[270]  Later he served as a Captain in the state militia during the Black Hawk War seeing no combat.[271]  During his presidency, his policy toward Indians was based on politics. He used appointments to the Indian Bureau as a reward to supporters from Minnesota and Wisconsin.  While in office his administration faced difficulties guarding Western settlers, railroads, and telegraphs, from Indian attacks.[272]
On August 17, 1862, the Sioux or Dakota uprising broke out in Minnesota. Hundreds of settlers were killed, 30,000 were displaced from their homes, and Washington was deeply alarmed.[273] Some feared incorrectly that it might represent a Confederate conspiracy to start a war on the Northwestern frontier.[274] Lincoln ordered thousands of Confederate prisoners of war sent by railroad to put down the uprising.[275] When the Confederates protested forcing Confederate prisoners to fight Indians, Lincoln revoked the policy and none set foot in Minnesota.  Lincoln sent General John Pope to Minnesota as commander of the new Department of the Northwest a couple of weeks into the hostilities.