Stand Wattie and Ely Parker: Native American Leaders of the Civil War

Native Americans played a significant role in the Civil War, on both sides of the fighting, and this can be seen in the characters of two important leaders, Ely Parker and Stand Wattie.

Ely Parker was a military leader who supported the Union during the era of the Civil War. He was a Native American from the Seneca tribe, born in New York in 1828, and he studied his grandfather’s Iroquois religion. He also committed to the Baptist religion, which brought him closer to the society of the white men.

He maintained two cultures so this allowed him to support peaceful relationships with the United States Government and the Native American Tribes, especially the Iroquois. Early in his career, Parker was the captain of engineers for the New York State Militia, and then served as an attorney. After the Civil War began, Parker became a lieutenant colonel then was promoted by General Ulysses S. Grant to serve him as an adjutant, or a senior advisor, in 1863. According to the book, “The Life of General Ely S. Parker” written by Arthur C. Parker, General Robert E. Lee said that he was “glad to see one real American here” at the moment he saw Ely Parker at the Confederate surrender in Appomattox. Parker responded by saying, “We are all Americans,” while gladly shaking the Confederate General’s hand.  After the war, in 1869, Parker was commissioned by Ulysses S. Grant’s presidential administration to become the Commissioner of Native American Affairs. When Parker was given this position, he set out to advance the Fort Laramie Treaty with the help of the President and the Oglala Sioux chief named Red Cloud, though the treaty was a failure. Furthermore, the religious leaders of Congress continued to refuse to allow him to support the presidential administration and he was basically attacked by many people for this position.  The House of Representatives conducted an investigation on Ulysses S Grant, and accused Parker of fraud, illegal contracts, and violations of the law forcing him to resign  because of his ruined reputation. After this unfortunate failure, Parker went on to spend the rest of his life in poverty.

Although many northern Native Americans like Ely Parker supported the Union, many Native Americans from the South, such as the Cherokees, supported the Confederacy.

Stand Watie was a Native American of the Cherokee tribe who was born in 1806 in Georgia. He invested much of his time in learning more about the white American ways than developing his own Native American culture.  Watie had to suffer from the Indian Removal Act of 1831, where Native Americans were forced by the United States Military to move to Oklahoma.  The United States Federal Troops were placed around the reservations so that the Cherokee Tribe would stay on the reservation in Oklahoma, which was a success. When this happened, his uncle and brother were put on trial and then executed by the Cherokee tribal government as punishment for giving up their tribal lands.Most of the citizens of the Cherokee Nation supported Stand Wattie’s uncle and brother since they were infuriated by this removal. Wattie plotted revenge as he attempted to murder James Foreman, one of the people who killed his uncle, but he was acquitted for this murder. After that incident, in Oklahoma, Watie became a court attorney for the Cherokee Supreme Court and used slaves to create a large and successful plantation.

 

In 1862, he became the chief of the Cherokee Nation.  During the turmoil and political change of the Civil War, Watie took advantage in order to rise to power militarily, supporting the Southern Confederate army. He was a tremendously skilled cavalry rider, so he instantaneously caught the attention of the Confederates. He was promoted to general during the civil war, and he was able to organize a Cherokee Native American Regiment.

   Even though the Confederate military and the Confederate government officially surrendered at Appomattox Courthouse on April 9th, 1865, Watie continued to fight for the Confederate cause, but two months later he became the last Confederate general who surrendered. After the war, he was majorly criticized by his people since he has sent out many Cherokee Native Americans to death in battle.

Watie eventually gave up his leadership of the Cherokees and moved to his home in Honey Creek, Oklahoma.There he grew tobacco and made profits with his nephew.  However, a federal tax was imposed on his tobacco, and he refused to pay, which led him to suffer from a debt. He died in 1871 in Oklahoma as part of the Cherokee Nation.

Ely Parker (Picture Below)

Stand Wattie (Picture Below)