"Here are family stories -- remembered, recounted, and now shared -- that deal with the tumultuous days in the area around New Ulm, MN and Fort Ridgely during the third week of August, 1862. These stories represent the collective memories of those families that survived and persevered to establish their town on the prairie in the face of hardships and setbacks. They are testaments not only to the tragedy of war, but also to the surprising friendships...

I was at my grandfather's house, and he was sitting down, getting his pipe ready early in the morning, and here was Father Sialm knocking on the door. They opened the door, and he came in, and he saw my grandfather with the pipe. Father Sialm grabbed the pipe and said, "This is the work of the devil!" And he took it and threw it out the door on the ground. My grandfather didn't say a word. He got up and took the priest's prayer book and threw it out...