John LaBatte, a resident of New Ulm, is of native American ancestry, Sioux (Dakota). He has written about the history of the Sioux in Minnesota and has conducted speaking engagements on the Sioux Uprising. Most of us remember him because of his comments in the New Ulm Journal and for being a presenter in a college seminar held at Martin Luther College. He has the unique distinction of having native relatives on both sides of the 1862 Conflict. His extensive research and personal knowledge of this period of history has made him a valuable resource -- as became evident on our field trip today.
Professor Arnold Koelpin, who assisted in all the arrangements of the tour, is a retired professor from Martin Luther College, where he taught religion and history. Professor Koelpin also had served as mayor of the city of New Ulm. He is well known in New Ulm for his activities of organizing and promoting historic tours. He and his wife Ruth personally conduct tours. Understandably, he was the contact person for the OWLS to arrange this tour.
Some of the two dozen participants viewing handouts in the Fireside Room of St. Paul’s.
PREFACE
The Sioux Uprising, also known as the Dakota Conflict or the U.S.-Dakota War of 1862, was an armed conflict between the United States and several eastern bands of the Dakota people (often referred to as the Santee Sioux) that began on August 18, 1862, along the Minnesota River in southwest Minnesota. Skirmishes in the following weeks claimed some lives, but most whites lost their lives in surprise attacks, such as the one in Milford. The number of Native American deaths during the war was around 45, while estimates of settlers who died range between 500 and 800—one of the largest tolls on American civilians to ever occur. This was one of the largest, if not the largest, mass murders of of civilians by Indians in the history of the United States. The conflict also resulted in the largest mass execution in U.S. history, when 38 Dakota men, convicted of murder and rape, were hanged in Mankato, Minnesota.
Mustered volunteer drivers formed a seven car caravan for the carefully laid-out agenda. After a restroom stop at Burger King in Montevideo, we headed for our first site at Lac qui Parle (“Lake that Talks”).
Of this site John LaBatte had written:
“The Lac qui Parle Mission was established in 1835 by Presbyterian Missionary Dr. Thomas Williamson and his wife Margaret (pictured below with photos from the MN Historical Society). Other missionary families came at various times to help. to help. They believed that the Indians must be civilized and Christianized. If this wasn’t done, the Indians would perish when the white settlements reached the area. The mission men taught farming to the the Indian men. The mission women taught domestic duties to the Indian women and academics to the Indian children. Translation of the Bible to the Dakota languages
began here.”
The missionaries compiled the first grammar-dictionary in the tongue, published in 1852 under Rigg’s name by the Smithsonian Institution. Stephen R. Riggs and his wife, Mary, are pictured below.
John LaBatte spoke extensively on the subject from the lectern of the chapel as we listened intently from the pews. He stressed the conflicting cultural causation of the conflict. He noted that the Indians were divided into two camps on assimilation -- the traditionalist who opposed change versus those who favored accommodation.
Before we left I photographed a view of the Minnesota River from the steps of the chapel to show the proximity. We then walked back down the hill to our cars in the parking area.
The next scheduled stop was at Camp Release.
The next scheduled stop was at Camp Release.
Of this site, LaBatte had written: “In 1862, as General Sibley’s army advanced, Chief Little Crow retreated up river with some 269 hostages.”
General Sibley (above)
Chief Little Crow (above)
“When he reached this place, Chief Red Iron refused to let Little Crow cross his land with the hostages”.
Minnesota Historical Society:
Red Iron (above) was both a respected tribal leader and a man of peace. He did not take part in the United States Dakota conflict, and in fact ordered his tribe not to participate in the events of 1862. With regard to Red Iron, Joseph Nicollet wrote: "Nothing equals the reserve and discretion of these good people and once they know who you are, what you are doing, and that you treat them well, it takes so little to make them your friends.”
LaBatte continued: “During the Battle of Wood Lake, friendly Indians in Little Crow’s camp secured most of the hostages. The captives included 162 mixed-bloods and 107 whites, only 4 were men, the rest women and children. Among the mixed bloods there were more men. Little Crow and his followers fled. Sibley entered the camp on September 26.”
The Monument at Camp Release was fifty feet tall.
Approaching the noon hour, the next item on the agenda was lunch break. Plans had been made for us to eat at the Casino. Prairies Edge Casino is owned and operated by the Upper Sioux Indian Community. We walked through slot-machine-lined aisles to the “Meadows” and settled down at tables. Most of the group ordered the buffet taco bar -- which included soup, salad and beverage.
Our caravan now headed to the Upper Sioux Agency. See map below.
We congregated at the Employees’ Duplex at the park complex.
