen Frontier Guards," designated in their muster roll as Company A of the First Minnesota Mounted Regiment of the Irregular Volunteer Militia, was at the Battle of Birch Coulee.
670:
us away....When the men of this force began to fall back the whites in the camp hallooed and made a great commotion, as if they were begging them to return and relieve them and seemed much distressed that they did not."
439:
and others would lead more than 200 soldiers, plus many women and wagons, south along the river with the objective of collecting plunder left behind in Little Crow's village and in New Ulm, which had been abandoned.
635:
By mid-afternoon, many Dakota warriors grew impatient at the slow pace of the fight and started to plan a charge. The fluent Dakota speakers among Brown's troops could hear the warriors planning their assault.
465:, who would be able to lend his expertise in the Dakota "character and country." Brown himself was looking for his wife and children, unaware that they were alive and safe in the "friendly" Dakota camp with
585:
besieging braves to summon relief from Fort Ridgely. But the Indians concentrated their fire and finally the poor beast crumpled and fell." According to Big Eagle, one horse was captured by Buffalo Ghost.
905:
Wounds: Corp. S. Carbuckle, G.W. Eagles, E. Brown, E.S. Blase, S. Fielding, S. Hapt, A. Hayford, D.G. House, C. Mayall, D.H. McCauley, W.A. Newcomb, F.C. Shanley, C.W. Smith, W. Vayhinger, S.J. Weiting.
712:. To many observers in the U.S., it exposed the danger of moving into hostile territory while relying on too few untrained troops. Ironically, the battle could have been even deadlier if
1580:
902:
Killed: Sergeants John College; William Irvine; Corporal William M. Cobb; Privates Cornelius Coyle; George Coulter; Chauncey L. King; Henry Rolleau; William Russell; Henry Whetsler;
620:
and Jack Frazer, and soldiers including Private A.P. Connolly – used bayonets, knives, tin plates and the four shovels they had to dig rifle pits and settle in for a long siege.
254:
624:
without water and provisions except 1/4 of a hard cracker to each man and about 1 ounce of raw cabbage to a man, and joked each other freely in regard to their 'heavy' diet."
508:
1295:
1269:
485:
On the first day, the combined forces left Fort Ridgely in the direction of the Lower Sioux Agency. After about four miles, they stopped at a farmhouse in the vicinity of
427:
scouts had reported sighting more troops arriving at Fort Ridgely. After a heated debate, the decision was made to split into two groups. Over 100 men followed
1198:
777:
On the Dakota side, the Battle of Birch Coulee and the Big Woods raids led by Little Crow and Tukanmani on Forest City and Hutchinson strengthened the hostile
785:
bands to oppose the conflict, resist joining forces with Little Crow's camp, and demand the release of the women and children held prisoner by the hostiles.
435:, where they planned to hit Cedar Mills for flour and disrupt Sibley's supply trains heading to Fort Ridgely. Meanwhile, Gray Bird (Zitkahtahhota), Mankato,
1565:
949:
Four bands of Dakota warriors, mainly Mdewakanton and Wahpekute, were at the Battle of Birch Coulee, led by Gray Bird, Mankato, Big Eagle and Red Legs.
76:
1339:
247:
1239:
1068:
1004:
839:
officer, Brown. Grant promptly destroyed his original report. On the same day, Captain Anderson presented his report on the battle to Major
1423:
875:
851:
Humiliated, Captain Grant appears to have spent the rest of his life trying to set the record straight. In his narrative of the war from a
801:
to investigate how many of Sibley's men had been killed. It was Charles Crawford who reported back that he had found a letter from Colonel
449:
1575:
1541:
1378:
240:
1517:
1134:
1105:. In Minnesota Board of Commissioners on Publication of History of Minnesota in Civil and Indian Wars; Flandrau, Charles E. (eds.).
489:
where a doctor and others had been killed. Finding dozens of bodies on both sides of the road, they buried an estimated 28 victims.
878:. The Birch Coulee State Monument, located two miles south of the battlefield, states that Captain Hiram P. Grant was in command.
412:, and ascertain what had happened to Colonel John S. Marsh and his soldiers on August 18. He sent a burial party of 153 men from
283:
781:' belief that they could defeat the whites. However, the events only seemed to strengthen the resolve of the "friendly" camp of
456:
On August 31, Sibley sent two militia units along with 17 teamsters from Fort Ridgely who would bury the dead: Company A of the
892:
688:
457:
182:
536:
The leaders of the group agreed that the Birch Coulee campsite was an easy target and planned an attack in the early morning.
