 After the Battle of Fort Ridgely, the town was seen as a tempting target for a Sioux attack.The topography of the town also presented an advantage for the Sioux, since the land rises some 200 feet out of the Minnesota River valley in two large steps (terraces), with wooded area to provide cover for an attack.In 1851, the Santee Sioux Indians of Minnesota had been forced to cede to the government their hunting ground of .