Confederates Fighting Indians

[TerryB]

I have an ancestor, Capt. Jesse Wynne of the 3rd Texas Cav, who probably fought at Chustenahlah. From there they went to Wilson's Creek and Pea Ridge.

 

[Nathanb1]

There seems to have been several clashes...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Tubac

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Battle_of_Dragoon_Springs

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Battle_of_Dragoon_Springs

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Dove_Creek

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Round_Mountain

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Chusto-Talasah

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Chustenahlah

I would use the TSHA version for Dove Creek. I'm still leary of Wikipedia, although it's better than nothing.

 

[Nathanb1]

I've been there. It's really nothing more than a few homes and a bump-in-the-road.

I have, too. But it's not Silver City and has a separate history all its own. As a matter of fact, I loved the Opera House and the Hearst Methodist Church....and it's in a prettier setting.

http://www.pinosaltos.org/

 

[AUG]

I'm embarrassed I forgot that. I've even been there. Getting old.

Well at least you've been there. Never been there myself, although I probably will someday. I've been to Glorieta Pass, Fort Craig and Fort Union however.

 

[AUG]

I have an ancestor, Capt. Jesse Wynne of the 3rd Texas Cav, who probably fought at Chustenahlah. From there they went to Wilson's Creek and Pea Ridge.

The 3rd Texas Cav is an interesting unit. I believe their first major action was Wilson's Creek because that was in August 1861. I think Chustenahlah was later that year wasn't it?

 

[Nathanb1]

Well at least you've been there. Never been myself, although I probably will someday. I've been to Valverde, Glorieta Pass, and Fort Union however.

You'll like this better. I love that part of NM. One of my best vacations EVER.

 

[cash]

Waitaminute. I thought the confederates were all peaceloving and in tight with all minorities, especially Native Americans, with whom they shared the love of nature and all things peaceful and wonderful. Confederates couldn't possibly have been fighting Indians, now, could they?

 

[redbob]

Later in the War, six regiments of Union troops that were sent West to fight the indians were made up of Confederate POW's who in return for their freedom were inducted into the Union army to go West and fight the indians. They were referred to as "Galvanized Yankees". These men were used as infantry and they had one of the smallest percentage of desertions in the Union Army. They served from 1864 until well after the War was over (1866)and when they were relieved, many of the units were relieved by the African-Americans who would become known as the "Buffalo Soldiers". An excellent book on the subject is " The Galvanized Yankees" by Dee Brown.

 

[7th Mississippi Infantry]

Hello
There are many stories about Union soldiers fighting Indians (such as the Dakota Conflict in Minnesota), which got me wondering if any Confederate forces had battles with them. Do any of you know?

Apache Wars Battles Involving the Confederate States Of America

http://www.ranker.com/list/apache-wars-battles-involving-the-confederate-states-of-america/reference

 

[ErnieMac]

Was the 2nd Colo involved at Sand Creek? From what I gather they fought Indians before they fought the bushwackers.

The service record of the 2nd Colorado shows them in eastern Kansas and Missouri until things blew up after Sand Creek. They were transferred to the District of the Upper Arkansas in December, 1864 and spent the remainder of their service mostly in west Kansas, but with some service between Julesburg and Denver, Colorado in January, 1864. The 2nd Colorado mustered out at Leavenworth KS in September, 1865.

 

[Nathanb1]

The service record of the 2nd Colorado shows them in eastern Kansas and Missouri until things blew up after Sand Creek. They were transferred to the District of the Upper Arkansas in December, 1864 and spent the remainder of their service mostly in west Kansas, but with some service between Julesburg and Denver, Colorado in January, 1864. The 2nd Colorado mustered out at Leavenworth KS in September, 1865.

Aha. So they got there just in time for Julesburg to be burned. From Wikipedia: (Not my favorite source, but it was the shortest I could find)

Julesburg was a large and prominent stagecoach station and the site of Fort Rankin (later Fort Sedgwick). In revenge for the Sand Creek Massacre, one thousand Cheyenne, Arapaho, and Lakota warriors attacked Julesburg on January 7, 1865. In the battle the Indians defeated about 60 soldiers of the U.S. army and 50 armed civilians. In the following weeks the Indians raided up and down the South Platte River valley. On February 2 they returned to Julesburg and burned down all the buildings in the settlement, although not attacking the soldiers and civilians holed up in the fort.[7]

 

[Desert Kid]

I have, too. But it's not Silver City and has a separate history all its own. As a matter of fact, I loved the Opera House and the Hearst Methodist Church....and it's in a prettier setting.

http://www.pinosaltos.org/

Silver City is like the artsy-hippie contrast.

