Review of The Cherokee Nation in the Civil War

This powerful history details a little known part of the Civil War--how Native Americans in Indian Territory responded to the Civil War.

The Cherokee Nation in the Civil War by Clarissa W. Confer is a very tragic narrative beginning with how some Cherokee leaders had adopted a few of the worst social behaviors of European Americans in the early 1900's including enslavement of others, owning at least 4,000 Negro slaves. (Of course, even a few Negroes also owned Negro slaves in the Carolinas and Florida so this wasn't unique to a minority such as the Cherokee.)

A few of the Cherokee became rich despite racism and opposition by White Americans, but then the Cherokee were jettisoned from their lands and homes (along with other 'Civilized Tribes') by President Andrew Jackson and other American leaders.

The national mistreatment officially began with the passage of the Indian Removal Act of 1830, which banished a number of tribes to Indian Territory so Whites could steal their lands, houses, and other things (including gold in Georgia), and forced the tribes onto the Trail of Tears.

The future state of Oklahoma became a dumping ground for unwanted peoples by the Americans, the state name even comes from a Choctaw leader who coined it, meaning “Red People”! Some of the Native Americans, after resisting for a while, eventually tried to appease the American government, thinking that was their only choice, and moved to Indian Territory soon.

But some of the Cherokee continued to resist. Even the resisters were forced out in 1838. Many Cherokee suffered disease, starvation and other horrors on their forced removal, about 3,000 dying on the way. The mostly Scottish John Ross (1/8th Cherokee, 7/8th's White), was one of the Cherokee Nation leaders who severely criticized the Cherokees who had quit resisting the U.S. Law. His 2nd wife was a Delaware Quaker lady, Mary Brian Stapler.

The compromising Cherokee voluntarily moved to Indian Territory earlier. Eventually, some pro-Ross forces murdered 3 of these Cherokee leaders; and Ross supporters justified the murders as following Cherokee Law, that of executing 'traitors.' No one was ever arrested for the murders.

Both pro-treaty and anti-treaty Cherokee owned slaves. John Ross continued to own slaves until one year before his death in 1866. One question is why did Ross continue to own slaves after he married a Delaware Quaker. Was Mary Brian Stapler only culturally a Friend, or wouldn't Ross listen to her abolitionist views?

In the midst of these controversies within the Cherokee Nation, the Civil War started. The Cherokee, including John Ross supported the Confederacy because of the many cases of abusive treatment by the U.S. Furthermore, the Confederate Government made big promises including representation in the Confederate Government!

However, the Confederate leaders failed to follow through on most of their promises. So then some Cherokee for various reasons decided to switch and support the Union. This led to civil war within the Cherokee Nation itself. Native American groups attacked other Native Americans, stole, destroyed property, and slaughtered each other. Pro-Union Cherokee civilians were attacked as they fled north by pro-Confederacy Cherokee.

Union and pro-Confederates burned homes in the Cherokee capital, etc. At least one Union army attacked and killed Native Americans after being told, basically, to kill them all, not take prisoners.

The whole book shows so vividly how evil war is, no matter what its justifications. Again throughout the U.S. and including Indian Territory, both sides violated most moral truths, all of the commandments of 10 Words of the Old Testament, especially slaughter and stealing.

The Cherokee Nation never recovered to its previous achievements, but at least slavery was banned after the end of the war.

Stand Watie (De-ga-ta-ga), the only Cherokee (3/4's Cherokee, 1/4 White), to become a general in the Civil War, continued to fight against the Union, even after Robert E. Lee surrendered in April 9, 1865. Brigadier General Watie kept fighting until June 23, 1865! He was also the only one of the 4 accommodating Cherokee leaders who escaped assassination by the pro-Ross faction of the Cherokee.

Watie served as Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation from 1862 until 1866. (An intriguing historical footnote is that the U.S. Postal Service printed a stamp honoring Watie on June 29th, 1995, 130 years later.)

