Killdeer Mountain
Tahkahokuty Mountain North Dakota

American Civil War
July 28-29, 1864

Brig. General Alfred Sully, who had defeated the recalcitrant Sioux at Whitestone Hill in September 1863, wintered on the Missouri River. During the winter, Sully's superior, Maj. General John Pope, formulated a plan for ending the difficulties with the Sioux.  He would order a force of about 2,500 men, commanded by Sully, into the field to find the Native Americans and engage them in battle. In addition, he would send infantry behind Sully's force to establish strong-posts in the "Indian country."  Thus, Minnesota troops were ordered to meet Sully's force at the mouth of Burdache Creek on the Upper Missouri for active campaigning.  The two columns rendezvoused on June 30 and set out against the Sioux. They established Fort Rice on July 7 at the mouth of Cannonball River and moved on. The Sioux, who had been operating north of Fort Rice, moved across the Missouri River and took a strong position on the Little Missouri River, about 200 miles from the fort. On July 26, Sully marched out to engage them in battle. On the 28th, he arrived near the Native American camp which he reported included 5,000-6,000 warriors "strongly posted in wooded country, very much cut up with high, rugged hills, and deep, impassible ravines." Sully met with some of the tribal chiefs first, but nothing came of it so he attacked. Heavy fighting ensued, but eventually the artillery and long-range firearms took effect and the Sioux began losing ground. The retirement turned into flight. The Native Americans left all their possessions, and a running fight of almost nine miles scattered the warriors who were not wounded or killed. Killdeer Mountain broke the back of the Sioux resistance.  Sully did meet the remnants of the Sioux warriors that had escaped Killdeer Mountain in August and defeated them, but they had none of the spirit formally exhibited. Result(s): Union victory Location: Dunn County Campaign: Sully's Expedition against the Sioux in Dakota Territory (1864) Date(s): July 28-29, 1864 Principal Commanders: Brig. General Alfred Sully [US]; Chief Inkpaduta [I] Forces Engaged: Detachments from eight units (2,200) [US];  Santee and Teton Sioux [I] Estimated Casualties: Unknown

Kindle Available Civil War in the Indian Territory When the war broke out, both sides wanted the Five Civilized Tribes, led by the Cherokees, and each got around half. The Confederacy sent Brigadier General Albert Pike to recruit them, and he did a pretty good job. A strange, brilliant, man, Pike's career as a General is a minor footnote in his long life

North Dakota State Battle Map
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American Civil War Exhibits
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Women in the War

Native American Civil War Book Titles

Kindle Available The Confederate War Bonnet: A Novel of the Civil War in Indian Territory An evocative historical novel that helps to answer how Indians became involved in the Civil War, why they joined Confederate forces, and how the experience shaped their future in America.	DVD 500 Nations An eight-part documentary that explores the history of the indigenous peoples of North and Central America, from pre-Colombian times through the period of European contact and colonization, to the end of the 19th century and the subjugation of the Plains Indians of North America	Confederate Armies: Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, the Confederate Units and the Indian Units This volume is arranged by state; units organized directly by the Confederate authorities from various state companies; and those units from the Indian nations allied with the Confederacy. Chapters are included for artillery, cavalry and infantry units that are broken down by size: battalions, batteries, companies and regiments	The Cherokee Nation in the Civil War The Cherokee people, who had only just begun to recover from the ordeal of removal, faced an equally devastating upheaval in the Civil War. The Cherokee Nation, with its sovereign status and distinct culture, had a wartime experience unlike that of any other group of people
The American Indian and the End of the Confederacy, 1863-1866 The vulnerability of the Indians caught between two warring sides. The failure of the US government to afford to the southern Indians the protection solemnly guaranteed by treaty stipulations was the great cause of their entering into an alliance with The Confederacy	The American Civil War in Indian Territory Native Americans fought in both Union and Confederate units. The Indian Territory saw its share of battles and campaigns. If you are a reenactor or modeler this is the kind of detail that you need. The photos and artwork make this a must-have.	General Stand Watie's Confederate Indians The Confederacy pioneered the idea of giving blacks and women positions of authority [the Matron Law], placed Jews in positions of power, put General's stars on a Mexican and the first American Indian General. This book is his story	Sam Bell Maxey and the Confederate Indians Accompanying photos, clear maps. This book will leave you wanting to learn more about this rather neglected region of the war. No less important in many regards for the defining of the nation's future than the more well-known battlefields of Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. Highly recommended
Kindle Available Civil War on the Western Border, 1854-1865 Fanatical politics of the western frontier, immigrant abolitionists with loaded Spencer rifles funded by mysterious personages back East, cut-throats, gin heads and horse thieves, colorful character descriptions	The Civil War in Arizona: The Story of the California Volunteers, 1861-1865 History of the California Column in wartime Arizona and a rare compilation of letters written by the volunteer soldiers who served in the U.S. Army from 1861 to 1866. These letters provide testimony of the grueling desert conditions the soldiers endured as they fought on many fronts	Black Flag: Guerrilla Warfare on the Western Border, 1861-1865: A Riveting Account of a Bloody Chapter in Civil War History The guerilla warfare along the Kansas-Missouri boarder brought forth some of the bloodiest incidents of the Civil War	Kindle Available Child of the Fighting Tenth: On the Frontier with the Buffalo Soldiers The drama of growing up in the frontier army, the Indian wars on the plains, the Geronimo campaign in the Southwest and Mexico, her love for the regiment and the Buffalo Soldiers, their admiration for her, and even her lost love for a dashing young cavalry officer