It was Oct. 20, 1905, a stormy Saturday night in Hutchinson. On such a night as this, a gathering of people braved the storm and crowded into the Hutchinson Public Library. They were there to see a speaker, a man who traveled north from Tulsa, Oklahoma, for this very speaking event. His name was Professor John H. McKenzie, and his claim to fame was the capturing of two fugitives in 1864 and delivering them to U.S. authorities. They were two Dakota leaders who were instrumental in the U.S.–Dakota War of 1862 — Medicine Bottle and Little Six.
Sentiment of the 1862 war with the Dakota was far different at that time than it is in 2022. The events of that gruesome period in Minnesota’s history were only 43 years removed, and some in attendance for McKenzie’s speech would have found refuge inside the Hutchinson stockade as Little Crow and his warriors attacked and destroyed their community. Though people may react differently to McKenzie today, he was hailed a hero in 1905.
An event with someone like McKenzie was something to behold. A purse of $31.75 was presented by the crowd as they gathered to hear the life exploits of the man. As the professor made his way to the podium, the crowd sang “The Stranger and the Sill.” They gathered around to hear his tales but were most interested in his story of capturing the two Dakota fugitives.
McKenzie’s tale took place in the winter of 1863-64. Years prior, in 1862, large factions of Dakota (Sioux) warriors, feeling betrayed in their dealings with the U.S. federal government and trade merchants on their reservation, took up arms against white settlers in Minnesota. With the Civil War claiming fighting-age men, most of the settlers in Minnesota were old men, women and children.
After weeks of carnage on the frontier, troops were sent into the breach to fight the Dakota warriors and free the hundreds of captives being held. The Dakota found themselves outmatched against the well-armed and numerous soldiers. By the end of 1862, much of the fighting was over. Most of the assailants had fled Minnesota. The Dakota living on the reservation, most of whom were innocent and had nothing to do with the war, were held at Fort Snelling and eventually exiled. Of those captured, 38 were deemed to have committed the most heinous crimes during the war and were executed.
Though the fighting was mostly over, the search began for several Dakota leaders and many of their warriors who remained at large. Of the approximately 1,000 Dakota warriors who fought in the war, many evaded capture by fleeing Minnesota to either the Dakotas or Canada. Among them were two high-profile leaders of the war named Medicine Bottle and Little Six.
The two men were early advocates of war in 1862. They were of the Rice Creek band of Mdewakanton Dakota, one that attracted militant young men of other Dakota bands. Though history has made it difficult to identify which Dakota warriors were present at certain battles, it is believed that Little Six was involved in several of the more “disturbing” events of the war. At the end of the war, he and Medicine Bottle fled to Canada to evade certain execution.
During the winter of 1863-64, Little Six and Medicine Bottle were camped out about 25 miles west of Winnipeg at a military outpost outside of a place called Fort Garry, the same place where McKenzie and his family were living. McKenzie was aware of the bounty placed on “at large” Dakota leaders. With the aid of a nearby Frenchman, McKenzie beguiled the two men into going with him to officials at Fort Garry to procure supplies for the Dakota people at the fort.
At the Fort, the two Dakota men were taken to McKenzie’s home and given liquor. After a time, the two became oblivious to their surroundings, passed out and were bound. The following evening, they found themselves roped together on sleds that were moving toward Fort Pembina on the border. Little Six’s warriors were not going to let him be captured, however, and chased McKenzie until he reached the safety of the stockade.
From there, Little Six and Medicine Bottle were taken to Fort Snelling where they were tried, convicted and executed in October 1865. Though a reward of $1,000 was given, it was never collected by McKenzie.