1585:
613:
The heaviest part of the fight at Birch Coulee lasted about an hour, but the siege would continue well into the next day.
602:
1509:
761:
department, and the governors of other states for assistance, but found it difficult to compete with the demands of the
544:
528:
Meanwhile, the Dakota party including Gray Bird, Mankato, Big Eagle and Red Legs and more than 200 men had reached the
867:) said, "Some years ago I saw Capt. Grant in St. Paul and he told me he was in command of the camp at Birch Coulie."
1194:
956:
Killed: Thunder Voice (Hotonna, brother of Red Legs); unknown Sisseton warrior, also with Red Legs's Wahpekute band.
70:
338:
1453:
871:
798:
409:
782:
716:
and his men had joined the war party that had headed south. Instead, during the Battle of Birch Coulee, the
684:
486:
405:
354:
occurred on September 2–3, 1862, and resulted in the heaviest casualties suffered by U.S. forces during the
288:
1399:
Renville, Gabriel (1905). "A Sioux Narrative of the Outbreak of 1862, and of Sibley's Expedition of 1863".
830:
725:
376:
303:
1102:
1428:
1331:
802:
736:
721:
432:
397:
384:
364:
323:
1550:
653:
1319:
Report on the actions of Company A of the "Cullen Frontier Guards" during the Battle of Birch Coulee.
1195:"The Battle of Birch Coulee: A Great Disaster in the Indian War of 1862 - Who Should Bare the Blame?"
400:, near the missions. Sibley concluded that it was safe to send an expedition to bury the dead at the
328:
1318:
1161:
1061:
Massacre in Minnesota: The Dakota War of 1862, the Most Violent Ethnic Conflict in American History
819:
617:
333:
1487:
766:
709:
529:
497:
401:
355:
293:
264:
32:
28:
700:
1513:
1374:
1235:
1130:
1064:
1000:
380:
66:
1538:
1368:
794:
744:
466:
308:
298:
1545:
1476:"Account of George Quinn (in As Red Men Viewed It: Three Indian Accounts of the Uprising)"
864:
840:
790:
474:
462:
318:
158:
40:
632:
men. Indeed, I only saw two dead Indians, and I never heard that any more were killed."
592:
753:
797:
suggested sending his half-brother Charles Renville Crawford (Wakanhinape) out to the
1559:
852:
717:
392:
359:
136:
363:
for over 30 hours, until the arrival of reinforcements and artillery led by Colonel
708:
The Battle of Birch Coulee was the most deadly for the United States forces in the
413:
1296:"A Sioux Story of the War: Chief Big Eagle's Story of the Sioux Outbreak of 1862"
778:
713:
552:
428:
424:
420:
388:
141:
111:
448:
762:
91:
78:
1370:
A Thrilling Narrative of the Minnesota Massacre and the Sioux War of 1862-63
1270:"A Sioux Story of the War: Chief Big Eagle's Story of the Sioux War of 1862"
860:
637:
628:
566:
436:
167:
1232:
Through Dakota Eyes: Narrative Accounts of the Minnesota Indian War of 1862
895:
at the Battle of Birch Coulee, plus members of other companies of the 6th.
793:. Wanting to find out whether their brother-in-law Brown was still alive,
1491:
1475:
756:
wrote in a scathing letter to Governor Ramsey: "For God's Sake put some
431:
and Walker Among Sacred Stones (Tukanmani) into the "Big Woods" west of
1533:
863:(who had been sentenced to death but received a pardon from President
1445:
720:
soldiers following Little Crow and Tukanmani divided up and attacked
232:
512:
Historical map of Battle of Birch Coulee, by survivor Robert K. Boyd
616:
As the sun rose, many of the men – including "mixed-blood" traders
569:, and Mankato crossed the Minnesota River and surrounded the camp.
1571:
Battles of the Trans-Mississippi Theater of the American Civil War
1474:
Quinn, George; Holcombe, Return I. (1898). Carley, Kenneth (ed.).
829:
699:
652:
591:
551:
543:
507:
447:
1418:
1109:. St. Paul, Minn.: Printed for the state by the Pioneer Press Co.
743:
Following the disaster at Birch Coulee, Sibley wrote to Governor
627:
In contrast, the Dakota warriors were situated comfortably. As
236:
936:
Died of Wounds: Private Richard Gibbons; Joseph Warren DeCamp;
748:
mistake he made could result in the slaying of the prisoners.
