# Renville Rangers

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The **Renville Rangers** were a [militia](/source/Militia) of [Dakota](/source/Dakota_people) and [Métis](/source/M%C3%A9tis) in Minnesota who took part in the [Dakota War of 1862](/source/Dakota_War_of_1862), the [American Civil War](/source/American_Civil_War), and subsequent campaigns against the Dakota under [Alfred Sully](/source/Alfred_Sully) and [Henry Hastings Sibley](/source/Henry_Hastings_Sibley).

## History

The Renville Rangers initially consisted of between 15 and 25 [Métis](/source/M%C3%A9tis) men, organized under the leadership of [Joseph Renville](/source/Joseph_Renville) in the early 1800's to protect his farmstead and the [Lac qui Parle Mission](/source/Lac_qui_Parle_Mission) in [Chippewa County, Minnesota](/source/Chippewa_County,_Minnesota).[1] According to [Métis](/source/M%C3%A9tis) historian [Lawrence J. Barkwell](/source/Lawrence_J._Barkwell), the militia was also known by the nicknames "Renville’s Soldiers" or “Prairie Dogs" (Dakota: Tokadantee).[1] Joseph Renville's nephew [Gabriel Renville](/source/Gabriel_Renville) would eventually maintain the militia as its hereditary leader, an Akacita (Dakota: Warrior), and continue it well into the 1860's when it was utilized during the [Dakota War of 1862](/source/Dakota_War_of_1862) as scouts for the [Union army](/source/Union_army) and the [Department of the Northwest](/source/Department_of_the_Northwest).[1]

## Involvement in the Dakota Uprising

On August 13, 1862 Gabriel Renville organized a group of [Métis](/source/M%C3%A9tis) men and others who had been employed at both the [Lower Sioux Agency](/source/Lower_Sioux_Agency) and [Upper Sioux Agency](/source/Upper_Sioux_Agency) to form a company of volunteers known as the "Renville Rangers" to volunteer for service in the [Union army](/source/Union_army) for the ongoing [American Civil War](/source/American_Civil_War).[2][3] This unit was eventually taken to [Fort Snelling](/source/Fort_Snelling) by Indian Agent [Thomas J. Galbraith](/source/Thomas_J._Galbraith) along with other volunteers from the Upper and Lower Reservations with an escort from the [5th Minnesota Infantry Regiment](/source/5th_Minnesota_Infantry_Regiment).[2][3]

When the [attack at the Lower Sioux Agency](/source/Attack_at_the_Lower_Sioux_Agency) occurred troops of the [5th Minnesota Infantry Regiment](/source/5th_Minnesota_Infantry_Regiment) stationed at [Fort Ridgely](/source/Fort_Ridgely) were warned of the ongoing Dakota revolt.[2] In response to this the commander at Fort Ridgely, Captain John S. Marsh, sent out a scouting party to the nearby Redwood Ferry on the [Cottonwood River](/source/Cottonwood_River_(Minnesota)) where the [Battle of Redwood Ferry](/source/Battle_of_Redwood_Ferry) ensued.[2] Captain Marsh had also ordered Lieutenant Sheehan and his detachment to return immediately to Fort Ridgely in order to protect the refugees who had now fled the [Upper Sioux Agency](/source/Upper_Sioux_Agency) and [Lower Sioux Agency](/source/Lower_Sioux_Agency) seeking protection at the fort. Likewise, [Thomas J. Galbraith](/source/Thomas_J._Galbraith) and the Renville Rangers were also recalled to return to the fort to protect it.[2][4]

The Renville Rangers would ultimately take part in the [Battle of Fort Ridgely](/source/Battle_of_Fort_Ridgely) with around 50 total militiamen under the command of 1st Lieutenant James Gorman, the brother of former Territorial Governor [Willis A. Gorman](/source/Willis_A._Gorman).[5] The militia would also take part in the decisive [Battle of Wood Lake](/source/Battle_of_Wood_Lake) which ended the Dakota War.

