For an overview of this series publishing the trial records of the 38 Dakota men executed at Mankato Minnesota on December 26, 1862, see the first post.
Omdacha’s (Amdacha’s) is the sixteenth of forty-one trials in this series.
Transcript: Trial 69 Om-da-cha
Page Images: #69 Am-da-cha
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Whiting-Ruggles Summary December 5, 1862
No. 69. OM-DA-CHA.—Took witness, David Faribault, prisoner, who says he shot two persons at his house.[i]
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Trial Record October 1862
[Trial #69 – Am-day-cha]
Proceedings of a Military Commission convened at Camp Release opposite the Mouth of Chippewa River by virtue of the following order
Order No. 55 viz:
Head Quarters Camp Release September 28th 1862.
A Military Commission composed of Colonel Wm Crooks of the 6th Reg., Lieut. Col. Marshall of the 7th Regiment, Captains Grant & Bailey of the 6th Reg. And Lieut. Olin of the 3rd Reg. Will convene at some convenient point in camp at 10 o’clock this morning to try summarily the Mulatto, and Indians, or mixed bloods, now prisoners, or who may be brought before them, by direction of the Col. Commanding and pass judgment upon them, if found guilty of murder or other outrages upon the Whites, during the present State of hostilities of the Indians, the proceedings of the Commission to be returned to these Head Quarters immediately after their conclusion, for the consideration of the Col. Commanding.
The Commission will be governed in their proceedings, by Military Law and usage.
By order of the Colonel Commanding Military Expedition
(signed) S.H. Fowler
A.A.A. Genl
Head Qtrs. Camp Release Min. Oct. 15 1862
Order No. 65
I. The Military Commission of which Col. Wm Crooks 6th Regt Minn Vols is President will reconvene tomorrow at 10 Oclock AM or as soon thereafter as practicable and proceed with the business before it.
II.Lieut. Col. Wm R Marshall 7th Minn Vols being absent on duty Maj. Gen Bradley of the seventh is hereby detailed to fill the vacancy thus occasioned.
By order of Gen.l H.H. Sibley
S.W. Fowler Lieut Col. A.A.A. Gl
Camp Release opposite the mouth of the Chippewa River
October 18 1862
The Military Commission met pursuant to the above order-
Present
Col. Crooks – 6th Reg. M. V.
Maj. Bradley, 7th Regt. M.V. Members
Capt. Grant, 6th Regt. M.V.
Capt. Bailey, 6th Regt. M. V.
Lt. Olin – 3rd Regt. M. V., Judge Advocate
Adjutant Heard – McPhail’s Mounted Rangers – Recorder
TheMilitary Commission was duly sworn and Am-day-cha a Sioux Indian was arraigned in the following charge and specifications, viz
Charge and specification against Am-day-cha a Sioux Indian
Charge –Participation in the murders, outrages & robberies committed by the Sioux Indians on the Minnesota frontier
Specification –In that Am-day-cha a Sioux Indian did join with and participate in the murders robberies and outrages committed by the Sioux Tribe of Indians on the Minnesota frontier between the 18th day of August 1862 and the 28th day of September 1862 and particularly in the Battles at the Fort, New Ulm, Birch Coolie, and Wood Lake, where he killed two persons and a third on his way home.
By order of Gen.l H.H. Sibley
S.W. Fowler Lieut Col.
A.A.A. Gl
Witness
David Faribault
[Frame 529]
The prisoner states – Didn’t fire at the Fort. Was there at the first fight. At the second fight fight [sic] at the Fort I shot two shots at them in the air. Didn’t fire at New Ulm – wasn’t there. Fired two shots at WoodLake.
David Faribault, Senr., sworn, says –
Deft. took us prisoners. He shot two at my house.
Prisoner says – I He don’t remember about it – what Faribault says.
And there upon the case being closed the Commission was cleared and proceeded with their finding and sentence
The Military Commission after due deliberation on the foregoing, the evidence being closed and Commission was cleared and proceeded with the finding and sentence.
The Military Commission find the prisoner, the said Am-da-cha, a Sioux Indian, as follows –
Guilty of the specification
Guilty of the charge,
And sentence him to be hung by the neck until he is dead.
[signatures of Mil. Com.][ii]
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Riggs Synopsis December 1862
16. Am-da-cha (Broken to Pieces) says that he was doctoring a girl when he learned about the outbreak at the lower agency. He went with the others, and took some things from Mr. Forbes’ store. He fired his gun only twice, but thinks he did not kill anyone.[iii]
[i]Whiting-Ruggles Report to Abraham Lincoln December 5, 1862.
[ii] Dakota Trials Records. Microfilm and holograph records in Center for Legislative Archives, U.S. Senate Records, National Archives. Transcription by Walt Bachman. See corresponding digitations of microfilm by John Isch.
[iii] Mankato Independent December 26, 1862, “Confessions of the Condemned” p. 2. Editorial introduction reads: “Rev. S. R. Riggs has kindly prepared for us the following synopsis of conversations held with each one of the condemned prisoners, wherein is contained much interesting information.”
Transcriptions by Walt Bachman and Carrie Reber Zeman. Page images provided by John Isch.
A Thrilling Narrative of Indian Captivity: Dispatches from the Dakota War of 1862 