Freeborn County, Minnesota - Chapter with an unread heading (no. 30 of those read), 1882

Battle Of Birch Coolie Battle Of Wood Lake

The massacre being the main design of this history, the movement of the troops, in the pursuit and pimishment of the Indians connected with the atrocious murders initiated on the 18th of August, 1862, must especially, in this abridgement, be exceedingly brief.

On the day after the outbreak, August 19th, 1862, an order was issued by the commander-in-chief to Colonel H. H. Sibley, to proceed, with four companies, then at Fort Sneaing, and such other forces as might join his command, to the protection of the frontier coimties of the State. The entire force, increased by the separate commands of Colonels Marshall and BlcPhail, reached Port Eidgely, August 28th, 1862. A detachment made up of Company A, 6th Regiment Minnesota Volunteers, under Captain H. P. Grant, some seventy mounted men under Captain Joseph Andeison, and a fatigue party, aggregating in all a force of over one hundred and fifty men, were sent in advance of the main army, to protect the settlements from further devastation, ;md at the same time collect and bury the dead yet lying on the field of the recent slaughter. On the first of September, near the Beaver Creek, Captain Grant's party found Justiua Krieger, who had escaped aUve from the murders committed near Sacred Heart. Mrs Krieger had been shot and dreadfully butchered. During this day this detachment buried fifty-five victims of savage barbarity, and in the evening went into camp at Birch Coolie. The usual precautions were taken, and no immediate fears of Indians were apprehended; yet at half-past four o'clock on the morning of the second of September, one of the guards shouted "Indians!" Instantly thereafter a sliower of bullets was poured into the encampment. A most fearful and terrible battle ensued, and for the numbers engaged, the most bloody of any in which our forces had been engaged during the war. The loss of men, in proportion to those engaged, was extremely large; twenty-three were killed outright, or mortally wounded, and forty-five so severely wounded as to require surgical aid, while scarce a man remained whose dress had not been pierced by the enemies' bullets. On the evening of the 3d of September the besieged camp was

This battle, in all probability, saved the towns of Mankato and St. Peter from the destruction intended by the savages. They had left Yellow Medicine with the avowed object of attacking these towns on the Minnesota. The signal defeat of the forces of Little Crow at Birch Coolie, not only saved the towns of Mankato and St. Peter, but iu effect ended his efi'orts in subduing the whites on the borders.

After the battle of Birch Coolie aU the marauding forces under the direction of Little Crow were called in, and a retreat was ordered up the valley of the Minnesota toward Yellow Medicine; and on the 16th day of September Colonel Sibley ordered an advance of his whole column in pursuit of the fleeing foe; his forces now increased by the 3d Minnesota Volunteers, paroled prisoners returned from Murfreesboro, Tennessee, under command of Major Abraham E. Welch.

On the evening of the 22d Colonel Sibley arrived at Wood Lake. On the morning of the 23d, at about seven o'clock, a force of three hundred Indians suddenly appeared before his camp, yelling as savages only can yell, and firing with great rapidity. The troops under Colonel Sibley were cool and determined, and the 3d Regiment needed no urging by officers. All our forces engaged the enemy with a will that betokened quick work with savages who had outraged every sentiment of humanity, and earned for themselves an immortality of mfamy never before achieved by the Dakota nation. The fight lasted about two hours. We lost in kUled four, and about fifty wounded. The enemy's loss was much larger; fourteen of their dead were left on the field, and au unknown number were carried off the field, as the Indians are accustomed to do.

The battle of Wood Lake put an end to all the hopes of the renowned chief. His warriors were in open rebellion against his schemes of warfare against the whites. He had gained nothing. Fort Ridgely was not taken. New Ulm was not in his possession. St. Peter and Mankato were mtact, and at Birch Coolie and Wood Lake he had suffered defeat. No warrior would longer follow his fortunes in a war so disastrous. On the same day of the battle at Wood Lake a deputation from the Wapeton band appeared under a flag of truce, asking terms of peace. The response of Colonel Sibley was a demand for the delivery of all the white captives in the possesBion of these savages. Wabasha, at the head of fifty lodges, immediately parted company with Little Crow, and established a camp near Lao qui Parle, with a view of surrendering his men on the most favorable terms. A flag of truce announced his action to Colonel Sibley, who soon after, under proper military guard, visited Wabasha's camp. After the formalities of the occasion were over. Colonel Sibley received the captives, in all, theu and thereafter, to the number of 107 pure whites, and about 162 half-breeds, and conducted them to his headquarters. The different emotions of these captives at their release can easily be imagined by the reader. This place well deserved the name given it, "Camp Eelease."

A MitjITart Commission was soon after inaugurated to try the parties charged with the murder of white persons. The labors of this commission continued untd about the 5th of November, 1862. Three hundred and twenty-one of the savages and their allies had been found guilty of the charges preferred against them; three hiuidred and three of whom were recommended for capital punishment, the others to suffer imprisonment. These were immediately removed, under a guard of 1,500 men, to South Bend, on the Minnesota river, to await further orders from the United States Government.

