Brought Back From Canada

As the Civil War was wrapping up, and so was the Dakota War of 1862, when on November 11^th 1865 Dakota Chief Shakopee was hung for his role in the uprising.

Shakopee III or in English “Little Six” was born about 1811 near the town of today’s Shakopee, Scott County, Minnesota.  He was the son Chief Shakopee II.

Shakopee was one of the leaders involved in the Dakota War of 1862.  The death of 13 women and children were placed on him.  Following the uprising in Minnesota, the United States ordered the removal of all Dakota from the State, and so Shakopee fled in early 1863 to Canada.  It was while in Canada in the winter of 1864 that he was illegally captured and brought to Fort Snelling, Minnesota.  Shakopee was brought before a military tribunal for his actions in the Dakota War, found guilty he was sentenced to death.

United States President Andrew Johnson upheld the sentence in early November 1865.  On November 11^th 1865 Shakopee and another Dakota; Medicine Bottle were brought to the gallows at Fort Snelling.  French Jesuit, Father Augustin Ravoux administered the last rights, and the two Dakota were hung.  The St Paul Weekly Press reported that, “the lid was placed over them, and they were taken, each coffin borne by four soldiers, to the place in the Fort assigned for the dead. They were buried at 6 o'clock p.m. in the military burying grounds."  There is some question as to this statement; it seems likely that bodies were sent to an eastern medical college.