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.

Freed The Gunboats

The 5^th Minnesota Infantry came to Union Admiral David Dixon Porter’s rescue on the Red River at Campti, Louisiana on April 3^rd 1864.

Minnesota Governor Alexander Ramsey received authorization from the United State Assistant Secretary of War, Thomas A Scott on October 23^rd 1861; to raise a fifth regiment.  The 5^th Minnesota mustered into Union service April 30^th 1862 at Fort Snelling, Minnesota.

Union General A J Smith with two brigades, including the 5^th were called to Campti, Louisiana on April 3^rd 1864.  Union Admiral David Dixon Porter’s gunboats had become trapped on the Red River at Campti.  After freeing the gunboats, which moved safely upriver, the 5^th Minnesota along with the rest of Smith’s men burnt the town of Campti.

The 5^th Minnesota lost 8 officers and 261 enlisted, were killed, or died of wounds and diseases during the war.

The Other Minnesota Regiment

The 3^rd Minnesota was completely mustered into Union service November 14^th 1861 at Fort Snelling, Minnesota.

Mustered into the Union Army by companies at Fort Snelling, Minnesota, between October 2^nd and November 14^th 1861, the 3^rd Minnesota was sent to Kentucky.  There the unit was placed on garrison duty in Kentucky and Tennessee.  Must of the men of the 3^rd were taken prisoner July 13^th 1862 by Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest at Murfreesboro, Tennessee.  The men were paroled and sent to Benton Barracks in St Louis, Missouri to wait for exchange.  The official exchange took place August 27^th 1862, and the 3^rd was transferred back to Minnesota.  In it’s home state the men were used to suppress the September 1862 Dakota War.

The 3^rd was reorganized at Fort Snelling following the Dakota War, and they returned in January 1863 to garrison duty in Kentucky and Tennessee.  They were called to join the Siege of Vicksburg, and they participated in the capture of Little Rock, Arkansas on September 10^th 1863.  The 3^rd would remain in the city on garrison duty until April 28^th 1864.  The 3^rd took part in an expedition up the White River in Arkansas, which ended in the Battle of Fitzhugh’s Woods April 1^st 1864.

The 3^rd was discharged from military duty September 16^th 1865 at Fort Snelling, Minnesota.  They lost 17 men who died in battle or of their wounds.  They also saw 279 soldiers die from disease.