The People
Characters
Every deed has its consequences. You don't always see the effect of those actions first hand.
At the Center
Two Men at the Center
White Frontier · First appears in Book One
Henson Wiseman
A man who came west to build something — and found he had to decide what kind of man he was first.
Henson Wiseman is forty years old when he stakes a claim in Northeastern Nebraska in 1856. A carpenter by trade, a settler by necessity. He has brought his family west to the frontier that newspapers said was empty, Henson builds two log cabins, one for his eldest son and one for the rest of his family. They get to the hard work of clearing the land for crops and livestock. Then the frontier changes. The Dakota Uprising led by the reluctant Little Crow erupts. Over the course of the series, Wiseman is lied to over and over again and joins teh US Army expecting to help build a fort near his settlement. The Dakota Uprising has forced many Dakota to flee west. After numerous battles have been fought Little Crow understands he needs to convince other nations, the Lakota, to join him. He rides west with his followers, and then to Canada to seek British assistance. Meanwhile Sibley and his men round up all adult Dakota men and boys and hold sham trials. The ripple effect of a few greedy traders and politicians affects settlers and Native Americans alike. — a land already full of people, history, and consequence. His friendship wi Little Crow is the most unlikely and most important relationship of his life.
Character traits
Character arc
Henson is a family man that only wants to provide for his family. A trusting soul, that gets burned too many times. He sees the frontier as opportunity to build a life for his growing family. The newspaper articles say the land is open to file Homestead Act claims. He comes to find out you can't always believe what you read.
The Wider Cast
Supporting Characters
White Frontier · Henson's Wife
Margaret Wiseman
Pheobe Wiseman accompanied her husband Henson west because she believed in him. She fell in love with him at their one room school house back in Virginia. Married in 1838, they waited a year so she coujld be midwife for Henson's mother eleventh child. Henson didn't have to prove himself to her, she knew already he was the man for her. The adventure of mving west enthralled her too. First settling in Eastern Territory of Iowa, they bore and raised six children. They followed the frontier west, settling near Fort Des Moines for a short while. Until tradegy occured, losins two children to sickness they decided to venture further west before the rest of the horde of migrants got their first. Arriving at Sioux City in 1856, they met pioneer settlers Theophile Bruguier:
Dakota Sioux · Dakota War Leader
Wabasha
Where Little Crow is a diplomat forced into war, Wabasha sought peace, against the warrior's insistence. He too would be betrayed by his allegaince to the traders and politicians. His defiance to Little Crow and the call for war is volatile.
U.S. Government · U.S. Army Officer
Captain Marsh
Marsh may not be a villain, but his reckless actions cost him and his men dearly. He dismisses warnings from his scouts and officers he commanded, His disregard for the Native Americans ability to wage war was a costly mistake.
Dakota Sioux · Little Crow's Advisor
Big Eagle
The oldest man in Little Crow's council, Standing Elk has seen three generations of broken promises. He does not counsel war or peace — he counsels memory. His voice is the series' moral anchor.
A Note on Historical Accuracy
The Clash of Cultures series is grounded in real history. Little Crow (Taoyateduta), Wabasha, Big Eagle, Captain Marsh, and most of the figures in these pages were real people whose lives and decisions shaped the events of 1856–1863. Their words, motivations, and actions are drawn as faithfully as the historical record allows. A small number of characters — including Henson Wiseman and his family — have been invented to fill gaps in the record and to give voice to the settler experience where documentation is sparse. The series does not treat invented characters as interchangeable with documented ones. Where the record is clear, it is followed.
Ready to read their story?