In the summer of 1862, Minnesota was shattered by civil war not only the national epic that made distant places like Bull Run, Missionary Ridge, and Gettysburg famous but also a fight on Minnesota soil at places with more familiar names New Ulm, Fort Ridgely, and the Lower Sioux Agency. The agency, headquarters for the government's program to "civilize" the Dakota people by turning them into Christianized farmers, was the first place the Dakota attacked when they struck out against the settlers who had moved onto their homeland. Guided tours are available by appointment.
