New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1894-08-08
THE BIRCH COOLIE. GHOST.
The Official Record Versus Captain q. P.
Grant.

bfO"nS ValleV, july 2S.-IO the
Editor: I generally read the Pioneer
Press pretty thoroughly, but somehow
or another the article signed ''Capt. HIP.
Grant in command at the Battle of Birch
Coulie, Sept and 3, 1862" in the issue
of the 10th. escaped my notice until yes
terday, when my attention was called to
1t.
And the captain renews his preposter-
Gus claim to command at Birch Coulic
Verify, the classic proverb that sEven
the Gods have no power to contend
against stupidity" has forcible illus
tration in his case. For, in face of the
official reports of all the principal parti-
cipants in that tragic evcnt-in the face
of the official report of Gen. Sibley, and
of all the histories ever written of the
events, and the corroborative evidence
of such men as Judge Flandreau and
Judge Egan, as given in the Pioneer
Press Of June 4 last, clearly showing
that my father. the late Joseph R. Brown
was in command, he comes forward
blowing his horn through the country
and proclainling that he and not Mai.
Brown was in command there.
Having been Il captive in Little Crows
camp at the time of the battle of Birch
Coulie, I, of course, do not know of nv
own knowledge who was in command
there. But history and all contempor-
airy publications, SO far as I have seen
record that my father was in command,
and it appears to ME to be pretty much
out of place for airy one to come forward
at this late day and undertake to steal
his thunder.
Allow me to state briefly the follow
ing facts. which will, let US hope, forever
end this unnecessary and unfortunate
Birch Coulie discussion, and if the cap
Vail WISHES ~ CoHtlnuo IL anu tneTeDy
earn a little cheap notoriety, he can
hereafter, so far as am concerned, have
the field all to himself.
Gen. Sibley. in his official report of The
Birch Coullc affair, says: II d1spatched
Capt. Grant, with his company of seven
ty-tive men of the 9th regiment, thirty
five men of the mounted volunteer force
under the command of Capt. Joseph Au-
derson, and an armed burial party of
twenty men, in all about 153 men, the
whole under the command of Mai. Jos.
r. Brown, with orders to proceed to the
late butcheries,' and further On in the
report refers frequently to my father as
''the further orders given to Maj. Brown
"the camp of Maj Brown, Maj. Browns
camp" etc.
Maj. Brown writes the official report
as commanding officer of that ill-fated
expedition and makes it to "Col. H. H.
sibley, commanding expedition in Sioux
country" and it is dated 'sFort Ridgelv.
Sept 4, 1S62,-the next day after the re-
turn of the expedition. He says; '.In
compliance with your orders I left the
encampment at this post on the morn
ing Of Aug, 81, 1899, to visit the differ
ent settlers between this post and Beaver
river to search for and bury all persons
that could be found murdered and at the
same time to examine the country about
the Lower Sioux agency and Little
Crows village to mark all indications of
the movement of the Indians and the
course taken by them in their retreat.
retreat. Capt. Grants company. Sixth
regiment, Capt. Anderson's company of
mounted men, several volunteers from
the officers of the expedition, a fatigue
party of twenty men and seven
teen teamsters, with their teams, formed
the force of the detachment. X x x
On Sept. the detachment marched in a
body to the river bank, where the
mounted company, with one team and
eight of the fatigue party, accompanied
me across the river under the protection
of the infantry. After searching around
the agency and becoming satisfied there
were no Indians in the vicinity, Capt.
Grant was directed to remain with his
company on the east side OF the river to
bury what murdered persons could be
found at the crossing and at the settle
ments, SO far as Beaver river and from
the Beaver river to return to the upper
timber on the Birch Coulie and encamp''
etc.
Capt. Anderson writes an official re-
port and makes it to .:Maj. Joseph R.
Brown, commanding expedition toSioux
agency . and says: .sSir: I have the hon
or to report that on the morning of Sept