Birch Cooley Battle Field State Memorial Park: 15
🏆🏆🏆🏆 U.S.-Dakota War Memorial — Site of the decisive 1862 Battle of Birch Coulee — deadliest engagement in the U.S.-Dakota War
Birch Cooley Battlefield State Memorial Park preserves the site of the Battle of Birch Coulee (September 2, 1862) — the deadliest single engagement of the U.S.-Dakota War. A detachment of 150 soldiers and civilians was surrounded and besieged by Dakota warriors for 31 hours, suffering 20 killed and 60 wounded before relief arrived. The 15-acre memorial includes a granite monument, interpretive panels, and the preserved battlefield terrain. The U.S.-Dakota War was the largest mass execution in American history — 38 Dakota men were hanged in Mankato on December 26, 1862.
Visitor Information
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Location | Near Morton, Renville County, MN |
| Size | 15 acres |
| Entry Fee | Free |
| Battle | September 2, 1862 (31-hour siege) |
| Significance | Deadliest battle of U.S.-Dakota War |
Frequently Asked Questions
What was the U.S.-Dakota War?
In August 1862, starving Dakota people in Minnesota rose up against broken treaty promises. The six-week conflict killed over 600 settlers and soldiers, and an unknown number of Dakota. It ended with the largest mass execution in U.S. history and the forced exile of Dakota people from Minnesota.
About Birch Cooley
Birch Cooley Battle Field State Memorial Park in Renville County commemorates the September 2, 1862 Battle of Birch Coulee — the bloodiest engagement of the U.S.-Dakota War of 1862. A company of burial detail soldiers was ambushed by Dakota warriors in a devastating 36-hour siege. The conflict — triggered by broken treaties, starvation, and corruption — remains one of the most painful chapters in Minnesota history.
Things to Do
Visiting the battlefield monument and interpretive markers, reflecting on the U.S.-Dakota War and its devastating consequences for the Dakota people, and walking the quiet prairie landscape where the battle occurred.
🪦 Visit Birch Cooley Battlefield
1862 U.S.-Dakota War — 31-hour siege site, Minnesota’s darkest chapter.
Park Location
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