Native Americans and the War

[leftyhunter]

Recently, the Sons of Confederate Veterans posted my nearly 1000 word paper about American Indian Confederates: http://www.scv.org/research/edPapers.php

I just read your paper. I believe that after Parker heard Lee's remark Parkers said"we are all Americans'.
Leftyhunter

 

[KansasFreestater]

I'm a member of the Mississippi Choctaw. Not aware of any Choctaw, who sided with the confederacy, kin who was part of the War. Mississippi Native American records are sparse between 1860-1900 roughly. I do have plenty from my paternal side though: William Milo Ferguson; John, David, Daniel, & Jesse Boles (Bowles), Hiram Hogan Boles, Robert Cochran, and James Ward Harris.

I'm what the old-timers called a half-breed.

My late father-in-law was orphaned at age 13, back in the 1920s, and was "adopted" for several years by a Choctaw family near Phillip, Mississippi. I remember him talking about hunting and trapping on the Tallahatchie. But when I read Grant's memoirs a couple months back, I realized that the Yazoo River expedition was right through that very same area 60 years earlier. Gave me goosebumps!

 

[RobertBruceFerguson]

I've just started to try to nail down one of my ancestors, a Choctow woman who married a white man sometime in the 1800's (probably around 1830). Any idea what sources I could access to find out more?

Ancestry.com has plenty of government rolls of the Choctaws you can look at: 1855, 1902, 1928, 1930 ... There are some names on the treaties of the Choctaw between the U. S. government. The Dawes commission explicitly interviewed many Mississippi Choctaws starting around 1898. I haven't been thru all the links of this site but at first glance looks good: http://www.accessgenealogy.com/native/choctaw-tribe.htm

 

[RobertBruceFerguson]

Can you refresh my memory on the 10th NY vs the Chotcaws?

I'm currently researching, collecting and interpreting what I got now. The story is not ready to be told. But I can tell you that the 10th at one point was the 177th and that they participated, along with a good number of other units, in a significant offensive along the Mississippi River. This is one sources I'm using: https://dmna.ny.gov/historic/reghist/civil/infantry/177thInf/177thInfMain.htm

All I know about the Chotcaws is no Chotcaws equals no Elvis no Elvis then where would we be?
Leftyhunter

I don't know of any equal to Elvis, not even the Beatles nor Michael Jackson. I was a New Wave era (1979-1985) kind of guy myself.

I just read your paper. I believe that after Parker heard Lee's remark Parkers said"we are all Americans'.
Leftyhunter

Yes, he did say that according to my source.

 

[RobertBruceFerguson]

Was the First Lady of the Confederacy part Native American? What do you think? I read into the Civil War until rather recently. Never looked at Varina Howell Davis' picture until a few days ago ...

Compared to Pocahontas the resemblance is striking.

 

[diane]

Was the First Lady of the Confederacy part Native American? What do you think? I read into the Civil War until rather recently. Never looked at Varina Howell Davis' picture until a few days ago ...
View attachment 34642
Compared to Pocahontas the resemblance is striking.
View attachment 34643

I wondered that the first time I saw a photo of her! Do you suppose so? Some people thought she looked part black. I know there was a rather quiet, understated Indian aristocracy in the South - my grandfather's family was part of that in Kentucky. Some of the Chickasaw relations around Memphis were wealthy cotton planters and Bill Forrest was said to have been sweet on one of the cousins! A number of Southern upper crust families do have Native, Spanish or even black ancestry. There was one Confederate general whose name completely escapes me who appeared to me to be distinctly black except for his skin.

 

[leftyhunter]

Was the First Lady of the Confederacy part Native American? What do you think? I read into the Civil War until rather recently. Never looked at Varina Howell Davis' picture until a few days ago ...
View attachment 34642
Compared to Pocahontas the resemblance is striking.
View attachment 34643

In theory Mrs. Davis's ancestors could be paid to do a dna test and that would answer the question. It did in terms of Thomas Jefferson having mixed children with Sally Hemmings.
Leftyhunter

 

[RebelCause]

Union soldiers wounded during the Battle of the Wilderness being cared for beneath a tree at Brompton, Fredericksburg, 1864. Among them are Native American soldiers possibly from the 1st Regiment Michigan Volunteer Sharpshooters. Animated stereoview.

Thanks for bring this picture so vividly to life. Would love to see more of these. Great work.

 

[RobertBruceFerguson]

I wondered that the first time I saw a photo of her! Do you suppose so? Some people thought she looked part black. I know there was a rather quiet, understated Indian aristocracy in the South - my grandfather's family was part of that in Kentucky. Some of the Chickasaw relations around Memphis were wealthy cotton planters and Bill Forrest was said to have been sweet on one of the cousins! A number of Southern upper crust families do have Native, Spanish or even black ancestry. There was one Confederate general whose name completely escapes me who appeared to me to be distinctly black except for his skin.

