Background - The Sand Creek Massacre
In the early morning hours of November 29, 1864, the Third Colorado Cavalry, made up of 675 men under the command of Colonel John Chivington, a Methodist minister and political opportunist, attacked a peaceful Cheyenne and Arapaho encampment in the bend of the Big Sandy Creek located in southeastern Colorado Territory. The attack lasted for eight hours, and approximately 230 Cheyenne and Arapaho people, most of whom were women, children, and the elders were killed. Captain Silas Soule refused Chivington’s orders, instructed his men to hold their fire, and refused to take part in the massacre.
Witness at Sand Creek: The Life and Letters of Silas Soule
The book explores the life of Captain Silas Soule- an abolitionist, teenage conductor on the Underground Railroad, and one of the first to testify in 1865 against Chivington after the massacre. His courageous choice to stand against injustice ultimately cost him his life, as he was assassinated shortly after giving testimony on the Sand Creek massacre. It is a timely testimony for all to speak truth to power.
This Pages for Progress study leads into the Sand Creek Massacre Exhibit that will be at the United Methodist Building (Washington, DC) from November 10 to December 1, 2025. The exhibit will be open to the public (with timed entry) for learning and reflection.
More information about the exhibit will be announced soon!
The General Board of Church and Society invites you to join the book study via zoom.
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Book: Witness at Sand Creek: The life and letters of Silas Soule
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Author: Rev. Dr. Nancy Niero
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Virtual Meeting Dates: October 10, October 17, October 24 (Fridays)
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Time: 2:00-3:30 PM (ET)
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Venue: Zoom
Moderators
Aimee Hong, Assistant General Secretary of Programs
Dr. Jessie Smith, Senior Executive Director of Research, Planning, and Spiritual Formation
Description of the book
“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.”
REGISTER HERE
Space is limited.
This content was originally published by the General Board of Church and Society; republished with permission on ResourceUMC.org on September 15, 2025.