Category Archives: Primary Sources

Josephine’s Experience Becomes a Story

Posted on October 11, 2012 by Carrie Zeman

Obituary clipping: Josephine Marsh Huggins Hanthorne c. 1927. Thomas Hughes Papers, Mankato State University, Mankato, MN. Newspaper not identified. ***** Eliza Huggins’s letters, which I transcribed in the previous post in this series about  Josephine Huggins’s 1862 captivity story, told … Continue reading →

Posted in Doing Historical Research, Josephine Huggins, Primary Sources | 1 Comment

Josephine Huggins: “It is impossible for me to name the innumerable blessings”

Posted on October 10, 2012 by Carrie Zeman

Sophia Josephine Marsh Huggins Hanthorne 1838-1927. Part three in a series about new documents commenting on Sophia Josephine Marsh‘s 1862 captivity story. ***** Letter “D” Oak Grove Dec 14th/63 Mr. Riggs My Dear friend Your kind letter with the draught … Continue reading →

Posted in Josephine Huggins, Primary Sources, Stephen R. Riggs | 1 Comment

Eliza Huggins: “We thank you for the trouble you… have had with Josephine’s narrative.”

Posted on October 9, 2012 by Carrie Zeman

“Adventures Among the Indians: Narrative of the Captivity and Rescue of Mrs. Sophia Josephine Huggins,” as reprinted in the St. Paul Weekly Press February 12, 1863, page 3.  In Rescuing Josephine Huggins, I opened the story of a new collection … Continue reading →

Posted in Belle Martin Renville, Captivity, Josephine Huggins, Primary Sources | 3 Comments

Rescuing Josephine Huggins

Posted on October 7, 2012 by Carrie Zeman

Letter “A” St Peter Sep 17/62 Rev S. R. Riggs Dear Sir I am continually thinking of ways to get Sister Josephine out of her present danger we have no team that would be of any use in a flying … Continue reading →

Posted in Josephine Huggins, Primary Sources | 2 Comments

John P. Williamson on Writing the English-Dakota Dictionary

Posted on October 2, 2012 by Carrie Zeman

Once upon a time, Someone found a suitcase of old, old letters in an old, old house. They were charmed letters. We know because Someone did not throw the letters away. Instead, Someone took the suitcase to the Dakotah Prairie … Continue reading →

Posted in Dakota Language, John P. Williamson, Primary Sources | Leave a comment

“A Teton Version of the Santee Massacre”

Posted on September 29, 2012 by Carrie Zeman

Year 77, 1862:  “Boy/ a/beside camp/ they come and scalp him/ it being so.” In the Fire Thunder Winter Count, Oglala 1786-1906, Franz Boas Papers, American Philosophical Society. Translation by Ella Deloria. One of the more fascinating presenters I heard in Fargo … Continue reading →

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Finding Mabel Hawley

Posted on September 24, 2012 by Carrie Zeman

Saturday morning I got up a few hours before dawn to drive to through the first snowflakes of the season. My destination: eastern Wisconsin to meet Vicki. Our agenda for the day: to find Mabel Hawley. “Some things are just … Continue reading →

Posted in Ella Renville, Primary Sources | 1 Comment

The ABCs of Reading a Primary Text

Posted on September 14, 2012 by Carrie Zeman

In Sweden, according to the dear woman who told me the story, her grandmother was derisively branded “läsare”  –a reader —because she read the Bible for herself. In that time and place, the Bible was viewed as the province of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Doing Historical Research, Primary Sources, Stephen R. Riggs, Thomas S. Williamson | Leave a comment

“Legislation that is desirable in reference to the Indians:” Riggs & Williamson letter January 2, 1862

Posted on September 8, 2012 by Carrie Zeman

Yesterday, September 7, 2012, Dan Olson of Minnesota Public Radio published a Minnesota Sounds and Voices article, “Sheldon Wolfchild’s View of the U.S. Dakota War.” This is the second of two interviews Olson has conducted inside the MHS Dakota War exhibit … Continue reading →

Posted in Primary Sources, Stephen R. Riggs, Thomas S. Williamson | 1 Comment

A Fable Agreed Upon, part 2

Posted on September 3, 2012 by Carrie Zeman

Solon J. Buck’s mistake went uncorrected. At the outset, it wasn’t influential. The Bulletin was read by MHS members and collected by libraries. But I doubt anyone lost sleep over an annotation error. Indeed, without any correction, there wasn’t any … Continue reading →

Posted in Minnesota Historical Society, Primary Sources, Solon J. Buck, William Watts Folwell | 1 Comment