Stop 1-HISTORIC FORT SNELLING
KEY CONCEPT:
Fort Snelling was placed in a strategic location by the U.S. to
protect its military and economic interests in the newly acquired
Minnesota territory. The military was the key enforcement agent for
U.S. Indian policies throughout the 19th century.
OBJECTIVES:
• Specify why the fort is in a strategic location.
• Identify the consequences for Dakota people resulting from their struggle to regain their lands.
LENGTH OF TIME AT SITE:
Approximately 30 minutes
SITE BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
Built on a bluff above the confluence of the Mississippi and
Minnesota Rivers more than 150 years ago, Fort Snelling was for over
thirty years the guardian of United States interests in the upper
Northwest. It was the center of government policy and administration
in the years before Minnesota statehood and a haven for Euroamerican
explorers and other travelers to the interior of the North American
continent. Fort Snelling symbolized the power of Euroamericans in
Indian-held lands. From their fortress, soldiers and government
agents regulated the fur trade and attempted to settle disputes among
some Indian people.
Following the U.S.-Dakota Conflict of 1862, those Dakota people who did not flee from Minnesota were forced under armed escort to relocate at Fort Snelling. About 1,700 Dakota people were imprisoned through the winter of 1862-63 in a fenced enclosure on the flats beneath the fort. Many died during this imprisonment. As a result of the fighting, Dakota treaty lands were seized by the U.S. and treaty provisions declared null and void. The Dakota who survived the winter imprisonment were forced to resettle on reservations in other states. Even those people who did not participate in the conflict were removed from their homes and relocated far from their traditional lands. Below Fort Snelling there is now a historic marker noting this tragic event in the history of the Dakota people.
Stop 2-TRAVERSE DES SIOUX
KEY CONCEPT:
Ramsey's goal was to open to settlement Dakota lands west of the
Mississippi, thus guaranteeing a huge influx of immigrants. By
reluctantly agreeing to the sale, the Dakota were soon to see
Ramsey's goal fulfilled.
OBJECTIVES:
• Describe, in general terms, the important event that occurred
at this site in 1851.
• Relate, specifically, how land treaties like the one signed at Traverse des Sioux would have far-reaching implications for the Dakota and their way of life.
• Relate why a river crossing developed at this site.
• Analyze the missionary and trading communities that lived here before the treaty.
• Name the four Santee Sioux (Dakota) subtribes.
LENGTH OF TIME AT SITE:
Approximately 45 minutes
SITE BACKGROUND MATERIALS:
On this site in July 1851, Dakota leaders of the Sisseton and
Wahpeton bands agreed to cede to the United States government large
tracts of land in the southern and western sections of Minnesota
Territory. (Note: Minnesota would not become a state until 1858.)
This was one of the most important in a series of treaties through
which the Dakota surrendered millions of acres of valuable land. The
government agreed to pay for the land with annuities over a period of
fifty years.
Leading the government delegation at this meeting were Territorial Governor Alexander Ramsey and Luke Lea, United States Commissioner of Indian Affairs. The official party included traders such as Henry Sibley. It left Fort Snelling on the steamboat Excelsior in late June. Upon arrival, the officials found that most of the Dakota delegations, largely Sisseton and Wahpeton, had yet to arrive. When groups of Dakota reached Traverse des Sioux, they shared the treaty site with the government officials.
Negotiations began on July 18, with some Dakota leaders reluctant to sign. St. Paul newspaperman James Goodhue quoted Sleepy Eyes as saying, "Your coming and asking me for my country makes me sad; and your saying that I am not able to do anything with my country makes me still more sad." Also quoted was Curly Head who stated, "You think it is a great deal you are giving for the country. I do not think so; for both our lands and all we get for them will at last belong to the white man. The money comes to us but will all go to the white men who trade with us." The treaty was eventually signed on July 23 with thirty-five Dakota leaders making their marks on the document.
Two weeks later the government delegation and leaders of the Mdewakanton and Wahpekute bands met at Mendota and agreed to the sale of more Dakota lands. The Dakota retained narrow strips of land along either side of the Minnesota River.
