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Lot 160
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Native American Story Told in Aftermath of the Dakota War of 1862
Native American Story Told in Aftermath of the Dakota War of 1862
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Description:

Native American

Native American Story Told in Aftermath of the Dakota War of 1862

 

[NATIVE AMERICAN.] Nina McDaniel, Autograph Document Signed, October 3, 1862. 3 pp., 5.25" x 8.125".

 

This “Sketch” written by Nina McDaniel likely tells more about attitudes toward Native Americans during the Civil War era than it does about Native Americans themselves. This melodramatic story of the capture, torture, and killing of three siblings took place in the “North Western portion of the United States,” likely Minnesota.

 

In the summer of 1862, several bands of Dakota attacked hundreds of settlers and immigrants along the Minnesota River in southwestern Minnesota. Many settlers died, and many more fled the area. The U.S. military captured hundreds of Dakota men and interned their families. A military tribunal sentenced 303 Dakota to death for their crimes, but President Abraham Lincoln later commuted the sentence of 264 of them. The mass hanging of 38 Dakota men on December 26, 1862, in Mankato, Minnesota, was the largest mass execution in U.S. history.

 

Complete Transcript

 

A Sketch

In the summer of 1862 the Indians of the North Western portion of the United States became very troublesome committing depredations upon the property of the Whites and in some cases even murdering people. Every day they became more & more bold, until at last it was quite dangerous for persons to venture near them unless in very large companies. During this unsettled period occurred an incident fraught with much interest. Near a small mountain town about sixty miles from Marysville there lived an aged couple with their three children, a boy and two girls, all of them nearly grown, and they were the pride and happiness of their parents. But perfect joy is a thing unknown on this terrestrial globe of ours, for from the height of almost perfect happiness, the fond parents were suddenly plunged into an abyss of despair; for their treasures were gone, none knew whither. In the morning the three had started to go to a neighbors, intending to return by dark, but night came without them, How anxiously they were awaited cannot be imagined except by those who have been placed in similar situations. There were many accounts of the cruelties committed by the Indians & they were afraid that their children had met with some harm from them  And their conjectures proved correct, though the parents were not aware of it for some time. The brother & sisters had reached the neighbor’s & were almost home again, when they were startled by an Indian yell, & almost instantly they were surrounded by a band of savages, seized & bound with ropes to prevent any escape & were hurried off in spite of cries & entries to the campground many miles distant. Faint from hunger, almost exhausted from fatigue, they at last arrived & they were placed in a rude hut guarded by several armed savages. For two nights they lay on the bare ground, being allowed scarcely enough food to sustain life, but on the morning of the third day they were summoned before the council of the chiefs to hear their sentence  Standing together in the middle of a circle of dusky forms they heard their doom. One short half hour is passed & now is the appointed time for the accomplishment of the terrible tragedy. A large pile of dry brush is placed at the foot of a tree, the boy is tied with strong cords of rope just above it, & now they apply the fire. Oh! Is there not one spark of human pity in savage breasts? the flames dart up eager to devour their prey, they reach his form, but God in his infinite mercy has placed him beyond their power, he is dead. Burn on relentless flame, shout human fiends – what more harm can ye do the clay which is all that is left of the once beautiful boy! The sisters were tortured in every possible manner, but they bore it with heroic fortitude, until at last Death, so dreaded by some, was welcomed gratefully by them.
Oct 3rd 1862.     Nina McDaniel

 

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

 

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