The Coffin report/correspondence is perhaps the most frustrating part of the entire history of this event. In his report, Coffin places the location of the battle around Nowata, Oklahoma which is 40-miles south of where everyone else places it. As far as I can tell, Coffin was confusing Big Hill town (which was just west of Nowata) for Big Hill Joe's village which was much farther north (in present day Kansas) on the Verdigris. I also doubt (very seriously) whether Coffin attended the "War Council" he writes about.

Robert