March 1, 2016
More about
The Battle of Sugar Point
One morning, you might wake up at Trapper’s Landing while the world is still sleeping. The sun hasn’t quite risen. So, you go for a walk. Staying as close to the shore as you can, you head south passing silent docks and boats on your left. After about a mile the shore opens up into a beach–Whipholt Beach. A simple stone structure faces the seemingly endless lake and you lean over to read the plaque.
Sugar Point Battle. When a federal marshal with about 100 troops of the 3rd Infantry tried to arrest the Chippewa chief Bugonaygeshig at Sugar Point opposite here on the northeast shore of the lake, a sharp fight occurred October 5, 1898. The whites lost 7 killed and 16 wounded and the arrest was never accomplished.
When you read this plaque, you may have a hard time imagining two steam ships carrying a group of armed soldiers across these waters to arrest a Native American chief on charges of bootlegging. They were heading to a point about 8 miles across the water from this plaque.
The 1898 Battle of Sugar Point is generally agreed to be the last battle between the United States and Native American tribes. The battle was small and quick. Still, it is sobering to think a battle between the United States and members of a sovereign nation occurred on this peaceful lake within the lifetime of your great grandparents.
This area near Trapper’s Landing is still part of that same sovereign nation. In fact, most of Leech Lake is part of the Leech Lake Reservation, home of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibewe. The Reservation was created through treaties with the native tribes. The Leech Lake Reservation’s website at www.llojibwe.org reminds us that:
“These Treaties have the same legal dignity as any other international agreement.”
The reasons for the battle were complex and often debated by historians. Part of it had to do with Native Americans being arrested for no reason and then being released to have to walk home from as far as Duluth or even the Twin Cities. Part of it had to do with local tribes feeling white lumber companies were cheating them out of the trees they made a living from. At least after the battle the two sides were able to come to some sort of agreement and there was no further bloodshed.
After seeing the plaque you might want to drive over to Walker. Things were different in this small town on October the 5th, 1898. Walker was the only white settlement on Leech Lake. On that day, the steamships the Flora and the Chief of Duluth left the town carrying troops bound for Sugar Point.
During the summer you can visit the Cass County Museum in Walker. There you can learn more about the original people of the area and the Battle of Sugar Point. See what you can learn from the exhibits and the museum workers. Contrary to popular opinion, not all information is on the Internet.
While you are at the museum you might want to pick up the book The 1898 Battle of Sugar Point by Cecelia McKeig and Renee Geving. This book was well research by the two local authors. It has information gathered locally and from the national archives.
This book will definitely help you understand what happened in 1898 more than reading the Wikipedia page on it.
You might want to read this book while relaxing at Trapper’s Landing, looking over the water and imagining a time that really wasn’t that long ago.
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