Joseph Godfrey facts for kids
Joseph Godfrey (born 1835, died 1909) was an African American man. He escaped from slavery in the United States. He found safety with a Dakota community in Minnesota. Joseph fought alongside the Dakota people during the Dakota War of 1862. He was the only African American fighter in that war.
Early Life and Escape
Joseph Godfrey was born in 1835 in Mendota, Minnesota. His father was a French Canadian fur trader. His mother, Courtney, was a slave from St. Louis, Missouri. She was brought to Fort Snelling by an army officer. Joseph grew up in the home of Alexis Bailley, where his mother worked. He did not get much schooling.
Later, Joseph was taken to St. Paul, Minnesota. He worked for Henry Hastings Sibley, a famous trader. Sibley later became the first governor of Minnesota. He also played a big part in the U.S.-Dakota War. Joseph was not treated well by his owners.
Because of this, Joseph ran away. He found a safe place among the Dakota people. In 1857, he moved to the Lower Sioux Agency. There, he married the daughter of Wahpaduta, whose name meant Red Leaf.
In August 1862, Joseph was helping the Dakota load hay. Another Dakota man told him that white people at the agency had been killed. Joseph was asked which side he would join. He was afraid for his life and his family. So, he felt he had to join the war.
The Name "Atokte"
Later that year, Colonel Sibley said that Joseph had joined the Dakota. He claimed Joseph took part in attacks between August 19 and September 29. Dakota warriors gave Joseph the name "Atokte." This name means "slayer of many" in the Dakota language. Joseph said he had not killed anyone. However, there were different stories about how much he was involved in the fighting.
Trial and Pardon
Joseph Godfrey was captured after the Battle of Wood Lake on September 23, 1862. He was put on trial. He was the first person tried by the military court on September 28, 1862. To avoid being put to death, Joseph spoke against eleven Dakota warriors. These warriors were later hanged on December 26, 1862.
Joseph was found guilty of being part of the fighting. He was sentenced to death by hanging. But because he gave his testimony, the court asked President Abraham Lincoln to change his sentence. They asked for it to be changed to ten years in prison. The court told President Lincoln that many bad people would have gone free without Joseph's help.
President Lincoln agreed to change the sentence. Later, he gave Joseph a full pardon, meaning he was completely forgiven.
Joseph was sent to Camp McClellan in Davenport, Iowa, for his prison time. After three years, he was pardoned and set free in 1866. When he was released, he moved to the Santee Sioux Reservation in Nebraska. Joseph spent the rest of his life there. He died from natural causes in July 1909. He was buried in the Episcopalian Cemetery on the reservation.