Related Topics:
• Newspaperman James M. Goodhue, prominent editor of the
Minnesota Pioneer in St. Paul, was an observer at the treaty signing
and wrote vivid descriptions of what he saw there (see accounts in
Pioneer, July 1851; or in Blegan and Jordan's With Various
Voices, p. 44). One must be careful in reading to children
Goodhue's accounts since they contain racial characterizations which,
to some extent, are biased and inaccurate.
• Artist Frank B. Mayer was also at Traverse des Sioux and made an outstanding series of water colors and sketches. An excellent sampling is available in Heilbron's The Thirty-Second State.
• Traverse des Sioux is from the French and means "crossing of the Sioux". A Dakota trail crossed the river here, and later the Red River trail made the same crossing.
Stop 3-NEW ULM IN THE DAKOTA WAR
KEY CONCEPT:
In the decades following the acquisition of Dakota lands, many
new settlements and towns like New Ulm were appearing in the
Minnesota River valley. This immigration brought increasing pressure
on the Dakota, now confined to living on a narrow strip of land along
the river, and helped to precipitate the 1862 conflict.
OBJECTIVES:
• Identify reasons why immigrant Minnesotans chose New Ulm as
the site for their city.
• Specify why the Dakota elected to attack New Ulm and discuss the results and ramifications of the fighting there.
• Analyze, through census data, a cross-section of the town's Euroamerican population in 1860.
LENGTH OF TIME AT SITE:
Approximately one hour
SITE BACKGROUND MATERIAL:
The New Ulm of 1862 was a growing settlement of nearly 1,000 made
up largely of German immigrants, a group whose influence is still
very apparent in the city today. During the Dakota War, New Ulm
became a logical target for attacking Dakota soldiers who had first
struck at the Lower Sioux Agency and then moved south and east
through the Minnesota River valley.
There were two separate attacks on New Ulm. The first, on August 19, was made by a group of about 100 Dakota who had separated from Little Crow's stronger contingent which was attacking Fort Ridgely. This assault was not pressed and the attackers retired. The main body of Dakotas launched an offensive on August 23, only to find that the city had been reinforced by militias from surrounding communities including St. Peter, Le Sueur, and Mankato.
The second attack on New Ulm resulted in a major struggle with both sides fighting bravely and suffering losses. It lasted throughout the daylight hours. The Dakota forced the citizens of the town into a barricaded perimeter. Over 180 structures in the city were destroyed, many by the townspeople attempting to clear away buildings that could be of use to their attackers. On August 25 it was decided to evacuate the city and a group of about 2,000 left for the comparative safety of Mankato. Casualties from the battle included 34 New Ulm defenders dead and 60 wounded. The number of Dakota killed or wounded was not known.
Our stop in New Ulm is made at the Brown County Courthouse where several monuments and markers are to be found. Most significant is the monument on a traffic island near the courthouse which contains information about the battle and indicates the direction of the main Dakota assault.
Geographical Note:
The prairie in and around New Ulm throughout south central
Minnesota was, at the time of the uprising in 1862, best described as
"wet prairie". There were numerous small lakes, ponds and seasonal
marshes throughout the area. This fertile land helped provide early
settlers with higher crop yields than that available from the drier
upland prairie. Some water and marsh areas remain, but major programs
to drain the wet prairie have greatly changed the appearance of the
area. By 1978, 6.3 million acres, roughly an eighth of Minnesota's
total area, had been drained. During the 1950's ecologists, sporting
clubs, and the Corps of Engineers began calling for preservation of
wetlands. Conflict between environmentalists and farmers resulted,
and the debate over drainage continues. In 1862, however, the "wet
prairie" predominated throughout this area. (From Robert Moline's
Cultural Modification of Wet Prairie Landscapes.)
Related Topics:
• For more discussion on the battles in and around New Ulm
see Carley's Sioux Uprising of 1862, and "Charles Flandrau and the
Defense of New Ulm," Brown County Historical Society (reprinted in
1976).
