The Department of the Northwest was an Army Department created September 6, 1862 by the Union Army to put down the Sioux uprising in Minnesota. It was composed of the forces within the territory of the states of Wisconsin (taken from the Dept. of the Ohio), Minnesota and Iowa (from the Department of the Mississippi), and the Nebraska and Dakota Territories (from the Department of Kansas). Nebraska Territory was detached to the Department of the Missouri on Oct. 11 1862.
Contents
- Department of the Northwest
- 1st District Department of the Northwest inclIowa and Territory of Dakota
- District of Iowa incl Territory of Dakota
- 2nd District Department of the Northwest vicinity of Fort Snelling Mn
- 3rd District Department of the Northwest vicinity of Fort Ripley Mn
- 4th District Department of the Northwest vicinity of Fort Abercrombie Mn
- District of Minnesota consolidated from 2nd 3rd and 4th Districts
- District of Wisconsin
- Wisconsin
- Minnesota
- Iowa
- Nebraska Territory
- Dakota Territory
- 1862
- 1863
- 1864
- 1865
- References
From November 17, 1862 the Department was divided into four districts for a short time. The First District was composed of Iowa and Dakota Territory. The remainder were in Minnesota, the Second in the vicinity of Fort Snelling, the Third in the vicinity of Fort Ripley and the Fourth in the vicinity of Fort Abercrombie. These last three districts were merged into the District of Minnesota on November 23, 1862. First District remained until June 1, 1863 when Dakota Territory was merged into the District of Dakota and Iowa into the District of Iowa. Also a District of Wisconsin was formed.
Montana Territory, (largely part of Dakota Territory), was added to the department in May 26, 1864. The Department was attached to the Military Division of the Missouri on Jan. 30, 1865. On February 17, 1865, Montana and Dakota Territories west of 110 degrees west longitude were attached to the Department of the Missouri. The Department of the Northwest through the remainder of the Civil War consisted of the Districts of Wisconsin (Brig. Gen. Thomas A. Davies), Minnesota (Brig-Gen. Henry H. Sibley) and Iowa (Brig-Gen Alfred Sully). The Department of the Northwest was merged with the Department of the Missouri on June 27, 1865. Later most of its territory was organized as the Department of Dakota in 1866.
This Department's forces fought the Dakota War of 1862 and in the Sibley and Sully Expeditions of 1863, Sully's Northwest Indian Expeditions of 1864 and 1865 against the Sioux in Dakota Territory.
Department of the Northwest
1st District, Department of the Northwest (incl.Iowa and Territory of Dakota)
District of Iowa (incl. Territory of Dakota)
2nd District, Department of the Northwest (vicinity of Fort Snelling, Mn)
3rd District, Department of the Northwest (vicinity of Fort Ripley, Mn)
4th District, Department of the Northwest (vicinity of Fort Abercrombie, Mn)
District of Minnesota, (consolidated from 2nd, 3rd and 4th Districts)
District of Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Minnesota
Iowa
Nebraska Territory
Dakota Territory
1862
Iowa, and the territories of Dakota and Nebraska with headquarters in St. Paul.