Timeline: First Communication between Sibley and Little Crow

After the battle of Birch Coulee, Sibley prepared the following message to Little Crow and left it attached to a stake on the battlefield. "If Little Crow has any proposition to make, let him send a half-breed to me and he shall be protected in and out of camp. H.H. Sibley, Colonel Commanding Military Expedition."

On September 7, 1862, exactly 150 years ago tomorrow, Little Crow, through his scribe, sent the following return message to Sibley. "YELLOW MEDICINE, September 7, 1862
DEAR SIR: For what reason we have commenced this war, I will tell you. It is on account of Major Galbraith. We made a treaty with the government and beg for what little we do get and then can't get it until our children are dying with hunger. It was with the traders who commenced it. Mr. A.J. Myrick told the Indians they could eat grass or dirt. Then Mr. Forbes told the lower Sioux they were not men. Then Robert told his friends how to defraud us of our money. If the young braves have push the white man, I have done this myself. So I want you to let Governor Ramsey know this. I have a great many prisoner women and children. It ain't all our fault. The Winnebagoes were in the engagement, two of them was killed. I want you to give me your answer by bearer all at present. Yours friend, LITTLE(his X mark)CROW
(verbatim correspondence taken from the Ancestry Life and Times of H. H. Sibley, the Sibley biography)

Read the entire story in the format of your choice including ebook at the link below.

http://www.amazon.com/Blood-Prairie-Novel-Sioux-Uprising/dp/0615247962/ref=la_B004S7CJ1Y_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1346977762&sr=1-1