477:, and later insisted he never took a single order from Grant.
913:
Killed: Sergeant Benjamin S. Terry; Corporal F.C.W. Renneken;
521:
posting sentries far enough from camp to give ample warning.
1551:
Minnesota Encyclopedia article on the Battle of Birch Coulee
581:
driving back the Dakota warriors who approached the wagons.
396:
reported back that the Dakota were camped well north of the
933:
Killed: 2nd Sergeant Robert Baxter; Private Jacob Freeman;
1230:
Anderson, Gary Clayton; Woolworth, Alan R., eds. (1988).
565:
During the night, Gray Bird, along with chiefs Red Legs,
556:
Big Eagle was later pardoned by President Abraham Lincoln
773:
Divisions between "hostile" and "friendly" Dakota camps
596:
Captain Joseph Anderson led the Cullen Frontier Guards
423:'s camp were divided about what course to follow.
1234:. St. Paul: Minnesota Historical Society Press.
1129:. St. Paul: Minnesota Historical Society Press.
1107:Minnesota in the civil and Indian wars 1861-1865
999:. St. Paul: Minnesota Historical Society Press.
855:point of view published on July 1, 1894, in the
740:Sibley would be left with only 25 mounted men.
548:Lithograph depicting the Battle of Birch Coulee
21:
1581:Battles of the American Civil War in Minnesota
1332:"Battle of Birch Coulee, September 2–3, 1862"
809:Communications between Sibley and Little Crow
248:
8:
891:Captain Hiram P. Grant led Company A of the
1539:Explore Minnesota: Birch Coulee Battlefield
887:Sixth Minnesota Volunteer Infantry Regiment
469:after being rescued by Akipa on August 23.
496:Brown and Anderson's group headed for the
255:
241:
233:
18:
458:6th Minnesota Volunteer Infantry Regiment
419:On the evening of August 31, warriors in
1450:HMdb.org, The Historical Marker Database
1274:Minnesota Historical Society Collections
1063:. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press.
605:, who also tended to the other wounded.
966:
358:. The battle occurred after a group of
1534:Minnesota Historic Sites: Birch Coulee
1440:
1438:
1419:"National Register Information System"
1317:Anderson, Joseph (September 4, 1862).
916:Wounds: S. Clark, T. Barnes, B. Viles.
765:which also needed more troops for the
1486:(published September 1962): 144–146.
1394:
1392:
1390:
1362:
1360:
1358:
1356:
1313:
1311:
1309:
1263:
1261:
1259:
1257:
1255:
1253:
1251:
1096:
1094:
1092:
1090:
1088:
1086:
1084:
1082:
1080:
1054:
1052:
1050:
1048:
1046:
1044:
1042:
1040:
1038:
1036:
990:
704:Aftermath at Birch Coulee battlefield
7:
1424:National Register of Historic Places
1294:Holcombe, Return I. (July 1, 1894).
1289:
1287:
1285:
1283:
1225:
1223:
1221:
1219:
1217:
1215:
1188:
1186:
1184:
1182:
1180:
1178:
1176:
1174:
1172:
1170:
1156:
1154:
1152:
1150:
1148:
1146:
1127:Little Crow: Spokesman for the Sioux
1120:
1118:
1116:
1034:
1032:
1030:
1028:
1026:
1024:
1022:
1020:
1018:
1016:
988:
986:
984:
982:
980:
978:
976:
974:
972:
970:
876:National Register of Historic Places
16:Siege during U.S.–Dakota War of 1862
1160:Anderson, Joseph (August 9, 1894).
834:Birch Coulee State Monument in 2011
387:was planning to retaliate against
14:
1566:Battles of the Dakota War of 1862
1330:Weber, Eric W. (April 30, 2021).
1103:"Narrative of the Sixth Regiment"
940:in the right thigh}; John Martin.
1367:Connolly, Alonzo Putnam (1896).
1164:Transcribed by Anne C. Anderson.
129:
39:
1456:from the original on 2020-10-19
1342:from the original on 2013-08-15
1201:from the original on 2021-05-16
1162:Letter to Dr. Jared W. Daniels.
1125:Anderson, Gary Clayton (1986).
1101:Johnson, Charles W. (1890–93).
1059:Anderson, Gary Clayton (2019).
893:6th Minnesota Infantry Regiment
689:7th Minnesota Infantry Regiment
657:Birch Coulee battlefield (2012)
183:6th Minnesota Infantry Regiment
1:
1446:"Birch Coulee State Monument"
1510:Minnesota Historical Society
1373:. Chicago: Forgotten Books.