• While in New Ulm, a brief study of that city's German heritage is in order. We will view the old post office building, now the Brown County Historical Society, with its famous "gingerbread" style; discuss German names on downtown businesses; try to see the glockenspiel (the musical, mechanical town clock) in operation at noon.
• Dr. William W. Mayo of Le Sueur was one of the doctors who traveled to New Ulm during the battles there. He was the father of William J. and Charles H. Mayo, founders of Rochester's world-famous Mayo Clinic.
Stop 4-MILFORD MONUMENT
KEY CONCEPT:
Dakota anger had reached a boiling point (see Key Concepts, Lower
Sioux Agency). Most of the Dakota were frustrated in the dealing with
the government authorities. Treaties had been broken and government
promises unfulfilled. Violence ensued.
OBJECTIVES:
• Relate reasons for the success of the Dakota attack in
Milford.
• Discuss why the Dakota attacked the settlers and destroyed farms in the Milford area.
LENGTH OF TIME AT SITE:
Approximately 15 minutes
SITE BACKGROUND MATERIALS:
Milford Township bordered the Lower Sioux reservation and as such
was immediately in the path of Dakota war parties following their
attack at Lower Sioux Agency. Over fifty people were killed in this
area during the first few days of the war. The monument, dedicated on
July 4, 1929, contains the names of white settlers from the Milford
area who were killed during the war with the Dakota.
The Milford Monument affords us an excellent view of a broad expanse of prairie farmland . It also helps in providing visitors with a better understanding of how exposed the small farms were to attack. It is difficult to see the names on the monument, but a complete listing is in History Along the Highways (MHS publication, p. 43).
RELATED TOPICS:
• The figure on the Milford Monument standing next to the
cross represents "memory". This is considered one of the most
beautiful memorials in Minnesota.
• Many accounts of escape from the attacking Dakota were later published and make excellent readings for classrooms (be alert for 19th century racial characterizations). Some recommended stories include, "The Story of Mary Schwandt", MHS Collections, 6:461-474; "Guri Endreson, Frontier Heroine", Minnesota History, Dec. 1929. Accounts also found in Carley's The Sioux Uprising of 1862.
Stop 5-FORT RIDGELY
KEY CONCEPT:
The Dakota had been stopped both at New Ulm and Fort Ridgely,
destroying their hopes of driving the white settlers and soldiers
from the river valley. Henry Sibley was called upon by Governor
Ramsey to lead a military expedition into the valley and commence the
effort to defeat the Dakota.
OBJECTIVES:
• Detail several reasons why Fort Ridgely and its defenders
were able to withstand the Dakota attack.
• Hypothesize on the reasons behind the Dakota decision to assault the fort and list facts to support this hypothesis.
LENGTH OF TIME ON SITE:
Approximately 90 minutes
SITE BACKGROUND MATERIALS:
Fort Ridgely was a United States Army outpost established in
1853, two years after the treaties at Traverse des Sioux and Mendota
were signed. It was established on the Minnesota River south of the
Lower Sioux Agency in a position that would allow its garrison to
monitor the Dakota. The fort was situated poorly, however. It was
located above the river on prairie land with deep ravines to its
southwest, north, and east which provided cover for any attacker.
There was no stockade surrounding it.
When violence flared at Lower Sioux on August 18, 1862, white refugees throughout the area immediately headed to the fort seeking protection. Upon learning of conflict at the Lower Sioux, the fort's commander, Captain John S. Marsh, led 46 men to Redwood Ferry to investigate. The Dakota ambushed Marsh and his men at the ferry site. Twenty-four soldiers, including the captain, were killed.
Dakota, led by Little Crow, Big Eagle, and Mankato, began attacking the fort on August 20 but were repulsed, thanks in large measure to four cannons manned by competent crews. To many of the Dakota soldiers, the cannons were unfamiliar weapons. A larger assault commenced on August 22 by as many as 800 Dakota led by Little Crow. Again the artillery was the key to repelling the attack.
The fort's defenses had earlier been bolstered by the return of garrison troops under Lt. Timothy J. Sheehan plus a contingent of Renville Rangers. These soldiers, along with civilian men and women, helped secure the fort. Big Eagle later complimented the defenders for their bravery in keeping closed the "door" through the Minnesota River valley.
RELATED TOPICS:
• A number of women were cited for their bravery during the
attacks at Fort Ridgely (see monument) but Eliza Muller received
special attention and the state erected a special monument to her
memory in the fort's cemetery. For more information and a photo, see
"Fort Ridgely: Journal of the Past", for sale at the fort.
• For a different look at the fort, read "A Frontier Fort in Peacetime", Minnesota History, Fall, 1976.
• Several monuments in the fort's cemetery relate to the battles of 1862. Memorialized are Captain Marsh and the men killed at Redwood Ferry; Chief Mazamani (Mouzoomaunee on the monument) who remained "loyal" to the state; and the already-noted Muller.
• Although selected by Gov. Ramsey to head the military forces sent to subdue the Dakota, Henry Sibley was actually a longtime political foe of the governor.
Stop 6-LOWER SIOUX AGENCY AND INTERPRETIVE CENTER
KEY CONCEPT:
With a long and growing list of unsatisfied grievances, the
Dakota tribal leaders decided to wage war in an attempt to regain
lost lands and preserve their threatened culture. Some felt the time
to attack was right since many soldiers had left the area to fight in
the American Civil War. Lower Sioux Agency, with its food and other
supplies, was the first target of the Dakota.
OBJECTIVES:
• List four major grievances the Dakota had with the government
and the white settlers.
• Discuss why the Dakota decided to attack the Lower Sioux Agency.
• Describe the day-to-day living and working conditions at the Agency.
LENGTH OF TIME OF SITE:
Approximately 90 minutes
SITE BACKGROUND MATERIALS:
The Lower Sioux Agency and the related Upper Sioux Agency were
established following the treaties at Traverse des Sioux and Mendota.
The agencies were built on the Dakota reservations, a ten-mile-wide
strip of land that extended along the Minnesota River from the
state's western border to a few miles east of Fort Ridgely. The Lower
Agency served the Mdewakanton (Little Crow was from this band) and
the Wahpekute, while the Upper Agency was established for the
Wahpeton and Sisseton.
The agencies had nearly 100 white and mixed blood employees and residents by 1860 with about 5,000 Dakota on the reservation. A principle mission of the agencies was to convert the Dakota from their hunting-gathering ways into farmers, in the manner of their new white neighbors. Some Dakota enlisted in the farm program and received government aid to get started, but the majority of the Indians preferred their traditional lifestyle. Complicating the government's efforts to establish Dakota farms was an 1861 crop failure that left many of the Indians with no food.
By late summer of 1862, the Dakota had serious grievances with their treatment by the government. Any one of those complaints might have been enough to trigger violence. Among the most pressing were: cheating of Dakota by some traders; growing starvation brought on by crop failure; government failure to make annuity payments of cash and supplies on time; government attempts to change the lifestyle of the Dakota; and white attitudes of superiority.
Those frustrations boiled over in August of 1862. Following the Acton Incident, the Dakota leadership decided to declare war and chose the Lower Agency as the first target. The Dakota attacked on the morning of the 18th, burning agency buildings and killing 13 people there. Seven more people were killed as they tried to get to Fort Ridgely. The number of Dakota killed and wounded during this engagement is not known. Some survivors from the agency reached the fort, triggering a rescue mission to the Lower Sioux led by Ridgely's commander, Captain John Marsh. Marsh and his 46-man contingent were ambushed just below the agency site at Redwood Ferry. The captain and 24 of his men were killed.
RELATED TOPICS:
• Dakota who tried to adopt the white man's ways were called
"Cut-Hairs" by other tribal members (references to cutting hair like
the whites). Some attended churches and sent their children to agency
schools. Missionary Stephen Riggs' book, Mary and I: Forty Years
with the Sioux, is a lengthy account of his work in and around
Lower Sioux.