Pursuit of th3 Desertsks. - A.fter the disaster met with at Wood Lake, Little Crow retreated, with those who remained with him, in the direction of Big Stone Lake, some sixty miles to the westward. On the 5th of October, Colonel Sibley had sent a messenger to the principal camp of the deserters, to inform them that he expected to be able to pursue and overtake aU who remained in arms against the Government; and that the only hope of mercy that they need expect, even for their wives and children, would be their early return and surrender at discretion. By the 8th of October the prisoners who had come in and surrendered amounted to upwards of 2,000. On the 14th of October, Lieutenant Colonel Marshall, with 252 men, was ordered to go out upon the frontier as a scouting party, to ascertain whether there were any hostile camps of savages located within probable striking distance, from which they might be able, by sudden marches, to fall upon the settlements before the opening of the campaign in the coming spring. About this time, Colonel Sibley, hitherto acting under State authority, received

The scouting party under Lieutenant-Colonel Marshall followed uf) the line of retreat of the fugitives, and near the edge of the Coteau de Prairie, about forty-five miles from Camp Eelease, foimd two lodges of straggling Indians. The males of these camps, three young men, were made prisoners, and the women and children and an old man were directed to deliver themselves up at Camp Release. From these Indians here captured they received information of twenty-seven lodges encamjjed near Cbanopa (Two Wood) lakes. At these lakes they found no Indians; they had left, but the trail was followed to the north-west, towards the Big Sioux river. At noon of the 16th, Lieutenant-Colonel Marshall took with him fifty mounted men and the howitzer and started in pursuit, without tents or supplies of any kind, but leaving the infantry and supply wagons to follow after. They crossed the Big Sioux river, passing near and on the north side of Lake Kampeska.

By following closely the Indian trail, they arrived at dark at the east end of a lake some six or eight miles long, and about eight miles in a northwestwardly direction from Lake Kampeska. Here they halted, without tents, fire or food, until near daylight, when reconnoitering commenced, and at an early hour in the morning they succeeded in surprising and capturing a camp composed of ten lodges, and thirteen Indians and their famOies. From those captured at this place information was received of another camp of some twelve or fifteen lodges, located at the distance of about one day's march in the direction of James river.

Placing a guard over the captured camp, the remaining portion of the force pressed on in the direction indicated, and at the distance of about ten miles from the first camp, and about midway be tween the Big Sioux and James rivers they came in sight of the second party, just as they were moving out of camp. The Indians attempted to make their escape by flight, but after an exciting chase for some distance they were overtaken and captured, without any armed resistance. Twentyone men were taken at this place. Some of them liad separated from the camp previous to the capture, and were engaged in hunting at the time. On the return march, which was shortly after commenced, six of these followed the detachment, and, after making ineffectual efforts to recover their families, came forward and surrendered themselves

Indfan Sympathizers

The men of this detachment, officers aaid privates, evinced to a large degree the bravery and endurance that characterizes the true soldier. They wUlingly and cheerfully pressed on after the savages, a part of them without food, fire or shelter, and all of them knowing that they were thereby prolonging the period of their absence beyond the estimated time, and subjecting themselves to the certain necessity of being at least one or two days without rations of any kind before the return to Camp Kelease could be effected.

On the 7th of November, Lieutenant-Colonel Marshall, with a guard of some fifteen hundi-ed men, started for Fort Snelling in charge of other captured Indians, comprising the women and children, and such of the men as were not found guilty of any heinous crime by the Military Commission, and arrived safely at their destination on the 13th.

From the commencement of hostilities until the 16th day of September the war was carried on almost entirely from the resources of the State alone, and some little assistance from our sister States in the way of arms and ammunition. On this latter date Major-General John Pope, who had been apjjoiuted by the President of the United States to take command of the Dapartment of the North-west, arrived and established his headquarters in the city of St. Paul, in this state. The principal part of the active service of the season's camjjaign had previously been gone through with; but the forces previously under the command of of the State authorities were immediately turned over to his command, and the after-movements were entirely under his control and direction.

He brought to the aid of the troops raised in the State the 25th Wisconsin and the 27th Iowa Regiments, both infantry. These forces were speedily distributed at different points along the frontier, and assisted in guarding the settlements during the autumn, but they were recalled and sent out of the State before the closing in of the winter.

It was contemplated to send the 6th and 7th Eegiments Minnesota Volunteers to take part in the war against the rebels in the Southern States, and orders to this effect had already been issued, but on the 6th of November, in obedience to the expressed wish of a large portion of the inhabitants of the State, these orders were countermanded. They were directed to remain in the state, and the 3d Regiment was ordered ofi' instead.

All the forces then remaining in the state were assigned to winter quarters at such points as it was thought expedient to keep guarded during the winter, and on the 25th of November Major-General Pope removed his headquarters to Madison, in the State of Wisconsin. Brigadier-General Sibley then remained in the immediate command of the troops retained in service against the Indians, and established his headquarters in the city of St. Paul.

"Considering the many serious disadvantages under which General Sibley has labored - a deficiency of arms and ammunition, scarcity of provisions, and the total absence of cavalry at a time when he could have successfully pursued and cap. tured Little Crow and his followers - the expedition has been successful beyond the most sanguine anticipations. Of the three hundred white captives in the hands of the Indians at the commencement of the war, all, or nearly all, have been retaken and returned to their friends. Much private property has been secured, and some fifteen hundred Indians, engaged directly or indirectly in the massacres, have been captured; and those who have actually stained their hands in the blood of our frontier settlers are condemned to suffer death. Their sentence will be carried into execution, unless countermanded by authorities at Washington."