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Battle of Redwood Ferry

The Battle of Redwood Ferry took place on August 18, 1862, on the first day of the Dakota War of 1862.

Battle of Redwood Ferry
Part of The Dakota War of 1862

Minnesotariver map
DateAugust 18, 1862
Location44°31′45″N 94°57′13″W / 44.52917°N 94.95361°W / 44.52917; -94.95361Coordinates: 44°31′45″N 94°57′13″W / 44.52917°N 94.95361°W / 44.52917; -94.95361
Result Santee Sioux Victory
Belligerents
Dakota (Santee Sioux)  United States
Commanders and leaders
White Dog  Disputed Captain John S. Marsh
Units involved
Unknown Co B, 5th Minnesota Infantry, Fort Ridgely
Strength
Unknown (more than 47) 47
Casualties and losses
1 killed 24 killed, 1 drowned, 5 wounded

Prelude

At 10 am on August 18, 1862, word of the attack at the Lower Sioux Agency reached Fort Ridgely. Captain John S. Marsh heard news of the killings from J.C. Dickinson, the agency boarding house manager, who had escaped with his family by ferry and had arrived at Fort Ridgely in a wagon.[1] The news that Dakota warriors were attacking settlers and agency staff was soon confirmed by the arrival of more refugees bringing a wounded man.[2]

Captain Marsh decided to go to the rescue at once. The long roll was sounded and the garrison was under arms.[2] Marsh immediately sent Corporal James C. McLean with a message for Lieutenant Timothy Sheehan, who had left Fort Ridgely the day before with 50 men of Company C, 5th Minnesota Infantry Regiment, en route to Fort Ripley. Captain Marsh's message urged Sheehan to return with his command immediately.[1]

Within 30 minutes, Marsh left the agency with 46 enlisted men from Company B of the 5th Minnesota Infantry Regiment and interpreter Peter Quinn on a march toward the Lower Sioux Agency. Marsh and Quinn rode mules. The other men marched for three miles until they were overtaken by wagon teams that had departed Fort Ridgely after them, then boarded the wagons.[2]

Meanwhile, 19-year-old Lieutenant Thomas P. Gere was left to hold the fort with only 22 soldiers available for active duty, as the rest were sick or on hospital detail. He was supported by Post Sutler Ben H. Randall, Ordnance Sergeant John Jones, and the surgeon, Dr. Alfred Müller, who helped Gere deal with the sudden influx of refugees at Fort Ridgely.[1]

On the road, Captain Marsh and the soldiers encountered many settlers fleeing for their lives. One of the refugees was Reverend Samuel D. Hinman, who warned Marsh of the severity of the attacks and that he and his men would be outnumbered if they went all the way to Redwood Ferry.[1]

Six miles from Fort Ridgely, Marsh and his men passed houses that were in flames, and saw numerous corpses of men, women and children "not yet cold" on the side of the road. Captain Marsh continued undeterred toward Redwood Ferry.[2]

In Minnesota in the Civil and Indian Wars, General Lucius Frederick Hubbard wrote: "Still in the hope that all this was the work of some desperate band of outlaws among the Sioux, and strangely confident that it was in his power to quell the disturbance, Capt. Marsh, again forming his command on foot, hurried on."[2]

Battle

 
Historical marker at Redwood Ferry

What exactly transpired in the vicinity of Redwood Ferry is unclear. The ensuing battle would leave Captain John S. Marsh drowned, 24 soldiers killed, including his interpreter, and five wounded.

About three miles from the Lower Sioux Agency, Marsh and his men reached Faribault Hill, and descended the road.[2] About one mile from the ferry, they left their wagons behind and crossed a small stream.[1] Halfway across, they paused to rest, then proceeded in single file toward the ferry house, which stood two hundred feet east of the ferry landing.[2]

Near the landing, which was on the east bank of the Minnesota River, the grass was thick with heavy growth of hazel and willow brush on either side of the road. Dozens of Dakota warriors were hiding in the grass, waiting with guns ready.[2]

Stopping at the ferry house shortly after 12 noon, they found the ferryboat conveniently moored there. Survivors of the ambush would later reflect that the Dakota were probably waiting for them to board the boat, where they would have been an easy target.[1] The soldiers had found the corpse of the dead ferryman on the side of road on their way to the landing.[2]

Encounter with White Dog and ambush

Across the river, they saw White Dog (Śuŋkaska), who was known as a "cut hair" Dakota,[1] standing on the bluff on the west bank.[3] He had previously overseen the farmer Dakota at the Lower Sioux Agency, until he was replaced by Taopi.[4] They also spotted a few Dakota women and children on the bluff.[2] John Magner, a soldier in Marsh's command who knew White Dog well, later testified that White Dog had been holding a large tomahawk and was "all painted over red" on his face and head. The red paint generally signified a willingness to die in war.[3]