The compassionate views of Watie's wife, Sarah Caroline (Bell) show that despite the fog and horrors of the war that at least some recognized that war is contrary to compassion and spirituality. She wrote her husband "to be a good man as always" and to maintain a clear conscience before God and others. She was "particularly worried about the effect of wartime conduct on the young men in the armies."

When she heard that her son, Saladin and a nephew had killed a prisoner, she became very upset. "It almost runs me crazy to hear such things....tell my boys to always show mercy as they expect to find God merciful to them." "She worried that because of this early exposure to condoned killing, Saladin would never value human life as should."
page 131, The Cherokee Nation in the Civil War

Book Evaluation: B

For insights into how Quakers eventually became involved with Native Americans in the 19th century read "Quaker Indian Boarding Schools--Facing Our History and Ourselves" by Paula Palmer, October 2016 in the Friends Journal:

https://www.friendsjournal.org/quaker-indian-boarding-schools/


In the Light,
Dan Wilcox

Tragic Biography of Wade Hampton

Powerful biography by Rod Andrew of a paternalistic Southern plantation owner who actually opposed Secession, but when it came, even though not military-trained, fought as an officer for the Confederacy, winning many battles against the invading Northern armies of Lincoln.

And after the Civil War, Hampton sought to walk a paternalistic line between rabid racism and the new South of Republicanism. He eventually helped lead the racist Redeemer Movement, yet at the same time sometimes supported Negro involvement in government.

Strangely, while condemning violence, hatred, and racism, Hampton actually let (probably even supported) his followers and supporters--such as the Red Shirts--commit murder and mayhem in the name of white supremacy.

A complicated, contradictory man; more admirable than Abraham Lincoln, but seeming to aspire to a similar sort of pragmatic political cunning as the President.

The tragic biography of Wade Hampton is another example of the severe conundrum of how basically nice, generous, even kind, civilized humans when doing their duty end up aiding murderous thugs and causing countless slaughter of humans in the name of God, Country, and Civilization.

Another example of this horror is The English Civil War by Diane Purkiss

This is the unkind of history which is so necessary to know, but so despairing to read. And, despite, Purkiss’ ribald, almost at times flippant, style the tome is still a bit stodgy and confusing. But then the whole period of the 1600’s was extremely confusing and despairing with untold slaughter which made no sense, except in a senseless way.

Consider the political-infighting/war/rebellion/revolution as a carry-over, and somewhat less horrific version of the war on the Continent, the ruthless 30 Years War. At least the English one only lasted about 8 or 9 years.

But all claimed God on their side. And there were various sides--so many--all interacting, changing allegiances, politicking, doing what human leaders do worst. And the Cavaliers fought for the King and God, and the Roundheads—basically Calvinists--went about their slaughter singing Psalms and praising God. Another reason to reject the Christian religion.

It’s taken a long time, with many stops and avoidances for me to finally finish the depressing volume. It gives such glaring accounts of the insane slaughter, double-dealing, switching-sides, mutilations, persecution of suffering civilians to weird witch-burnings, and the bizarre actions of religious fanatics and visionaries.

What a brew of crazy despair.

But I did learn a lot.

But am so glad I am done.

Two powerful books every person needs to read, so as to oppose war and to seek a different future.

To allude to a famous poem by John Donne on wrong, when we think war is done, it's not done.

The current uncivil wars in Syria, Iraq, Libya, Nigeria, Afghanistan, and the sporadic one in Palestine/Israel attest again to how, even now, so many dutiful well-meaning humans cause evil to flourish.

Looking for Hope,

Daniel Wilcox

Legalized Group Murder by Christians

Devout Christians slaughtering devout Christians, good people slaughtering good people, and, yes, bad people slaughtering good people and bad people...on and on and on...

This moral obscenity has gone on for 1,700 years, from the Jesus Wars of the early centuries beginning at the Battle of Milvian Bridge in 312 C.E. when Constantine fought under the standard of Christ's name.

"...mark the heavenly sign of God on the shields of his soldiers ... by means of a slanted letter X with the top of its head bent round, he marked Christ on their shields."


