— Ch. 1 · Tribal Divisions And Alliances —
Native Americans in the American Civil War.
~5 min read · Ch. 1 of 6
In March 1861, Confederate President Jefferson Davis appointed Albert Pike as his envoy to negotiate alliances with the Five Civilized Tribes. This diplomatic mission aimed to bolster Confederate defenses against Union-aligned incursions from Kansas. Most nations signed treaties with the Confederacy, often under pressure from wealthy, slave-holding factions within their own communities. However, these alliances were far from unanimous. Large segments of those same tribes opposed slavery and sought independence from U.S. political turmoil. This divergence precipitated a three-way split in Indian Territory. Cherokee Principal Chief John Ross led a neutrality faction that later aligned with the Union. Stand Watie headed the Confederate Treaty Party. Creek chief Opothleyahola organized "Loyal Indians" who fled to Union-held Kansas with refugees and escaped slaves. The Confederate treaty with the Cherokee Nation guaranteed protection, rations, tools, and a congressional delegate in exchange for ten mounted companies. General Ben McCulloch organized two Native American regiments under John Drew and Watie. Although both led Cherokee units, Drew and Watie were longstanding rivals and commanders deliberately kept their regiments apart.
The Five Civilized Tribes Combatants
Recent research indicates that Choctaw involvement in the Civil War was more extensive than previously believed. Confederate records show strong enlistment among Choctaw men. Supporting documents along with 19th-century narratives and personal writings provide insight into their wartime experiences. For many Choctaw men, the war offered a chance to reassert traditional concepts of masculinity that had shifted during earlier decades. Historically, warfare was closely tied to male identity within Choctaw culture. Reduced intertribal conflict and increased contact with Euro-Americans had led to new expressions of manhood including education and diplomacy. The Civil War allowed Choctaw soldiers to reaffirm older ideals of masculinity through combat while also defending tribal sovereignty and existing racial hierarchies. The Delaware Nation formally declared for the Union on the 1st of October 1861. One hundred seventy of 201 able-bodied Delaware men enlisted in the Union Army. In response to U.S. Commissioner of Indian Affairs William P. Dole's January 1862 call for Native recruitment, the 1st and 2nd Indian Home Guard regiments were raised. These units comprised Delaware, Creek, Seminole, Kickapoo, Seneca, Osage, Shawnee, Choctaw, and Chickasaw soldiers. In October 1862 Delaware cavalrymen played a key role in the capture of the Wichita Agency. They slew five Confederate agents, seized a rebel flag, currency, and ponies, and destroyed enemy supplies.