Near Echo in Yellow Medicine County, Minnesota — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)
Wood Lake Battlefield State Monument
Northern side: To the memory of the men who here lost their lives in an engagement between Minnesota volunteer soldiers and the Sioux Indians Sept. 23, 1862.
Eastern side: Anthony C. Collins • Richard H. McElroy • Ernest Paul • Charles E. Frink • Edwin E. Ross • De Grove Kimball and Matthew Cantwell were killed and thirty-four men were wounded in the action.
Southern side: The soldiers were commanded by Col. Henry H. Sibley; the Indians by Chief Little Crow.
Western side: Erected by the state in 1910 under the supervision of commissioners appointed by the governor Loren W. Collins • Ezra T. Champlin and Mathias Holl participants in the battle.
Erected 1910 by the State of Minnesota. (Marker Number 15.)
Topics. This historical marker and monument is listed in this topic list: Wars, US Indian. A significant historical date for this entry is September 23, 1851.
Location. 44° 42.074′ N, 95° 26.147′ W. Marker is near Echo, Minnesota, in Yellow Medicine County. Marker is on 210th Avenue (County Road 18) 0.7 miles west of 610th Street (State Highway 67), on the left when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Echo MN 56237, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 3 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. The Wood Lake Battle (within shouting distance of this marker); Mazomani (approx. 2.2 miles away); Upper (Or Yellow Medicine) Sioux Agency (approx. 2.4 miles away); The Annuity Center/Warehouse (approx. 2.4 miles away); Upper Sioux Agency (approx. 2.4 miles away); Employee Duplex No. 1 (approx. 2.4 miles away); Employee Duplex No. 2 (approx. 2˝ miles away); The Manual Labor School (approx. 2˝ miles away).
More about this monument. This monument was the fifteenth of 23 state monuments that were erected by the Minnesota legislature between 1873 and 1929. These monuments represent Minnesota's public efforts to mark historic sites.
Regarding Wood Lake Battlefield State Monument. In 1862, the Minnesota Dakota, also known by the French term, “Sioux," waged war against the United States following two years of unfulfilled treaty obligations. The battle at Wood Lake on September 23, 1862 was the final battle of the war. The U.S.-Dakota War in the Minnesota River Valley claimed the lives of at least 450 whites and an unknown number of Dakota before it came to an end at Camp Release on September 26, 1862.
Also see . . .
1. Battle of Wood Lake. Wikipedia entry. "The battle was a decisive victory for the United States, with heavy casualties inflicted on the Sioux." (Submitted on October 9, 2013.)
2. The U.S. - Dakota War of 1862. Battle of Wood Lake. "Fifteen Dakota, including chiefs Makato and Mazamani, were killed during or after this battle, which effectively ended organized Dakota war efforts in Minnesota." (Submitted on October 9, 2013.)
3. Minnesota Cemeteries. Soldiers' Killed During Minnesota Dakota War of 1862. (Submitted on October 9, 2013.)
4. Those Who Served. Photos of the tombstones of soldiers killed in the Dakota Uprising. (Submitted on October 9, 2013.)
5. Study Resource Guide US-Dakota War of 1862. (Submitted on October 9, 2013.)
Additional keywords. Wood Lake State Monument
Credits. This page was last revised on April 16, 2022. It was originally submitted on October 9, 2013, by Keith L of Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin. This page has been viewed 1,378 times since then and 59 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16. submitted on October 9, 2013, by Keith L of Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin.