[4] On September 1, 1862, a reinforced burial detail including 170 Minnesota volunteer infantry, cavalry, teamsters and civilians with Major Joseph R. Brown camped on the prairie, 200 yards from the timber along Birch Coulee.

A group of Dakota led by Gray Bird (Zitkahtahhota), upon arriving in Little Crow's village to collect plunder they had left behind, saw Captain Joseph Anderson's mounted guards in the distance and sent scouts to track them to the campsite.

[6] Whooping and shouting while moving around in the tall grass and in the ravine, they frightened McPhail into thinking they were surrounded by several hundred Dakota; he ordered his troops to retreat two miles and sent a messenger back to Fort Ridgely for more reinforcements.

Inexplicably the commission chose instead to acquire a 1.75-acre (0.71 ha) property two miles (3.2 km) south of the battlefield, on the fairgrounds of the Renville County Agricultural Society east of the village of Morton.

As of 1926, the site had become a wheatfield; the condition of the property at that time is described in detail by Battle of Birch Coulee survivor Robert K. Boyd, who also noted "slight elevations and slopes" in the terrain.

[7] Self-guided interpretive signs describe the battle from the perspectives of Captain Joseph Anderson and Wamditanka (Chief Big Eagle),[11] illustrated with sketches by soldier Albert Colgrave.

"[14] The Minnesota Valley Historical Society, with the Honorable Charles D. Gilfillan as president and Return I. Holcombe as historiographer, chose to commemorate only "full-blood" Dakota who had remained "unwaveringly loyal and who had saved the life of at least one white person.

"[13] The six Dakota named on the monument include Other Day (Ampatutokicha), Paul (Mahzakutemanne), Lorenzo Lawrence (Towanetaton), Simon (Anahwangmanne), Mary Crooks (Mahkahta Heiya-win) and Maggie Brass (Snana-win).

Efforts to address repair and maintenance issues had been held up due to disagreements over which level of government – city, township, county or state – is responsible for upkeep of the site and the road leading up to it.