Eusebius describes another version, where, while marching at midday, "he saw with his own eyes in the heavens a trophy of the cross arising from the light of the sun, carrying the message,
In Hoc Signo Vinces or
"with this sign, you will conquer."
Wikipedia

For historical details of the killing and persecution by Christians, read Jesus Wars by the historian Philip Jenkins.

Christians went on to slaughter Jews, Pagans, and other Christians in the 300's to 600's CE.

Then jump hundreds of years, past the millions slaughtered in the Christian Crusades, wars of the Reformation, the French Religious Wars, the 30 Years War, and so forth.

And 'God's warriors' attacked, again, Christians-fighting-Christians in the American War Between the States (often incorrectly called a 'civil' war).

Over half a million soldiers died in 4 years, and as many were wounded; hundreds of thousands of civilians suffered and died.

A whole generation was destroyed, the land ravaged...

Some places in the American South didn’t recover until the 20th century!

And even before Americans did start to recover--within 5 to 10 years after the war, 1870-75--all of the Southern states were taken over by racist leaders who instituted severe Negro codes/segregation. Often, Negroes were worse off after the war, than when they had been enslaved.

These racist methods were called “Redemption" by the Southern Christians.

What a perversion of Jesus' life and teaching.

Treatment of Negroes amounted to de facto slavery, though, of course, at least the institution of slavery was no longer technically legal. But Negroes were restricted, often confined to plantations. Churches were segregated.

Negroes who protested, tried to vote, or sought to become involved in the government were intimidated, abused, and often murdered by former Confederate soldiers and other Southern leaders.

Even stranger, however, is that in in the Northern States, many Americans, also, instituted Negro codes. They had attacked the Confederacy, and many had opposed slavery, but they didn't want Negros to live among them in the North.

Think of this: When Union soldiers earlier invaded South Carolina, some of the Northern soldiers actually stole shoes and clothes from Negro slaves!!

Many Union soldiers despised Negroes.

After the war, racism reigned thourgh out the U.S., as if no war had been fought.

Side Note: We've just returned from an in-depth tour of Virginian, Maryland, and Pennsylvanian Civil War battlefields on this the Sesquicentennial memorial of that horrific slaughter. We missed the 150th anniversary of the Sharpsburg/Antietam killing field by one week, not that it matters at all.

There are so many horrific facts about the occasion of these American Christian battles, that when reading and viewing each memorial site, one wants to weep. Maybe not shed outward tears, but drown in sorrow within.



It’s a strange fact of human nature and academic life, how endless books have been written on these tragic war battles, yet each generation participates in more wars.

Right now, Christians are supporting 4 American wars--Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, and Syria.

However this time around in the slaughter-roulette, Muslims are slaughtering Muslims, as well as Christians and Atheists.

And Christians are fighting, shooting and bombing back.

Why didn't Christians learn their moral lesson, that war is wrong, is inherently evil, in the American 'Civil' War?








Even though I’ve read many thousands of pages on the War Between the States, and taught literature of that war for years, each time I read another historical tome (and now visit the actual battle sites and museums), and read in detail of the endless slaughter, it all seems so incredibly insane.

Where is there any evidence in the life and teachings of Jesus for any of this?!

Yet many commanders, generals, and political leaders on both sides were devout Christians. Soldiers prayed and got "saved" on both sides, but then immediately, still shot, bayoneted, and killed each other in the name of God and Christ, their Savior.

Read history books which describe this in detail such as God's Almost Chosen Peoples by George C. Rable.

And then there's the brazen thefts—many soldiers stealing things off the dead--real living individuals only moments before. They stripped their bodies for clothes, took their letters, mementos, and pictures.














Doing this to their enemies even though most of them had the same religion and similar values--those of honor, duty, and God and country.

In some places, such as at Cold Harbor battlefield, the bodies of the slain soldiers weren’t buried for several years.

All the civilians had run away and all the soldiers of both sides had rushed onto other killing fields; so the only companions of the abandoned dead were wild hogs who ate at the corpses.

Remember, too, military dogtags hadn't been invented yet, so about half of the 600,000 dead soldiers were never identified. And don’t forget that at least 400,000 civilians, probably many more, also died because of the war.

