Surrender at Camp Release
Encyclopedia
The Surrender at Camp Release was the final act in the Dakota War of 1862
. After the Battle of Wood Lake
, Colonel Henry Hastings Sibley
had considered pursuing the retreating Sioux, but he realized he did not have the resources for a vigorous pursuit. Moreover, he feared that doing so would have inspired the Indians to murder the settlers they were holding captive. At the same time, Chief Little Crow was losing some of his influence, and other chiefs had wanted to make peace and end the hostilities. Despite the peace, armed conflict eventually broke out again during the following year and it continued into 1865.
After the Battle of Wood Lake, a group of chiefs, including Wabasha, Red Iron, Taopi, Gabriel Renville, and others, sent prisoner Joseph Campbell as a messenger to let Sibley know that the captives were safe. On September 25, 1862, Colonel Sibley's troops left Lone Tree Lake and marched leisurely up about ten miles to the Hazelwood mission, near Granite Falls, Minnesota
. The next morning, September 26, Sibley and his troops entered the Indian camp. Sibley wrote about the event, "The Indians and half-breeds assembled ... in considerable numbers, and I proceeded to give them very briefly my views of the late proceedings; my determination that the guilty parties should be pursued and overtaken, if possible, and I made a demand that all the captives should be delivered to me instantly, that I might take them to my camp." The Indians immediately released 91 white settlers and about 150 mixed-blood captives, and within the next few days, released the rest of the captives. The total number of captives was 107 whites and 162 mixed-bloods, for a grand total of 269.
The surrender ended with about 1200 Indians being taken into custody, with many more taken in as they later surrendered. Eventually, nearly two thousand Indians were captured. They were eventually tried within mass trials at the Camp Release headquarters.
Camp Release State Monument near Montevideo, Minnesota
was dedicated in 1894 as a memorial of the event.
Dakota War of 1862
The Dakota War of 1862, also known as the Sioux Uprising, was an armed conflict between the United States and several bands of the eastern Sioux. It began on August 17, 1862, along the Minnesota River in southwest Minnesota...
. After the Battle of Wood Lake
Battle of Wood Lake
The Battle of Wood Lake was a battle in the Dakota War of 1862 in September. By that time in the Dakota War of 1862, the Sioux offensive had slowed considerably, and the Minnesota forces were beginning to implement a plan formulated by Governor Alexander Ramsey...
, Colonel Henry Hastings Sibley
Henry Hastings Sibley
Henry Hastings Sibley was the first Governor of the U.S. state of Minnesota.-Early life and education:...
had considered pursuing the retreating Sioux, but he realized he did not have the resources for a vigorous pursuit. Moreover, he feared that doing so would have inspired the Indians to murder the settlers they were holding captive. At the same time, Chief Little Crow was losing some of his influence, and other chiefs had wanted to make peace and end the hostilities. Despite the peace, armed conflict eventually broke out again during the following year and it continued into 1865.
After the Battle of Wood Lake, a group of chiefs, including Wabasha, Red Iron, Taopi, Gabriel Renville, and others, sent prisoner Joseph Campbell as a messenger to let Sibley know that the captives were safe. On September 25, 1862, Colonel Sibley's troops left Lone Tree Lake and marched leisurely up about ten miles to the Hazelwood mission, near Granite Falls, Minnesota
Granite Falls, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 3,070 people, 1,344 households, and 806 families residing in the city. The population density was 890.5 people per square mile . There were 1,472 housing units at an average density of 427.0 per square mile...
. The next morning, September 26, Sibley and his troops entered the Indian camp. Sibley wrote about the event, "The Indians and half-breeds assembled ... in considerable numbers, and I proceeded to give them very briefly my views of the late proceedings; my determination that the guilty parties should be pursued and overtaken, if possible, and I made a demand that all the captives should be delivered to me instantly, that I might take them to my camp." The Indians immediately released 91 white settlers and about 150 mixed-blood captives, and within the next few days, released the rest of the captives. The total number of captives was 107 whites and 162 mixed-bloods, for a grand total of 269.
The surrender ended with about 1200 Indians being taken into custody, with many more taken in as they later surrendered. Eventually, nearly two thousand Indians were captured. They were eventually tried within mass trials at the Camp Release headquarters.
Camp Release State Monument near Montevideo, Minnesota
Montevideo, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 5,346 people, 2,353 households, and 1,444 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,190.5 people per square mile . There were 2,551 housing units at an average density of 568.1 per square mile...
was dedicated in 1894 as a memorial of the event.