Joseph and Michael Hofer

Joseph and Michael Hofer were brothers who died from mistreatment at the United States Disciplinary Barracks, Fort Leavenworth in 1918.

The pair, who were Hutterites from South Dakota, were among four conscientious objectors from their Christian colony who had been court-martialed and sentenced to twenty years imprisonment for refusing to be drafted in to the United States Army during World War I.

However, on arrival they refused to wear military uniforms or comply with any commands or orders on the grounds they were conscientious objectors based on their religious beliefs.

They were also subjected to a torture technique known as "high cuffing," in which their hands were chained to the tops of their cell doors with their feet barely able to touch the floor.

Although the basic outline of this account is relatively well known, the recent discovery of several significant caches of letters—exchanges between the men and their families—has shed new light on their story and the conditions they had to endure.