veteran of the American Civil War who was also an avid reader of the Confederate Veteran, Holcombe had been employed for a year at the Minnesota Historical Society where he "arranged and examined the large collection of letters and other papers received from General Sibley, who had died two years before." One early critic of Big Eagle's narrative was Samuel J. Brown, son of Joseph R. Brown, who wrote a letter to Holcombe on February 6, 1896 expressing skepticism about Big Eagle's version of events. However, Holcombe, who also wrote "The Great Sioux Outbreak of 1862," was himself considered "the first historian to write objectively about this war." Regarding Holcombe, historian William E. Lass writes, "His work displayed factual accuracy, critical evaluation of sources – including eyewitness accounts – and a dispassionate style free of inflammatory language." On the continuing significance of Big Eagle's narrative of the Dakota War of 1862, historian Kenneth Carley wrote in 1962, "Regardless of Brown's estimate, or of any imperfections the narrative may have, it has been widely used – and of necessity will continue to be used – by writers interested in telling the Indian as well as the white side of the outbreak. There simply is no other major Indian account to compare with it." References External links Further reading Historical texts citing excerpts of "A Sioux Story of the War" Republication of "A Sioux Story of the War" 1820s births 1906 deaths Native American leaders Native American people of the Indian Wars American prisoners sentenced to death People from Granite Falls, Minnesota People from Eagan, Minnesota Mdewakanton people Dakota War of 1862 Prisoners sentenced to death by the United States military Recipients of American presidential pardons