St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-05-07
BIRCH C0ULIE.

The Most Historic and Interesting
Spot in the Commonwealth,
Abont to Be Sacrificed to the
Bad Faith, Bad Taste. and
seIf.Interest Of a Few Men.
All citizens OF Minnesota who have
interested themselves in its history.
know that on the I'd and Sd d avs of Sep.
tember, 1852. the most heroic ally con.
tested Indian battle III American his
tory occurred at Birch Coulie. this
state. Marshes ambnscade at the Red
wood ferry, and Custer's sur prise on the
Little Big Horn were more disastrous
in their results, but no fight in all our
history exceeds i'll vaior. ndurance and
bloody results the battle OF Birch Coul.e
Tough t by our citizen soldiery, actuared
solely by patriotic motives.
Thirty-One years passed. and the sur
yiyors of this struggle met, some sew
enteen in number, and decided that
steps should be taken to commemorate
thiseyent. Acommittee was appointed
to petition the Legislature to purchase
the site of the battlefield and erect.a
monument thereon, that future genera
lions might be reminded of the hard
ships and sacrifices which had been
made and endured by the pioneers for
their benefit. A committee of five was
appointed to memOrialize the legislature
appropriately. The names of the COM
mittee were II. p. Grant. j. j. Egan. Z.
q. Erickson. W. Ii. Grant and S. G.
Arbuckie. all participants in the fight,
aud one ths commander Of the whites.
This committee prepared memorial
relating the character, Incidents and
importance of the battle. and prayed an
appropriation to purchase the battle
field of Birch Coulie. not exceeding an
area Of i've acres, and cause to be
ERECTED THEREON monument, which
for all time shall not only be an honor
to the State, but commemorate the
patriotism, the yaior and unseIiish de-
vntion of the men who in 1862 gave
their lives for the defense of our homes
aud families and the onward march Of
American civilization" This memorial
is dated January 50. 1898. and is signed
by the above named committee.
1t was presented to the Minnesota
Historical society on the same day, and
that society cordially united in the same
by a resolution passed by it, which is as
follows:
Whereas, This society has learned
that the Association of Survivors of the
Battle of Birch Coulie has petitloned the
state legislature to secure reservation
oil that spot, and erect monument to
the dead who fell in that memorable
conflict;
Therefore, Resolved, That we heartily
RpDroVe the action proposed, and join
In the petition as meritoriOus measure.
Many states in the Union have secured
and Enclosed similar sites of battlehe!ds
on their.sOiI stained with the blood OF the
heroes who were there slain, and con.
slider these spots as sacred and neceSSa-
ry to preserve the historical memories
OF the conflict as well as to teach lessons
OF bravery and patriotism to following
generations"
This memorial was presented to the
legislature of 1888. and on the nth of
april, of that year. an act was passed
appropriating $500 ''for the purchase
and conveyance to the state OF THE
LAND ON WHICH WAS FOUGHT THE
BATTLE OF BIRCH CoULIE. OIL the sec
ond and third days of September. 1862.
in the county of Renville. not exceeding
an area of fivs acres, and suitably inclos-
ing the same, AND FOR ERECTING
THEREON a granite monument. which
Shall not only commemorate the event,
but the states appreciation of the serv-
Ices of the men WHO HAERE sacrificed
their lives in its defense.''
This act named a committee to carry
out its provisions. as follows:
Charles ID. Gilfllan. of Redwood
county; DIR. Stoddard. R. B. Henlon
and Jerry Patton, of Renville county;
j. w. Daniels, OF Rice county, and
Samuel G. Arbuckle and William ii.
Grant, Of Ramsey county,"
OF this committee three, DIR. Daniels,
William H.. Grant and Samuel G. Ar
buckle, were survivors of the battle,
and the rest were added as living in the
vicinity of the battlefield, and as sup
posed to have an interest in the proper
of the wishes of the state.
A meeting of the committee was held.
1t was found that the owner of the land
was willing to sell five acres for $500,
and it was decided to pay that sum if
no better terms could be obtained. The
land was not worth probably $50 an
acre. The act provided for condem-
nation OF the five acres if it could not
be obtained OH reasonable terms, but it
was deemed best to take it at the price
offered If that was the best that could
be done, and SO the matter ended, as
most of the committee supposed, but
such was rot the case.
A town named "Morton,' which had
no existence at the time of the battle,
has sprung into existence since, and Is
located in the Minnesota bottoms, about
three or four miles from the battlefield.
Some of the commissioners reside there.
and others near by. Another meeting
of the commission was held few DAYS
since, and Imagine the surprise of the
survivors of the battle who were OH the
when they learned that the
OF the committee had decided !
to locate the monument on bluff over /
looking the town of Morton. some two
miles from the battlefield, and that this |
illegal and unpatriotic
conclusion had been arrived at for the |
reason that some one had agreed to do |
nate site for the monument out of |
land probably not worth cent an acre. |
Such picayune, peanut reason for oil. |
rect violation of law makes il appar- |
ent that some other reason is at the bot.
tom of the matter.
The law is clear that the commission
is appointed to purchase ''the land on
which was fought the battle of Birch |
coulie." and ito erect thereon |
a granite monument etc., not two
miles away, but THERE ON THE SPOT |
WHERE THE BATTLE WAS FOUGHT. |
And they have no more right to put |
that monument on any other spot in the |
vicinity than they have to erect 1t IN |
Bridge square in St. Paul-which. by
the way, would be much more appro-
pirate place than the site as now chosen |
which means nothing, indicates moth |
ing, ignores the spot made sacred by |
the ''blood of the heroes who there |
slaln." and Is selected In direct viola
ton of the statute appropriating the |
E.. "a