Slaughter Slough

Lake Shetek Massacre
Part of Dakota War of 1862
Simple rock cairn with bronze plaque
The memorial cairn at Slaughter Slough
LocationLake Shetek Settlement & Slaughter Slough, Minnesota, United States
Coordinates44°5′33.28″N 95°37′21.97″W / 44.0925778°N 95.6227694°W / 44.0925778; -95.6227694
DateAugust 20, 1862
Attack type
Indian massacre
Deaths15
PerpetratorsSisseton Dakota
No. of participants
40

Slaughter Slough is a wetland in southwestern Minnesota, named for being the site of the Lake Shetek Massacre during the Dakota War of 1862. It is located in Murray County east of Lake Shetek. On August 20, 1862, about 25-30 Sisseton warriors and women led by Chief Lean Bear of the Sleepy-Eye band attacked the Euro-American settlers living nearby, killing 15 and taking 3 women and 8 children captive. 21 settlers escaped and made difficult treks across the prairie to safety.[1]

Today the site is managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as Slaughter Slough Waterfowl Production Area, a component of the Windom Wetland Management District. It is developed with interpretive signage, a short trail, and a memorial.

  1. ^ The Indian War, The Daily Gate City, Oct. 31, 1862, p.2, Chronicling America, 2024, Library of Congress [1]