The 1862 Sioux Revolt

The period between 1861 and 1865 saw the better part of a million young American men go to premature graves, as a direct or indirect result of the American Civil War. There were, however, smaller incidents of violence, particularly in the West and Midwest, that had nothing to do with the War Between the States.

Perhaps the best example is the Santee/Dakota uprising of 1862, when reservation Sioux in Minnesota slaughtered over 800 whites, and forced another 40,000 into flight. In comparison to contemporary Texans - for whom Indian warfare was a part of daily life - these Minnesotans were simple farmers, not especially prone to violence; most were immigrants from Europe.

As was typically the case, vengeful whites more than made up for Native brutality. Just like the contemporary Southern rebellion, the Dakota revolt was crushed by Union volunteers. Unlike the Civil War, however, the Dakota revolt was followed up by a mass-execution - not only that, but the largest mass-execution in United States history. Hundreds of Indians would have been hung, but President Lincoln stepped in and as a result only 38 were put to death. The next year, the Sioux were expelled from Minnesota.