"When the Civil War began in the spring of 1861, young men in Minnesota responded enthusiastically to Abraham Lincoln's call for volunteers.

By August 1862, all or parts of the First through Tenth Minnesota Regiments had been organized. Some of these regiments had been sent to do battle with confederates in the east or south -- but not all the units had been deployed.

So when Dakota Indians launched their war against settlers and soldiers on Aug. 18, 1862, quite a number of troops, many of them new recruits, were still in Minnesota.

Word of the attacks reached Fort Snelling and St. Paul the next day, and a military response was organized, with Col. Henry Sibley commanding. Some soldiers, such as those in Company B, Fifth Minnesota Regiment, were already in the troubled area, being stationed at Fort Ridgely."

Get the Story:
Curtis Dahlin: The 1862 war fought on Minnesota soil (The Minneapolis Star Tribune 2/17)