Lincoln's Bishop: A President, A Priest, and the Fate of 300 Dakota Sioux Warriors

by Gustav Niebuhr

In the tradition of Doris Kearns Goodwin's Team of Rivals comes Gustav Niebuhr's compelling history of Abraham Lincoln's decision in 1862 to spare the lives of 265 condemned Sioux men, and the Episcopal bishop who was his moral compass, helping guide the president's conscience. More than a century ago, during the formative years of the American nation, Protestant churches carried powerful moral authority, giving voice to values such as mercy and compassion, while boldly standing against injustice and immorality. Gustav Niebuhr travels back to this defining period, to explore Abraham Lincoln's decision to spare the lives of 265 Sioux men sentenced to die by a military tribunal in Minnesota for warfare against white settlers—while allowing the hanging of 38 others, the largest single execution on American soil. Popular opinion favored death or expulsion. Only one state leader championed the cause of the Native Americans, Episcopal bishop, Henry Benjamin Whipple. Though he'd never met an Indian until he was 37 years old, Whipple befriended them before the massacre and understood their plight at the hands of corrupt government officials and businessmen. After their trial, he pleaded with Lincoln to extend mercy and implement true justice. Bringing to life this little known event and this extraordinary man, Niebuhr pays tribute to the once amazing moral force of mainline Protestant churches and the practitioners who guarded America's conscience. Lincoln's Bishop is illustrated with 16 pages of black-and-white photos.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Biography, American History, Civil War, Religion, Native Americans

224 pages, Hardcover

First published May 27, 2014

About the author

Gustav Niebuhr is associate professor of newspaper and online journalism at Syracuse University, and founding director of the Carnegie Religion and Media Program. He worked as a reporter at the New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Wall Street Journal and was the 2010 winner of the William A. Reed Lifetime Achievement Award for religion reporting. He is also the author of Beyond Tolerance: Searching for Interfaith Understanding in America.

Reviews

[Diane S ☔ · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Dakota Wars of 1862 spread terror among the settlers in Minnesota. Barbaric acts were performed by both sides, resulting in the arrest and potential hangings of 300 Sioux Indians.

A part of history I had little knowledge of but recently came across parts of this story in a fiction book I recently read called Flight of the Sparrow: A Novel of Early America.

The states first Episcopalian minister, Benjamin Whipple, thought that Christian religions needed to do more for what he saw was a gross unfairness. Raised by a mother, and a father
to be socially conscious, Henry saw much wrong in the governments treatment of the Native Americans. Eventually he would go directly to President Lincoln, pleading the case of the Dakota Sioux, slated for a mass hanging.

A moving account of a period in history that is little known. Whipple without doubt was a man ahead of his time, in his views concerning this matter and others enumerated in the book. Well written, and well presented this is a excellent read for those interested in this historical time period.

[Nathan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had high hopes for this book considering that it combined two of my historical interests: Abraham Lincoln and Native American missionaries. In all of the many biographies of Lincoln that I have read, I have found little about the Dakota Uprising. Having studied Native American missionaries in depth in collage I was eager to learn about Rev. Whipple. While this was the book I have been waiting to read for some time, Neibuhr was not the author to pull it off. Perhaps his background in journalism prevented him from writing with the art of a good historian. Maybe it was the lack of a good editor. Whatever it was, this book was uneven and meandering. There was no focus to the action, troubling considering that the book lent itself to a 'back and forth' between Lincoln and Whipple. There was a lot of good (orignial?) historical information in this book. What it lacked was the story-telling to bring it to life.

[Joseph · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very revealing look at a forgotten chapter in American history- the Sioux uprising of 1862. Bishop Whipple is a name lost to history; this book helps to rectify that oversight. The book ties together several different storylines, including an interaction with President Lincoln. Overall, a very good effort, and well worth the time spent reading it.

[Lee Harmon · Rating 5 out of 5]

In 1862, war broke out between the Dakota Sioux Indians and the white settlers in Minnesota, where I currently live. Niebuhr’s new book digs below the surface to tell the story, from a 19th-century Christian bishop’s perspective.

Niebuhr writes like a journalist, and he spent nearly the first half of the book setting the stage and introducing the major players (President Lincoln, Chief Little Crow, and Bishop Whipple). There were times I struggled to maintain interest, even in light of the mistreatment of Indians. But then hostilities escalated to warfare between the Sioux and the white settlers, and the story grabbed me by the guts. Indian tactics were gruesome, and half the state of Minnesota fled in terror. Tales of horrific massacre grew like gossip. Niebuhr presents both sides of the story, which is far from clear and hardly guiltless on either side. When the dust settled, 303 Indian warriors stood ready to be hanged, and public opinion was ready to lynch any others who remained.

Enter Bishop Whipple, an Episcopal minister who took the side of the Indians. But what could Whipple accomplish against strong public opinion? How could he capture the ear of a distant President (Lincoln) whose attention was more strongly focused on civil war? What would be the fate of the 303 Indians, and hundreds of others who coexisted peacefully or–even more astounding–risked their lives to save white men, women and children during the war?

This is a story of out-of-control greed, human limits when backed against a wall, and the ugliness that results … plus one man’s determination to apply Christian principles where humanity could only fail. Highly recommended.

HarperOne, © 2014, 210 pages

ISBN: 978-0-06-209768-2

[Pat · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would recommend this book. It is called Lincoln's Bishop but Lincoln is only a small but significant part of this book. I had never heard about Henry Benjamin Whipple, the first Episcopal Bishop in Minnesota. This book is about his work with displaced Indians and white settlers. He advocates changes to the corrupt and immoral government Indian agencies. Lincoln listens and studies Whipple's research. The fate of 300 Indians lays in President Lincoln's hands.

From the book I get the idea that if Lincoln had not been killed, the problem with the government's treatment of Indians would have been looked at more closely and changed.

[Sallan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was persuaded by the title to read this, but Lincoln appears only briefly. Still, I was glad to read about the 1862 Dakota Uprising and the efforts of this Episcopal bishop to secure a measure of justice for captive Native warriors in its aftermath.

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

In 1862, whilst the rest of the United States was tearing itself apart in the Civil War, another war broke out in the young state of Minnesota. This conflict, more of a frustrated spontaneous uprising on the part of the Dakota Sioux than a genuine war, was noted both for its brutality and its brief duration. It was a conflict that took many white settlers by surprise, the local tribes having been for the most part peaceful, but one man at least saw it, or something very like it, coming.

That man was Benjamin Whipple, Bishop Whipple of the Episcopalian Church, and he had long been an advocate of 'Indian affairs', outraged by the corruption and abuses of the Indian agents he saw cheating, lying and abusing the tribes on the reservations under their care, the deception and broken promises of the federal government. He foresaw that once the starving, dispossessed and desperate tribes reached rock bottom, there was no telling what could, and eventually did, occur. For years he petitioned the public and politicians, his neighbours and fellow clerics, agitating for reform of the Office of Indian Affairs, the removal of corrupt agents, the prompt payments of annuities promised to the tribes, who had no other means of support. After the uprising, he again went to work on the tribes' behalf, petitioning Abraham Lincoln to commute the death sentences of some 300 Native Americans, sentenced to death for their part in the 'war', some of whom were undoubtedly guilty, but many of whom had taken no part or had risked their own lives to save whites.

This is a short book, but then it was a brief and relatively disregarded episode of American history. Occurring as it did in the midst of a war that was claiming thousands of lives a day, the deaths of roughly 800 white settlers and the death sentences of 303 Native Americans was a minor blip historically. Nevertheless, despite its brevity, this is a clear and concise account of the uprising, both in the days before, during and after, well supported by primary sources. The author's journalistic background is evident in the narrative pace and lack of editorialising - Niebuhr lets the facts, and Whipple's own words, speak for themselves. It makes for a compelling read, and shows a side of Abraham Lincoln that is rarely told in histories of the Civil War.

[John Benson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think the title is not quite accurate as Bishop Whipple and Lincoln only met once, but this book brings out the work that Bishop Whipple, the Episcopalian Bishop for Minnesota during the Civil War and the 1862 Dakota Uprising. At the end of the Uprising, 38 Dakota were hanged in Mankato, MN for their part in their Uprising, the most ever people hanged in one place, but originally, the Minnesota government wanted more than 300 hanged. Bishop Whipple was a lone voice among white Minnesotans at the time for fair treatment of Indians and for lessening this punishment. I am familiar with the basic story as I went to college in St. Peter and Mankato, near where and where many of these events took place and often drive through the main area where the Uprising took place when I drive between Moorhead and St. Peter, MN. Still, for a national audience, this book would have benefited with a map of where the events took place in MN. Concordia College, here in Moorhead, MN, has a Bishop Whipple Dorm, one of its original buildings. Bishop Whipple wrote many letters to Lincoln trying to get him to see the native people of Minnesota in a new light and to get the federal government to improve its treatment of this population. What is most impressive in this book is how at a time of extremely strong anti-Indian sentiment among whites in MN, Bishop Whipple stood strong and wrote passionately about the need to treat Minnesota's native population humanely, something few others of Minnesota's white Christian population were willing to do.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Henry Benjamin Whipple is who this book is about. Someone who is not a household name but who was a force for good in Minnesota-depending on who you talked to of course. Niebuhr too had never heard of the man until one day he discovered him and resolved to find out more by writing this book. We get a window into Lincoln as well in Niebuhr's telling of the story of the bishop and his quest to ensure Native Americans were treated fairly. Before the uprising Whipple had met with Lincoln and told him all the problems the Indians had with the government. Whipple was a forceful and tireless advocate without being naïve. This book is more about Whipple than the uprising. It would have been nice to have had more Native American sources but it's told objectively and even handedly. Niebuhr makes a compelling case that if had not been for Whipple all the Sioux warriors would have been executed. Lincoln commuted death sentences on 87 percent of the warriors which did not go over well in white Minnesota after the massacre. Keep in mind the Civil War is raging at this time too. Whipple even visited Antietam right after the battle and ministered to the wounded and dying. Whipple even today is controversial as he is not listed on a church list of heroic persons but one of his deacons is. He was truly a man ahead of his time and deserves more recognition for his beliefs, actions, and results.

[Elliot Ratzman · Rating 3 out of 5]

An eccentric Episcopal bishop of Minnesota advocated for the Dakota Sioux after a faction rose up and slaughtered hundreds of white settlers. Bishop Whipple visited Lincoln, arguing for a reform of the Indian Affairs dept—which was plundering promised resources—and argued for clemency for many of the—hastily-tried and convicted—Dakotas. Of 300+ Dakotas “standing trial” Lincoln only approved of 37 for execution. Popular bloodlust then led to the ethnic cleansing of the Dakota and (peaceful/innocent) Winnebago bands from Minn. This minor episode, playing out on the backdrop of the Civil War, raised a number of issues: when is anti-settler violence? All Dakotas were victims of a corrupt agency; some were victims of starvation. One priest remarked that if he were Indian, he would rise up against the whites—but does this warrant the slaughter and rape of women and children? Some who were radical on slavery in this case advocated for Indian extermination. A lesson in the limits of empathy.

[Kirbi · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really, really did not like this book, which is surprising considering it contains subjects that I am always keen to read about: the Civil War, social justice, and the seemingly bottomless well of white America's avarice, corruption, and brutality.
And yet...
The subject matter had amazing potential, but I feel both the writer and editor of Lincoln's Biship really dropped the ball. The writing itself was unfocused and roundabout. The book begins with Lincoln's Bishop, Henry Benjamin Whipple, who goes to plead with Abraham Lincoln to protect Native Americans who are victims to the predatory habits of the "highly politicized Indian Affairs office that in all practicality served the interests of its officials rather than the Indians" (33). Whipple has a hand injury. The reader is not informed of what happens at this meeting yet. Instead, background. Background on Whipple. Then, a massacre happens. Background on Lincoln. Background on the injustices the Native Americans (primarily the Dakotas/Sioux) faced. Now we're talking about Whipple again; he's spending time with the Sioux. Now we're talking about the Massacre. Now there is a war (Dakota War). Back to Lincoln; what does Whipple think about Lincoln? Back to Whipple's hand injury; I had forgotten about it. What date is it again?
I had whiplash and absolutely no idea what was going on. The chronology was opaque and difficult to follow.
Something else I also noticed right away: a majority of sentences began with qualifying clauses. "In Chicago, Whipple also... After the Civil War erupted, McClellan... By 1862, he... Another railroad friend, William..." (11) Those actual sentences composed an entire paragraph.
To be fair, I love a run-on sentence. I am no stranger to passive tense. Every writer has their "thing," but the over-and-over up-and-down pattern really wore thin. Like... just throw a few more simple sentences in there, my guy. Diversify.
Also, and never in my life have I ever paid this much attention to grammar, the author continuously switched between past and present tense. It was distracting. It was all distracting. I feel a better editor could have reigned in the author's writing style without silencing his voice completely.
Finally, the author repeatedly called attention to the ambiguity of the entire situation. There was aggression on both sides, etc. He provided ample time and detail to describing accounts of white people's suffering at the hands of the Native Americans (raids, murder, scalping). The Native Americans, however, were portrayed as simply being plied with whiskey and losing their lands. Anglicanizing of the so-called "farmer Indians" is completely glossed over. A violent rape by multiple white men of a Native American woman is barely mentioned in the prologue. Andrew Jackson is mentioned to have fought against Native Americans during the War of 1812. I do not recall any mention of the Trail of Tears, however, which would have strengthened the author's argument of "ambiguity." It also would have provided greater context to the historical mistreatment of Native Americans but I digress.
I finished this book in a day, as quickly as possible, simply because I didn't want to spend any longer reading it. It has sat on my bookshelf for about a year, and I was excited to finally get around to it. The anticipation I felt made the disappointment of actually reading it all the more striking. I judged a book by its cover, and I judged wrong.

