Little Crow's War: 1861-62

THE US ARMY

THE RESULTS

OVERALL, THE AMERICANS...

• achieved their aims
• Their Army defeated the Indians
• Indains were depleted and many died afterward
• Indian culture and structure was destroyed
• Indians confined to reservations so more land was available to exploit
• Less risk posed by Indians to white settlers, miners, etc.

And the win goes to...

OCTOBER

• 2000 Santee Sioux captured or surrendered
• Tried by military commisson

1863

• The other 2000 were transferred to a new reservation on Crow Creek in Missouri
• Poor quality of land and life
• 400 die in the first winter

5TH NOVEMBER

• 303 Santee Sioux sentenced to death
• weak evidence
• Abraham Lincoln commuted all but 38

DECEMBER 1862

• The 38 hanged
• 3 innocents included
• The 3 were victims of mistake identity

THE US ARMY

LITTLE CROW &

THE SANTEE SIOUX

Hunger

Desire to Remove the

Indians

The Reservations:

Land

Expected to become farmers

Poor quality of land & lack of knowledge of farming

Crops didn't grow well

1861- cutworms devastated Indian crops

Unable to hunt the buffalo

This made the Indian become dependent on government rations

1861- the reservation solution was introduced.

The Santee Sioux, along with many other Indian nations were moved onto special areas, called reservations.

Life here was difficult and very different from the Indians traditional way of life.

It reduced the Indian's traditional hunting lands

This was one way in which the US Government destroyed Indian culture. This angered the Indians.

The US government desperately wanted to be rid of the Indians.

The reservation system was one method meant to destroy Indian culture and convert them into white citizens.

Small food rations led them to become dependent and submissive

They stood in the way of Manifest Destiny

Fewer Indians meant less risks and problems to do with settling in the West

The Indians lived on the Plains

These were home to many resources such as gold and fertile land for farming and ranching

To access these resources, the Indians had to be removed- reservations etc

The US military vastly outnumbered and outgunned the Indians, so resisitance was futile.

Response to Attacks

Failure of Payment

18th August 1862- Little Crow leads attack on the Indian Agency

Indians forced to live on credit from annual cash payments

June 1862- Annual Cash payment didn't arrive no credit at government store

Indians unable to buy food

US sends 45 soldiers to support of Agency- only 24 escape alive

Failed Indian attacks on New Ulm & Fort Ridgely and small settlements

Army supports brought in to protect the people

Little Crow's War

(1861-62)

TIMELINE

18 August 1862

- Little Crow lead an attack on the Indian Agency (20 killed, 10 captured, 47 escaped)

They ambushed a company of 45 soldiers; only 24 escaped

Up til September

-Over 700 settlers were killed in random indiscriminate attacks on smaller settlements.

-Huge US Army reinforcements sent in, withdrawn from battlefields.

Annual cash payment did not arrive.

SEPT

1862

JUNE

1862

AUG

1862

LATE

AUG

1862

SEPT

1862

Up til September

-Over 700 settlers were killed in random indiscriminate attacks on smaller settlements.

-Huge US Army reinforcements sent in, withdrawn from battlefields.

Fighting continued until September -

Little Crow attacked but didn't capture Fort Ridgely and New Ulm

17th August

Little Crow failed to restraint his people from violence; 4 warriors killed 5 settlers.