MANKATO — A Mankato City Council member is seeking a presidential pardon for the 38 Dakota men hanged in a mass execution at the end of the U.S.-Dakota War of 1862.

Jack Consadine submitted a petition to the White House after he learned about the history of the hangings. His petition seeks a posthumous pardon for the “Dakota 38,” plus two Dakota men who were hanged later.

The hangings represent a dark chapter in history. Originally, 303 men were sentenced to be hanged after the war. President Abraham Lincoln was aware of injustices in the men’s trials, and he wrote a letter to Minnesota Gov. Alexander Ramsey listing 39 men who should be hanged, including one who was later given a reprieve.