Marsh began a conversation with White Dog through Quinn.[2] Quinn asked White Dog why he seemed so "out of character," to which White Dog replied that he had brought the tomahawk "to smoke."[3] He reassured Marsh and Quinn that he did not intend to fight and that there would be no trouble.[5]

White Dog then invited Marsh to cross the river in the ferry for a council. White Dog himself would later confirm this much at his trial after the war.[5]

Some sources later accused White Dog of deliberately prolonging his exchange with Marsh to allow the other Dakota to ford the river upstream, take cover in the thicket, and take control of the ferry house.[5] Magner reported that Marsh had instructed him to look upriver for movements, when he saw in the river and in the weeds to the north that "the place was red with their heads." Marsh then ordered his men to retreat.[3]

White Dog then appeared to give the signal for the Dakota warriors to shoot, killing Quinn and twelve soldiers, and wounding many more.[5][3][1]

Controversy over White Dog's role

After the war and prior to his execution, White Dog stated to Reverend Stephen Return Riggs that after inviting Marsh to cross the river, he spotted the warriors lying in wait for an ambush, and gestured to Marsh to stay back. White Dog also denied telling the Dakota warriors to fire. He complained bitterly that he did not have a chance to tell the whole story, and that he and others had not had fair trials.[5] However, most sources seem to contradict White Dog's version of events.[3][a]

Exchange of fire and escape

Captain Marsh was unhurt, but the Dakota warriors who had taken over the ferryhouse behind him then opened fire in the right rear.[5][1] The captain ordered an about face. His men closed ranks, advanced, and fired a volley, but it was mostly in vain, as more of them fell.[5] On Marsh's command, the surviving men broke for cover in the thicket extending downstream for two miles.[5][1] The Dakota warriors skirted the thicket from a distance, too far for their shots to reach Marsh and his men.[5] Finally, as the timber and underbrush thinned, Marsh decided to cross the stream to avoid further fire, and attempt to find their way back to the fort on the south bank.[5] A confident swimmer, Marsh entered the water first, but suffered a cramp and drowned, despite the efforts of two of his men to save him.[1]

Nineteen-year-old Sergeant John F. Bishop then led fifteen survivors, including five wounded men, back to Fort Ridgely. They reached the fort after nightfall. Eight other infantrymen arrived at the fort separately.[1]

Aftermath

McLean was able to relay message and Lt. Sheehan with C Company returned to reinforce the beleaguered outpost.

The surviving members of Company B made their way back towards Fort Ridgely. As it was getting dark, Lt. Bishop sent Privates James Dunn and William B. Hutchinson to Ridgely to tell the post commander what happened. They arrived at Ridgely at 2200 hours. The remaining men returned to the fort on August 20.

Notes

  1. ^ In 1898, George Quinn (Wakonkdayamanne) told historian Return Ira Holcombe that all the Indians he had spoken to said that White Dog had told Captain Marsh to stay back, but that he himself was unsure what to believe. (Quinn and Carley (ed.), "As Red Men Viewed It")

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Carley, Kenneth (1976). The Dakota War of 1862: Minnesota's Other Civil War. St. Paul: Minnesota Historical Society Press. pp. 15–16, 26. ISBN 978-0-87351-392-0.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Narrative of the Fifth Regiment". Minnesota in the Civil and Indian Wars, 1861-1865. St. Paul: Printed for the state by the Pioneer Press Co. 1890–93.
  3. ^ a b c d e f Anderson, Gary Clayton (2019). Massacre in Minnesota: The Dakota War of 1862, the Most Violent Ethnic Conflict in American History. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press. pp. 98, 303. ISBN 978-0-8061-6434-2.
  4. ^ Quinn, George (1898). Carley, Kenneth (ed.). "As Red Men Viewed It: Three Indian Accounts of the Uprising". Minnesota History (published September 1962). 38 (3): 126–149. JSTOR 20176459.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Folwell, William Watts (1921). A History of Minnesota. Vol. 2. St. Paul: Minnesota Historical Society Press. p. 113.

External links

  • Minnesota In the Civil and Indian War Vol. 2 pages 166-170 "Battle of Redwood" by First Lieutenant John F. Bishop Sheldon, Iowa, Sept 5, 1887.
  • Finda a Grave

battle, redwood, ferry, this, article, includes, list, general, references, lacks, sufficient, corresponding, inline, citations, please, help, improve, this, article, introducing, more, precise, citations, february, 2021, learn, when, remove, this, template, m. This article includes a list of general references but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations February 2021 Learn how and when to remove this template message This article may be unbalanced towards certain viewpoints Please improve the article by adding information on neglected viewpoints or discuss the issue on the talk page February 2021 The Battle of Redwood Ferry took place on August 18 1862 on the first day of the Dakota War of 1862 Battle of Redwood FerryPart of The Dakota War of 1862Minnesotariver mapDateAugust 18 1862LocationBirch Cooley Township Renville County Minnesota44 31 45 N 94 57 13 W 44 52917 N 94 95361 W 44 52917 94 95361 Coordinates 44 31 45 N 94 57 13 W 44 52917 N 94 95361 W 44 52917 94 95361ResultSantee Sioux VictoryBelligerentsDakota Santee Sioux United StatesCommanders and leadersWhite Dog DisputedCaptain John S Marsh Units involvedUnknownCo B 5th Minnesota Infantry Fort RidgelyStrengthUnknown more than 47 47Casualties and losses1 killed24 killed 1 drowned 5 wounded Contents 1 Prelude 2 Battle 2 1 Encounter with White Dog and ambush 2 1 1 Controversy over White Dog s role 2 2 Exchange of fire and escape 3 Aftermath 4 Notes 5 References 6 External linksPrelude EditMain article Dakota War of 1862 Further information Attack at the Lower Sioux Agency At 10 am on August 18 1862 word of the attack at the Lower Sioux Agency reached Fort Ridgely Captain John S Marsh heard news of the killings from J C Dickinson the agency boarding house manager who had escaped with his family by ferry and had arrived at Fort Ridgely in a wagon 1 The news that Dakota warriors were attacking settlers and agency staff was soon confirmed by the arrival of more refugees bringing a wounded man 2 Captain Marsh decided to go to the rescue at once The long roll was sounded and the garrison was under arms 2 Marsh immediately sent Corporal James C McLean with a message for Lieutenant Timothy Sheehan who had left Fort Ridgely the day before with 50 men of Company C 5th Minnesota Infantry Regiment en route to Fort Ripley Captain Marsh s message urged Sheehan to return with his command immediately 1 Within 30 minutes Marsh left the agency with 46 enlisted men from Company B of the 5th Minnesota Infantry Regiment and interpreter Peter Quinn on a march toward the Lower Sioux Agency Marsh and Quinn rode mules The other men marched for three miles until they were overtaken by wagon teams that had departed Fort Ridgely after them then boarded the wagons 2 Meanwhile 19 year old Lieutenant Thomas P Gere was left to hold the fort with only 22 soldiers available for active duty as the rest were sick or on hospital detail He was supported by Post Sutler Ben H Randall Ordnance Sergeant John Jones and the surgeon Dr Alfred Muller who helped Gere deal with the sudden influx of refugees at Fort Ridgely 1 On the road Captain Marsh and the soldiers encountered many settlers fleeing for their lives One of the refugees was Reverend Samuel D Hinman who warned Marsh of the severity of the attacks and that he and his men would be outnumbered if they went all the way to Redwood Ferry 1 Six miles from Fort Ridgely Marsh and his men passed houses that were in flames and saw numerous corpses of men women and children not yet cold on the side of the road Captain Marsh continued undeterred toward Redwood Ferry 2 In Minnesota in the Civil and Indian Wars General Lucius Frederick Hubbard wrote Still in the hope that all this was the work of some desperate band of outlaws among the Sioux and strangely confident that it was in his power to quell the disturbance Capt Marsh again forming his command on foot hurried on 2 Battle Edit Historical marker at Redwood Ferry What exactly transpired in the vicinity of Redwood Ferry is unclear The ensuing battle would leave Captain John S Marsh drowned 24 soldiers killed including his interpreter and five wounded About three miles from the Lower Sioux Agency Marsh and his men reached Faribault Hill and descended the road 2 About one mile from the ferry they left their wagons behind and crossed a small stream 1 Halfway across they paused to rest then proceeded in single file toward the ferry house which stood two hundred feet east of the ferry landing 2 Near the landing which was on the east bank of the Minnesota River the grass was thick with heavy growth of hazel and willow brush on either side of the road Dozens of Dakota warriors were hiding in the grass waiting with guns ready 2 Stopping at the ferry house shortly after 12 noon they found the ferryboat conveniently moored there Survivors of the ambush would later reflect that the Dakota were probably waiting for them to board the boat where they would have