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History 605: S1, Ep 12, "How Civil War veterans shaped South Dakota"

GAR members at a gathering in Pierre
South Dakota State Archives
GAR members at a gathering in Pierre

This podcast is produced by the South Dakota State Historical Society. To support the state historical society, contact the foundation at (605) 773-6346

Dakota Territory was settled by thousands of Civil War veterans.

As Dr. Jones discusses with History 605 guest, USD Provost, and Professor Kurt Hackmer, those vets had a higher rate of combat experiences than the typical Civil War veteran. While the details are murky due to having no medical terminology at that time for conditions such as PTSD, many of those who experienced a great deal of combat dealt with it in interesting ways for the rest of their lives.

How did this impact South Dakota's culture?

More work needs to be done to know for sure, but it's an area filled with opportunities for discovering more answers about these men and our state.

This link at the South Dakota Archives will connect you to the database Professor Hackemer and Dr. Jones discuss.

Or you can see his article in the Journal of Military History, Vol 81, Issue No 1, "Wartime Trauma and the Lure of the Frontier: Civil War Veterans in Dakota Territory"