John pointed to warehouse ruins on a little rise above us, prompting me to scamper up the hill for a photo shot (above). This was where annuities were distributed.
Before we left, Our tribe assembled for a group photograph. Les Ring served as the photographer for this shot on my camera. He also took shots of his own for the records,
I thought it interesting that the marker had only one paragraph (middle one) on the battle itself.
Sibley in command of 1,400 Volunteers on September 23 managed to avoid an ambush by Chief Little Crow and 700 braves, and in the ensuing battle killed 30 Indians and wounded many more. Mankato was one of those killed. In contrast, Army casualties were seven dead and 30 wounded. Lone Tree Lake, where the battle actually took place, has disappeared since 1862. Sibley's guide mistook it for Wood Lake, several miles to the west, hence the misnomer.
Photo above: Escapees from the Riggs and Williamson missions near the Upper Agency by Adrian J. Ebell.
St. Cornelia Church was not on our agenda, but I added it here just for information. My wife and I had visited the the site and would recommend it to anyone for a visit. Its primary importance is that this was Bishop Whipple’s Church.
Bishop Whipple was born in Adams, New York, he was raised in the Presbyterian church but became an Episcopalian through the influence of his grandparents and his wife, Cornelia, whom he married in 1842. Whipple attended Oberlin College from 1838 - 1839 and worked in his father's business until he was admitted to holy orders in 1848.
After ordination Whipple served parishes in Rome, New York and Chicago, where he gained a reputation for his service to poor immigrant groups. His Chicago ministry drew him to the attention of the newly formed Episcopal Diocese of Minnesota which elected him its first bishop in 1859. He served until his death in 1901.
Although concerned with establishing his denomination in the new state of Minnesota, Whipple soon began to champion the cause of Native American groups in the state against what he saw as an abusive and corrupt Federal policy towards Indians. He is best known for his clemency pleas in favor of a group of Dakota or Sioux who fought against the United States government in the Sioux Uprising in the area around New Ulm, Minnesota. On December 26, 1862, the largest mass execution in U.S. history occurred in Mankato following the Dakota War of 1862. Thirty-eight Dakota Amerindians were hanged for participation in the uprising. A total of 303 were sentenced to be hanged but President Lincoln pardoned 265 at the urging of Bishop Whipple. Lincoln's intervention was not popular at the time. Two commemorative statues are located on the site of the hangings (now home to the Blue Earth County Library and Reconciliation Park). He was referred to as "Straight Tongue" by Dakota Indians because of his honesty in dealing with them.
Whipple is memorialized by the Bishop Whipple Federal Building in Ft. Snelling, Minnesota, which houses, among other things, offices for members of Minnesota's congressional delegation. He is buried beneath the altar of the Cathedral of Our Merciful Savior in Faribault, Minnesota. Information from Wikipedia.
At the Lower Sioux Agency (see map above) our guide shed more light on this area of history
LaBatte had written: “This agency was established by the 1851 Treaty with the Mdewakanton and Wahpekute Dakota Indians. The lower boundary of this reservation was just downriver from Fort Ridgely. The upper boundary was the Yellow Medicine River. The purpose of this agency was to administer the treaty obligations and to “civilize” the Indians.”
Note: On August 18, Chief Little Crow led a group that attacked numerous white settlers at the Lower Sioux Agency. The Indian attacked and looted the traders store first. This gave others time to escape. Trader Andrew Myrick was among the first that was killed. He was discovered trying to escape through a second-floor window. Days later, Myrick's body was found—with grass stuffed into his mouth.. Only two Lower Sioux Agency buildings survived the fires. These were the LaBathe’s cabin and the warehouse.
LaBatte cautioned against too much emphasis on the Food Causation theory for the war. He said the key element was the conflict in culture. We stood by two enclosed farm areas (above) to contrast the difference between traditional Indian farming whereby farming was woman’s work. The change now being brought about turned the men into the farmers. Difficult for many males.
The Birch Coulee Battlefield would also have to be dropped because of limited time. This, too, is an interesting site. Annette and I had visited it a number of years ago. We also visited the Coulee State Monument, a fifty-two foot granite shaft overlooking highway 19 at Morton
The photo above and the brief write-up below comes from the Minnesota Historical Society.
The battle at this site near the junction of Birch Coulee and the Minnesota River, about 16 miles northwest of Fort Ridgely and just opposite the Lower, or Redwood, Sioux Agency, marked the high tide of the Sioux during their 1862 revolt. After killing hundreds of settlers in the Minnesota River Valley and attacking Fort Ridgely and New Ulm, on September 2 Chief Little Crow's Santee Sioux surrounded a force of 170 Volunteers under Capt. Hiram P. Grant. Col. Henry Hastings Sibley had sent them ahead from Fort Ridgely to reconnoiter the Redwood Agency, which the Indians had attacked the previous month, and to bury the dead. Besieged for 31 hours, the soldiers lost 22 killed and 60 wounded before the arrival of Sibley and reinforcements on September 3. The Indians, who had few casualties, fled.