And, as mentioned above, there was so much thievery--the brazen stealing of things from the dead, from homes and farmhouses. A Union soldier even stole a Bible from a Southern church and took it home to New England!

And the landscape was trashed, over 2 million trees destroyed, fences torn up, bridges, factories, railways destroyed. Northerners destroyed art, sculpture, and used fire to heat train rails and twist them around trees--calling them "Sherman's neckties."

Notice how whenever there is a war, invariably, all of the Ten Commandments, and every other moral code are violated daily by soldiers and, indirectly, by supporting civilians!

And don’t forget all the lying and spying, incessant cursing and obscenities, and, for many, the whoring, the drunkenness, etc..

Why aren't we more shocked and devastated that any humans, certainly any Christians, could avidly participate in such hellish actions?

Because, even yet, most Christians strongly support the slaughter of their enemies.

How utterly senseless and evil it all was.
But Americans on both sides committed the evils for righteousness...in the name of the same God.

Both sides even declared that the War was God’s war, his plan, not theirs!

Yet so many of the leaders, but for minor situations or reasons could have ended up on the other side, killing for the opposing government. Christians killing Christians, brothers fighting brothers, friends against friends…

As no doubt most of you readers know, Christian Robert E. Lee was offered command of all Federal forces but turned the offer down, because President Lincoln was beginning to marshal 75,000 Northern troops to invade Virginia.

Lee said he would never attack his own state and home.

Instead, Lee joined the Confederacy to defend his family and home. Little good it did him, because the Federals stole his home, and he never got it back. By the end of the war Lee was directly responsible for over one hundred thousand killings.

Not that Lee did the slaughter alone; there were many thousands of other devoted Christians on both sides who actively and avidly participated in the slaughter and thanked God for their victories.

Others, the less religious leaders in the U.S. sometimes didn't even care about the theological and political conflagration. Yet they, too, got involved. General Edward Porter Alexander, according to his own memoir, was too busy enjoying fishing and hunting in Seattle, where he was posted by the U.S. Army, to really pay any attention to all the political wrangling and ideological conflict. He didn't seem to care about all that.

But when he heard of the Abraham Lincoln's invasion plans, though he, Porter, had been assigned by his commander to build Alcatraz in San Francisco Bay, Porter resigned his commission and went home to fight for his home state of Georgia. Who wouldn't?



Not that it did any good. Later General Sherman of the Union would devastate a 40-mile wide swath of Georgia in his infamous terroristic March to the Sea, seeking to destroy all of the civilian backing for the Confederacy.

Devout Christian Stonewall Jackson, who ordered the slaughter of many thousands of others, carried a special table just for his prayer time.

One can see the small varnished stand at his command post in Winchester, Virginia, a town which allegedly changed opposing armies 70 times!



“He [Stonewall] would never mail a letter that would be in transit on Sunday. He was a strict observer of the Sabbath.
And yet so many of his battles were fought on Sundays that the soldiers began to believe that he would fight on Sunday because the Lord would be even more with him..."



While he supported slavery, he at the same time taught the Bible to Negro children. A strange contradiction, like so many other Christian leaders.

"Jackson is an eerie character; an Old Testament warrior who believed in smiting them hip and thigh.”

[“And Samson said to them, ‘If this is what you do, I swear I will be avenged on you, and after that I will quit.' And he struck them hip and thigh with a great blow, and he went down and stayed in the cleft of the rock of Etam... 'As they did to me, so have I done to them.’ Judges 15: 7-8, 11b]



“After the bloody fighting at Sharpsburg..Jackson was sitting on his horse eating a peach...and he looked out over this field where were dead of both sides littered all over the place."

"And as he was eating the peach he [Stonewall] said, ‘God has been very kind to us this day.’”
---Shelby Foote, an American historian

So very tragic, so contrary to the way of the son of man.

Jesus weeps...

Other strange facts in American history repeatedly show the insanity of the war—many Northerners were as racist, or sometimes more racist, than Southerners.

Not that any of this was new...

