Names & Etyomology

“U.S.-Dakota War of 1862” Names and Etyomology
Compiled by Terry Sveine, New Ulm

 Since about the year 2000, I have been aware of, what appears to me, to be a curious situation.
“The Sioux Uprising,” as I knew the event to be called, now has many different names and I will record those that I am aware of. I will also list when and where I know the name to have been used. However, I caution that that may not be the place the name started from. I welcome additions, refinements and corrections!

 The Indian Massacre                                    ca. 1862

                        This is a not-unexpected sentiment of the white population who felt attacked.
                        There is at least one plaque in New Ulm that uses this name (the Forster Building), 
                            although I have seen it used in many early sources.

The Sioux Uprising                                       ca. 1863

                        This appears as the name of some of the early accounts. 
                        (I’d like to see the first use of it definitively cited.)

Indian Uprising in Minnesota, 1862            1880

                        Used by battle survivor, Rudolf Leonhart’s account of his time in New Ulm 

The Sioux Uprising of 1862                          1882

                        Charles Bartlett and Edward O’Neill refer to it as this in the title of their book about the 
                                Minnesota River Valley.

                                                                    1976

                        Also, the title of Kenneth Carley’s detailed, yet concise book of the event, from 1976.

The Great Sioux Uprising                            1959

                        C.M. Oehler’s book of that title.       

                                                                  1992

                        Duane Schultz’s sub-title of his book, “Over the Earth I Come.”

The Minnesota Indian Wars of 1862           1984

                        The sub-title of Gary Clayton and Alan Woolworth’s book, “Through Dakota Eyes.”

The Dakota Conflict                                     ca. 2000

                        It seems to have originated with the Minnesota Historical Society publications in an attempt to be more 
                            balanced and not to make it look like the Dakota “uprose” for no reason.

The U.S.-Dakota Conflict                             ca. 2001

                        It seemed to be a response to the apparent one-sidedness of “The Dakota Conflict”showing that both sides 
                            were involved. 

The U.S.-Dakota Conflict of 1862               ca. 2001

                        A refinement of the above two, putting the year in for historical context.

The Dakota War                                           ca. 2003

                        A response to the thought that calling this horrible series of seven battles and other 
                            fighting as merely a “conflict,” was to drastically underplay it’s scope.       

The Dakota War of 1862                              2001

                        K. Carley’s new edition of his book formerly called, “The Sioux Uprising of 1862”

The U.S.-Dakota War of 1862                      ca. 2003

                        The same concept of more fully identifying those involved, like the thoughts behind 
                        “The U.S.-Dakota Conflict of 1862.”

The Great Sioux Uprising of 1862               2002

                        Don H. Tolzmann’s edition of first-hand accounts of the battle.

Little Crow’s War                                         2008

                        An article in The Atlantic Times, a magazine with a German heritage interest.

The Minnesota-Dakota Outbreak of 1862   2008  

The Wood Lake Battlefield Preservation Association’s symposium flyer

Sioux Indian War 1862                                 Psbly. when marker was erected in 1919

                        The Wood Lake Battlefield marker’s metal entrance sign.