Our caravan traveled down gravel country roads and kicked up clouds of dust before reaching Fort Ridgely. See previous map.
John LaBatte explained how vital the defense of this fort was in the initial encounter from the Sioux. There were about 225 defenders. Had the fort not held, the Indians may have been able to master the cannons for bombarding New Ulm. But the fort held primarily because of the canonry.
According to the Minnesota Historical Society:This fort (1853-67) and town bore the brunt of the 1862 Minnesota Sioux uprising. They provided refuge for settlers from the Minnesota River Valley, and countered successive onslaughts. In August of 1862 the Santees of Minnesota went on the warpath under Chief Little Crow. After killing the whites at the Lower, or Redwood, Sioux Agency, his warriors swept up and down the Minnesota River Valley and slaughtered perhaps 800 settlers and soldiers, took many captives, and inflicted immense property damage. Refugees from the valley swarmed into Fort Ridgely, about 12 miles below the agency, and New Ulm, a German settlement 15 miles farther south down the valley from the fort
Sending a courier to Fort Snelling for reinforcements, Capt. John S. Marsh left a skeleton guard at Fort Ridgely and set out for the agency with 45 men and an interpreter. Just before he reached there, an overwhelming force of Indians struck. In a running fight back to the fort, half the soldiers died, including Marsh. More refugees poured into the fort. When about 400 Sioux attacked on August 20, and 2 days later about twice that number, the artillery and rifle fire of the 180 Volunteer and civilian defenders beat off repeated charges. Their casualties heavy, the Indians finally abandoned the effort.
John pointed out the direction from which the Indians attacked (above) and how the cover aided their movements. However, cannon fire determined the outcome.
Asked about his Indian ancestry, John explained about his grandfathers and others. We had now reached 6 pm and had to close our wonderful tour. Professor Koelpin thanked John LaBatte on our behalf and announced we were on our own to return to New Ulm. We were tired after the full day but very appreciative for such a worthwhile venture.
New Ulm and the Indian Uprising, of course, is worth a tour of its own. Perhaps someday we can prevail upon Professor Koelpin and John LaBatte for such a tour.
Now a word about New Ulm: John Labatte had made reference to John Other Day, who had
connections with events in New Ulm. According to the Minnesota Historical Society: John Other Day was a full-blooded Sioux Indian who had turned “civilized” four years before the Uprising started. He became a Christian and married a white woman. He and his wife lived on a farm and grew crops.
John Other Day (above) had heard of the Sioux’s planned attack on New Ulm and went to the agency to warn the people. 62 people were hid in a warehouse, all the while being able to hear the whoops and war cries of the Indians. Other Day stood guard all night outside the warehouse to keep a look out and protect the people inside. The next day, he led the group on a 3-day journey to safety at Cedar City in McLeod County.
Congress rewarded Other Day for his efforts in rescuing the 62 people from New Ulm. He was
given $2,500 for his efforts. Although the country considered what he did a heroic act, some Sioux did not see his act the same way. The Indians repaid him by having his home burned and his fields ruined. He then used the money from the government to buy farmland in Hutchinson where he and his wife could “start over.”
The Battles of New Ulm were two battles in the Dakota War of 1862 in August. The settlement of New Ulm, Minnesota had 900 settlers around the time and was the largest settlement near the Sioux reservation. After the Battle of Fort Ridgely, the town was seen as a tempting target for a Sioux attack.
Painting below: Close-up of The Second Battle of New Ulm, by Anton Gag, 1904
In all, 190 structures within the city were destroyed. The next morning, August 24, the Indians reappeared, fired some harmless long-range shots, and then withdrew. Flandrau convened with his officers later that day and decided to evacuate the city, due to a shortage of ammunition and food and epidemics of disease. In New Ulm about 34 settlers lost their lives and 60 suffered wounds; fire destroyed 190 buildings. Indian losses are not known. The following morning, August 25, 2000 people, including 153 wagons and a large number of refugees, left the city and headed to Mankato, about 30 miles to the east. The procession was escorted by about 150 troops and made it through to Mankato safely.
