Killdeer Mountain ND005

supportedunresolved Sully changed course on information that the Indians were on or near the Knife River; he says they had twenty-four hours' notice of his advance after his scouts met a war party, and that a large body out hunting for him later struck his rear.

Knowledge attributed in an interested report; no message log inspected.

supportedunresolved Sully says the pack saddles supplied were unusable, so he pressed light private wagons into service, threw away tents and kept only provisions and ammunition, and marched over 165 miles in six days including the fight.

Transport statements from an interested report; not a return.

disputedunresolved Sully says the Indians prepared to fight confident of beating him, and that when pursuit proved impossible he destroyed their camp. NPS says Sully met some chiefs before attacking; the inspected July 31 report does not mention such a meeting, but says that the day after the fight Indians planted a white flag, were fired on by some men, and that he saw the flag too late.

Stated aims from an interested report; the NPS parley statement is not found in the inspected report. No account by the Dakota bands was inspected; their numbers, aims and losses come from their opponents' estimates, prisoners' or scouts' statements relayed by them, or the NPS summary.

supportedpost_outcome The frozen and live results read Union victory. Sully says by sunset no Indians were on the ground; Thomas says a very large proportion of the property of the 1,600-lodge camp was destroyed on the 29th. NPS describes a running fight of almost nine miles; that statement is not found in the inspected July 31 report.

Retain the original result and engagement interval; later movements and campaign contribution are different measures. No new probabilities or individual causal credit.

disputedpost_outcome The frozen casualty text reads Unknown; the live field reads 46 (US 15; CS 31). Sully judges the Indian killed at 100 to 150; Brackett's battalion found 27 dead in its sector (13 after the charge). The compiler's note on Sully's omitted list shows 2 killed and 8 wounded in Brackett's battalion, 1 killed and 1 wounded in the Sixth Iowa, 2 killed in the Second Minnesota Cavalry and 1 wounded in the Dakota cavalry; Thomas mentions two pickets killed on the 29th.

Original casualty returns were not inspected; preserve totals, categories, cutoffs and differences. No canonical reconciliation or casualty-based opening count; related actions must not be added without resolving population overlap. Brackett's 27 may be within Sully's estimate; the live 15 and 31 are not traced.

supportedunresolved The frozen US commander is Brigadier General Alfred Sully. The frozen and live Native American commander is Inkpaduta (no rank; the live page tags him [CS], not adopted); none of the inspected reports names him, so his role is not established here. Sully directed Brackett to charge a large body on the right; Brackett says he asked and received permission to charge with sabers. Thomas commanded the Second Brigade on the left, and McLaren destroyed the camp on the 29th.

Command roles from interested reports; no automatic sole credit.

unknownunresolved

No inspected return establishes matched personnel at a common opening boundary. Imported numerical estimates remain unchanged; this pass does not validate them as simultaneous opening forces.

supportedunresolved The frozen force field gives detachments from eight units (2,200) and the Santee and Teton Sioux without figures (US bounds 2,200 and 2,200); the live field reads 0. Sully lists his two brigades and says the whole force on the field numbered about 2,200; he puts the Indians at over 1,600 lodges and at least 5,000 or 6,000 warriors of the Unkpapas, Sans Arcs, Blackfeet, Minneconjous, Yanktonais and Santee. Thomas also gives 1,600 lodges. NPS gives Pope's planned force of about 2,500.

Sully's July 28 field figure and his estimate of the opposing camp that day; NPS's 2,500 is the planned force, not a field count; the Indian figure is an opponent's estimate. No account by the Dakota bands was inspected; their numbers, aims and losses come from their opponents' estimates, prisoners' or scouts' statements relayed by them, or the NPS summary. None is adopted as a matched opening strength.

supportedinherited Sully says the Indians were posted on Tahkahokuty Mountain, a chain of high hills full of timbered ravines, with rolling prairie in front; the ravines made a mounted charge impossible, so he dismounted. Brackett found ravines and thickets impracticable for horse; Thomas calls the abandoned camp a splendid position for defense. NPS quotes Sully as reporting the camp strongly posted in wooded country cut up with high, rugged hills and deep, impassible ravines; that wording is not in the inspected July 31 report.

Natural ground from interested reports; no map verification.