George W. Northrup was an adventurer. He was born in New York, and came to St. Paul, Minnesota by himself when he was 15. He ventured out onto the plains of Dakota Territory, and became known as the "Kit Carson of the Northwest." In 1864, when he was 27 years of age, he was a member of Brackett's Battalion, an independent calvary unit. In 1864, Bracketts's Battalion was assigned to accompany General Alfred Sully's expedition into northern Dakota Territory. The expedition was seeking to drive the Dakota Indians, who had gone to war with the whites in Minnesota in 1862, even farther away from Minnesota.
On July 28, they came upon a very large Indian camp at Killdeer Mountain, with as many as 6,000 warriors. Sully and his force attacked and drove the Indians from the field. Northrup had ridden out ahead of his unit, and was shot and killed. He was buried at that location. The inscription on his gravestone reads "Sergt. Geo. W. Northrup, Co. C, Brackett's Minn. Cav."
His story is related in two books by Curtis Dahlin: "Dakota Uprising Victims: Gravestones & Stories," pages 109-110, published in 2007, and "The Dakota Uprising: A Pictorial History," page 292, published in 2009.
On July 28, they came upon a very large Indian camp at Killdeer Mountain, with as many as 6,000 warriors. Sully and his force attacked and drove the Indians from the field. Northrup had ridden out ahead of his unit, and was shot and killed. He was buried at that location. The inscription on his gravestone reads "Sergt. Geo. W. Northrup, Co. C, Brackett's Minn. Cav."
His story is related in two books by Curtis Dahlin: "Dakota Uprising Victims: Gravestones & Stories," pages 109-110, published in 2007, and "The Dakota Uprising: A Pictorial History," page 292, published in 2009.
George W. Northrup was an adventurer. He was born in New York, and came to St. Paul, Minnesota by himself when he was 15. He ventured out onto the plains of Dakota Territory, and became known as the "Kit Carson of the Northwest." In 1864, when he was 27 years of age, he was a member of Brackett's Battalion, an independent calvary unit. In 1864, Bracketts's Battalion was assigned to accompany General Alfred Sully's expedition into northern Dakota Territory. The expedition was seeking to drive the Dakota Indians, who had gone to war with the whites in Minnesota in 1862, even farther away from Minnesota.
On July 28, they came upon a very large Indian camp at Killdeer Mountain, with as many as 6,000 warriors. Sully and his force attacked and drove the Indians from the field. Northrup had ridden out ahead of his unit, and was shot and killed. He was buried at that location. The inscription on his gravestone reads "Sergt. Geo. W. Northrup, Co. C, Brackett's Minn. Cav."
His story is related in two books by Curtis Dahlin: "Dakota Uprising Victims: Gravestones & Stories," pages 109-110, published in 2007, and "The Dakota Uprising: A Pictorial History," page 292, published in 2009.
On July 28, they came upon a very large Indian camp at Killdeer Mountain, with as many as 6,000 warriors. Sully and his force attacked and drove the Indians from the field. Northrup had ridden out ahead of his unit, and was shot and killed. He was buried at that location. The inscription on his gravestone reads "Sergt. Geo. W. Northrup, Co. C, Brackett's Minn. Cav."
His story is related in two books by Curtis Dahlin: "Dakota Uprising Victims: Gravestones & Stories," pages 109-110, published in 2007, and "The Dakota Uprising: A Pictorial History," page 292, published in 2009.
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