Dead Buffalo Lake was a Civil War engagement fought in North Dakota, 1863. It was a Union victory.
Following the Battle of Big Mound on July 24, 1863, Brig. Gen. Henry Hastings Sibley and his men moved their camp about four miles and then rested till the next day. The morning of the 26th they set out and after marching about 14 miles, found the Sioux ready for battle. At first, the fighting was long range because the Native Americans refrained from closing with the soldiers. The Native Americans did attempt to flank the left side of the camp and run off the mules. The Mounted Rangers and infantry, though, after heavy fighting, compelled the Native Americans to abandon their intentions. Following this setback, the Sioux retreated, ending the battle. Sibley resumed his march after the Native Americans the next day. The Sioux were on the run.
In July 1863, United States army forces clashed with a coalition of Santee, Yankton, Yanktonai and Teton Sioux at Dead Buffalo Lake in Dakota Territory. The Sioux made an attempt to seize the army's pack train, but failed, and withdrew from the field.
Little Crow's loss in the Dakota War of 1862 scattered the Santee Sioux, also called the Eastern Dakota, across a wide area. By the summer of 1863, over 4,000 Santee and other Sioux had gathered together at a sprawling camp in what is now Kidder County, North Dakota.
To punish the Santee for that earlier conflict, Brigadier general Henry Hastings Sibley set out on a military expedition during June and July of 1863. His force numbered 2,056 men in total, made up of 1,436 infantry, 520 cavalry, 100 artillery troops, and a mix of white and Indian scouts. On July 24, he located the Sioux encampment, sparking the Battle of Big Mound. Facing Sibley's advance, the Sioux pulled back from the field while their warriors mounted a rear guard defense to shield fleeing families, holding the line for roughly 12 miles (20 km). The families pressed on toward the Missouri River seeking safety, and the warriors halted at Dead Buffalo Lake, situated about two miles (3 km) northwest of what is today Dawson, North Dakota, to wait for Sibley's men to catch up.
Standing Buffalo, who led many of the Santee, had shown little enthusiasm for further combat, and rather than stop at Dead Buffalo Lake, his followers seem to have slipped away to the northwest, eventually reaching Canada. Those who stayed behind, a mix of Santee, Yankton, and Yanktonai under the well known Inkpaduta, gained roughly 650 additional fighters from the Hunkpapa and Blackfoot bands of the Teton Lakota. With these reinforcements, the total count of Indian warriors climbed to about 1,600 by one estimate. Among the Teton who joined at this point was Sitting Bull.
On July 26, Sibley's column reached Dead Buffalo Lake, settling into camp near its shores around midday. Before long, mounted warriors from the Sioux appeared on the surrounding hills, their presence signaling a possible assault on the encampment. In response, Sibley pushed forward his artillery along with two infantry companies and his pioneers, positioning them roughly 600 yards ahead of the main camp, from where they fired on the Indians at a distance. This barrage forced the warriors back out of range.
It appears the Sioux were primarily after the horses and mules making up the army's pack train, hoping to strand Sibley's force. Their initial move came against the left flank, but a company of mounted rangers together with two infantry companies held them off, and the attackers melted back into the hills. Believing the fighting had concluded, several muleteers led the animals beyond the defensive perimeter to graze. This proved premature, as the Sioux massed again, this time striking toward the right flank in a renewed bid to seize the livestock. Two cavalry companies and six of infantry drove them back after a short, fierce struggle at close range. During this clash, Sitting Bull, carrying nothing more than a whip, reportedly struck a muleteer in a coup and made off with his mule. Having failed to carry off the bulk of the horses and mules, the warriors withdrew from the field, bringing the engagement to a close.
The army lost one soldier in the fighting, while its troops believed they had accounted for 15 Sioux dead.
Command of the District of Minnesota fell to Brigadier General Henry Hastings Sibley. Under him served Colonel Samuel McPhail, who led the 1st Minnesota Cavalry, also called the "Mounted Rangers." Colonel William Crooks held command of the 6th Minnesota Infantry, while the 7th Minnesota Infantry answered to Lieutenant Colonel William R. Marshall. The 10th Minnesota Infantry was commanded by Colonel James H. Baker. Rounding out the force, Lieutenant J. C. Whipple directed the 3rd Minnesota Light Artillery Battery.
On the next day Sibley kept up his chase of the Sioux, hoping to reach them before they made it across the Missouri River. This second clash came on July 28, when the two sides fought at the Battle of Stony Lake.
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