Battle of Sugar Point, Leech Lake Indian Reservation, 1898, Four Photographs of National Guard Members Involved in the Conflict

Lot of 4 photographs, each featuring penciled notes on verso and/or a reference to Frank P. Bruce, who was a 1st lieutenant with Battery B of the MN National Guard, which indicates that he may have taken all of the images.

The Battle of Sugar Point, also known as the Battle of Leech Lake, was fought on October 5, 1898 between the 3rd US Infantry and members of the Pillager Band of Chippewa Indians in a failed attempt to apprehend Pillager Ojibwe warrior Bugonaygeshig ("Old Bug" or "Hole-In-The-Day") (1836-1916) because of a dispute with Indian Service officials on the Leech Lake Reservation in Cass County, MN. Bugonaygeshig had refused to show up in a Duluth, MN court approx. 150 miles away to face charges, including supplying liquor to the reservation. Minnesota National Guard units were called out to arrest him and several others. Battery B of the MN National Guard, shown in one of the photos offered here, was also called out as a police unit and sent to Deer River, MN. A standoff occurred at Sugar Point on Leech Lake in northern Minnesota. The shooting began when a soldier of one of the units dropped his weapon, which discharged and started a gunfight between the members of the tribe and the MN National Guard unit. The matter was later resolved in court, where ten members of the tribe received short sentences.

Each of the photographs offered in the lot features penciled notes on verso. Fourteen uniformed members of Battery B are presented in two rows outside of a building, with verso pencil notations identifying "4th From Left - Capt. C.L. Bennett - Back Row" and "3rd From Right, 1st Lt. Frank Bruce." In another image, a large group of National Guardsmen and civilians pose in front of the Hotel Deer River and its attached bar, captioned on back, "Minn. Natl. Guard Police Unit / + Town Business People. / 1898." A view from camp shows ten men in uniform, some of whom carry swords, with Captain Bennett identified at center and verso caption reading, "MN. Natl. Guard / Camp Lakeview." Final image features six US marshals on horseback captioned and dated in pencil on verso, "Minn. - 1898 / US Military Marshals / 1898." A group of US Marshals and deputy marshals were called in to Sugar Point as reinforcements during the conflict.

A fine group of photographs related to what is considered by many to be "the last Indian Uprising in the United States."

These four photos was originally offered as part of a larger collection of Battle of Sugar Point photographs previously sold in these rooms, November 18, 2016 American History: Live Salesroom Auction, Lot 346.

This lot is located in Cincinnati.