St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-05-20
BIRCH COULIE MONUMENT
THE SURVIVORS or THAT MEMORABLE
ENGAGEMENT
ENTER EMPHATIC PROTEST


ENTER EMPHATIC PROTEST
against tho Proposed SncriIege
and Violation of Law-Capt.
Joe Anderson Kecounts the
Scenes of the Tragic Siege-A
Sioux HalC-Breed Wakes Pro-
fancy Eloquent.
We hardly think the committee on
location of the Birch Coulie monument
will defy the wishes of the Survivors OF
that desperate battle, and, in violation
of the law. place the monument IN the
town of Morton. or anywhere else than
on the battle field, where tie law locates
1t. We have heretofore shown that the
place selected is no part of the battle
field, and that it only secured the sane
tion OF the attorney general OH false
representation to him that some part of
the battle occurred at that point.
we nave great respect for Maj. Shee-
han. who thinks it should he located ON
the fair grounds of Renyilie County, but
the. major is entirely off in his views.
In the first place, because the law max
ing the appropriation says it shall he
placed upon the battle field. and.
secondly. such structures are de.
signed to impress upon pos
terity the sacrifices which the
pioneers of the Country suffered to ena-
Die them to enjoy the land, and not for
ahltching post for farmers team in a
small village, or distance post for a
country race course. Ii there is any
good reason why it ought not to be
erected Oh the battlefield hich we arr
unable to see-then let the law be
changed so as to put 1t OIL the ground of
the new capitol. where it will forever
inculcate It's teachings of patriotism TO
all the world.
Let us hear from some of the survivors
as to what they think of the location of
this monument in the town of Mortnn
Here is letter from Capt. Joe An
derson. who commanded the cavalry of
the expedition; and r. K. Boyd. who
was III the fight; also DIR. j. w. Dam
iels. who acted as surgeon Of the squad.
And very emphatic protest FROM Jo-
seph Osia, a Sioux half-breed. who
fought with the whites. He says: Il
want the monument placed exactly
where the damned Indians shot at me-"
Inc opinions of the rest OF the survlv-
ors will be Forthcoming later.
CAPT. ANDERsoN's VIEWS.
OKLAHOMA CITY. o. T., May IL. 1894
W. Ii. Grant, ESQ.,, st. Paul. MIMI
Dear Friend and Comrade of the 1862
Campaign Against the Sioux:
There was and is but one Birch Couiie
battle-ground. and l rejoice to learn
that the old comrades who there. under
adverse conditions, fought 10 maintain
their positnn from the first dawn of day
!, on Sept. 2 1862. until high noon of the
following day still remain true to the
memory OF our comrades who there
bravely offered and. in twenty odd
preston of merciiess raid that devas-
tat. the frontier OF Minnesota and the
! DakotaS for more than 800 miles from
south to north, and more than sixty
from east to west. The men who made
that defense were mostly from st. Paul
and the valley of the Minnesota,
. and were true pioneers in forth.
tude, but were without experience in
military life. About one-third of us
had rev0lvers and sabers. which would
have been usiiful had a charge been
made by the Indians, and all of us were
armed with muzZle-loading muskets.
more than one-thlrd of which were Old
and out of repair. When we were pre-
pairing to start OH the reconnaissance
that led up to the battle of Birch Coulie
the ordnance officer at Fort Kidgely un-
fortunately made the mistake of issuing
TO us loo cartridges that were two
sizes too large for our muskets. the balls
of which cartridges we had to shave
down with our pocket knives. or ham
mer down with wagon wrenches. during
the engagement to fit our guns, yet we
can say that nearly every man did his
duty well during that thirty-odd hours
fight that was maintained without food.
water Or rest.agalnst great odds; and we
have right to ask in the lame
OF William Irvine. Ben Terry, gallant
F. w. De Camp. who was with us in
search of his missing wife and children,
and who stood up at Birch Coulie. firing
guns that were being loaded for him by
TWO OF our CONF AIDES, until he was shot
down; brave Sergeant Bob Baxter, who
fell at the first fire, and whose dying
words were: go in, boys, Pm shot,"
and our other brave comrades who were
killed and buried there. that the apDro-
prlation SO generously made by Mime
sofa, the beautiful state we loved so
well, shall be expended where we
fought. and there only. to commemorate,
or all time to come, the fact of that be-
ing the very sput where the tide OF the
Sioux invasion and massacre was broken
and turned back, never to come that far
east again.
Would it not be well to enjoin those
who think of using the appropriation in
the erection of a deluSiOn that will in
the course of time establish false be-
lief that the battle of Birch Coulie was
fought more than mile from where it
occurred; and then proceed to have
condemned and taken, at a reasonable
price, by law. the land OF the greedy
cormoraut who would fill his pockets
with lucre acquired by the sale Of land
made valuable and sacred by the blood
of patriots shed there. and thus make a
record that will stand in the courts as
long as the memory of Birch Couile
lasts, that such craven wretch lived
at the time he did? 4
My heart is moved with gratitude to-
ward the patriotic, but mistaken, people
of the town of Morton who are DESTROYS
of assisting in coMmemorating our ac-
lions at Birch Coulie, but l think it
would be great mistake to use the APP
preparation. or any part of it, for any
other purpose than was contemplated
by the legislature that donated It.
Cash is becoming scarce with me, but
put me down as willing to give $40 to
assist in defraying any expenses that
may be incurred in suits enjoining
those who think differently from us,
and in condemning and taking the land
Oh which the battle was fought and the
land in front of it extending to the
road. Sincerely your friend and old
comrade, JOSEPH ANDERSON.
ROBERT K. BOYD PROTESTS.
Comrade w. II. Grant, ST. Paul. |
Minn.-Dear Comrade: | thank you
for your kindness in sending the pa
pers. have written to the Pioneer
Press to enter my protest against such |