Battles of New Ulm

Background

In 1851, the Santee Sioux Indians of Minnesota had been forced to cede to the government their hunting ground of 24,000,000 acres (97,000 km²). In 1852, they were corralled into a reservation on the Minnesota River. In 1858, they were swindled of half that land. In August 1862, when the government failed to pay the $1.4 million compensation provided by treaty, and its agents and politicians stole most of the supplies that the treaty granted, the Indians rebelled. When Chief Little Crow complained that despite stacks of provisions in clear sight, supposedly theirs by treaty, his people had nothing to eat, the government agent responded, "So far as I'm concerned ... let them eat grass or their own dung. Minnesota political leaders, led by Governor Alexander Ramsey, in league with commercial interests, advocated expelling all Indians from Minnesota.

First Battle of New Ulm

On August 18, 1862, Dakota warriors began attacking civilians without discretion to age or gender in Milford, killing 54 people and wounding many more. At the same time a recruiting party for Civil War volunteers left New Ulm, but was ambushed in Milford Township. The survivors raced back to town and warned the settlers of an impending attack. At first Sheriff Charles Roos assumed that only a few drunk Dakota were responsible and rushed with men to control the situation. After finding mutilated corpses and being fired upon, he realized that the attacks were much more serious. He then returned to New Ulm and wrote to Governor Alexander Ramsey for immediate aid. Franz Czeigowitz, a former Austrian soldier, had already organized about 50 poorly armed citizens into a defensive militia. At that time they only had 12 rifles, the rest being armed with shotguns and other poor quality firearms or farm tools. Roos soon turned over command to Jacob Nix, a veteran of revolutionary fighting in the 1848 rebellions in Europe. The townspeople prepared for the attack by erecting barricades on the streets and packing the women and children into three available brick buildings. The first attack came on August 19, with about 100 Sioux warriors firing on the city from the bluff behind the town. Under the command of Jacob Nix a small number of civilians returned the fire as best as they could. Later in the day, a thunderstorm discouraged the Indians from continuing their attack, and there were no chiefs present to give orders. The first battle ended with six settlers killed (including eleven year old Emily Pauli) and five wounded (including Nix who lost a finger).

Second Battle of New Ulm

After the first attack, Charles Eugene Flandrau reached the city as part of a detachment from St. Peter and Le Sueur. Dr. Asa W. Daniels, Dr. Otis Ayer, and Dr. William Worrall Mayo (father of William James Mayo and Charles Horace Mayo) were also part of the group. Dr. Mayo and Dr. William R. McMahan of Mankato set up a hospital in the Dacotah House and Drs. Ayer and Daniels set up a hospital in a store across the street. This undoubtedly helped in the treatment of the wounded.

Flandrau's forces were bolstered by about a hundred men from Mankato, two companies from Le Sueur, and militias from Brown County, Nicollet County, St. Peter, Lafayette, and New Ulm. In all, Flandrau had about three hundred citizen-soldiers under his command, but most were poorly armed. Meanwhile, more than a thousand settlers were barricaded on New Ulm's main street. On Saturday, August 23, around 9:30 in the morning, the Sioux began their second attack on the city after burning many of the homes in the surrounding area. The New Ulm defenders attempted to form a defensive picket line several blocks west of town. The Dakota advanced in u-shape/ bullhorn formation, holding their fire until the defenders shot first. The defenders quickly retreated in disorder to the barricades in the town center. The Sioux were superior in numbers, and were able to encircle the entire town. Captain William B. Dodd, second in command, was killed near the log blacksmith shop while leading soldiers beyond one of the barricades of the city in an attempt to link up with a supposed reinforcement column which actually was a body of fully clothed Dakota successfully attempting to appear as militia.

At the climax of the second battle a large body of Dakota used the terrain to mask a large movement below the lower terrace to enter buildings flanking the barricades and thereby give devastating enfilade fire. Realizing the seriousness of the situation, Flandrau and Nix lead a charge out of the barricades down Minnesota Street and swept away the advancing Dakota. After nightfall, Flandrau ordered that the rest of the buildings outside of the barricades to be burned. In all, 190 structures within the city were destroyed, leaving only 49 residences for 2,500 people. The next morning, August 24, the Indians reappeared, fired some harmless long-range shots, and then withdrew. Flandrau convened with his officers later that day and decided to evacuate the city (despite objections by Nix and others), due to a shortage of ammunition and food and epidemics of disease. The following morning, August 25, 2000 people, including 153 wagons and a large number of refugees, left the city and headed to Mankato, about 30 miles to the east. The procession was escorted by about 150 troops and made it through to Mankato safely.

William Watts Folwell, a Minnesota historian, remarked, "This was no sham battle, no trivial affair, but an heroic defense of a beleaguered town against a much superior force."

Flandrau's forces at New Ulm

(Note several other units were under Flandrau's command {Captain H.W.Holley's Company of "Winnebago Guards"; Captain C.I. Post Company of "Fillmore County Volunteer Mounted Infantry"; Captain N.P. Colburn Company of Fillmore County Volunteer Militia; Captain C.F. Buck's Company of "Winona Rangers"; Captain D.L. Davis "Goodhue County Rangers"} served under his command at the Southern Frontier.

In August 1862, the following units relieved New Ulm:

September 1862: 1st Battalion Brown County Militia: