Lincoln's Bishop

July 1, 2014
Enlightening tale of Abraham Lincoln's other war.In 1862, overshadowed by the Civil War, a dire conflict known as the Dakota War roiled the southern half of Minnesota. Journalist Niebuhr (Newspaper and Online Journalism/Syracuse Univ.; Beyond Tolerance: Searching for Interfaith Understanding in America, 2008) provides an intriguing examination of this chapter in American frontier history, focusing especially on the figure of Henry Benjamin Whipple (1822-1901). A transplant from New York and Illinois, Whipple was the first Episcopal bishop in Minnesota and immediately began crusading on behalf of Native Americans there. "He stated his goal simply: the Indians must be protected from corrupt government agents and rapacious traders, especially those who dealt in liquor and abused women," writes the author. Throughout even the direst moments of the Dakota War and its aftermath, Whipple maintained that maltreatment at the hands of the American government had driven the Dakotas to acts of violence-and in many instances, quite grotesque violence. Niebuhr lays out the precipitant causes of the war-delayed annuities for tribes that had traded in land, leading to hunger and resentment-and chronicles its opening volleys. He also provides a detailed account of the war's major engagements and its effects on white settlement. But the author always comes back to Whipple, seen by many as an Indian sympathizer, who nonetheless had profound influence on policymakers. His triumph was in convincing Lincoln to spare the lives of 275 Dakota captives (others were hanged for wanton brutality during the war). Niebuhr's work sometimes feels choppy, bouncing back and forth chronologically and going over some of the same ground more than once. However, that does not lessen the fact that it provides a service by reintroducing readers to Whipple, an early proponent of minority rights, as well as to the Dakota War.A pleasant surprise for the average history buff.

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Starred review from June 1, 2014

The Civil War is often the focus of America's history during the middle of the 19th century, but here Niebuhr (religion and the media, Syracuse Univ.; Beyond Tolerance) explains why this is a mistake. He takes a look at the life of Henry Benjamin Whipple (1822-1901), the first Episcopal Bishop of Minnesota, a man who personally petitioned the president on behalf of the marginalized Dakota Nation. Niebuhr's research was clearly exhaustive, and he approaches history in the context of the region's past as a whole, objectively illuminating Whipple's involvement. An ethical as well as historical journey, this title explores a man's personal faith, ambition, and humanitarianism. This is not merely biography--it is the history of a people and the merging of two civilizations. American history enthusiasts will be dazzled by the author's wealth of information and casual readers will be drawn in by the accessible rhetoric. Niebuhr has created a truly universal work of nonfiction, using an engaging tone and prizing historical accuracy as well as emotional evocation. VERDICT A historical narrative that is as pleasurable to read as it is historically accurate, which is to say, very.--Kathleen Dupre, Edmond, OK

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