Krags at Sugar Point, Minn.

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butlersrangers
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Krags at Sugar Point, Minn.

Post by butlersrangers »

100 miles north of Minneapolis, the "Pillager Band" of Ojibwe had valid grievances regarding lumber company logging violations on reservation lands and the treatment of tribe members by law enforcement and Minnesota courts.

When tribe members resisted the local sheriff's attempt to arrest a tribe member and assisted in his escape, the sheriff asked for military assistance.

100 Krag armed soldiers from the 3rd U.S. Infantry, under the command of a very aged General John Bacon, left Fort Snelling for Walker, Minn.

77 troops and officers, (along with the sheriff and some civilians) , were brought by barge to Sugar Point, on the shores of Leech Lake. A couple of tribe members, who had assisted the fugitive, were arrested at his cabin.

The situation was explosive. The normally cooperative and peaceful Ojibwe were angry, felt wronged, and were well armed.

Both sides were under instructions "not to fire unless fired upon". On October 5, 1898, The Battle of Sugar Point ensued.

The Army version stated that an inexperienced recruit forgot to engage the safety on his (Krag) rifle and dropped it, while 'stacking arms', and it fired.

The Ojibwe version said that some of the soldiers fired at native women on the lake in a canoe.

[Both versions have the opening shot(s) fired by the 3rd Infantry, who were armed with Krag rifles].

In the ensuing 'firefight', three Privates, Sgt. Butler, and Captain Wilkinson were killed and ten soldiers were wounded.
The next day a soldier was killed, while digging-up potatoes, and an Indian Policeman was fatally shot by a soldier, who mistook him for a 'hostile'.

A German Immigrant Hospital Corpsman, Oscar Burkard, showed great bravery under-fire rescuing wounded soldiers. He was subsequently awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor.

In the ensuing panic, the Minnesota National Guard was 'called up' and sent to the Walker and Leech Lake area. There are photographs of the 'trapdoor' armed NG troops assembled in Walker, guarding the town and railroad line.

The Ojibwe sought refuge in the forest and showed restraint.

It seems that with other events that were going on in 1898, the Federal Government had little taste for an Indian War in Northern Minnesota. Especially, one against an Ojibwe band that was regarded as normally cooperative and passive.
Calm and stability was brought to the situation by the efforts of Agents of the Indian Department.

It is interesting that the whole debacle may have been ignited by poor gun-handling, involving a 'green' recruit and a U.S. Army Krag rifle.
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troops dispatched to Sugar Point.jpg
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Battle of Sugar Point - Minn..jpg
Battle of Sugar Point - Minn..jpg (272.58 KiB) Viewed 328 times
Ft. Snelling-funeral.jpg
Ft. Snelling-funeral.jpg (398.18 KiB) Viewed 331 times
Last edited by butlersrangers on Thu Mar 30, 2023 5:14 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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butlersrangers
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Re: Krags at Sugar Point, Minn.

Post by butlersrangers »

General Bacon, on Sherman's Staff during the CW, was too old for Army events in Cuba and the Philippines.
He may have been savoring a final chance at 'Glory', and unnecessarily pushed events in Northern Minnesota.

Captain Wilkinson, also a CW veteran, was wounded in the leg, returned to battle and received a fatal wound to the abdomen.

Hospital Corpsman - Oscar Burkard, a recent German immigrant, showed great bravery under-fire, attending to the wounded.

The Ojibwe through fieldcraft, use of cover, and personal firearms, inflicted, but did not receive casualties.
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Gen. Bacon.jpeg
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Captain Wilkinson.jpeg
Captain Wilkinson.jpeg (3.85 KiB) Viewed 324 times
Oscar Burkard hospital corpsman.jpg
Oscar Burkard hospital corpsman.jpg (19.23 KiB) Viewed 324 times

FredC
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Re: Krags at Sugar Point, Minn.

Post by FredC »

I read an account of this in Gun Digest many years ago. I think it was described as the last battle Krags were involved in. Maybe the last on US soil.
Br, you certainly filled in details. The inexperienced recruit near dark evidently made 2 mistakes, in the dark. Probably did not know or forgot that you could check the safety by trying to lift the bolt. Several years ago, I suggested stacking arms accidents were the cause of a lot of the dings we see on Krags. I was corrected saying it seldom happened. Inexperienced and dark would (late fall and no daylight savings time darkness would have been early and long) explains this stacking arms accident.
Historical reasons and details of the battle were also interesting, Thanks for posting.

Till I started hunting pigs with my 35/40 I had hunted them with a 1917 Enfield and safety position was easy with it. I needed something to remember correct direction on the Krag and settled on an easy to remember phrase, righty tighty, lefty loossy. Spell check had a problem with that one.

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butlersrangers
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Re: Krags at Sugar Point, Minn.

Post by butlersrangers »

That's kind of how my underwear fits!
Righty tighty, Lefty ....
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butlersrangers
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Re: Krags at Sugar Point, Minn.

Post by butlersrangers »

'Bagone' the "stubborn" Chippewa, who refused to be arrested again!
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Leech Lake Ojibwe.jpg
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