Photo by Clay Schuldt Historian Stephen Osman gave the keynote speech during a Banquet commemorating the U.S.-Dakota War.

By Clay Schuldt

Staff Writer

NEW ULM — A special banquet was held at Turner Hall Saturday to commemorate the 160th Anniversary of the U.S. Dakota War, including a presentation from historian Stephen Osman.

Osman retired as the senior historian with the Minnesota History Society and was the manager of Fort Snelling for three decades. His presentation was called “Minnesota’s Own Civil War: The Dakota Conflict of 1862.”

Osman tried to give a broad overview of the U.S. Dakota War. He said it occurred over five weeks, resulting in more civilian deaths than all of Minnesota’s Civil War combat deaths. There were 394 Minnesota soldiers killed during four years of fighting in the Civil War. Between 700 and 800 men, women and children were killed during the Dakota in a little over a month. The state had a significantly lower population at the time and these deaths were felt.

Osman said in the lead-up to the war, Minnesota was seeing an increase in immigration from European settlers. In 1844 there were roughly 20,000 Native Americans in Minnesota compared to 4,500 whites. By 1865, there were 13,000 Native Americans to 250,000 whites.

Trade agreements and treaties were no longer working for the Dakota. The agency system pushed by the United States government was intended to assimilate the Dakota people into white culture. A quote from Sioux Indian agent Thomas Galbraith stated the agency system was intended to break up the communal system among the Sioux, weaken tribal religion and “make white men of them.”

A treaty from 1851 forced the Dakota to give up land on the north side of the Minnesota River. This was a loss of hunting land, angering the Dakota. Militant movements began among the Dakota that reached a boiling point in 1862.

Osman said in 1861, the Lincoln administration came to power and a new inexperienced agent took over the Lower Sioux Agency. A rumor circulated that the U.S. government is broke and the Dakota will receive no payment.

Osman said 1862 was a good year for crops, but the Dakota people may have been malnourished because of a lack of protein because they lost access to hunting grounds.

Many young Dakota warriors saw no future for their way of life. With many white men being sent south to fight in the Civil War, it appeared to be a perfect time to attack.

After the attack on the Sioux Agency, a group of soldiers from Fort Ridgley responded but were ambushed at Redwood Ferry, with 25 killed and many wounded. Osman said this was a significant loss of soldiers in a single day.

Fort Ridgely was able to prevent the Dakota from attacking further east. The fort was able to prepare for battle because the Dakota focused on New Ulm on Aug. 19.

Artillery was key in Fort Ridgely’s defense. Osman said the cannons were mostly firing cut links of chains and scraps of nails.

After failing to take the fort, the Dakota attacked New Ulm again. Osman said this was the largest attack on a town in U.S. history and New Ulm’s cemetery has the largest number of civilian victims killed in Native American warfare with 55.

After the two battles at Fort Ridgely and New Ulm, the Dakota moved west and the conflict entered a second phase. There were later battles at Birch Coulee, Actin and Wood Lake.

Following the Battle of Wood Lake, the war was effectively over. The federal government wanted its troops brought back to fight in the Civil War. Minnesota was militarized with a string of fortifications created and regulary patrols of the territory. Raids would continue through the rest of 1862.

In the aftermath of the conflict, many Dakota were rounded up in internment camps and eventually exiled from the state. A military commission is established to try to capture Dakota warriors.

A total of 392 men were charged, with 323 found guilty of war crimes, and 307 were sentenced to death. President Abraham Lincoln changed most of the sentences to imprisonment, with 38 executed in Mankato.

Osman said this typically the single greatest takeaway of the conflict is that it resulted in the largest mass execution in United State history.

Osman said some descendants on both sides hold resentment. To some reconciliation remains elusive.

He clarified many Dakota remained in Minnesota even in the aftermath of the conflict. Dakota who served as U.S. scouts or remained loyal to the U.S. government were allowed to settle. Others who were initially exiled from the state filtered back.

Osman said the part of the difficulty in reaching reconciliation is determining who were the victims. He said many people stand to gain by claiming victim status.

Osman personally believed the killing of non-combatant children by the Dakota cam be judged as wrong. As for the Dakota executions, some might have been innocent, but he believed most of the atrocities occurred. He encouraged everyone to read trial transcripts.

He said it is important to consider who is telling the story of history. He found it refreshing to see New Ulm continuing to tell its own story concerning the conflict.