New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1894-08-01
ANOTHER REMINIsCENC CE
Of the Famous BATHS Of Birch 0oulie.
The Selection Of the Camp Mistake and
Who Was to Command in Doubt.
"REMINISCENCES
Anderson's Note Of Warning and Oolloquy
With Capt. Grant.

the memorable battle of Birch Coulie.
and our memories may be at fault, but
1t seems to me as fresh as if it occurred
but yesterday, was a sergeant in Com
pany A of the Sixth Minnesota, and was
one of the participants on that occasion.
At this late date it is hard for those who
know of it simply by hearsay to appre-
clate the desperate position we were in,
and how nearly we came to being annihil-
lated, as was Gen. Custer and his brave
boys at the Little Big Horn at more
recent date. "
The question of who was in command
is matter of dispute, but as to the bad
jUdsmentsh0wnin in the two camping pla-
ces, the one the first night at the ferry, and
the other the second nigt at the coulie,
there can be but one opinion. The first
night was on guard .sand AFTER Capt.
Anderson had given US talk which
sounded very much like halftoned fun
eral oration, got scared. I felt brave
enough before that, but the picture he
drew IN subdued tones of how stealthily
the Indians crept upon their unsuspect-
ing foe and scalped them before they
had an opportunity to awake, made me
stop and think that perhaps we were,
even then, fit subjects for these indians,
who come upon the unsuspective with
out a formal introduction. So Invent to
Capt. Grant and told him what I thought
of the situation. He said:
sergeant. you are little nervous to-
night"
He told the truth, but that did not
help the gloomy surroundings. sug-
gested that the guard be doubled, or
that the men sleep on their arms. The
latter suggestion was adopted, and the
night wore away without an attack.
The second night we were not so for
tunate. Maj. Joe Brown had been out
with the scouts all day, but missed the
Indians. The Indians did not miss us
however, for they had us covered all day
long. My impression is that Capt. Grant
selected the camping place at Birch Coo
lie, and not near the coolie on account
of the wood an6 water. Mai: Brown
acquiesced in it. because he gave us a
talk, but it was not as gloomy as was
Capt. ADderson's. He said: ....I ~.
"Boys. you arc as safe here as you
would be in your mothers house, for
there is not an Indian within fifty miles
Of YOU" ......
At that very moment several hundred
OF them, not 500 yards away, were watch
ing and waiting for the proper time to
arrive for an attack, which did occur
about o'clock the next morning. 1 am
writing this to correct Lieut. Swan in
one or two minor things in his commun-
lcatlon of July %, and give MIN the
name of the brave lieutenant who with a
squad of men, took possession of. and
held the open space next the Coolie
The officer was First Lieut. Harry j
Glllham. He was afterwgrd captain o1
Campany A and served all through the
war He was brave and just to his men
did good service and has gone to his
reward-he died several years ago at
Anoka, Minn. The two men sswho
dashed out through the opening were a
citizen by the name of Henderson and
Private Auke Johnson, of Company A,
but did not see Maj. Brown. pistol in
hand, stopping any others. When these
men started I ordered them tossHalt,
halt, halt, or I'll fire. and 1 did fire, and
this was my first shot Of the war. Hend-
erson never came back, but johnson did.
Henderson was the last Of his family,
for we buried his wife and children the
night before. He was probably shot by
Indians. IS.
The first order to clay down. came
from Capt. Grant. We mistook it for
''fall in'' and suffered from the terrific
fire Of the Indians before we realized
that under the circumstances it was not
necessary to sfall in, Z '.right dress, z
s'front.''
The first I heard Of Capt. Anderson
was; Capt. Grant, where in hell $ your
infantry 2
The captain replied The infantry
is is al right where lin in hell is your cav
airy"
Capt. Anderson was brave enough. &.
We were all brave, for We couldn' 1 afford