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Mass Execution

The Dakota Wars
Took their toll
Native Indians
Out of control
 
Five settlers were killed
Is what started it all
Little Crow declared
More would fall
 
This all happened
Many years ago
As the history books
And the records show
 
August 16th
1862
Treaty payments arrived
Truly due
 
But the fighting had started
Like i stated above
Settlers and Indians
There was rarely love
 
August 18th
1862
Little Crow on the warpath
Tensions grew
 
The Battle of Redwood Ferry
24 soldiers killed
Dakota war parties continued
How could relations build
 
At the battle of Wood Lake
1862
The Dakota surrendered
269, quite a crew
 
In Mid December
The trials were set
330 convicted
Their fate to be met
 
Lincoln commuted 
Most of the above
Leaving 39 
For the deathly shove
 
One was reprieved
Leaving 38
Confirming
Execution date
 
December 26th
1862
In Mankato, Minnesota
The 38 flew
 
To be with their ancestors
Fly on the wind
Chant with their spirits
In plea to rescind
 
The above date
Histories numeration
Is written as America's
Largest mass execution 
 
9/11 
And the Civil War
Two tragic tolls
Above the Dakota Wars



http://www.thehighlanderspoems.com/native-americans.php

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Moonbee Canady

Date: 9/14/2009 3:04:00 PM

Talk About History Made Interesting... I Love History and Reading it from your Lyrical Symmetry... Adds even more enjoyment... Keep Writing... We can Learn Something... MoonBee

Carolyn Devonshire

Date: 9/2/2009 5:39:00 PM

Wow, James! This one gave me chills. I love the way you give us the details of the historic attack. And the last verse, well, that's when I got the chills. Awesome write! Love, Carolyn

Dane Ann Smith-Johnsen

Date: 9/1/2009 2:49:00 PM

History is so much easier to remember when it comes from your poetry. Thanks, James for this American History lesson. On a personal note: my great grandmother, Deneican Dixon Payne was about 3 years old when this happen if my memory holds true. Her father, "Grandpa Dixon" as the family knows, fought in the civil war on the side of the north. His Southern relatives loved him...anyway. Brother VS brother. Sad to fight at all- Dane Ann(no"e") Smiles

James Peranteau

Date: 8/31/2009 1:46:00 PM

These kind of writes shake me a bit James,..great poetry for true,..its,..if you look at my last name,...I'm french Canadian Indian,...reminders of stolen land,..oh my,..of lives,..of the loss of our ancestrial rights,...oh well,...I'll wait for Jehovah to sort things out ! Great poetry as always Mr. Fraser !!!! james

Charlene Bird

Date: 8/31/2009 5:59:00 AM

Great power writing here James, excellent work with historical facts. The tragedy that struck at that time was a massacre you described so poetically. Good to read you again.

Caroline Cécile Delacroix

Date: 8/30/2009 6:14:00 PM

WOW! Thanks for taking the reader to a very tragic time in history. Very well told and written, a great quatrain. Enjoyed this read very much. Thanks for sharing and thank you for your comments on my poem. Best, Caroline.

John Loving Iii

Date: 8/30/2009 5:50:00 PM

this was a hard pill to take but i took it all in in anger. its all that we can do until god decides to make it right. jhl

Date: 8/30/2009 2:07:00 PM

Such a tragic time in our history. Interesting reporter like quality in your poem. It's too bad treaties weren't honored and humanity treasured. Unfortunately, war still rages on in our world. I'm afraid we'll never achieve global peace. Thank you for sharing this poem with us and for your kind comment. Karen

Sara Kendrick

Date: 8/30/2009 1:46:00 PM

Thanks for remainding me of some of the fallen of the Americans on both sides. All tragic events in history. Sara

Yoni Dvorkis

Date: 8/30/2009 1:42:00 PM

Interesting recounting of a tell not told often. It's interesting to me how you don't seem to really take sides, almost the way an objective journalist would tell it. normally I'm used to seeing these stories where the author sides with the indian natives against the greedy righteous White Man and his need to scatter them from their homes and land.Here I'm not feeling that same theme, more of a historical retelling of a battle that got lost amidst the greater deaths on the same day.Very powerful