The Attack on Hutchinson occurred on September 4, 1862 during the Dakota War of 1862 as a part of Chief Little Crow's incursion into the Big Woods area of Minnesota.

On September 3, Little Crow encountered Captain Strout's Company B, 10th Minnesota Infantry Regiment near Acton and chased it to the stockade of the town of Hutchinson.

Small firefights broke out between the Hutchinson Home Guard and Sioux warriors, but the Dakota failed to breach the town's defenses.

Word of the attack at the Lower Sioux Agency on August 18 had spread quickly throughout Minnesota, frontier settlements and counties drafted militia and constructed fortifications in response.

By September 2, Little Crow had moved north out of the Minnesota River Valley and camped near the town of Acton, where the murders that began the Dakota Uprising has occurred on August 17.

Little Crow and his subordinate, Walker Among Stones, attacked the 10th Minnesota in two groups shortly after they marched off at dawn on September 3, but failed to overwhelm them.

Little Crow deployed an advance guard to approach the town, one farmer named Heller was encountered and struck in the thigh by a bullet.

The Dakota planned to attack the fort from the North and place a number of their men on the road to Glencoe, where they expected the settlers to retreat.

Anna Fallon, seven years old at the time, recounted her experience in 1953:I can still see the Indians coming through the brush with their faces and bodies painted all colors.

The Indians made a surprise attack and mother in her hoop skirts took Patsy in her arms and ran along the stockade wall for the gate.

Little Crow's men completed their encirclement and burned all other buildings to the ground, including the revered Hutchinson Academy and the Steam Sawmill.

[8] A small band of 25 warriors[2] attempted to set fire to the last few buildings on the west side of the Stockade, but concealed defenders drove them back with gunfire.

However, some men did sally out to retrieve items from a store owned by a Mr. Sumner as he offered free pairs of boots for each man who brought back goods.