The Battle of Ta-Ha-Kouty (or Battle of Killdeer Mountain) took place July 28-29, 1864 between Brigadier General Alfred Sully's forces, including Minnesota soldiers, and American Indians from the Sioux nation, including Lakota, Yanktonai, and Santee. Sully's expedition into Dakota Territory was part of a larger U.S. effort to continue pushing the Sioux farther west and to make land available to gold miners. After the U.S.-Dakota War of 1862, the U.S. government sent military forces to the Dakotas to punish the Sioux nation for the war, including many who were not involved in the war at all. U.S. forces overpowered the Sioux, killed more than 100 people, and destroyed the camp. Five U.S. soldiers died.

This painting was created by Carl Boeckmann in 1910 and was displayed for many years at the Minnesota State Capitol. In late 2016, the Minnesota Historical Society, with input from legislators and residents, decided to remove the painting from the Capitol. MNHS stated that the painting, one of two being removed, was a "painful reminder of our shared history" and depicted an event in North Dakota.