• There has been much research into the fascinating life of Little Crow including Gary Anderson's book Little Crow: Spokesman for the Sioux. Little Crow's knowledge of the American government's power (he had traveled to Washington, D.C.) made him aware of the futility of war.
• Little Crow's speech to Dakota leaders on the eve of the war is translated in "Fort Ridgely: Journal of the Past" and is available at the fort. The speech, recounted by Little Crow's son, is eloquent and should be read to students.
Stop 7-BIRCH COULEE
KEY CONCEPT:
Although defeated at New Ulm and Fort Ridgely, the skillful
Dakota fighters were still able to deal Sibley's forces a major
setback. The loss of so many horses at Birch Coulee reduced Sibley's
ability to pursue the Dakota. He did not begin his campaign against
the Dakota until September 19.
OBJECTIVES:
• Detail reasons why the Dakota were able to achieve victory at
Birch Coulee.
• Discuss how the defeat at Birch Coulee interfered with Sibley's plan to pursue and attack the Dakota.
LENGTH OF TIME AT SITE:
Approximately 30 minutes
SITE BACKGROUND MATERIAL:
On August 31, 1862, nearly two weeks after the outbreak at Lower
Sioux Agency, Henry Sibley sent out a large 160-man military patrol
to bury those killed in the fighting. Sibley and his advisors
believed that the Dakota had moved towards their camps in the area of
the Upper Agency to recruit more support. But Little Crow was
actually launching a two-pronged assault back into the disputed
territories.
In the early morning hours of September 2, approximately 200 Dakota, led by Gray Bird, began to surround the hard-to-defend Birch Coulee campsite of the burial party and prepared for a dawn attack. The Dakota achieved surprise with the early morning assault, but the battle developed into a standoff. After surviving a 30-hour siege, the burial party was relieved by a large contingent from Fort Ridgely. The soldiers suffered 13 killed and nearly 50 wounded, with the Dakota sustaining only minor casualties. Also lost to Sibley were 90 horses killed during the struggle - a loss that would serve to reduce the mobility of his forces. Once again, the Dakota had proven to be very capable fighters.
RELATED TOPICS:
• Carley's The Sioux Uprising of 1862 contains a concise
account (pp. 40-44) of the battle of Birch Coulee. There's also an
account in Minnesota History, September 1930, by a soldier who was
there. Also, see Carley's Minnesota History articles on the Dakota
War, September 1962, including Sibley's letters to his wife regarding
his campaign against the Dakota.
• The word "coulee" comes from the French and refers to a ravine or deep gulch. If there is time, the group may walk from the prairie campsite of the burial party to the coulee. This entire area is very much as it was in 1862.
• Birch Coulee is two miles north of Morton, a village with a name of geological significance. About 1,200 MYA (million years ago) volcanic activity in the area created a banded rock with swirling, contrasting colors. Its name is Morton gneiss (pronounced "nice") but it is better known by the commercial name of Rainbow or Tapestry granite.
ASSIGNMENTS:
Complete your journal of this trip with
your own personal notations regarding applications to your classroom
plans. Among the items for you to consider: Planning for and then
leading students on this trip with a consideration for the particular
needs of your group; developing specific curricular applications you
wish to make in preparing units/lessons for your students; creating
other classroom applications of what you've learned. Class members
taking the trip will develop an outline for a proposed teaching unit
or other educational applications using the information and material
gathered today. The field experience journal (20%) and educational
applications personalized to your instructional setting (20%) serve
as part of your grade.
CONFERENCE
CENTER DISCUSSION:
For those who took part in the field trip - please review the
sites selected for a visit. Would you eliminate any? Which stops were
the most valuable to you and why? What problems do you envision for
yourself in leading students on a similar trip? For those who did not
take part in the trip - check out the conversation and ask for
information from the participants regarding the site visits that
could be helpful to you.
FOR THOSE NOT TAKING PART IN THE TRIP: Continue work on the course project approved earlier. The project will make up 40% of your grade.
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Updated 6/26/02