General Sibley Park is located around 4mi south of North Dakota state capital Bismarck. Opened in 1967, it stands on a piece of land closely associated with North Dakota's history and settlement and is named after General Henry Sibley. It covers an area of 138acre and today the site is a popular recreation spot and campground.History of the siteOnce called Burnt Boat Island, the land where General Sibley Park stands was known for the steamboat The Assiniboine that grounded and was destroyed by fire in the early 1830s. While it is no longer an island due to changes in the course of the Missouri River, evidence of the river channel can still be found along the northern perimeter of the site. In 1862, broken treaties and fear of starvation led Dakotas to attack settlers and soldiers along the Minnesota River in southwestern Minnesota. In retaliation for the loss of life and property, General Sibley and General Alfred Sully were dispatched with U.S. troops to pursue the bands assumed responsible for the assaults. Sibley and Sully sought retribution by leading their troops to the present vicinity of General Sibley Park. On July 29, 1863, Dakotas and Lakotas encamped along bluffs of the Missouri River and Apple Creek engaged in a confrontation with Sibley’s troops, resulting in a loss of lives for both sides. Facing food shortages and exhaustion from their long journey, Sibley’s troops returned to Minnesota. Sully’s troops remained in the Dakota Territory for several months, and attacked guilty and innocent bands alike, killing women and children, and burning food, supplies and transportation.