been an easy target 1 The soldiers had found the corpse of the dead ferryman on the side of road on their way to the landing 2 Encounter with White Dog and ambush Edit Across the river they saw White Dog Suŋkaska who was known as a cut hair Dakota 1 standing on the bluff on the west bank 3 He had previously overseen the farmer Dakota at the Lower Sioux Agency until he was replaced by Taopi 4 They also spotted a few Dakota women and children on the bluff 2 John Magner a soldier in Marsh s command who knew White Dog well later testified that White Dog had been holding a large tomahawk and was all painted over red on his face and head The red paint generally signified a willingness to die in war 3 Marsh began a conversation with White Dog through Quinn 2 Quinn asked White Dog why he seemed so out of character to which White Dog replied that he had brought the tomahawk to smoke 3 He reassured Marsh and Quinn that he did not intend to fight and that there would be no trouble 5 White Dog then invited Marsh to cross the river in the ferry for a council White Dog himself would later confirm this much at his trial after the war 5 Some sources later accused White Dog of deliberately prolonging his exchange with Marsh to allow the other Dakota to ford the river upstream take cover in the thicket and take control of the ferry house 5 Magner reported that Marsh had instructed him to look upriver for movements when he saw in the river and in the weeds to the north that the place was red with their heads Marsh then ordered his men to retreat 3 White Dog then appeared to give the signal for the Dakota warriors to shoot killing Quinn and twelve soldiers and wounding many more 5 3 1 Controversy over White Dog s role Edit After the war and prior to his execution White Dog stated to Reverend Stephen Return Riggs that after inviting Marsh to cross the river he spotted the warriors lying in wait for an ambush and gestured to Marsh to stay back White Dog also denied telling the Dakota warriors to fire He complained bitterly that he did not have a chance to tell the whole story and that he and others had not had fair trials 5 However most sources seem to contradict White Dog s version of events 3 a Exchange of fire and escape Edit Captain Marsh was unhurt but the Dakota warriors who had taken over the ferryhouse behind him then opened fire in the right rear 5 1 The captain ordered an about face His men closed ranks advanced and fired a volley but it was mostly in vain as more of them fell 5 On Marsh s command the surviving men broke for cover in the thicket extending downstream for two miles 5 1 The Dakota warriors skirted the thicket from a distance too far for their shots to reach Marsh and his men 5 Finally as the timber and underbrush thinned Marsh decided to cross the stream to avoid further fire and attempt to find their way back to the fort on the south bank 5 A confident swimmer Marsh entered the water first but suffered a cramp and drowned despite the efforts of two of his men to save him 1 Nineteen year old Sergeant John F Bishop then led fifteen survivors including five wounded men back to Fort Ridgely They reached the fort after nightfall Eight other infantrymen arrived at the fort separately 1 Aftermath EditMcLean was able to relay message and Lt Sheehan with C Company returned to reinforce the beleaguered outpost The surviving members of Company B made their way back towards Fort Ridgely As it was getting dark Lt Bishop sent Privates James Dunn and William B Hutchinson to Ridgely to tell the post commander what happened They arrived at Ridgely at 2200 hours The remaining men returned to the fort on August 20 Notes Edit In 1898 George Quinn Wakonkdayamanne told historian Return Ira Holcombe that all the Indians he had spoken to said that White Dog had told Captain Marsh to stay back but that he himself was unsure what to believe Quinn and Carley ed As Red Men Viewed It References Edit a b c d e f g h i j k l Carley Kenneth 1976 The Dakota War of 1862 Minnesota s Other Civil War St Paul Minnesota Historical Society Press pp 15 16 26 ISBN 978 0 87351 392 0 a b c d e f g h i j k Narrative of the Fifth Regiment Minnesota in the Civil and Indian Wars 1861 1865 St Paul Printed for the state by the Pioneer Press Co 1890 93 a b c d e f Anderson Gary Clayton 2019 Massacre in Minnesota The Dakota War of 1862 the Most Violent Ethnic Conflict in American History Norman University of Oklahoma Press pp 98 303 ISBN 978 0 8061 6434 2 Quinn George 1898 Carley Kenneth ed As Red Men Viewed It Three Indian Accounts of the Uprising Minnesota History published September 1962 38 3 126 149 JSTOR 20176459 a b c d e f g h i j Folwell William Watts 1921 A History of Minnesota Vol 2 St Paul Minnesota Historical Society Press p 113 External links EditMinnesota In the Civil and Indian War Vol 2 pages 166 170 Battle of Redwood by First Lieutenant John F Bishop Sheldon Iowa Sept 5 1887 Finda a Grave Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Battle of Redwood Ferry amp oldid 1106662353, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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