▁of ▁Bir ch ▁Cou lee ▁occurred ▁September ▁ 2 , ▁ 1 8 6 2 ▁during ▁the ▁Dak ota ▁War ▁of ▁ 1 8 6 2 . ▁ ▁After ▁the ▁Battle ▁of ▁Fort ▁R id g ely ▁and ▁the ▁Battle ▁of ▁New ▁Ul m , ▁Colonel ▁Henry ▁H ast ings ▁S ible y ▁was ▁planning ▁to ▁ret ali ate ▁against ▁the ▁Si oux ▁and ▁to ▁obtain ▁the ▁release ▁of ▁the ▁sett lers ▁they ▁were ▁holding ▁capt ive . ▁ ▁While ▁S ible y ▁was ▁training ▁soldiers ▁and ▁attempting ▁to ▁organ ize ▁supplies , ▁he ▁was ▁rem ind ed ▁that ▁the ▁bodies ▁of ▁many ▁sett lers ▁killed ▁by ▁the ▁Indians ▁still ▁remained ▁un bur ied ▁on ▁the ▁battle fields . ▁ ▁S ible y ▁sent ▁out ▁a ▁bur ial ▁party ▁of ▁about ▁ 1 7 0 ▁men ▁from ▁Fort ▁R id g ely ▁on ▁August ▁ 3 1 , ▁ 1 8 6 2 . ▁ ▁The ▁battle ▁The ▁troops , ▁commanded ▁by ▁Captain ▁Hir am ▁P . ▁Grant , ▁left ▁Fort ▁R id g ely ▁and ▁continued ▁to ▁Red wood ▁Fer ry , ▁stopping ▁to ▁b ury ▁about ▁six teen ▁sett lers ' ▁bodies ▁along ▁the ▁way . ▁ ▁Although ▁some ▁argue ▁that ▁Major ▁Joseph ▁Brown ▁was ▁in ▁charge ▁of ▁the ▁party , ▁Brown ' s ▁rank ▁was ▁little ▁more ▁than ▁a ▁paper ▁commission ▁given ▁to ▁Indian ▁agents ▁to ▁increase ▁their ▁status ▁among ▁their ▁Native ▁charges . ▁He ▁held ▁no ▁military ▁authority ▁on ▁the ▁bur ial ▁detail , ▁as ▁noted ▁by ▁first -