Camp Release State Memorial Wayside is a historic site in Lac qui Parle County, Minnesota, marking the location where 269 white and mixed-race captives were released at the end of the U.S.-Dakota War of 1862. The site is located near the confluence of the Minnesota and Lac qui Parle rivers in western Minnesota.

On September 26, 1862, Colonel Henry Sibley’s military forces arrived at the camp where Dakota leaders who had opposed the war had gathered the captives for their release. This event effectively ended the six-week conflict that had devastated communities across southern Minnesota and led to profound consequences for the Dakota people, including mass trials, executions, and forced removal from the state.

Today, a granite monument and interpretive markers at the wayside help visitors understand this pivotal moment in Minnesota history. The site offers views across the Minnesota River valley and provides a place for reflection on one of the most significant and tragic chapters in the state’s past. The memorial serves as an important reminder of the human costs of the 1862 conflict for all communities involved.

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