[Jim Walsh · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very interesting snippet of history. While the American Civil War is unfolding, and the Abolitionist cause is hot, here is a minister in the mid west who is fighting for the rights of the Native American. Niebuhr's book pulls back the curtain on another view of what was going on during that time. The man, Henry Benjamin Whipple, an Episcopalian Bishop, became a staunch advocate for the rights of the Native American. The book reveals the incredibly difficult times as a nation seems to be falling apart, and how one man sought to fight for the rights of others, even going into harms way. It reveals the Native American's desperate attempts to stem the tide of encroachment and Whipple's attempts, through letters and in-person visits with the President, to be a voice of reason on behalf of those he served, which included the Sioux. It also reveals how during times of distress, those voices of reason can be drowned out by youth and inexperience which lead to bloodshed, as when young Sioux warriors, tired of their elders "slowness", take it upon themselves to kill hundreds of white settlers, leading to the unfortunate fate of those warriors and the outcome that Whipple sought to divert. Not all history is happy, but lessons learned in the past can help shape our future. A good read, and a short book, but one that I can recommend.

[Jeffrey Williams · Rating 3 out of 5]

Niebuhr brings a non-Minnesota viewpoint to a very Minnesota story. On one hand, his writing was full of promise. On the other, it failed to deliver.

Niebuhr follows the life of Episcopalian Bishop Henry Whipple pretty closely from his childhood on the East Coast, to becoming a young minister to the frontier, and shortly afterwards, the Dakota and Ojibwe people.

The events of the August-September 1862 "Dakota Uprising," take center stage in this volume, and with it the spotlght shines pretty brightly on the bishop.

In the

[Leonard · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting book about a little known episode that happened in the U.S. about the time the Civil War started. Henry Whipple was the Episcopal Bishop of Minnesota and took up the battle of the Dakota Sioux Indians against the United States Bureau of Indian Affairs. The broken treaties, pushing them from their ancestral lands all were aimed at "profiteers" gained riches and the Dakotas going hungry.

This book is a short read but brings up many wrongs our early ancestors used against Indians in our early history of "Manifest Destiny".

[Jim · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story of the Episcopal bishop who expose crimes and corruption in the handling of Native American treaties with the Dakota Sioux in Minnesota and help plea to have the death penalty over turn on most of the Indians sentence to death for their part in the 1862 uprising. He also push for reforms in handling Indian affairs in the government.

[Adam Frank · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very matter of fact writing. It's a fascinating story and Whipple needs to get more credit throughout the State of MN.

[Frank · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent story of man's unfairness to Indians and the Catastrophic results...

[Ernest Freudenburg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Since I spent a part of my life teaching Minnesota History, this book about Bishop Whipple who was a pioneer in MN during the Sioux Uprising of 1862 was of great interest. It brings out how he had the integrity to see the Native American as human, and how they were being mistreated through treaties made and treaties broken. His contact with President Lincoln had an impact, but due to the Civil War the reorganization of the Department of Indian Affairs was not the uppermost need at the time. Who knows how our dealings with the Native Americans might have been different had Lincoln not been assasinated?

[Ellen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was really interested to learn about this part of history, largely overshadowed by the larger conflict of the Civil War. I gave it a 3 star rating because there just seemed to be something missing in the way the book was written. I felt like the author wrote in circles almost; talking about one subject or incident multiple times without really moving with the story. I guess stagnant would be the best way to describe this book. it got better toward the end though, and overall was filled with some good information

[Becky Loader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well-written exploration of the Dakota War and its many ramifications. Told from a unique viewpoint.

[Bernie Tomasso · Rating 4 out of 5]

The subject matter is interesting but the writing is tedious. The style seems more of an early 20th century than a contemporary style.

[UChicagoLaw]

If you’ve never read a history of the U.S.-Dakota War of 1862 and the largest mass execution in American history, you should. It’s a gripping, tragic, and instructive tale. This short volume gives a full account of the war while focusing particularly on Benjamin Whipple, the first Episcopal bishop of Minnesota and a courageous critic of the government’s treatment of Native Americans. You’re likely not only to admire Whipple but also to admire President Lincoln anew. —Albert Alschuler