Lieutenant Thomas P. Gere was born in 1842 in the Wellsburg, Nyc. The guy enrolled from the 5th Minnesota Volunteer Infantry Routine within many years 19, mustering for the towards January 17, 1862. He had been marketed in order to earliest sergeant into the March 5 of this 12 months then to next lieutenant into elizabeth basic lieutenant and adjutant. He was nineteen yrs old and you will situated in the Fort Ridgely in 1862 if the You.S.-Dakota Combat bankrupt out. With the morning of August 18, he had been responsible within fort when Capt. John Marsh kept observe in the records coming from the Straight down Sioux Company from the Dakota attacksmanding 25 troops, and taking care of hundreds of scary-ridden refugees fleeing symptoms, Gere Gov. Ramsey and you will Fort Snelling requesting reinforcements. Throwing their troops and many refugees to prepare to own assault, the guy anticipated help. He had been ultimately inserted because of the Sheehan and his awesome troops, along with Indian Broker Galbraith together with Renville Rangers, therefore the fort held away for the next ten days.
Gere later fought in the Municipal Combat. He had been granted the Medal from Honor inside 1865 for his methods from the Battle off Nashville into the 1864. The guy mustered from the military from inside the 1865 and you may first started works about railroad team. The guy passed away from inside the 1912 and is hidden from inside the Arlington Federal Cemetery within the Virginia.
When you look at the August of 1862, in the beginning of the You.S.-Dakota War, Chaska, otherwise Wechankawastadonpe, a Dakota man, along with his campanion, Hapan, fulfilled Sarah Wakefield fleeing in the an enthusiastic acquaintance’s truck from the Lower Sioux Company. Deciding to free Wakefield after Hapan murdered Mr. Gleason–the truck owner–Chaska got their particular and her people significantly less than their protection on six-weeks out of battles. Moving them inside together with his family, he reported he desired to wed Wakefield to keep their safer from any observed damage. After the war, Chaska create Wakefield from the Go camping Discharge. Wakefield recommended Chaska with his family members to keep, soothing all of them that they is treated very. In the their security she said, “Whether or not it wasn’t getting Chaska my personal bones perform now feel bleaching on the prairie”.
Despite her claims shielding Chaska, made in public and you will inside resulting trials off Dakota dudes in it from the conflict, Chaska are imprisoned and you may 1st sentenced getting hanged.
Once with their sentence commuted in order to a jail name, Chaska nevertheless was among the many 38 hanged inside the Mankato. There’s disagreement more than if or not it was unintentional otherwise meaningful. Stephen Riggs asserted that brand new error happened when Chaska’s label is actually named and then he stood up as opposed to the suggested man, Chaskadon. Wakefield disputed this time and you will said, “I’m able to never accept that all in authority from the Mankato got shed exactly what Chaska are doomed for, i am also sure, in my brain, it actually was complete purposefully.”
On one point, Standard Sibley described Chaska since Wakefield’s companion
Just after their passing, Chaska’s looks is quickly tucked to your almost every other sufferers. It had been up coming exhumed from the medical professionals for usage for dissection.
Reactions adopting the holding allude with the flurry from advice close this new “scandal” anywhere between Chaska and you will Wakefield. When you look at the a letter to help you J. Fletcher Williams, assistant of your own Minnesota Historic Society, J. K. Arnold discussed exactly how the guy arrived to palms of a great noose off brand new Mankato hangings.
Rumors on the her and you can Chaska’s relationship incited prejudiced feedback
Beloved “Fletch,” The acknowledgment rec’d “Okay.” Thank you. On condition that the next appointment comes away from have the quality taking acknowledgment of your own document be manufactured on “Seventh Routine, Minn Infty thro’ J. K. Arnold Adjutant __.” We fw’d to day this new rope, completely new which have knot and you can noose exactly as it absolutely was taken from regarding Chaska’s direct. It has got never been untied, that will be, whilst is extracted from their shoulder. I stole they. Col. Miller was going to upload every one of them (38) in order to Washington, however, I wanted that one hence strung Chaska. I grabbed it well their neck hid they not as much as my personal layer, went to my space. Hid they around my covers (bed) and slept with it until the thrill are more than toward shed rope, when i sent they domestic by the Show, since that we enjoys cautiously managed it. “Old Steph” produced a poor play around about it questioning what may have getting of it, the guy __ doesn’t learn to this day one to his Adjutant encountered the exact same. Sufficiently. Believe it, from your buddy. And-one word significantly more. People procedure-Relics-Statistics otherwise wh____ you wish I could give. Phone call upon Your own Pal (I hope) J. K Arnold This is exactly a photograph of Lincoln’s Execution Checklist, 1862.