Episode 2 of 6 in a series on the 1862 Dakota War I wrote for Legends of the Old West. On the morning of August 18, 1862, the tranquil Minnesota River Valley was rocked by gunfire as the Dakota launched a sudden and devastating attack on the Lower Sioux Agency. Fueled by years of broken promises, famine, and rising anger, the warriors struck with swift precision. Led by Little Crow, they sought to reclaim their dignity and ensure their survival after a pivotal council the night before determined that after four young men killed five settlers the day before, war was inevitable.
Chaos erupted as settlers, caught entirely off guard, scrambled for their lives. Flames engulfed the buildings, warriors surged through the agency, and the surrounding countryside became a deadly battleground. The infamous killing field at Redwood Ferry saw terrified settlers and traders ruthlessly cut down as they tried to flee. A poignant act of vengeance saw Andrew Myrick, a white trader who had married a Dakota woman to gain access to trade with the tribe, infamous for his cruel dismissal of Dakota suffering, killed on the first day of the war. When told that the Dakota around him were starving, Myrick refused to sell them food on credit, responding, "Let them eat grass." Now he was found dead, his head cut from his body and his mouth stuffed with prairie grass—a chilling symbol of retribution.
The assault marked the explosive beginning of the Dakota War, forever altering the southern Minnesota frontier. With settlers fleeing to Fort Ridgely and other safe havens, the region braced itself for further conflict. Little did they know, this was only the beginning of a relentless campaign. 🎧 Listen now to "The Dakota War: Assault on Lower Sioux Agency" on your favorite podcast platform.
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