Following the suppression of the Dakota, or Sioux, Uprising of 1862, the Eighth Minnesota Volunteer Regiment patrolled the frontier from Hutchinson to the Red River. Captain John S. Cady of Anoka, Minnesota, commanded Company A. On June 11, 1863, Cady and three others were patrolling the Kandiyohi Lakes area while following the trail of a small group of Dakota. They overtook the group, which was hidden in a patch of brush, and opened fire. The Dakota returned fire, killing Cady instantly with a bullet through the heart. The pursuit was abandoned, the Dakota escaped, and Cady's body was returned to Anoka for burial.