erson ▁East man ▁wrote ▁a ▁book ▁about ▁Dak ota ▁Si oux ▁life ▁and ▁culture , ▁which ▁S eth ▁East man ▁illustrated . ▁In ▁ 1 8 3 8 , ▁he ▁was ▁elected ▁into ▁the ▁National ▁Academy ▁of ▁Design ▁as ▁an ▁Honor ary ▁Academ ician . ▁ ▁When ▁the ▁East mans ▁were ▁based ▁in ▁Washington , ▁DC ▁before ▁the ▁American ▁Civil ▁War , ▁Mary ▁entered ▁the ▁literary ▁" lists " ▁and ▁wrote ▁the ▁best s elling ▁A unt ▁Phill is ' s ▁Cab in : ▁or , ▁Southern ▁Life ▁As ▁It ▁Is ▁( 1 8 5 2 ). ▁ ▁Def ending ▁slave hold ers , ▁she ▁respond ed ▁as ▁a ▁Southern ▁plan ter ▁to ▁Har ri et ▁Be e cher ▁St owe ' s ▁anti - s la very ▁work , ▁Uncle ▁Tom ' s ▁Cab in . ▁ ▁Mary ▁East man ' s ▁novel ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁widely ▁read ▁anti - Tom ▁nov els ▁and ▁a ▁commercial ▁success , ▁s elling ▁ 2 0 , 0 0 0 – 3 0 , 0 0 0 ▁copies . ▁ ▁S eth ▁East man ▁retired ▁as ▁a ▁Lieutenant ▁Colonel ▁and ▁Bre vet ▁Brig ad ier ▁General ▁for ▁dis ability ▁during ▁the ▁American ▁Civil ▁War . ▁He ▁was ▁later ▁react iv ated ▁when ▁commission ed ▁by ▁Congress ▁to ▁make ▁several ▁paint ings ▁for ▁the ▁US ▁Capit ol . ▁ ▁Between ▁ 1 8 6 7 ▁and ▁ 1 8 6 9 , ▁East man ▁painted ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁nine ▁scenes ▁of ▁American ▁Indian ▁life