C (9:28)

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D (10:51)

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B (11:24)

The situation worsened as more settlers moved into the region, encouraged by the government's promises of fertile land in the Minnesota River Valley. The sounds of saws cutting through ancient forests and hammers building new homes echoed the promises of American expansion. For the settlers, it was a place to start fresh and to carve out a future from the wilderness. For the Dakota, it was a site of dismay as they watched their world transform beyond recognition. Overhunting and deforestation threw the ecosystem out of balance. For decades, the Dakota had trapped beavers, muskrat, and other animals and traded pelts for goods with European settlers and fur traders. Now animals were scarce, and the Dakota found it harder and harder to collect enough furs to pay off their mounting debts to the traders. And it wasn't just a financial problem. It struck at the heart of their way of life. In Dakota society, generosity and reciprocity were sacred values, resources were shared freely, and the idea of hoarding wealth was seen as deeply immoral. But the traders operated on a system of debt and ownership. The traders who controlled the food and other supplies at the agencies kept detailed records of what the Dakota owed them in goods. And as the first supply dwindled, the debts grew. To the Dakota, the idea of being in debt for necessities like food made little sense in their eyes. If someone was desperate and needed food, you gave it to them no matter what. The traders grew increasingly frustrated with the Dakota's inability to repay what they owed to them. It was simple business. If the Dakota couldn't provide enough furs, they had to find another way to compensate the traders, Whether it was through labor, land, or more trapping. The tension reached a breaking point in the summer of 1862. The Dakota were trapped by a system they didn't understand and couldn't escape. The broken promises of the US Government and the corrupt practices of Indian agents created a situation where starvation became a daily reality for the Dakota. By the early 1860s, the annuity payments were often delayed or entirely withheld as funds were diverted to support the Union's effort in the Civil War. Supplies that did arrive were inadequate, and many Dakota families faced severe hunger. And in those already dire conditions, the traders held firm. At the Lower Sioux Agency, there were four trading stores where the Dakota could get food. The stores were fully stocked, but the traders who controlled the food refused to release it without payment. Andrew Merrick, a particularly infamous trader, became the focal point of the Dakota's anger. When a group of Dakota who were desperate for food asked him for credit. He reportedly sneered, if they are hungry, let them eat grass or their own dung. The statement spread like wildfire and deepened the Dakota's resentment toward the settlers and traders. The Dakota were pushed to their limits, and they began to feel like they had no choice but to take what they needed by force. In the summer of 1862, as the weather warmed, so did the talk of strong action. As always, the talk started with the young warriors. There were four major bands of the Dakota people, and their leaders started to gather in councils to discuss the situation. Each band had its own territory, but kinship ties and a shared language connected everyone. Elders held significant influence, but decisions were made collectively, often in councils, where the chiefs spoke on behalf of their people. Chiefs were not autocratic rulers. They were respected for their wisdom, generosity, and ability to lead by example. But they could not make unilateral decisions that affected everyone. As the people gathered, they began to look to one chief in particular for guidance. His name was Little Crow and he had faced crisis before, but nothing on the scale of what he saw now. Little Crow's journey to becoming the leader of the Dakota people was marked by personal conflict, both within his family and within himself. Little Crow was not the natural successor to his father's role as chief of one of the four bands of the Dakota people. He was not the eldest son, and his older brothers had every reason to believe that one of them would inherit the leadership. When their father died in 1846 after accidentally shooting himself, the family power struggle turned violent. Little Crow returned to his village after a long absence. He was ready to claim his father's position, but his two half brothers did not accept his authority. In a fierce argument, they attacked him and shot him in both wrists. Despite his injuries, which left his hands permanently disfigured, Little Crow refused to back down. In Dakota culture, a leader was expected to be physically strong and able to provide for his people, and many believed Little Crow's injuries should have disqualified him from becoming chief. The surgeon at Fort Snelling advised amputation, but Little Crow refused. He would rather die than be seen as weak or unworthy of his role. To the surprise of many, he not only survived, but took his place as chief with the full support of the band after his two brothers had been killed in retribution for their attack. Little Crow's resilience in the face of such physical and emotional adversity cemented his role as leader. And in the summer of 1862, he faced a crisis that would test him far more deeply than any family conflict. The Dakota were starving, and their leaders watched helplessly as the people grew more desperate by the day. Little Crow's people looked to him for guidance, but the choices before him were agonizingly difficult. The Dakota had fought the US army before, but never with the kind of overwhelming force that the army now had in its ranks, which had swelled with the Civil War. Little Crow knew the power of the federal government. To go to war was to