dec 26, 1862 - The Execution of 38 Dakota Indians
Description:
Abraham Lincoln ordered the largest mass execution in American history, 38 Dakota, in Mankato, Minnesota. The Dakota were being punished for the killings of 490 settlers of whom included women and children. The day of the execution a large crowd gathered to watch the men be hung. As the men stood in their places on the scaffold they sang native songs and just before the rope was cut all the men joined hands. The man who cut the rope was William Duley who lost several family members in an attack on the Lake Shetek settlement. It was later found out that 2 men had been mistakenly hung.Added to timeline:
Date:
dec 26, 1862
Now
~ 163 years ago