Includes bibliographical references (pages 255-303) and index.
Contents:
The coming of war: "We...were in a starving condition" -- The Dakota War of 1862: "Let it be a war of extermination" -- Preparing for the first expeditions: "To crush the Sioux Lilliput under the ponderous heel of strategy" -- Sibley's expedition departs: "One day was much like another" -- The battles of Big Mound, Dead Buffalo Lake, and Stony Lake: "We must fight for our children" -- Sully's 1863 expedition: "Your movements have greatly disappointed me" -- Whitestone Hill: "The prairie was covered with white warriors" -- Sully's 1864 expedition: "Generals Pope and Sully are anxious for another campaign" -- The battle of Killdeer Mountain: "The prairie seemed alive with Indians" -- The fight in the badlands: "The Indians were all around us trying to break in" -- Aftermath: "This whole thing is one confounded humbug".
Summary:
"The Punitive Expeditions of 1863 and 1864 against the Dakotas led to some of the most significant engagements between the Sioux and the U.S. Army. However, they have been underappreciated and less covered by historians than the Dakota War of 1862 and the latter post Civil War conflicts with the Sioux. This manuscript intends to examine the Punitive Expeditions as part of the overall Civil War experience and highlight the Dakotas' interpretations of the campaigns. Additionally, the manuscript will use diaries and accounts from common soldiers to focus on the personal, human side of the conflicts and how they impacted the lives of the people involved. The author applies a "bottom up" approach, which uses personal accounts by participants and interpretations by descendants to understand the conflicts on a larger scale. The Dakota as well as U.S. Army soldier's perspectives will be presented to give an even-handed account of the significance of these military encounters"-- Provided by publisher.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.