New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1894-06-06
BIRCH CoULIE MONUMENT,
Col. sheehan Defends the Proposed Loca-
cation.
He Wants it Placed on the Renville Ooun-
ty Fair Grounds.

~ Iuc EFulIOI Oh tue dlOOe. - AS one
Of the parties who took an active part in
the defence of Fort Ridgley and Birch
Coulie, and served during the war that
is notable for the Sioux massacre of 1862,
desire to say that l am firmly convinced
IN my views relative to the site of the
monument to be erected in commemora-
ton of the battle of Birch Coulie and
the states appreciation of the services of
the men who there sacrificed their lives
in the defense of the state by suggestions
IS follows:
That the state, in giving the money,
did not so much regard the place or the
exact particular spot IN which the men
were surrounded as the pivotal fact that
the state appreciated the services of the
men, and desired to erect monument as
suitable reward for their achievements.
A monument means something to keep
In remembrance what is pasta record.
The place is only incidental to the main
achlevement, to-wit, the battle fought.
The monument on Bunker hill is record
OF the achievement by the Continental
volunteers.
The monument erected to Gen. Jack
son at New Orleans is one mile from the
battle field upon which he whipped the
British. The monument erected to Gen.
Williams, commemorative of the Bloody
Pond battle, in Warren county, New
York, is mile and half from the place
where that general fell - on the very
edge of that pond. The monument at
New Ulm is now on the Indian line of
battle, and not where tho soldiers and
citizens fell in defense of that place. The
monument erected at Fort Ridgely to
the memory of the fallen heroes of Com
pany B and Company c, Of the Fifth
Minnesota, is not erected on the spot
where those gallant heroes fell at the
devoted post. It is the monumental
event that characterizes the affair which
determines the proper location of the
emblem of perpetuation of such event.
There have been some adverse views
presented relative to the place In which
this record should be erected. A band
of men hemmed in, in small camp, In
dians surrounding them on all sides for
miles about; it is too narrow csnstruc-
ton to place upon the act of the legis-
lature that you cannot build a monu
ment to hand down upon tablets of stone,
upon a high surrounding place and with
in short distance of where the dead lie
and were buried, memorial of the
achievement. To place it in a swamp
or upon farm, unprotected, neglected,
is unworthy of the men who fought and
died there. Place it on the county fair
grounds, within view of all, so that the
youthful and aged may take advantage
of the education, the patriotism to be
derived from a commemoration of the
patriotic dead and the patriotic living.
Delay the construction of the monument,
and the intent Of the legislature is de-
feated.
Place the monument intended to COM
memorate the battle of Birch Coulie on
the county fair grounds on the beautiful
knoll near the river. Then it will be in
full view of all passers by on the Mime
apolis & St. Louis railway. This is near
the point where Little Crow organized
his band of savages to commit the mas
sacre. 1t is near this spot that he am
hushed and slaughtered Capt. Marsh and
his company of volunteers. It will look
over tie ground where Little Grow mar
shaled his forces and crossed the r1yer to
attack Fort Ridgely and to massacre the
men, women and children then seeking
safety there. It will then be on spot |
from which can be viewed that other
monument at Fort Ridgely, and embrace
in the view between the two monuments
the historic valley of the Minnesota ri
yer. It will show in perspective the
landscape between Birch Coulie and Fort
Rdgely. The two monuments will
stand Is, ,sentinels facing each other in
patriotic devotion, in memory of the
successful defense Of those historic
points.
Ihope the committee will take favor
able view Of my suggestions. / would
also suggest that the name Of the post
Office at Morton be changed to that Of
Birch Coulie.
Upon the monument, in my opinion,
should 81 be engraved the name Of Capt. d.
=. Grant, who was the only commits
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