Redwood County, Minnesota - Chapter 14: Monuments and Markers, 1916

Camp Pope was the point on the south side of the Minnesota river, in Redwood county, above the Redwood river, selected by General Sibley for the rendezvous and starting place of his military expedition against the Indians in the spring of 1863.

After the defeat of the Sioux at Wood lake (Sept. 23, 1862), those of them who still remained hostile fled into Dakota under the leadership of Little Crow. General Sibley had but twenty- six mounted men, and was, for this and other reasons, unable to pursue them. One band, numbering about 150 persons and composed chiefly of those who did not want to fight but were afraid to surrender, separated from the main body and was followed and captured at the Wild Goose Nest lake, in what is now South Dakota, by an expedition under Col. Wm. R. Marshall.

In the early spring of 1863 it was determined by General John Pope, then in command of the Northwest Department, that a second campaign should be undertaken against the Sioux. At a conference between Generals Pope, Sibley and Sully, at Milwaukee, it was decided that, as early in the summer of that year as possible, General Sully should move from Sioux City, with a force composed wholly of cavalry, and General Sibley should march from some point on the Upper Minnesota, with a force of three regiments of infantry, a regiment of cavalry, and two sections of light artillery, and that the objective point of both of these commands would be Devil's lake, where it was supposed the main body of Indians was concentrated and would be encountered.

The place of rendezvous for the forces composing the column of General Sibley was selected by him at a favorable site on the Minnesota above the Redwood - a mile west of north of the present site of Redwood Palls - and the encampment named Camp Pope. Its first occupation was in the latter part of April, and its first commandant was Lieut. -Col. John T. Averill, of the Sixth Minnesota Infantry. The force which finally assembled and which composed General Sibley's column, consisted of the Sixth Minnesota, Colonel Wm. Crooks; the Seventh Minnesota, Lieut.-Col. W. R. Marshall; the Tenth Minnesota, Colonel James H. Baker; the First Regiment of Minnesota Mounted Rangers, Colonel Sam. McPhail, and the Third Minnesota Battery, Captain John Jones. There was also a detachment of Indian and mixed blood scouts under Major Joseph R. Brown.

Camp Pope was established April 19, 1863. It was first occupied by a detachment of the Sixth Minnesota, under Lieut.- Col. Averill, which had brought up considerable stores of supplies on the steamboat Favorite. At that day the Minnesota river was often navigable for light draught steamers as high as the mouth of the Redwood and sometimes beyond. The camp was named in honor of Major-General John Pope, who was then commander of the Military Department of the Northwest.

The work of organizing the Sibley expedition was greatly and unreasonably delayed. It was not until June 16 when the force, numbering about 3,000 men, all Minnesotans, moved from Camp Pope up the Minnesota. But in the meantime the troops had been drilling every day and otherwise preparing for future duties, and so the time was not wholly misspent. The column marched via Big Stone lake and encamped at Brown's Valley, June 26. A month later occurred the notable engagements with the Indians at Big Mound, Dead Buffalo lake, and Stone lake, in what is now North Dakota.

General Pope's plan for subduing the Sioux was reasonably magnificent in its character and intentions, but, like other military schemes, came to nothing. General Sully's column of cavalry was to proceed up the Missouri far enough to cut off the retreat of the Indians to the westward, and then march eastward and unite with the forces under Sibley and "crush the Indians" at Devil's lake. The supplies for this column were to be taken up the river on steamboats. General Sibley's supplies were to accompany him in wagon trains across the country.

General Sibley carried out his part of the programme and reached Devil's lake in due time, but, of course, finding no considerable number of Indians. But the Missouri was too shallow for navigation, the summer was dry, the grass of the prairies withered, and the horses of Sully's command suffered severely and many of them died. The boats grounded on sandbars and could not proceed; the soldiers had no rations, and Sully's column was forced to turn back without co-operating with Sibley's. General Sibley made a toilsome and exhausting march, but persisted until he succeeded in falling in with the Indians, who were driven back, after successive engagements, until they had been chased far across the Missouri. Then the Minnesotans, having accomplished more than their share of the co-operative movement, and secured their frontiers from further Indian raids, returned to their quarters in their own State.

Camp Pope continued to be one of the posts on the patrol line maintained to protect the settlers from marauding bands of savages. It was probably due to Camp Pope that Redwood Falls was established. In visiting the vicinity of Camp Pope as an Indian fighter, Col. Sam. McPhail first conceived the building of a city where the great drop of the Redwood river afforded such excellent facilities for water power, and where the natural falls made the power immediately available.

The Minnesota Valley Historical Society had permanently marked many of the historic sites in Redwood and Renville counties, with monuments and tablets. The society was organized at Morton, February 2, 1895, and incorporated under the State law, March 15 of the same year. The first annual meeting was held May 10 following. Hon. C. D. Gilfillan was its president, financial backer and moving spirit, the society being merely a nominal organization behind which he masked his patriotic purpose and kindly generosity. His friend, Major Return I. Holcombe, the distinguished historian, did the research work in connection with the monuments and tablets, and superintended their erection. He also edited a book, "Sketches, Historical and Descriptive, of the Monuments and Tablets, Erected by the Minnesota Valley Historical Society," which book is among one of Major Holcombe's most valuable contributions to the story of the massacre.

The sites marked in Redwood county are: Robert Forbes' and Myrick's trading house; La Bathe's living room, where, after the hostile Indians were driven from the State, more than a hundred Indian prisoners were tried by the military commission; the frame house in which lived Little Crow; the location of Camp Pope ; and the grave of Hon. James W. Lynd. The monument marking the ground of the Redwood Ferry Ambuscade is just across the river from Redwood county.

In the latter part of the year 1898, Charles D. Gilfillan contracted with the P. N. Peterson Granite Company of St. Paul for the construction and placing in position of the granite structures marking these spots, as well as marking a number of historic spots in Renville county.

The character of the markers varies. But all are of granite, all are suitably inscribed, and all are permanent. Some are substantial blocks, while some are imposing monuments.

"175 Feet North Stood the Building in Which Upwards of 100 Sioux Indians Were Tried by Court Martial, Convicted and Sentenced to Death, Nov., 1862."

"Between This Point and the River on the North and East Was Located Camp Pope, from Which General Sibley Marched against the Hostile Sioux Indians, June 16, 1863."