Confederates Fighting Indians

[josh54739]

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?

 

[Nathanb1]

Yes, Josh. Forces in Texas spent most of their time vainly trying to stem the constant forays by the Comanche and Kiowa. I highly recommend The Settlers' War by Greg Michno, which puts forth the interesting theory that only a drought which took place during the war stemmed the raids--certainly not any efforts made by the Confederate government.

And then there's the Battle of Dove Creek, where the Texans were whipped by a peaceful bunch of Kickapoo on their way to Mexico....http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/btd01

 

[Nathanb1]

In that list of Union vs. Indians, don't forget Kit Carson and the Navajos. http://www.logoi.com/notes/carson_navajo.html

 

[East Tennessee Roots]

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?

This Texas Rebel, named for his maternal grandfather, my paternal 4 x great- grandfather, C Company 21st Texas Battalion fought Comanche as much, if not more, than Yankees.

 

[leftyhunter]

The books the "South Bitterly Divided' by Prof David Williams and" Civil War in the West By Joseph Alivy go's into great detail. Another book that get good reviews which I have not read "The Prairie is on Fire". Indians fought on both sides the CSA had a brig.Gen Stand Watie and Grant had a staff officer Ely Parker. Watie's men were accused of scalping Union wounded at the battle of Prairie Grove, Ark. In the Indian Territory now known as Oklahoma there was a civil war among the Indians. The 3rd Indian Home Guard fought against CSA insurgents in Mo and Ark where surrender was not an option. I don't know how either side treated Indian POW's. I would think it was not pretty. The irony of Indians fighting for either side is that they were not legal citizens of either side.
Leftyhunter

 

[East Tennessee Roots]

The books the "South Bitterly Divided' by Prof David Williams and" Civil War in the West By Joseph Alivy go's into great detail. Another book that get good reviews which I have not read "The Prairie is on Fire". Indians fought on both sides the CSA had a brig.Gen Stand Waite and Grant had a staff officer Ely Parker. Waits men where accused of scalping Union wounded at the battle of Prairie Grove ,Ark. In the Indian Territory now known has Ok there was a civil war among the Indians. The 3rd Indian Home Guard fought against CSA insurgents in Mo and Ark where surrender was not an option . I don't know how either side treated Indian POW's I would think it was not pretty. The irony of Indians fighting for either side is that they where not legal citizens of either side.
Leftyhunter

There was also the Confederate Thomas Legion ( 69th NC ) in the mountains of western NC and east Tenn. Some of their troops also served with Early in the Shenandoah in 64. http://www.archive.org/stream/historiesofsever03clar#page/n853/mode/2up

 

[Nathanb1]

Not Confederates, but in the interest of fairness....it's 1864 and those are U.S. Volunteers descending on Sand Creek for one of the worst recorded massacres in U.S. history.

http://www.nps.gov/sand/historyculture/index.htm

 

[ErnieMac]

Not Confederates, but in the interest of fairness....it's 1864 and those are U.S. Volunteers descending on Sand Creek for one of the worst recorded massacres in U.S. history.

As a result of the Sand Creek Massacre and subsequent hostilities four regiments of volunteer cavalry were sent west after the Grand Review of the Armies in May, 1865. Two of the four, the 3rd Massachusetts and the 14th Pennsylvania were mustered out at Ft. Leavenworth in August, but the remaining two, the 21st New York and 6th West Virginia served another year, the 6th West Virginia mustering out in May, 1866 and the 21st New York in August, 1866 after seeing service in Kansas and the Nebraska and Colorado Territories. A fifth volunteer regiment, the 11th Ohio Cavalry, including 40 or so "Galvanized Yankees" spent its entire service on the western plains.

 

[leftyhunter]

There was also the Confederate Thomas Legion ( 69th NC ) in the mountains of western NC and east Tenn. Some of their troops also served with Early in the Shenandoah in 64. http://www.archive.org/stream/historiesofsever03clar#page/n853/mode/2up

True. There were also Lumbee Indians who fought has guerrillas against the CSA because the CSA enslaved them to build fortifications on the Nc coast. The CW for the Indians seems to be an ironic war because either way they lose regardless of who wins.
Leftyhunter

 

[leftyhunter]

Not Confederates, but in the interest of fairness....it's 1864 and those are U.S. Volunteers descending on Sand Creek for one of the worst recorded massacres in U.S. history.

http://www.nps.gov/sand/historyculture/index.htm

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

 

[Nathanb1]

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

The NPS site says it was the 1st and 3rd Colorado. But I'm no expert.

 

[AUG]

The Battle of Pinos Altos, Sep 27, 1861, in New Mexico territory was a pretty fierce fight between Confederate militia and Apache warriors. Two companies of Confederate militia and miners garrisoning the mining town of Pinos Altos were attacked by 300 Apaches under Chief Mangas Coloradas and Chief Cochise. The militia barely held the Apaches off, at one point having to use an old cannon that sat in front of a local store.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Pinos_Altos

 

[AUG]

The books the "South Bitterly Divided' by Prof David Williams and" Civil War in the West By Joseph Alivy go's into great detail. Another book that get good reviews which I have not read "The Prairie is on Fire". Indians fought on both sides the CSA had a brig.Gen Stand Watie and Grant had a staff officer Ely Parker. Watie's men were accused of scalping Union wounded at the battle of Prairie Grove, Ark. In the Indian Territory now known as Oklahoma there was a civil war among the Indians. The 3rd Indian Home Guard fought against CSA insurgents in Mo and Ark where surrender was not an option. I don't know how either side treated Indian POW's. I would think it was not pretty. The irony of Indians fighting for either side is that they were not legal citizens of either side.
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.

 

[Nathanb1]

The Battle of Pinos Altos, Sep 27, 1861, in New Mexico territory was a pretty fierce fight between Confederate militia and Apache warriors. Two companies of Confederate militia and miners garrisoning the mining town of Pinos Altos were attacked by 300 Apaches under Chief Mangas Coloradas and Chief Cochise. The militia barely held the Apaches off, at one point having to use an old cannon that sat in front of a local store.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Pinos_Altos

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

 

[NFB22]

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

I seem to remember reading about various engagements with indians by Confederate forces while researching some of those Texas forts in the forgotten forts series. But I'm sure you know more about all that than me Nate.

 

[Nathanb1]

I seem to remember reading about various engagements with indians by Confederate forces while researching some of those Texas forts in the forgotten forts series. But I'm sure you know more about all that than me Nate.

Apparently I've forgotten more than I'll ever know. Or something like that.

 

[Desert Kid]

The Battle of Pinos Altos, Sep 27, 1861, in New Mexico territory was a pretty fierce fight between Confederate militia and Apache warriors. Two companies of Confederate militia and miners garrisoning the mining town of Pinos Altos were attacked by 300 Apaches under Chief Mangas Coloradas and Chief Cochise. The militia barely held the Apaches off, at one point having to use an old cannon that sat in front of a local store.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Pinos_Altos

Pinos Altos, is now the modern town of Silver City, New Mexico.

Fun Fact: One of the more unknown engagements of the "Arizona Rangers".

 

[Nathanb1]

Pinos Altos, is now the modern town of Silver City, New Mexico.

Fun Fact: One of the more unknown engagements of the "Arizona Rangers".

Nope. Not exactly. It's six miles from there. You could call it a suburb.

 

[Desert Kid]

Nope. Not exactly. It's six miles from there. You could call it a suburb.

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

 

[Saruman]

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?

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