In 1862, Sarah F. Wakefield, a doctor's young wife with two small children, suddenly found herself caught up in the Dakota War in Minnesota. In a compelling voice, she relates the ordal, particularly the heroism of the Mdewakanton Dakota man Chaska (We-Chank-Wash-ta-don-pee), who protected Wakefield and her children during the upheaval only to be rewarded by the United States government with death by hanging. During ensuing investigations, Wakefield boldly held the government responsible for the war and its casualties.
June Namia's extensive introduction and notes describe the historical and ethnographic background of Dakota-whte relations in Minnesota and place Wakefield's narrative within the context of other captivity narratives. She is Associate Professor of History at the University of Alaska Anchorage.
