Sam Brown (frontiersman)

Samuel Jerome Brown (March 7, 1845–August 29, 1925), better known as Sam Brown, was an American frontiersman and settler in Minnesota and Dakota Territory. He earned regional fame as the "Paul Revere of the West" or the "Prairie Paul Revere" for riding 150 miles (240 km) on the night of April 19–20, 1866, first to warn others of an expected Native American attack and—when the threat proved false—back through a spring blizzard to intercept his request for reinforcements from the U.S. Army. Though the ordeal left him dependent on a wheelchair for the rest of his life, he went on to serve as an educator, civic leader, advocate for Native Americans, and historian.

Sam Brown was born on March 7, 1845, in Iowa Territory near Lake Traverse, a location which is now in the state of South Dakota. His father was Joseph R. Brown, who would go on to be a notable Indian agent and politician. His mother was Susan Freniere Brown, a mixed blood descendent of Dakota chief Walking Buffalo. Sam Brown was thus one-eighth Dakota and an accepted member of the Sisseton band.

Brown was 17 when the Dakota War of 1862 broke out. He was among the numerous mixed-blood and noncombatant Dakota taken captive by their warring cousins during the conflict. Most were freed during the surrender at Camp Release, Brown included, and he joined the Minnesota militia as a scout while Western Dakota continued to resist U.S. expansion. Under the command of his own father, Brown was ultimately posted to Fort Wadsworth beyond the border of Minnesota in Dakota Territory. This fort, later renamed Fort Sisseton, was established in 1864 to protect non-hostile Eastern Dakota and guard against further attack on white settlers.

Among a semi-military scouting unit composed of white frontiersmen, mixed-bloods, and allied Eastern Dakotas, Brown helped locate hostile encampments, rode patrols, provided escorts, and served as an interpreter and courier. He distinguished himself in his duties and was promoted to scout inspector in March 1866, the month he turned 21. He was soon supervising scouts for the entire district.

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