467:Gabriel Renville (Ti'wakan)
1602:
1576:Renville County, Minnesota
1506:The Sioux Uprising of 1862
1268:Big Eagle, Jerome (1894).
795:Gabriel Renville (Tiwakan)
728:, burning the towns down.
71:Renville County, Minnesota
687:and two companies of the
274:
212:
199:
175:
147:
122:
49:
38:
26:
1504:Carley, Kenneth (1976).
1193:Boyd, Robert K. (1928).
995:Carley, Kenneth (1976).
909:Casualties (Company G):
898:Casualties (Company A):
872:Birch Coulee Battlefield
826:Controversy over command
799:Birch Coulee battlefield
504:Campsite at Birch Coulee
822:on September 23, 1862.
685:William Rainey Marshall
429:Taoyateduta Little Crow
155:Captain Joseph Anderson
1300:St. Paul Pioneer Press
997:The Dakota War of 1862
921:Cullen Frontier Guards
874:is listed on the U.S.
857:St. Paul Pioneer Press
835:
705:
658:
597:
557:
549:
513:
453:
437:Big Eagle (Wamditanka)
377:Battle of Fort Ridgely
352:Battle of Birch Coulee
278:The Dakota War of 1862
227:Unknown number wounded
186:Cullen Frontier Guards
153:Captain Hiram P. Grant
148:Commanders and leaders
22:Battle of Birch Coulee
1586:September 1862 events
1429:National Park Service
1401:Minnesota Collections
833:
783:Sisseton and Wahpeton
703:
656:
595:
555:
547:
511:
481:The burial expedition
452:Major Joseph R. Brown
451:
398:Yellow Medicine River
385:Henry Hastings Sibley
365:Henry Hastings Sibley
213:Casualties and losses
92:44.57639°N 94.97472°W
678:Arrival of artillery
416:on August 31, 1862.
391:and the belligerent
1508:(Second ed.).
820:Battle of Wood Lake
618:Alexander Faribault
97:44.57639; -94.97472
88: /
57:September 2–3, 1862
45:Battlefield in 2010
1544:2007-05-17 at the
1494:– via JSTOR.
836:
732:Pressure on Sibley
710:Dakota War of 1862
706:
659:
603:Upper Sioux Agency
598:
558:
550:
530:Lower Sioux Agency
514:
498:Lower Sioux Agency
454:
402:Lower Sioux Agency
356:Dakota War of 1862
284:Lower Sioux Agency
266:Dakota War of 1862
33:American Civil War
29:Dakota War of 1862
1480:Minnesota History
1452:. June 16, 2016.
1431:. April 15, 2008.
1241:978-0-87351-216-9
1070:978-0-8061-6434-2
1006:978-0-87351-392-0
444:The burial detail
381:Battle of New Ulm
347:
346:
231:
230:
222:90+ horses killed
118:
117:
1593:
1523:
1496:
1495:
1471:
1465:
1464:
1462:
1461:
1442:
1433:
1432:
1415:
1409:
1408:
1396:
1385:
1384:
1364:
1351:
1350:
1348:
1347:
1327:
1321:
1315:
1304:
1303:
1291:
1278:
1277:
1265:
1246:
1245:
1227:
1210:
1209:
1207:
1206:
1190:
1165:
1158:
1141:
1140:
1122:
1111:
1110:
1098:
1075:
1074:
1056:
1011:
1010:
992:
745:Alexander Ramsey
309:Fort Abercrombie
299:Slaughter Slough
269:
267:
257:
250:
243:
234:
193:Gray Bird's Band
189:Big Eagle's Band
135:
133:
132:
103:
102:
100:
99:
98:
93:
89:
86:
85:
84:
81:
51:
50:
43:
19:
1601:
1600:
1596:
1595:
1594:
1592:
1591:
1590:
1556:
1555:
1546:Wayback Machine
1530:
1520:
1503:
1500:
1499:
1473:
1472:
1468:
1459:
1457:
1444:
1443:
1436:
1417:
1416:
1412:
1398:
1397:
1388:
1381:
1380:9-781331-833994
1366:
1365:
1354:
1345:
1343:
1329:
1328:
1324:
1316:
1307:
1293:
1292:
1281:
1267:
1266:
1249:
1242:
1229:
1228:
1213:
1204:
1202:
1192:
1191:
1168:
1159:
1144:
1137:
1124:
1123:
1114:
1100:
1099:
1078:
1071:
1058:
1057:
1014:
1007:
994:
993:
968:
963:
947:
923:
889:
884:
865:Abraham Lincoln
841:Joseph R. Brown
828:
811:
803:Henry H. Sibley
791:Joseph R. Brown
775:
734:
698:
680:
651:
611:
563:
542:
506:
483:
475:Joseph R. Brown
463:Joseph R. Brown
446:
373:
348:
343:
270:
265:
263:
261:
226:
221:
219:
194:
192:
190:
185:
170:
166:
164:
159:Joseph R. Brown
156:
154:
130:
128:
96:
94:
90:
87:
82:
79:
77:
75:
74:
73:
44:
17:
12:
11:
5:
1599:
1597:
1589:
1588:
1583:
1578:
1573:
1568:
1558:
1557:
1554:
1553:
1548:
1536:
1529:
1528:External links
1526:
1525:
1524:
1518:
1498:
1497:
1466:
1434:
1410:
1386:
1379:
1352:
1322:
1305:
1279:
1247:
1240:
1211:
1166:
1142:
1135:
1112:
1076:
1069:
1012:
1005:
965:
964:
962:
959:
958:
957:
946:
943:
942:
941:
937:
934:
922:
919:
918:
917:
914:
907:
906:
903:
888:
885:
883:
880:
827:
824:
810:
807:
774:
771:
754:Jane Swisshelm
737:Colonel Sibley
733:
730:
697:
694:
679:
676:
650:
649:Reinforcements
647:
610:
607:
562:
559:
541:
538:
505:
502:
482:
479:
445:
442:
372:
369:
345:
344:
342:
341:
336:
331:
326:
321:
316:
311:
306:
301:
296:
291:
286:
280:
279:
275:
272:
271:
262:
260:
259:
252:
245:
237:
229:
228:
223:
215:
214:
210:
209:
206:
202:
201:
197:
196:
195:Red Legs' Band
191:Mankato's Band
187:
178:
177:
176:Units involved
173:
172:
161:
150:
149:
145:
144:
139:
125:
124:
120:
119:
116:
115:
109:
105:
104:
65:
63:
59:
58:
55:
47:
46:
36:
35:
24:
23:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1598:
1587:
1584:
1582:
1579:
1577:
1574:
1572:
1569:
1567:
1564:
1563:
1561:
1552:
1549:
1547:
1543:
1540:
1537:
1535:
1532:
1531:
1527:
1521:
1519:0-87351-103-4
1515:
1511:
1507:
1502:
1501:
1493:
1489:
1485:
1481:
1477:
1470:
1467:
1455:
1451:
1447:
1441:
1439:
1435:
1430:
1426:
1425:
1420:
1414:
1411:
1406:
1402:
1395:
1393:
1391:
1387:
1382:
1376:
1372:
1371:
1363:
1361:
1359:
1357:
1353:
1341:
1337:
1333:
1326:
1323:
1320:
1314:
1312:
1310:
1306:
1301:
1297:
1290:
1288:
1286:
1284:
1280:
1275:
1271:
1264:
1262:
1260:
1258:
1256:
1254:
1252:
1248:
1243:
1237:
1233:
1226:
1224:
1222:
1220:
1218:
1216:
1212:
1200:
1196:
1189:
1187:
1185:
1183:
1181:
1179:
1177:
1175:
1173:
1171:
1167:
1163:
1157:
1155:
1153:
1151:
1149:
1147:
1143:
1138:
1136:0-87351-196-4
1132:
1128:
1121:
1119:
1117:
1113:
1108:
1104:
1097:
1095:
1093:
1091:
1089:
1087:
1085:
1083:
1081:
1077:
1072:
1066:
1062:
1055:
1053:
1051:
1049:
1047:
1045:
1043:
1041:
1039:
1037:
1035:
1033:
1031:
1029:
1027:
1025:
1023:
1021:
1019:
1017:
1013:
1008:
1002:
998:
991:
989:
987:
985:
983:
981:
979:
977:
975:
973:
971:
967:
960:
955:
954:
953:
950:
945:Dakota Forces
944:
938:
935:
932:
931:
930:
927:
920:
915:
912:
911:
910:
904:
901:
900:
899:
896:
894:
886:
881:
879:
877:
873:
868:
866:
862:
858:
854:
849:
845:
842:
832:
825:
823:
821:
815:
808:
806:
804:
800:
796:
792:
786:
784:
780:
772:
770:
