Atlas of Battles

battle, nineteenth century

Battle of Big Mound

Battle of Big Mound was a battle fought on 24 July 1863 at Dakota Territory, in what is now North Dakota, United States. It was part of the Sioux Wars, which ran from 1854 to 1891. The recorded result: U.S. victory. Recorded strength: 2,056 soldiers; 60 mixed-blood and Sioux scouts against 1,000–1,500.

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The rolling plains of the Big Mound battlefield site
The rolling plains of the Big Mound battlefield site. Kathleen Madigan, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Fought24 July 1863
WhereDakota Territory, North Dakota, United States47.024N, 99.629W
OutcomeU.S. victory
BelligerentsUnited States of AmericaagainstSantee Sioux; Yankton, Yanktonai and Teton Sioux
Casualties and losses3 killed, 4 woundedandUncertain, 9 or more killed
Battlefield todayBig Mound battlefieldNPS site ND001, 29,472 acres studied, 12,126 core
Part ofSioux Wars1854 to 1891

Where it sits in the Sioux Wars

Grattan massacre, 1854Battle of Ash Hollow, 1855Battle of Big Mound, 1863Battle of Dead Buffalo Lake, 1863Battle of Stony Lake, 1863Battle of Whitestone Hill, 1863Battle of Killdeer Mountain, 1864Battle of the Badlands, 1864Powder River Expedition, 1865Yellowstone Expedition of 1873, 187318541873Battle of Big Mound, 1863
10 placed engagements of the Sioux Wars in time order; taller ticks are more widely documented. Each tick is a link.

Record

Date24 July 1863
PlaceDakota Territory, North Dakota, United States
47.024N, 99.629W
KindBattle, nineteenth century
Strength2,056 soldiers; 60 mixed-blood and Sioux scouts1,000–1,500
Casualties and losses3 killed, 4 woundedUncertain, 9 or more killed
Commanders
Battle of Big MoundBattle of Big MoundBattle of Dead Buffalo LakeBattle of Stony LakeBattle of Dead Buffalo LakeBattle of Stony Lake50 km47.024N, 99.629W
The recorded site, with the nearest other engagements in the atlas. The dashed outline is the battlefield study area mapped by the NPS American Battlefield Protection Program. Present-day coastlines, rivers and borders; towns from Natural Earth.

Nearest engagements

In the same war

Elsewhere in 1863

The National Park Service's American Battlefield Protection Program maps this as the Big Mound battlefield (site ND001): a study area of 29,472 acres, with a core area of 12,126 acres where the fighting was concentrated; 29,472 acres retain enough integrity to be potentially eligible for the National Register.

Battle of Big Mound is one of 3,694 engagements of the 19th century in the atlas and one of 1,264 in present-day United States (8 in North Dakota).

Sources

Identity, coordinates, dates and the war from Wikidata Q4870485, released under CC0. Result, belligerents, commanders, strength and casualties from the infobox of the English Wikipedia article Battle of Big Mound, revision 1380399084, read 2026-11-14, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0; the article's text is not reproduced here. Present-day country and state from Natural Earth. Battlefield boundary and area from the National Park Service American Battlefield Protection Program (public domain). Dates before 1582 follow the Julian calendar as recorded.