## Later units

Some members of the Renville Rangers would later join existing Minnesota units when their 3 months of militia service expired by the end of 1862.[6] According to the United States Adjutant General's Office, the "Renville Rangers" was the nickname for part of the [10th Minnesota Infantry Regiment](/source/10th_Minnesota_Infantry_Regiment).[7] Judging by the official roster of the 10th Minnesota Infantry Regiment from the Minnesota Adjutant General's Office, Company I of the 10th Minnesota was partially made up of volunteers from [Renville, Minnesota](/source/Renville,_Minnesota) and the nearby city of [Henderson, Minnesota](/source/Henderson,_Minnesota).[8] Company I was also commanded by the Renville Rangers original militia commander, Captain James Gorman.[8]

## Casualties

- Private Joseph Fortier (Foertier) was wounded during the [Battle of Fort Ridgely](/source/Battle_of_Fort_Ridgely).[9]
- Private Alexis Demair was accidentally wounded via [friendly fire](/source/Friendly_fire) during the [Battle of Wood Lake](/source/Battle_of_Wood_Lake) by a soldier of the [7th Minnesota Infantry Regiment](/source/7th_Minnesota_Infantry_Regiment).[9]
- Private Joseph Paro was killed during the [Battle of Wood Lake](/source/Battle_of_Wood_Lake).[10]

## Equipment

According to the book *Recollections of the Sioux Massacre* by Oscar Garrett Wall, during the [Battle of Fort Ridgely](/source/Battle_of_Fort_Ridgely) the Renville Rangers were armed with "[Harper's Ferry](/source/Harpers_Ferry_Armory)" muskets and only 3 rounds of ammunition per man.[11]

## References

1. Barkwell, Lawrence J. ["Renville's Soldiers and the Renville Rangers: The "Tokadantee" or "Prairie Dogs.""](https://www.metismuseum.ca/media/document.php/07428.Renville%20Soldiers%20and%20Renville%20Rangers.pdf). *Louis Riel Institute*

1. Carley, Kenneth (2001). *The Dakota War of 1862: Minnesota's Other Civil War.*. St. Paul, Minnesota: Minnesota Historical Society Press. p. 16. ISBN 0873513924.

1. ["The US-Dakota War - Essential Civil War Curriculum"](https://www.essentialcivilwarcurriculum.com/the-us-dakota-war.html). *www.essentialcivilwarcurriculum.com*. Retrieved 2025-05-27.

1. Wall, Oscar Garrett (1909). [*Recollections of the Sioux massacre*](https://archive.org/details/recollectionsofs00wall/page/68/mode/2up). Lake City, MN: The Home Printery. p. 69.

1. Flandrau, Charles E. (Charles Eugene) (1890). [*Narrative of the Indian War of 1862-1864 and following campaigns in Minnesota*](http://archive.org/details/narrativeofindia00flan). [n.p.] p. 780.

1. Wall, Oscar Garrett (1909). [*Recollections of the Sioux massacre*](http://archive.org/details/recollectionsofs00wall). Lake City, MN: The Home Printery. p. 86.

1. United States. Adjutant-General's Office & Fallon, John T. (1885). [*List of synonyms of organizations in the volunteer service of the United States during the years 1861, '62, '63, '64, and '65*](https://archive.org/details/listofsynonymsof00unit/page/62/mode/2up). Washington, Govt. Print. Off. p. 63.

1. Minnesota Adjutant General's Office (1866). [*Annual Report of the Adjutant General, of the State of Minnesota, for the Year Ending December 1, 1866 and of the Military Forces of the State from 1861 to 1866.*](https://archive.org/details/annualreport01minn/page/490/mode/2up). Saint Paul: Pioneer Printing Company. pp. 490–492.

1. Humanities, National Endowment for the (1862-10-10). ["The weekly pioneer and Democrat. \[volume\] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, October 10, 1862, Image 4"](https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83016751/1862-10-10/ed-1/seq-4/). [ISSN 2694-4251](https://www.worldcat.org/issn/2694-4251). Retrieved 2025-05-27.

1. Flandrau, Charles Eugene (1890). [*Narrative of the Indian War of 1862-1864 and following campaigns in Minnesota*](https://archive.org/details/narrativeofindia00flan/page/780/mode/2up?). [n.p.] p. 780.

1. Wall, Oscar Garrett (1909). [*Recollections of the Sioux massacre*](http://archive.org/details/recollectionsofs00wall). Lake City, MN: The Home Printery. p. 82.

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Renville Rangers](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renville_Rangers) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renville_Rangers?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.