Mankato: After the war
303 Sioux prisoners were convicted of murder and rape by military tribunals and sentenced to death. Some trials lasted less than 5 minutes, and the Dakotas had no one to explain the proceedings to them or to represent them. President Lincoln reviewed the trial records and distinguished between those who had engaged in warfare against the United States and those who had committed the crimes of rape or murder of civilians. He approved of the execution of 39 of the latter, and commuted the death sentences of the others, largely due to the pleas from Bishop Henry Whipple for clemency. The 38, for whom the evidence seemed strongest, were executed by hanging in a single day on December 26, 1862, in Mankato.
In 1992, the site of this mass execution, was purchased, by the City of Mankato and named Reconciliation Park, in honor of Amos Owen and his efforts to bring the communities closer together. There is no mention of the event that happened there in 1862. The very large, white stone statue of a Buffalo was dedicated on the site in 1997.
For those interested in reading an overall account, John LaBatte recommends the Dakota War of 1862 by Kenneth Carley.
After ordination Whipple served parishes in Rome, New York and Chicago, where he gained a reputation for his service to poor immigrant groups. His Chicago ministry drew him to the attention of the newly formed Episcopal Diocese of Minnesota which elected him its first bishop in 1859. He served until his death in 1901.
Although concerned with establishing his denomination in the new state of Minnesota, Whipple soon began to champion the cause of Native American groups in the state against what he saw as an abusive and corrupt Federal policy towards Indians. He is best known for his clemency pleas in favor of a group of Dakota or Sioux who fought against the United States government in the Sioux Uprising in the area around New Ulm, Minnesota. On December 26, 1862, the largest mass execution in U.S. history occurred in Mankato following the Dakota War of 1862. Thirty-eight Dakota Amerindians were hanged for participation in the uprising. A total of 303 were sentenced to be hanged but President Lincoln pardoned 265 at the urging of Bishop Whipple. Lincoln's intervention was not popular at the time. Two commemorative statues are located on the site of the hangings (now home to the Blue Earth County Library and Reconciliation Park). He was referred to as "Straight Tongue" by Dakota Indians because of his honesty in dealing with them.
Whipple is memorialized by the Bishop Whipple Federal Building in Ft. Snelling, Minnesota, which houses, among other things, offices for members of Minnesota's congressional delegation. He is buried beneath the altar of the Cathedral of Our Merciful Savior in Faribault, Minnesota. Information from Wikipedia.
John provided information on the Indian government. According to MN HS: The Lower Sioux Community Council is elected and operates under an IRA constitution. The State exercises criminal and some civil jurisdiction on the reservation. The tribal court was organized in 1993. It deals with civil cases including contract law and workers' compensation cases as well as tribal governance matters. Social programs and community health services are administered by the Tribe, funded by various governmental programs and the Tribe. Tribally funded health insurance policies cover the medical costs for resident members as well as tribal and casino employees. Redwood Falls and Wilmar hospitals are used.
Redwood Falls is the public school for the community Indian children. They may also go to Morton or Cedar Island. In response to parental concern about their children's education, an Indian-focused charter school was formed at Morton. The Tribe provides financial help to any member wishing to get further education beyond high school.
Redwood Falls is the public school for the community Indian children. They may also go to Morton or Cedar Island. In response to parental concern about their children's education, an Indian-focused charter school was formed at Morton. The Tribe provides financial help to any member wishing to get further education beyond high school.
Just before sunrise on Sept. 2, 1862, the sharp crack of a warning shot signaled the start of the Battle of Birch Coulee, one of the hardest fought battles of the U.S.-Dakota War. The Dakota kept U.S. soldiers under siege for 36 hours before a relief detachment arrived from Fort Ridgely. Walk a self-guided trail through recreated prairie and read about the battle from the perspectives of Joseph Anderson, a captain in the U.S. Army, and Wamditanka (Big Eagle), a Mdewakanton soldier. Sketches from soldier Albert Colgrave provide vivid battle details. Guide posts help pinpoint where the U.S. soldiers were camped and the positions the Dakota took while surrounding the U.S. soldiers.
The battle at this site near the junction of Birch Coulee and the Minnesota River, about 16 miles northwest of Fort Ridgely and just opposite the Lower, or Redwood, Sioux Agency, marked the high tide of the Sioux during their 1862 revolt. After killing hundreds of settlers in the Minnesota River Valley and attacking Fort Ridgely and New Ulm, on September 2 Chief Little Crow's Santee Sioux surrounded a force of 170 Volunteers under Capt. Hiram P. Grant. Col. Henry Hastings Sibley had sent them ahead from Fort Ridgely to reconnoiter the Redwood Agency, which the Indians had attacked the previous month, and to bury the dead. Besieged for 31 hours, the soldiers lost 22 killed and 60 wounded before the arrival of Sibley and reinforcements on September 3. The Indians, who had few casualties, fled.
