Witness at Sand Creek: The Life and Letters of Silas Soule

The letter that forced Congress to act, and the man who was killed for writing it.

What compels an ordinary person to stand against atrocity? Witness at Sand Creek: The Life and Letters of Silas Soule captures the soul of a man who bore witness to genocide and chose to speak out.

This powerful volume brings to life the story of Captain Silas Soule, a young abolitionist turned Union officer who refused to obey orders during the Sand Creek Massacre of 1864. Rather than participate in the slaughter of peaceful Cheyenne and Arapaho families, Soule defied his superiors and later testified to what happened. His act of conscience would make him a target: he was assassinated just months later.

Through vivid original letters and deeply informed contextual essays, pastor and racial justice activist Rev. Dr. Nancy Niero illuminates Soule’s principled stand in a time of profound moral failure. Part biography, part spiritual journey, Witness at Sand Creek blends historical detail with personal pilgrimage, offering readers both rare primary sources and a contemporary call to moral clarity.

From Soule’s early abolitionist work alongside John Brown to his final days as a whistleblower, this book is a profound meditation on history, integrity, and the price of truth. It is essential reading for students of American history, truth and reconciliation, and anyone concerned with how the past continues to shape our ethical responsibilities today.

• The letters of Silas Soule, a forgotten Civil War hero
• Firsthand account of the Sand Creek Massacre and its cover-up
• A story of moral courage, sacrifice, and radical conscience
• Written by a scholar-activist after 30 years of research
• A must-read for fans of Killers of the Flower Moon and Stamped from the Beginning