Episode 3 of 6 in a series on the 1862 Dakota War I wrote for Legends of the Old West. As the Dakota War raged on, Fort Ridgely stood as a fragile lifeline for settlers and soldiers alike. After the devastating ambush at Redwood Ferry, a small band of defenders—led by 19-year-old Lieutenant Thomas Gere—prepared for what they knew was coming. The first assault came on August 20, but the real test arrived two days later when more than 800 Dakota warriors, twice the original number, launched a relentless attack. Led by Little Crow, the Dakota forces pressed forward with strategic precision, using the terrain and captured buildings to their advantage.
With supplies running low and the outpost poorly fortified, the defenders had little hope—until the cannons roared. Ordnance Sergeant John Jones ordered the last rounds of canister shot to be fired at point-blank range, cutting down waves of attackers. Meanwhile, the settlers, armed with whatever they could find, stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the soldiers in brutal hand-to-hand combat. When night fell, the Dakota forces finally withdrew, but the fort was left in ruins, its defenders battered and out of ammunition. Their only hope? Reinforcements that might not arrive in time.
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