Our caravan traveled down gravel country roads and kicked up clouds of dust before reaching Fort Ridgely. See previous map.
John LaBatte explained how vital the defense of this fort was in the initial encounter from the Sioux. There were about 225 defenders. Had the fort not held, the Indians may have been able to master the cannons for bombarding New Ulm. But the fort held primarily because of the canonry.
Sending a courier to Fort Snelling for reinforcements, Capt. John S. Marsh left a skeleton guard at Fort Ridgely and set out for the agency with 45 men and an interpreter. Just before he reached there, an overwhelming force of Indians struck. In a running fight back to the fort, half the soldiers died, including Marsh. More refugees poured into the fort. When about 400 Sioux attacked on August 20, and 2 days later about twice that number, the artillery and rifle fire of the 180 Volunteer and civilian defenders beat off repeated charges. Their casualties heavy, the Indians finally abandoned the effort.
John pointed out the direction from which the Indians attacked (above) and how the cover aided their movements. However, cannon fire determined the outcome.
Asked about his Indian ancestry, John explained about his grandfathers and others. We had now reached 6 pm and had to close our wonderful tour. Professor Koelpin thanked John LaBatte on our behalf and announced we were on our own to return to New Ulm. We were tired after the full day but very appreciative for such a worthwhile venture.
New Ulm and the Indian Uprising, of course, is worth a tour of its own. Perhaps someday we can prevail upon Professor Koelpin and John LaBatte for such a tour.
Now a word about New Ulm: John Labatte had made reference to John Other Day, who had
connections with events in New Ulm. According to the Minnesota Historical Society: John Other Day was a full-blooded Sioux Indian who had turned “civilized” four years before the Uprising started. He became a Christian and married a white woman. He and his wife lived on a farm and grew crops.
John Other Day (above) had heard of the Sioux’s planned attack on New Ulm and went to the agency to warn the people. 62 people were hid in a warehouse, all the while being able to hear the whoops and war cries of the Indians. Other Day stood guard all night outside the warehouse to keep a look out and protect the people inside. The next day, he led the group on a 3-day journey to safety at Cedar City in McLeod County.
Congress rewarded Other Day for his efforts in rescuing the 62 people from New Ulm. He was
given $2,500 for his efforts. Although the country considered what he did a heroic act, some Sioux did not see his act the same way. The Indians repaid him by having his home burned and his fields ruined. He then used the money from the government to buy farmland in Hutchinson where he and his wife could “start over.”
The Battles of New Ulm were two battles in the Dakota War of 1862 in August. The settlement of New Ulm, Minnesota had 900 settlers around the time and was the largest settlement near the Sioux reservation. After the Battle of Fort Ridgely, the town was seen as a tempting target for a Sioux attack.
More than a thousand settlers were barricaded on New Ulm's main street. On Saturday, August 23, around 9:30 in the morning, the Sioux began their second attack on the city. The Sioux were superior in numbers, and were able to encircle the entire town. The defenders of New Ulm set many buildings on fire in an attempt to create an open space without cover. After nightfall, Flandrau ordered that the rest of the buildings outside of the barricades to be burned.
In all, 190 structures within the city were destroyed. The next morning, August 24, the Indians reappeared, fired some harmless long-range shots, and then withdrew. Flandrau convened with his officers later that day and decided to evacuate the city, due to a shortage of ammunition and food and epidemics of disease. In New Ulm about 34 settlers lost their lives and 60 suffered wounds; fire destroyed 190 buildings. Indian losses are not known. The following morning, August 25, 2000 people, including 153 wagons and a large number of refugees, left the city and headed to Mankato, about 30 miles to the east. The procession was escorted by about 150 troops and made it through to Mankato safely.
303 Sioux prisoners were convicted of murder and rape by military tribunals and sentenced to death. Some trials lasted less than 5 minutes, and the Dakotas had no one to explain the proceedings to them or to represent them. President Lincoln reviewed the trial records and distinguished between those who had engaged in warfare against the United States and those who had committed the crimes of rape or murder of civilians. He approved of the execution of 39 of the latter, and commuted the death sentences of the others, largely due to the pleas from Bishop Henry Whipple for clemency. The 38, for whom the evidence seemed strongest, were executed by hanging in a single day on December 26, 1862, in Mankato.
For those interested in reading an overall account, John LaBatte recommends the Dakota War of 1862 by Kenneth Carley.
I am a descendent of Dr. Thomas Williamson. The photo on this page that is identified as his wife, Margaret P. Williamson, is in fact Dr. Williamson's sister, Jane S. Williamson.
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