Henry Sibley

The Battle of Wood Lake (Sept. 23, 1862) marked the end of the Dakota Conflict, or the “Sioux Uprising” as it was often called until recent years. Col. Henry H. Sibley and his 1,600 state and federal troops were ambushed south of Granite Falls, Minn., by a band of 700 Indians led by Little Crow. Sibley’s men carried the day – and apparently also tried to carry off a few scalps before Sibley put a stop to it. A few weeks later, the New York Times weighed in on the conflict and its aftermath in an editorial that called for the vanquished tribe to be relocated – and managed to use the word “sanguinary” twice.

Mercy to the Sioux

We are very glad to learn from Washington that it is not the purpose of the Government to deal in a sanguinary manner with the lately belligerent red men of Minnesota. The large number of “big Injuns,” of all grades and dignities, and with all sorts of unpronounceable names, who had been condemned to the gallows, will be respited, and subjected to some punishment which will be more effective in preventing outbreaks in the future. The war, if such it may be called, is entirely over. A mere show of power on the part of the Government put an end to the difficulties; and Gen. Pope has had no use whatever for the large number of men that were assigned to his department. The whole thing seems to have been but a burst of rage on the part of the redskins, incited by the atrocious injustice to which they had been subjected; and their savage fury being raised, they fell upon the white settlers, and slew them indiscriminately. Most of the Indians who were condemned had given themselves up to justice, declaring their innocence, and asserting that the massacres were the work of a few bad men among them – as indeed seems to have been the case.

A prisoner at Fort Snelling. (mnhs.org photo)

But while we think it well that the accused Sioux are not to be all hung, it will certainly be very bad policy to let them, or any of their tribe, remain in Minnesota. The exasperation of the settlers against the Indians continues intense, and they fiercely demand not only the execution of these men, but the entire extermination of the tribe – men, squaws and papooses. They declaim loudly against the policy of the Government; and it is almost certain that, if it is carried out, and the Indians are permitted to remain in the State, they will be quickly taken in hand by the settlers and exterminated.

The whole tribe should at once be removed from Minnesota, and taken down to the Indian Territory; or what seems still more feasible, the plan which has been proposed in the able though sanguinary pamphlet of Mr. Taylor, of Minnesota, should be carried out, and the tribe be removed to Isle Royale, in Lake Superior, where they will never more molest or be molested by the white man. The Sioux, who are east of the Missouri, are but 15,000 in number, with 3,000 warriors; and part of their annuities should be applied to getting them from Minnesota. This would pacify the settlers and save the Indians. There can be no rest nor safety for any one of them while they remain where they are.

An enclosure below Fort Snelling held Dakota prisoners in 1862. (mnhs.org photo)

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