Gabriel Renville

On the morning of August 19, 1862, having heard about the attacks on Redwood Agency the night before from Solomon Two Stars, Renville rode out toward the Yellow Medicine Agency to check on his relatives. On the way, he encountered Rev. Thomas Smith Williamson, who was initially unconvinced that he was in danger, and persuaded him to flee. Renville went home to find the horses already hitched to the wagon, and headed towards the agency with his family. They later saw Williamson's family crossing the river to flee eastward with a Native American who was sympathetic to the European Americans of the region and had already helped Riggs's family to safety. Four miles on, Renville was accosted by drunken soldiers who had pillaged the agency, but forced his way through.[8]

At his mother's house, he found that his brother Charles Crawford had managed to return after encountering "hostiles" who wanted to kill him. Later that evening, they received word that their sister Susan Frenier Brown, wife of Joseph R. Brown, had not been killed as they had feared but had been taken prisoner along with her children and son-in-law.[8]

On the morning of August 20, Renville and 12 other Dakota and "mixed-blood" men went to Yellow Medicine Agency to "make a stand" in the agency's brick buildings. Gabriel's stepfather Akipa and his half-brother Charles Crawford then went south to rescue Susan and her children; on August 23, they arrived at Little Crow's camp, where Akipa successfully negotiated their release.[8]

In the days that followed, Renville received word that the hostile soldiers and their families were moving north toward the Yellow Medicine Agency. When Little Crow arrived, he advised Renville, his men and their families to leave the agency buildings since the soldiers would burn them down.[8]

As Renville, his men and their families moved north, they passed through the hostile soldiers' camp, realizing that over half of the 200 European American and "mixed-blood" prisoners there were women and children.[8]

With tensions running high, Gabriel Renville had the idea to call a council and invite the opposing soldiers to negotiate the release of the prisoners. He killed a calf supplied by his cousin John Baptiste Renville and organized a feast. More than 100 hostile Mdewakanton soldiers arrived with guns, but when Renville invited them to sit down and eat, they could not refuse, according to Dakota tradition.[3] Talks broke down with the soldiers unwilling to release women and children, and the others unwilling to join them.

Renville's side decided to form a single camp of families sympathetic toward the European settler-colonists, with a large tent at the center of a circle west of Riggs's Hazelwood Mission buildings. They organized their own soldiers' lodge, with Renville among the four officers, and Paul Mazakutamani as their spokesman.[8]

The hostile Mdewakantons then called a large council, inviting the "friendlies". Nearly a thousand people total were in attendance. Again, passionate speeches were made on both sides. During the council the Mdewakantons also shared information about the Battle of Birch Coulee, and several hostile soldiers mentioned that they had recognized the voice of Major Joseph R. Brown. Wanting to find out whether Brown was still alive, Renville suggested sending Charles Crawford out to Birch Coulee to investigate how many had been killed.[8]

Upon his return, Crawford reported to Renville that he had found a letter from Colonel Henry Hastings Sibley left on the battleground, inviting the Native Americans to come speak with him without reprisal. Although the "hostiles" were initially opposed and threatened to kill anyone contacting Sibley, Little Crow himself finally agreed that they should send two representatives. When they returned, they reported that Sibley said he would not treat "friendlies" as enemies, and that he would only meet with the opposing soldiers if they released the prisoners first.[8]

Both the "friendlies" and "hostiles" subsequently moved their camps further apart. The "hostiles" moved north but were halted at Red Iron's village; their camp was forced to scatter once shots were fired, breaking up their soldiers' lodge and weakening their position. Meanwhile, the "friendly" camp grew stronger as Mdewakantons weary of conflict, some of whom had reached out secretly to Sibley, joined them. Renville recounted that a group of hostile Mdewakantons then came to attack the peace party, who were ready with guns, but Iron Walker (Mazomani) convinced the hostiles to stand down.[8]

On the night of September 22, Little Crow and the soldiers prepared to attack Sibley's troops under cover of darkness and threatened to kill any men who refused to follow. Renville, Two Stars and others argued that Little Crow's battle plan was foolhardy given the numbers of men they had seen in Sibley's command, deliberately prolonging the debate until daylight when the "friendlies" could warn the troops.[8]

On September 23, 1862, when the "hostiles" finally left to attack Sibley's camp, Renville and other members of the friendly camp gathered in a ravine to stay out of the battle.[3] Renville's followers invaded the opposing camp to rescue the white and "mixed-blood" captives and brought them to safety in their camp, while Renville, Solomon Tukanshaciye and others pursued a war party passing westward and compelled them to release additional prisoners.[8] The soldiers led by Little Crow were defeated by Sibley's army at the Battle of Wood Lake.

Sibley and his troops arrived at the "friendly" camp on September 26, 1862. Renville recalled, "With joyous handshaking we met, and the white prisoners were taken into the soldiers' camp."[8]

The Dakota Peace Party handed over a total of 269 prisoners –– 107 white and 162 "mixed-bloods" –– to Sibley at the location which came to be known as Camp Release. Within days, the number increased to 285.[10]

Fort Snelling (1865)

On September 28, 1862, a commission appointed by Colonel Sibley began interrogating Dakota men to determine their involvement in the war.[10]

In his memoir, Gabriel Renville wrote, "Then word came that the Indians would be sifted as you would sift wheat, the good grain to be put into the bin, but the chaff and the bad seeds to be burned. This was done, and all those who by good evidence were proven to have done anything against the whites were put into irons."[8]

Renville and Akipa and their families were acknowledged as friendlies and were initially allowed to move freely outside the Native American camp. Renville went home to discover that everything he owned had been taken or destroyed by opposing soldiers. He moved his camp to Redwood Agency with other "friendlies" camped on the north side of Sibley's command. Those who were suspected of having acted against the white settler-colonists were camped on the south side of the troops.[8]

In the weeks before the mass execution, the convicted men were taken to Mankato, whereas their families together with the "friendlies" were taken to Fort Snelling. The Renvilles, Browns and other "friendly" families joined approximately 1,600 Native Americans sent to a compound below Fort Snelling.[3] On their way there, the residents of Henderson threw stones in anger at the Native Americans passing through; among the general white population of Minnesota at the time, all Dakota were blamed for the deaths and destruction that occurred in August 1862. Once they arrived, many of their horses and oxen were stolen from their camps.

Renville recalled, "Then a fence was built on the south side of the fort and close to it. We all moved into this inclosure, but were so crowded and confined that an epidemic broke out among us and children were dying day and night, among them being Two Stars' oldest child, a little girl."[8]

John Williamson, son of Thomas Smith Williamson, received permission to enter the compound housing the Dakota and found many members of the former mission community there, including Gabriel Renville, who lay sick in his tent with a serious case of malaria.[3] Between 130 and 300 people died of various illnesses inside the camp.[9]