invite devastation on his people. Yet to do nothing meant continued starvation, humiliation, and the slow death of a once proud people. As Little Crow weighed his options, he spoke with other Dakota leaders, many of whom were as conflicted as he was. Some believed that war was the only way to reclaim their dignity and their land. Others were reluctant to provoke the wrath of the US Government, fearing the consequences of such an action would be catastrophic. During a council meeting in August 1862, Little Crow's leadership and wisdom were put to the test. Younger warriors, driven by frustration and anger, called for immediate action. They could no longer watch their families starve while food sat locked in the traders warehouses. We must fight, they urged. Little Crow counseled patience, caution, and reflection. But his warning fell on deaf ears as emotions ran high. One of the young men famously taunted him, saying, you are a coward. You are not the man your fathers were. You are afraid of the whites. The insult cut deep. Little Crow was a seasoned warrior who wore a headdress that was adorned with eagle feathers that represented acts of bravery in battle. But he had always tried to balance his warrior spirit with the responsibilities of leadership. He understood the costs of war, and he did not want to see his people suffer any more than they already had. But the taunts from the young warriors hit at a central aspect of Dakota culture. The expectation was that leaders be both wise and brave. They had to be unafraid to lead their people in battle if necessary. In response, Little Crow stood up and addressed the group. He knew that war could only end in one of two with Dakota victory, which seemed impossible, or with their destruction. You will die like rabbits when the hungry wolves hunt you down in the night, he warned. He tried to make them see the impossibility of their situation. The settlers had taken their land, but the settlers had the government's support, and the soldiers would come in overwhelming force if the Dakota revolted. On August 17, 1862, the final blow came not from a grand plan of war, but from an impulsive act of violence. On a Warm Sunday morning, August 17, 1862, four Dakota warriors, Brown Wing, breaking up killing ghost and runs against something when crawling, stalked the quiet trails of Acton township in Meeker county. Their hunting trip in the heavily forested area called the big woods had been unproductive. But as they passed a fence near the property of Robinson Jones, they spotted a hen's nest in the grass. The fragile white eggs shining in the morning light became the spark for what would become one of the most devastating days in Minnesota's history. One of the men reached for the eggs, but his companion hesitated. Don't take them, he warned. They belong to a white man. If he finds out, we could be in trouble. The words hit a nerve. Brown Wing's frustration erupted into anger. He smashed the eggs on the ground and called the other warrior a coward. That insult could not be ignored. To prove his bravery, the warrior declared he would shoot the white man who owned the property. The four men approached the homestead of Robinson Jones. Jones and his wife ran a modest general store and post office, a central point of connection for the few settlers in the area. Inside the House. Clara Wilson, the Jones's 15 year old adopted daughter, was caring for her 18 month old brother. When the Dakota warriors arrived, they demanded liquor. Jones refused and stepped out of the house, leaving his two children behind. He moved quickly toward the Baker homestead next door where his son in law, Howard Baker lived with his family and the Dakota followed. The Baker homestead was a gathering place that morning. On the porch sat two men, Howard Baker and Viernis Webster. Soon Mrs. Jones joined them. Webster, who was new to the area, had been seeking advice about settling the land. When Robinson Jones approached with the Dakota, the warriors suggested a shooting contest, a friendly challenge that masked their growing resolve. Marksmanship contests were common on the frontier. A way for settlers and visitors to pass the time. A tree stump was chosen and the settlers took their turns firing at it. Robinson Jones, known for his skill with a rifle, participated with confidence. The Dakota warriors followed, each man firing in turn. When Jones emptied his rifle after the final shot, the tone shifted. The Dakota raised their weapons. Without warning, they turned on the settlers. Robinson Jones was the first to fall, struck down by the warrior who had vowed to prove his bravery. Howard Baker and Vierness Webster were shot next. Mrs. Jones tried to run, but she was shot as she reached the edge of the porch. Inside the Baker home, Mrs. Baker clutched her young son in terror. Webster's wife, seated in the covered wagon outside, froze in place. Neither woman moved as the gunfire ceased. With four people dead in a matter of seconds, the Dakota began their retreat. As they approached the Jones homestead again, 15 year old Clara Wilson stepped outside. Probably drawn by the sound of gunfire. She didn't have time to process what she saw. A single shot rang out and Clara fell dead in the dirt at the Baker House. Mrs. Baker managed to slip out of the house with her son. She crossed the open yard and hid in the tall grass of a nearby marsh. Mrs. Webster also found a hiding place and she watched as the Dakota fled the area. The four warriors galloped back to their camp near Rice Creek. They told their story to Shakopee and Red Middle Voice, the leaders of their villages. The response was swift. The leaders knew they had to take the news to Little Crow. For settlers in the area of Acton Township, the attack was a horrifying omen. Word spread quickly to nearby towns and panic took hold. A hastily formed group of men from Forest City arrived at the Jones homestead that night. They found Clara's lifeless body and the Joneses infant son alive but hungry. The settlers buried the dead the following day in a single grave marking the site of what would soon be called the Acton Massacre. In the Dakota village near Rice Creek, elders listened intently as the four young warriors told their story. The village was thrown into crisis. These were no small skirmishes or misunderstandings. The murder of settlers, especially a woman and a teenage girl, was a transgression that could not be undone. The Dakota knew from bitter experience that the US Government would respond swiftly and with overwhelming force. The community faced an impossible decision. For years, they had endured broken promises, starvation, and the indignities of being stripped of their ancestral lands. The settlers constant expansion into Dakota Territory, coupled with the government's failure to deliver annuity payments, had brought the people to the brink. Now the actions of the four young men had forced the issue to the forefront. War felt inevitable. But was it survivable? Red Middle Voice and Shakopee knew the gravity of the situation. They resolved to take the news to Little Crow, the most prominent leader among the Dakota. Little Crow had spent years trying to mediate between the Dakota and the US Government. Though his efforts had often been dismissed, his experience and influence made him a natural figure to determine their course of action. Runners were sent to neighboring bands, summoning other leaders to join them. At Little Crow's home near the Lower Sioux Agency, darkness fell as Red Middle Voice and Shakopee made their way down the Minnesota River. When they arrived, Little Crow was resting after an early morning hunt. The news of the Acton killings jolted him awake. He sat in silence and absorbed the gravity of the news. The emergency council convened late that night. Leaders from nearby bands arrived, and they began discussions in hushed, urgent tones. Some of the elders argued for restraint, suggesting they could offer up the four killers to the US Authorities. They hoped the gesture might placate the settlers and avert widespread retaliation. But others dismissed the idea. The government has betrayed us time and time again, one younger warrior declared. Turning over our people will not stop their hunger for our land. It will only show our weakness. Tensions mounted as voices grew louder. The younger warriors called for action, pointing out the injustices that had driven their people to the brink of despair. For them, the killings at Acton were a spark that should ignite a fire. We have nothing left to lose, another argued. If we do not fight now, we will die slowly. One by one, Little Crow listened as the arguments raged around him. He had always been a pragmatic leader, one who sought to balance resistance with survival. He had signed treaties with the US Government, hoping to secure a future for his people, only to see those agreements violated. He had visited Washington, D.C. and had seen the power of the settlers firsthand. He knew the strength of the forces they could bring against the Dakota. He understood that war would almost certainly lead to destruction. As the voices in the council reached a crescendo, red middle voice turned his frustration on Little Creepy Crow and said, little Crow is afraid of the white man. Little Crow is a coward. Little Crow rose. According to his son who was there that day, he told the council, little Crow is not a coward. When did he run away from his enemies? When did he leave his braves behind him? Braves? You are like little children. You know not what you are doing. You are full of the white man's devil water, and you act like mad dogs snapping at shadows. He paused and his gaze swept across the gathered leaders. You may kill 1, 2, 10 of the wights, he continued, but 10 times 10 will come to kill you. You cannot count their numbers nor match their power. But Little Crow is not a coward. He will die with you. With those words, Little Crow reluctantly agreed to lead his people to war. The decision was made not with the hope of a successful campaign, but with the bitter understanding that there was no other choice. Preparations started immediately. Big Eagle, a prominent leader, remembered. Parties formed and dashed away in the darkness to kill the settlers. The women began to run bullets and the men to clean their guns. At dawn the next morning, August 18, 1862, the Dakota would strike the Lower Sioux Agency. Their first targets would be traders like Andrew Merrick, who hoarded the food while the people starved. For the next two weeks, hundreds of warriors would sweep across the frontier with unchecked aggression. The Dakota War of 1862 was about to begin. Next time on Legends of the Old West. No one at the Lower Sioux Agency is prepared for the surprise attack. The assault is devastating and total. And then the warriors move on to attack towns and the soldiers of nearby Fort Ridgely. That's next week on Legends of the Old West.

E (30:38)

Foreign.

B (30:45)

Members of our Black Barrel plus program don't have to wait week to week to receive new episodes. They receive the entire season to binge all at once with no commercials, and they also receive exclusive bonus episodes. Sign up now through the link in the Show Notes or On our website blackberrymedia.com memberships are just $5 per month. This series was researched and written by Matthew Kearns. Original music by Rob Valiere. I'm your host and producer, Chris Wimmer. Thanks for listening. Hi, I'm John Walsh. Do you suffer from muscle pain due to overuse, exercise or aging like I did? I finally found relief with a Omega xl, a clinically proven, natural drug free supplement that helps relieve joint pain and muscle soreness. Take back your life and feel younger like I did with Omega XL. Visit OmegaXL.com buy now for OmegaXL's BOGO special that's less than $20 a bottle. Remember, there's a 60 day money back guarantee. Terms apply.

E (31:49)

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