12 American presidents in their lives had been slave owners! When the British invaded the colonies in the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812, they actually freed slaves, while Americans, including the American president kept Negroes enslaved!

So very hypocritical, so contrary to the Light.

But the actions of God followers never seem to change—not then, not even now.





Consider this, think on it: American snipers have been using rifles in the war in Afghanistan

made by a Christian company which puts Bible verses on the rifle sights!!






When Muslims fight Americans, they do so in the name of God (Allah in Arabic). It never ends...





Hopefully, followers of Jesus, in the future will change and resist the evil of war.

In the Light,

Daniel Wilcox

Part 2: Back to the Future of Duty, Honor, Country

‘Just war’ is just violence, just killing, just suffering, just inequality, just wrong. (Quote from poster by Mennonite Central Committee, a mission agency of Anabaptists including the Brethren in Christ and the Mennonites)

On the way to Vicksburg in the American War of Secession (usually called the Civil War though it wasn’t civil by any definition), Yankees “burned Jackson..laying waste to the countryside…tore up railroad tracks, pulled down telegraph lines, burned cotton fields..killed poultry and livestock, emptied crocks of molasses and vinegar; and burned homes, smokehouses, barns, stores, and warehouses."

Other animals and wagons were confiscated. Some soldiers "stole jewelry, china, and silver, slashed feather mattresses; and took clothing..a Union soldier wrote home that he had seen forty or fifty plantations burn in a single day.”

During the bombardment of Vicksburg by Grant’s forces, 22,000 shells by Northern gunboats were launched into the town. The Lord’s house took a direct hit--“a bombshell burst into the very center of the dining room, blowing out the roof and one side, crushing the well-spread table like an eggshell, and making a great yawning hole in the floor...”

Like others, the Lords soon moved into caves. I suppose you get the irony. The Lords were the pastoral family of the Episcopal Church of Vicksburg. If you recall from Part 1 of this blog, Reverend Lord was a Yankee who had moved from New York 10 years before.

Soon the families and Confederate soldiers were down to eating corn, peas, weeds, and rats, and in one family even a child’s pet bird to stave off the beginnings of starvation. They finally surrendered.

Afterward, martial law was imposed by Grant. People could be jailed or banished from the city for even minor offenses. “In one incident, five women were banished after walking out of a church service rather than participate in a prayer…”

A “Vicksburg hospital took a direct hit from a shell [from a Union gunboat], killing eight and wounding fourteen. A surgeon saved himself from bleeding to death by tying off an artery. His leg was later amputated. Dr. Lord’s wife and youngest daughter almost got hit “when two large shells fell nearby and exploded simultaneously, filling the air with flames and smoke."

Mrs. Lord “tried to soothe her four-year-old daughter, saying, ‘Don’t cry, my darling. God will protect us.’ To which the girl replied that she was afraid that God had already been killed.” (From Under Siege by Andrea Warren)

Which he had! At least the god of each side, both of whom were declared to be leading, directing, and supporting the war like so many other horrific wars in history. Consider the words of Abraham Lincoln: “I am almost ready to say this is probably true--that God wills this contest, and wills that it shall not end yet.“

And the South’s motto was Deo vindice (“God will vindicate us.”) And in the 20th century, German soldiers wore on their belt buckles “God With Us and British soldiers, “For God, King, and Country.”

And consider these stirring words from an American preacher in World War 1: “It is God who has summoned us to this war. It is his war we are fighting…This crusade is indeed a crusade. The greatest in history—the holiest…a Holy War."

"Yes, it is Christ, the King of Righteousness, who calls us to grapple in deadly strife with this unholy and blasphemous power."
(from For God and Country or the Christian Pulpit in War Time, 1918). ETC.

Yet James of the N.T. has it right when he says "Where do these wars and battles between yourselves first start? Isn't it precisely in the desires fighting inside your own selves...you fight to get your way by force." (JB James 4:1)

And now the gods are fighting again in Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Libya, Yemen, Nigeria, etc. And, again, humans because of duty, honor, country, and God deal out death... Speaking of Back to the Future…

Look instead into the Light of Jesus’ Way,

Daniel Wilcox