This was kind of overshadowed by another war the US was involved in during Lincoln's presidency.
12/26/1862 was the largest mass execution in US history as a result of the Dakota War of 1862. 303 native american prisoners were convicted of murder and rape in a military tribunal. President Lincoln reviewed the cases and 39 prisoners were sentenced to hang, with one prisoner was granted a reprieve. Many of the bodies were given to medical professionals for cadavers, including William Mayo.
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