“Dedicated To The Indian People In Honor of Fool Soldier Band”

in 1862, a dramatic rescue of white captives held by a band of hostile santee sioux, took place near this spot. a group of eleven young teton sioux boys left ft. pierre on a cold november day determined to overtake and meet with the santees to negotiate the exchange of nine women and children for the food and blankets which they took with them. the santees had taken the captives on a raid of a settlement near lake shetak in minnesota four months earlier. the boys: Martin Charger, Kills Game and Comes Home, Swift Bird, Four Bear, Mad Bear, Pretty Bear, Sitting Bear, One Rib, Strikes Fire, Red Dog, and Charging Dog had decided on their own to attempt this dangerous and entirely selfless mission on mercy after hearing the plight of the Lake Shetak captives. The hostile band of about one-hundred and eighty Santees was led by Chief White Lodge.

History states that they came upon the Santee encampment on the east side of the Missouri River at a point opposite the mouth of the Grand River. The Santees drove a hard bargain and the young Tetons had to give all their worldly possessions, including their guns and horses, to effect the exchange. Only one horse and wagon was left to carry the weak and distraught captives the one hundred miles back to the nearest white settlement at Ft. Pierre. The Tetons walked and gave their clothes to the white women and children. This Christian act of mercy by the Tetons was never rewarded by the U.S. Government and no record can be found of any repayment for the personal possessions given in exchange.

Because the Santees had been on the warpath, the odds against success were very high. Thus, the Teton boys were dubbed the ‘Fool Soldier Band.'

Walworth County, US 12- west side of Mobridge in front of Klein’s Museum (2003)