Lower
Agency to bury the dead, and ascertain if possible the position of the
enemy.

Early on the morning of September 2nd, rapid firing was heard in the
direction of the Agency. The scouts reported that the detachment under
Major Brown was attacked and surrounded at Birch Coolie, 20 miles from
the fort and 3 miles from the Lower Agency. A second detachment under
Colonel McPhail, consisting of the Hickory Guards (Company B), Sigel
Guards (Company E), Young Men's Guard (Company G), of the Sixth
Regiment, under Major McLaren, also some cavalry and one howitzer under
Captain Mark Hendricks, was at once sent forward to their relief. When
within three miles of the beleaguered force, the demonstrations of the
Indians became so threatening--coming near enough to shoot one of the
horses--that the commander of the relieving party, not daring to fight
his way through, made a halt, had the horses unhitched, and disposed
the men to meet the expected attack, but, as the enemy did not return
any nearer to us, we shortly fell back some distance to a better
position. Night soon came on and it was spent watchfully by the men
behind their corralled wagons, the silence being broken only by the
occasional firing of the howitzer. The firing had been heard at the
fort and towards morning the little force was strengthened by the
arrival of the remainder of the Sixth Regiment, the Seventh Regiment,
which had just arrived at the fort, and two pieces of artillery. About
daylight on the 3rd, the combined forces were drawn up in line of
battle, ready to move; the Indians soon appeared and commenced the
attack, but the return fire was so heavy, and evidently so unexpected,
that they almost immediately retreated to the woods in the coolie, from
which they were driven by the heavy fire delivered by the artillery.
The Indians having been repulsed, the whole force continued their march
to Birch Coolie camp, and the Indians then abandoned the attack of the
party there, though the soldiers of the first relieving party were not
allowed the honor of driving them, which was given to the Seventh
Regiment. After burying the dead and attending to the wounded, the
troops returned to their camp at Fort Ridgley.

Five men of the company were with the original detachment at the battle
of Birch Coolie. R. Mueller and Klinghammer were severely wounded, the
former in the side and arm, and the latter in the leg. They were cared
for at the post hospital. Dreis and F