 

[Nathanb1]

Silver City is like the artsy-hippie contrast.

LOL. They're eddicated over thar. Them are college folk. I loved the whole area. IMO, Ft. Bayard is one of my favorite spots, and then there's the Gila Cliff Dwellings....lots packed into a small corner of NM for history buffs. Of course, then you go northwest and have Mogollon and Glenwood, and the Reserve area, and swing around to Pie Town and Magdalena. Great scenery and fun, even if I am scared of heights--that road to Mogollon nearly did me in.

 

[TerryB]

The 3rd Texas Cav is an interesting unit. I believe their first major action was Wilson's Creek because that was in August 1861. I think Chustenahlah was later that year wasn't it?

You're right. I had WC in 1862, but can't count on pulling stray facts out of my head these days. There was some action with Indians before Wilson's Creek, but don't remember what it was.

 

[leftyhunter]

Wasn't it at Pea Ridge that Stand Watie's men were accused of scalping Union wounded or was it at Prairie Grove as well? At Pea Ridge the 1st Cherokee Rifles overran an Iowa regiment in the fight at Leetown, and supposedly many of the wounded were killed, some being scalped.

I do stand corrected! Your right. The 2nd Indian Home Guard was at Prairie Grove and was admonished by Gen.Blunt for looting Canebreak College along with the 3rd Wis. This is from "Fields of Blood the Prairie Grove Campaign by William L. Shea Univ of Nc press. The 2nd IHG was a composite unit of many tribes. Shea does not go into to much detail about the Indians.
Leftyhunter

 

[leftyhunter]

Later in the War, six regiments of Union troops that were sent West to fight the indians were made up of Confederate POW's who in return for their freedom were inducted into the Union army to go West and fight the indians. They were referred to as "Galvanized Yankees". These men were used as infantry and they had one of the smallest percentage of desertions in the Union Army. They served from 1864 until well after the War was over (1866)and when they were relieved, many of the units were relieved by the African-Americans who would become known as the "Buffalo Soldiers". An excellent book on the subject is " The Galvanized Yankees" by Dee Brown.

True. perhaps the Galvanized Yankees did not desert because being in the middle of nowhere where would they go? Plus they could be picked off by hostile Indians or the US Army. From what I remember the Galvanized Yankees did not have a whole lot of fun and some froze to death in Montana. The pay was not great either. I would not blame the poor devils if they did desert. Deserting from the US Army was maybe not that uncommon when fighting Indians. Lt. Jefferson Davis spent a fair amount of time chasing deserters in what is now Wis and Il a few decades earlier.
Leftyhunter

 

[AUG]

I do stand corrected! Your right. The 2nd Indian Home Guard was at Prairie Grove and was admonished by Gen.Blunt for looting Canebreak College along with the 3rd Wis. This is from "Fields of Blood the Prairie Grove Campaign by William L. Shea Univ of Nc press. The 2nd IHG was a composite unit of many tribes. Shea does not go into to much detail about the Indians.
Leftyhunter

Stand Watie was also at Prairie Grove but I have never read anything about his troops killing wounded or scalping there, just at Pea Ridge. It was the 3rd Iowa Cavalry that were overrun by the Cherokees - the 1st and 2nd Cherokee Mounted Rifles in Albert Pike's Brigade - Stand Watie in the 2nd Mounted Rifles. According to Wikipedia, the 3rd Iowa lost 24 killed and 17 wounded with eight men known to have been scalped.

I also found this great article on Civil War Trust on Cherokees at Pea Ridge, written by Earl Hess. It goes into some details about the incident.
http://www.civilwar.org/battlefields/pearidge/pea-ridge-history-articles/cherokeespearidgehess.html

 

[Nathanb1]

The biggie in this is the famous/infamous Albert Pike. You can't beat this stuff.
http://www.civilwarvirtualmuseum.or...-in-the-war/battle-of-pea-ridge-paintings.php
http://www.civilwarvirtualmuseum.org/1861-1862/native-americans-in-the-war/albert-pike.php
http://www.civilwarvirtualmuseum.org/1861-1862/native-americans-in-the-war/

 

[KLSDAD]

Waitaminute. I thought the confederates were all peaceloving and in tight with all minorities, especially Native Americans, with whom they shared the love of nature and all things peaceful and wonderful. Confederates couldn't possibly have been fighting Indians, now, could they?

It helps to make a distinction between the savages on the frontier and the relocated, civilized, slaveholding Indians.

 

[cash]

It helps to make a distinction between the savages on the frontier and the relocated, civilized, slaveholding Indians.

Obviously they must have been fighting Indians who favored high tariffs.