768:
764:
759:
755:
749:
746:
741:
738:
731:
729:
727:
723:
719:
715:
711:
702:
695:
693:
690:
686:
677:
675:
671:
667:
663:
655:
648:
646:
642:
639:
633:
630:
625:
621:
619:
614:
608:
606:
604:
594:
590:
586:
582:
578:
574:
570:
568:
560:
554:
546:
539:
537:
534:
531:
526:
522:
518:
510:
503:
501:
499:
494:
490:
488:
487:Redwood Ferry
480:
478:
476:
470:
468:
464:
459:
450:
443:
441:
438:
434:
430:
426:
422:
417:
415:
411:
407:
403:
399:
394:
390:
386:
382:
378:
370:
368:
366:
361:
357:
353:
340:
337:
335:
332:
330:
327:
325:
322:
320:
317:
315:
312:
310:
307:
305:
302:
300:
297:
295:
292:
290:
289:Redwood Ferry
287:
285:
282:
281:
277:
276:
273:
268:
258:
253:
251:
246:
244:
239:
238:
235:
224:
217:
216:
211:
207:
204:
203:
198:
188:
184:
180:
179:
174:
169:
162:
160:
152:
151:
146:
143:
140:
138:
137:United States
127:
126:
121:
113:
110:
107:
106:
101:
72:
68:
64:
61:
60:
56:
53:
52:
48:
42:
37:
34:
30:
25:
20:
1505:
1483:
1479:
1469:
1458:. Retrieved
1449:
1422:
1413:
1404:
1400:
1369:
1344:. Retrieved
1335:
1325:
1299:
1273:
1231:
1203:. Retrieved
1126:
1106:
1060:
996:
952:Casualties:
951:
948:
929:Casualties:
928:
924:
908:
897:
890:
869:
856:
850:
846:
837:
816:
812:
787:
779:Mdewakantons
776:
757:
750:
742:
735:
707:
681:
672:
668:
664:
660:
643:
634:
626:
622:
615:
612:
599:
587:
583:
579:
575:
571:
564:
535:
527:
523:
519:
515:
495:
491:
484:
471:
455:
418:
414:Fort Ridgely
410:Birch Coulee
406:Beaver Creek
374:
351:
349:
339:Camp Release
314:Birch Coulee
313:
304:Fort Ridgely
142:Santee Sioux
123:Belligerents
112:Santee Sioux
27:Part of the
726:Forest City
714:Little Crow
425:Mdewakanton
421:Little Crow
389:Little Crow
324:Forest City
181:Company A,
95: /
1560:Categories
1460:2021-05-31
1407:: 595–613.
1346:2021-05-11
1276:: 382–400.
1205:2021-05-10
961:References
763:Union Army
752:publisher
722:Hutchinson
561:The ambush
433:Hutchinson
383:, Colonel
375:After the
371:Background
329:Hutchinson
220:47 wounded
83:94°58′29″W
80:44°34′35″N
861:Big Eagle
767:Civil War
696:Aftermath
638:Big Eagle
629:Big Eagle
609:The siege
567:Big Eagle
404:and near
334:Wood Lake
218:13 killed
168:Big Eagle
163:Gray Bird
1542:Archived
1492:20176459
1454:Archived
1340:Archived
1336:MNopedia
1199:Archived
379:and the
225:2 killed
200:Strength
171:Red Legs
62:Location
294:New Ulm
165:Mankato
114:victory
1516:
1490:
1377:
1238:
1133:
1067:
1003:
853:Dakota
718:Dakota
540:Battle
393:Dakota
360:Dakota
157:Major
134:
108:Result
67:Morton
1488:JSTOR
882:Units
319:Acton
1514:ISBN
1375:ISBN
1236:ISBN
1131:ISBN
1065:ISBN
1001:ISBN
870:The
758:live
724:and
408:and
350:The
208:~200
205:~150
54:Date
1562::
1512:.
1484:38
1482:.
1478:.
1448:.
1437:^
1427:.
1421:.
1405:10
1403:.
1389:^
1355:^
1338:.
1334:.
1308:^
1298:.
1282:^
1272:.
1250:^
1214:^
1197:.
1169:^
1145:^
1115:^
1079:^
1015:^
969:^
859:,
805:.
769:.
367:.
69:,
31:,
1522:.
1463:.
1383:.
1349:.
1302:.
1244:.
1208:.
1139:.
1073:.
1009:.
256:e
249:t
242:v
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.