A Thrilling Narrative of Indian Captivity: Dispatches from the Dakota War

by Mary Butler Renville, Kathryn Zabelle Derounian-Stodola (Editor), Carrie Reber Zeman (Editor)

Overview

A new annotated edition of a mixed-race couple's experiences while held captive during the 1862 Dakota War in Minnesota.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781496243836
Publisher:	Nebraska
Publication date:	07/01/2025
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	408
File size:	16 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Mary Butler Renville (1830–1895) and John Baptiste Renville (1831–1903) dedicated their lives to education and mission work among the Dakotas. Carrie Reber Zeman is an independent historian specializing in the context and historiography of the U.S.-Dakota War of 1862. Kathryn Zabelle Derounian-Stodola is a professor of English at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and the author of The War in Words: Reading the Dakota Conflict through the Captivity Literature (Nebraska, 2009). Dakota scholar Gwen N. Westerman is a professor at Minnesota State University, Mankato, and director of the annual Native American Literature Symposium.

Table of Contents

List of Illustrations
Foreword
Preface
Acknowledgments
A Note on Editorial Procedure
Pronunciation Guide for Dakota Iapi (Mdewankanton)

Historical Introduction
Literary Introduction
A Thrilling Narrative of Indian Captivity
Addenda
H. D. Cunningham's Statement

Appendix A: Correspondence between the Dakota Camps and Authorities, September-October 1862
Appendix B: Selected Correspondence of John B. Renville and Mary A. Renville, 1862-1888
Notes
Bibliography
Index

Editorial Reviews

“[The editors] have provided splendid introductions and meticulous and helpful annotations that allow readers to appreciate the importance of this account. Zeman’s historical introduction is a scholarly tour de force that reflects an impressive knowledge of the relevant sources and also a good sense of what is significant. . . . It is a complex story that is here well told and convincing. . . . It is an outstanding work.”—Professor Raymond DeMallie, editor of The Sixth Grandfather: Black Elk’s Teachings Given to John G. Neihardt

Raymond DeMallie

[A Thrilling Narrative of Indian Captivity] is an essential primary and secondary source for historians interested in the years leading up to, and through, the Dakota War of 1862. Literary critics specializing in captivity narratives will also find much of value in the reprint of this obscure text."—Linda Clemmons, South Dakota History

South Dakota History - Linda Clemmons

“This is an impressive and extremely important contribution to our understanding of the 1862 U.S.-Dakota War. . . . Mary Renville’s account, enriched by her husband John’s presence at a number of council meetings, offers a perspective that qualitatively differs from other captivity narratives.”—Professor Mary Wingerd, author of North Country: The Making of Minnesota

Mary Wingerd

"This fascinating edition should help scholars to better understand the complexities of race, gender, and compassion through the voices of those who struggled with them in their own lives."—Michael Knock, Annals of Iowa

Annals of Iowa - Michael Knock

"Anyone looking to further their understanding of the culture and trials of this turbulent time in America's history can't do better than this excellent book."—Monsters and Critics

Monsters and Critics - Mary B Renville

"[A Thrilling Narrative of Indian Captivity is] an exemplary contribution to the literature of the Dakota War, a model of academic inquiry and deep understanding grounded in primary sources."—Scott W. Berg, Minnesota's Heritage

Minnesota's Heritage - Scott W. Berg

"Anyone looking to further their understanding of the culture and trials of this turbulent time in America's history can't do better than this excellent book."—Renville, Mary B , Monsters and Critics

— Renville, Mary B

Monsters and Critics