Tragic historic story of the destruction of Native American peoples as a result of the Civil War, including their own service in both the Union and Confederate armies.

Annie Heloise Abel describes the 1862 Battle of Pea Ridge, a bloody disaster for the Confederates but a glorious moment for Colonel Stand Watie and his Cherokee Mounted Rifles. The Indians were soon enough swept by the war into a vortex of confusion and chaos. Abel makes clear that their participation in the conflict brought only devastation to Indian Territory. Born in England and educated in Kansas, Annie Heloise Abel (1873?1947) was a historical editor and writer of books dealing mainly with the trans-Mississippi West. They include The American Indian as Slaveholder and Secessionist (1915), also reprinted as a Bison Book. Abel's distinguished career is noted in an introduction by Theda Perdue, the author of Slavery and the Evolution of Cherokee Society (1979), and Michael D. Green, whose Politics of Indian Removal: Creek Government and Society in Crisis (1982) was published by the University of Nebraska Press.

Annie Heloise Abel's 'The American Indians in the Civil War' provides a fascinating and in-depth exploration of the often overlooked role of Native Americans in the American Civil War. Abel meticulously details the various tribes and their involvement in the conflict, shedding light on their strategic importance and contributions to both the Union and Confederate forces. Her scholarly approach delves into primary sources to reveal the unique perspectives and experiences of Native Americans during this tumultuous period in American history. Written in a clear and engaging style, Abel's book offers valuable insights into the complex relationships between Native Americans, settlers, and the federal government during the Civil War era. Annie Heloise Abel, a respected historian and scholar, brings her expertise in Native American history to bear in 'The American Indians in the Civil War'. Drawing on her extensive research and deep understanding of the subject matter, Abel presents a nuanced and comprehensive analysis that challenges traditional narratives of the Civil War. Her passion for uncovering hidden histories and giving voice to marginalized communities shines through in this important work. I highly recommend 'The American Indians in the Civil War' to anyone interested in gaining a deeper understanding of the Civil War and the crucial role played by Native Americans. Abel's meticulous research, thoughtful analysis, and engaging writing make this book a must-read for scholars, history enthusiasts, and anyone seeking a more inclusive perspective on this transformative period in American history.

The American Indian in the Civil War is one of the first historical accounts dealing with the participations of Native American in the American Civil War. Native Americans took active participation in the conflict. 28,693 Native Americans served during the war, mostly in the Confederate military. They participated in battles such as Pea Ridge, Second Manassas, Antietam, Spotsylvania, Cold Harbor, and in Federal assaults on Petersburg. Contents The Battle of Pea Ridge, or Elkhorn and Its More Immediate Effects Lane's Brigade and the Inception of the Indian The Indian Refugees in Southern Kansas The Organization of the First Indian Expedition The March to Tahlequah and the Retrograde Movement of the "White Auxiliary" General Pike in Controversy With General Hindman Organization of the Arkansas and Red River Superintendency The Retirement of General Pike The Removal of the Refugees to the Sac and Fox Agency Negotiations With Union Indians Indian Territory in 1863, January to June Inclusive Indian Territory in 1863, July to December Inclusive Aspects, Chiefly Military, 1864-1865

In Indian Territory the Civil War is a story best told through shades of gray rather than black and white or heroes and villains. Since neutrality appeared virtually impossible, the vast majority of territory residents chose a side, doing so for myriad reasons and not necessarily out of affection for either the Union or the Confederacy. Indigenous residents found themselves fighting to protect their unusual dual status as communities distinct from the American citizenry yet legal wards of the federal government. The Civil War and Reconstruction in Indian Territory is a nuanced and authoritative examination of the layers of conflicts both on and off the Civil War battlefield. It examines the military front and the home front; the experiences of the Five Nations and those of the agency tribes in the western portion of the territory; the severe conflicts between Native Americans and the federal government and between Indian nations and their former slaves during and beyond the Reconstruction years; and the concept of memory as viewed through the lenses of Native American oral traditions and the modern evolution of public history. These carefully crafted essays by leading scholars such as Amanda Cobb-Greetham, Clarissa Confer, Richard B. McCaslin, Linda W. Reese, and F. Todd Smith will help teachers and students better understand the Civil War, Native American history, and Oklahoma history.

When the Choctaw Nation was forcibly resettled in Indian Territory in present-day Oklahoma in the 1830s, it was joined by enslaved Black people—the tribe had owned enslaved Blacks since the 1720s. By the eve of the Civil War, 14 percent of the Choctaw Nation consisted of enslaved Blacks. Avid supporters of the Confederate States of America, the Nation passed a measure requiring all whites living in its territory to swear allegiance to the Confederacy and deemed any criticism of it or its army treasonous and punishable by death. Choctaws also raised an infantry force and a cavalry to fight alongside Confederate forces. In Choctaw Confederates, Fay A. Yarbrough reveals that, while sovereignty and states' rights mattered to Choctaw leaders, the survival of slavery also determined the Nation's support of the Confederacy. Mining service records for approximately 3,000 members of the First Choctaw and Chickasaw Mounted Rifles, Yarbrough examines the experiences of Choctaw soldiers and notes that although their enthusiasm waned as the war persisted, military service allowed them to embrace traditional masculine roles that were disappearing in a changing political and economic landscape. By drawing parallels between the Choctaw Nation and the Confederate states, Yarbrough looks beyond the traditional binary of the Union and Confederacy and reconsiders the historical relationship between Native populations and slavery.

"With a new preface by the author"--P. [1] of cover.