illery ▁brig ade . ▁The ▁shell ing ▁forced ▁the ▁Si oux ▁to ▁dis per se , ▁and ▁S ible y ▁entered ▁Brown ' s ▁camp ▁around ▁ 1 1 ▁am ▁on ▁September ▁ 3 . ▁He ▁encountered ▁a ▁" s ick ening ▁sight ", ▁with ▁twenty - two ▁men ▁and ▁nin ety ▁horses ▁dead , ▁forty - se ven ▁men ▁sever ely ▁wounded , ▁and ▁others ▁less ▁sever ely ▁hurt . ▁The ▁surv iv ors ▁were ▁exha usted ▁from ▁a ▁thirty - one ▁hour ▁sie ge ▁without ▁water ▁or ▁food . ▁ ▁After math ▁The ▁battle ▁of ▁Bir ch ▁Cou lee ▁was ▁the ▁most ▁dead ly ▁for ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁forces ▁in ▁the ▁Dak ota ▁War ▁of ▁ 1 8 6 2 . ▁Colonel ▁S ible y ▁decided ▁against ▁taking ▁responsibility ▁for ▁the ▁dis aster . ▁In ▁his ▁military ▁reports ▁and ▁in ▁press ▁dispatch es ▁he ▁started ▁to ▁refer ▁to ▁the ▁encounter ▁as ▁the ▁' att ack ▁on ▁J . R . ▁Brown ' s ▁party .' ▁ ▁The ▁monument ▁at ▁Bir ch ▁Cou lee ▁Battle field ▁correctly ▁states ▁that ▁Captain ▁Hir am ▁P . ▁Grant ▁was ▁in ▁command , ▁as ▁do ▁most ▁first - hand ▁accounts ▁of ▁the ▁battle . ▁Many ▁histor ians ▁mistaken ly ▁acknow ledge ▁that ▁Brown ▁was ▁in ▁command ▁based ▁on ▁in ac cur ate ▁reports ▁written ▁by ▁Colonel ▁S ible y . ▁The ▁battle ▁may ▁have ▁dist ract ed ▁the ▁Si oux ▁from ▁continu ing ▁down ▁the ▁Minnesota ▁River ▁toward ▁more ▁settlement s , ▁but ▁the ▁Americans ▁forces