New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1895-04-10
THE BIRCH Col LEE FIGHT.
It Promises to Begin Once More Over
- ID 6. The Location. s s5s


It Promises toI Begin Once More Over
1900 The Location. s5ss5
Mr.. Gilfllan Says the Monument Should
Not be Moved.
The following is the text Of a special
to the Minneapolis Journal from Red
wood Falls, dated April 9th. IS
Hon. G. D. Gilfillan, chairman of the
Birch Coulee monument commission,
was in the city this morning and took
occasion to talk on the action of the
joint legislative committee recommend
ing that the Birch Coulce monument be
set back mile and a half from its pres
ent position and also that the name of
H. P. Grant be removed from the monu-
ment and that of Maj. Brown inserted in
lieu thereof. j
"Three members of our commission .
remarked Mr.. Gilfllan, sswere survivors
of the battle, and when the site was be-
ing selected, no two out Of three could
agree on the exact spot on which the
battle was fought. They were from 800
feet to half a mile apart on location.
We called in survivor of the battle re-
siding near the battlefield at the present
time and the survivor said that the bat
tlefe]d was 800 feet away from any one
of the three spots located by the COM
missioners. You will see how hard it
was for the commission to agree. What
should have been done was to buy two
or three across of the ground in that
neighborhood and theE placed the mon
ument in the center. That would have
secured the right location. But the ap-
preparation was not large enough. We
did the best we could. The monument
is located where part of the battle was
fought. Why shouldn't the location be
the best when the balance of the BATTLE
field is an uncertain spot? The monu-
ment is located in commanding spot
and the grounds will be kept in order by
the Minnesota Valley Agricultural As
ISOLATION, with which we have contract
for the performance of that work. It
was the intention of the commission to
have large stone placed further back
from the hill and on it have words en-
graved commemorative of part of the
battle having been fought there. Think
that the joint legislative committee have
made big mistake. am sure that tn,
were honest and conscien-
tious and did what they believed best,
and certainly their experience Is worth
much more than the legislative commit
tee, probably only few members of
which have seen the battle1ield."
Mr.. Gilfllan stated that at the time
the matter was decided the commission
entertained grave doubts as to just who
was in command at the time the battle
was fought. Letters were addressed to
MAJ. Brown, as being in command, he
said, while Col. Crooks, of St. Paul, who
was IN the very room at the time the ex
petition was fitted out, states positively
that Capt. Grant was the superior officer
and this latter statement was accepted
by the commission.
1.-The expedition is no credit 10 who
ever was in command" continued Mr..
Iiltillan. awe will admit the fine SOL
qualities of Gen. Sibley, who was in
of all the Indian troubles in
This state, but this Birch Coulee fight
will ever be a black spot on his fine re-
cord. Before this battle he had the op.
portunity of turning his cavalry and in
fantry on these Indians and w1ping them
otf the face of the earth at a previous
lime and place, but instead of that, when
le shifted the Indians mile off, the SOL
Tiers and cavalry stopped and Immediate
y commenced throwing up intrench-
nents, giving the Indians chance to re-
reat, chance which they accepted very
quickly. A detachment ofsoldiers pursued
hem until they arrived at the Coulee.
nd were cleverly in ambush. The COM
handler of that detachment, whoever he
vas, plunged his soldiers upon them,
With the result that in the neighborhood
If so soldiers were killed and wounded,
While not more than one good Indian
urned his heels to the sky. 1t was a
lack error, decide dly dark error, and
ar from a credit to the man being in
ommand.
"The Journal evidently labors under
mistaken IMPRESSION" said Mr.. Gilfllan,
when it says that the apparent action
f our commission was to benefit tho In