There is a battle, famous in Minnesota History, where the Indians tried to take advantage of the time when many of the men in Minnesota were off to the Civil War. It was thought that if the Indians had managed to go through Fort Ridgeley, they would have taken back the entire state of Minnesota. There was a raging panic at the time and many atrocities on both sides.
Company C of the Fifth Minnesota Volunteer Infantry was manning the fort and managed to fight off the attack after three days of fierce fighting.
There were three Dillses in this battle, Daniel Dills (16), his brother Charles and his son Charles Henry Dills (8) then seventeen years old.
Daniel Dills somewhat later was mustered out due to chronic diarrhea. Charles and Charles Henry were in for the duration, going to Arkansas, Vicksburg, the Tennessee River and eventually mustered out at Demopolis AL.
