In Minnesota, the US/Dakota War of 1862 had far greater consequences for all peoples than did the Civil War itself.

The first of meeting of August opened in a different meeting room than normal, and with President-elect JIM KOSMO standing in for President Dan.

Nevertheless, we had our piano, and District Governor JOE KOVARIK at the podium and DENNIS BOOM at the ivories led us in the Star Spangled Banner with gusto.  JEAN VUKAS ROBERTS took theImage podium for the invocation, and following some microphone problems, VICKI GEE TREFT facilitated introduction of two visiting Rotarians from Rochester, NY, and three guests of Rotarians, including one of our Second Century Scholars.

BO AYLIN and KATHLEEN RILEY were our greeters; DEREK SHARRER again invited everyone to the Saints Game and festivities; and TRENT WALDEN promoted the upcoming blood drive.

ImagePast District Governor KEN CRABB presented a multiple Paul Harris Fellow pin to Joe Kovarik, and MARGARET MOBERG was formally introduced, and shared her thanks with the group for being selected as one of our first two Scholarships.  Margaret is going to be a sophomore at Drake University, and she is working to get a Rotaract Club started on campus there too.

SARAH KOLAR collected a nice bucket full of happy dollars, for everything from anniversaries to advertisements.

Judge JOHN GUTHMANN introduced the speaker, who was John’s first employer forty years ago at Fort Snelling.  STEPHEN OSMAN is one of the most well-known writers and historians in Minnesota and beyond; he managed historic Fort Snelling for the Minnesota Historical Society for more than 30 years. 

It is unusual that Club Ten would have two successive weeks of program on the same topic, but if any topic deserves the coverage, it would be the most important historical event in modern day Minnesota.  Most agree, that event was the US/Dakota War of 1862.

In a five week period starting in mid-August 1862, some 600-800 persons were killed.  Adjusted for percentage of population lost, that would be more than seven times the number of people killed on September 11, 2001.  Most of western Minnesota was simply depopulated over a period of many years – for Native Americans and whites alike.

Dramatic changes in populations were one of the most significant factors leading to the war, of course.  Ten years before the war, there were about 4,500 white persons in Minnesota, and 20,000 natives.  Three years after the war, there were 250,000 whites and 13,000 natives.  The Dakota peoples’ decline was even more significant than other native peoples.

All treaties and relationships were also collapsing during from 1837 (Treaty of Traverse de Sioux) to 1862.  Land and natural resources were disappearing; there was manipulation of native debts, payments, and opportunities.  Traders seemingly got most of everything that the Dakota and others believed was coming to them following the arrival of white populations.

In 1862, five very young Dakota men shot five settlers near the Acton Reservation in southwest Minnesota.  They fled the area, and along with other discontent Dakota convinced Chief Little Crow to lead the tribes in battle.  Settlers across the region were then attacked by minority factions within the tribes.  Death of settlers and soldiers mounted rapidly, including many women and children.

The community of New Ulm saw lots of battles – and today, New Ulm has the largest number of graves of white persons killed during Indian action, in the Nation.  At one point, all of the women and children were kept in a single hotel that was readied to be blown up if necessary.

Raids and killings continued for weeks, but eventually those Dakota who didn’t flee to Canada or the Dakotas were captured or killed.  392 men were eventually tried, and 307 were sentenced to death.  Image1700 Dakota were imprisoned at Fort Snelling, and then deported to western states the following May.

38 men were hung the day after Christmas, 1862 - after President Lincoln reviewed the results of the trial where 307 were sentenced – it was still the largest mass execution in United States history.  Raids and battles continued into 1864, with Little Crow being killed in 1863, and the action moved farther west, eventually bringing Chief Sitting Bull into the conflict in the western states.

John Andrews
Scribe