Battle of Big Mound
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The Battle of Big Mound was a United States Army victory over the combined Santee and Teton Sioux forces in the Dakota Territory.
After suppressing the Dakota War of 1862, Henry Hastings Sibley was appointed brigadier general of volunteers. Sibley departed from Fort Ridgely and marched into the Dakotas after the Santee Sioux who had led the uprising. In the Dakota Territory, the Santee were joined by the Teton Sioux.
On July 24, Sibley received reports of a large Indian force nearby and established a camp. A few Indians approached Sibley's camp expressing friendship, but when a surgeon was killed, the Indians fled behind ridges surrounding the camp. There, they were joined by the rest of the Indian force, which began firing upon the soldiers. The army's response was at first scattered, but Sibley gathered a force together and attacked the entrenched Indian positions. The attack succeeded and the Indians were driven from the ridges and a scattered retreat followed. Mounted troops pursued the fleeing warriors across the prairie until dark.
The battle scattered the Sioux force and their morale began to raise. The people retreated further into the Washington Territory closely pursued by Sibley. The two forces met again the following day at the Battle of Dead Buffalo Lake. Casualties are unknown for both sides.
After suppressing the Dakota War of 1862, Henry Hastings Sibley was appointed brigadier general of volunteers. Sibley departed from Fort Ridgely and marched into the Dakotas after the Santee Sioux who had led the uprising. In the Dakota Territory, the Santee were joined by the Teton Sioux.
On July 24, Sibley received reports of a large Indian force nearby and established a camp. A few Indians approached Sibley's camp expressing friendship, but when a surgeon was killed, the Indians fled behind ridges surrounding the camp. There, they were joined by the rest of the Indian force, which began firing upon the soldiers. The army's response was at first scattered, but Sibley gathered a force together and attacked the entrenched Indian positions. The attack succeeded and the Indians were driven from the ridges and a scattered retreat followed. Mounted troops pursued the fleeing warriors across the prairie until dark.
The battle scattered the Sioux force and their morale began to raise. The people retreated further into the Washington Territory closely pursued by Sibley. The two forces met again the following day at the Battle of Dead Buffalo Lake. Casualties are unknown for both sides.
| Battle of Big Mound | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Dakota War of 1862/Sioux Wars | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
| United States of America | Santee Sioux Teton Sioux | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Henry Hastings Sibley | Inkpaduta | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 3,000 | ? | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 20 | 10 | ||||||