Apparently her mother, Margaret Louisa Kempe, was from Virginia which I didn't know. I suspect if Varina had Indian lineage then it came from her mom's side ( http://sprague-database.org/genealogy/getperson.php?personID=I178366&tree=SpragueProject ) ... but I'm just shooting in the dark here ... seems to be too little info about Margaret and her parents at the moment.

 

[John Winn]

In theory Mrs. Davis's ancestors could be paid to do a dna test and that would answer the question. It did in terms of Thomas Jefferson having mixed children with Sally Hemmings.
Leftyhunter

Sorry if I seem a pedant (and definitely don't want to derail the thread) but those tests didn't prove that TJ fathered the children, just that some Jefferson did (his brother has been cited as one good possibility). We'll never know for sure. Just sayin'.

Now back to the thread.

My first wife's family in Kentucky had native blood and were proud of it and my mother-in-law proudly insists she has native blood - although she has no solid evidence - so I do think there is validity to the notion that there was/is an "understated Indian aristocracy" in the South. And getting back to genetic testing, I'd bet a lot of folks would be surprised if they really knew where they came from. We're all in this boat together ya'll.

 

[rhp6033]

Ancestry.com has plenty of government rolls of the Choctaws you can look at: 1855, 1902, 1928, 1930 ... There are some names on the treaties of the Choctaw between the U. S. government. The Dawes commission explicitly interviewed many Mississippi Choctaws starting around 1898. I haven't been thru all the links of this site but at first glance looks good: http://www.accessgenealogy.com/native/choctaw-tribe.htm
Thanks, that provides me with a lot to chew on. (Image: Josiah Randle McDonald and his wife, Polly Pritchard & daughter).

Thanks, that provides me with a lot to chew on. (Image: Josiah Randle McDonald and his wife, Polly Pritchard & daughter).

 

[RobertBruceFerguson]

Jefferson Ayers was a Catawba Indian who served in the 17th Infantry of South Carolina. He died later ... probably from complications from a head wound he sustained during the Battle of Petersburg.

 

[RobertBruceFerguson]

Colonel Elias C. Boudinot was a Cherokee representative in the House of the Confederate States of America and served in Stand Waite's unit.

 

[diane]

Jefferson Ayers was a Catawba Indian who served in the 17th Infantry of South Carolina. He died later ... probably from complications from a head wound he sustained during the Battle of Petersburg.

Thanks for putting that up! Ayers died as a POW at Lookout Point Maryland - it probably says that there but I can't get the picture big enough to read. The Catawba weren't the largest or most significant tribe to join up with the Confederacy, but they were probably the most dedicated and loyal. They were indeed committed to the Confederates. Several of my Catawba relatives were in the ANV and always joined up past their enlistments or after an injury. It's also interesting to note that all the Catawba Confederates were shot up, most were killed or disabled. (Kinda makes you feel somebody was aiming at them! )

 

[RobertBruceFerguson]

Robert McDonald Jones was the Choctaw representative in the House of the Confederate States of America. "Born in Mississippi, October 1, 1808. Tribal Representative to Confederate Congress, 1863-65. American Indian ancestry. Represented Choctaw and Chickasaw nations in Confederate Congress." Jones was educated at the Choctaw Academy in Kentucky. Below with wife:

 

[leftyhunter]

Robert McDonald Jones was the Choctaw representative in the House of the Confederate States of America. "Born in Mississippi, October 1, 1808. Tribal Representative to Confederate Congress, 1863-65. American Indian ancestry. Represented Choctaw and Chickasaw nations in Confederate Congress." Jones was educated at the Choctaw Academy in Kentucky. Below with wife:
View attachment 35011

There is a interesting report from Col.Philps commander of the 3rd Indian Home Guard where Col.Philips ( who in pre CW life was a Scottish Journalist) critiques the various tribes in the 3rd IHG on their abilities. If you goggle "Col Philips report on Indian troops civil war" you will find an interesting discussion on the 3rd IHG. I forgot that one of the first major battles involving Union and CSA Indian troops was the battle of Newtonia Mo. The discussion also refers to why many Col. Drews CSA Indians defected to the Union. Also included is the interesting tidbits that a huge shipment or CSA arms intended for the IT was intercepted at Vicksburg and that Gen.Hindman would redirect supplies meant for the Indians for his own troops need in Ark.
Leftyhunter

 

[RobertBruceFerguson]

New Orleans, May 19, 1863 Captain Nott: You will take charge of the Choctaw Indians, prisoners of war, now at Algiers and proceed by steamer United States ...

http://news.discovery.com/earth/oceans/civil-war-steamer-found-off-south-carolina-130630.htm

Discovered during the 150th anniversary of the taking of the Mississippi Choctaw Confederates (Summer 2013): The wreck of the SS United States, a 19th-century steamer built during the American Civil War, has been discovered off the coast of South Carolina ...

 

[RobertBruceFerguson]

Native Americans in the Civil war
In the midst of a war fought on land that once was theirs, over a nation that denied them citizenship, Native Americans found themselves faced with a dubious decision: Whose side should they be fighting for?
by Dr. Clarissa W. Confer

http://www.cowboysindians.com/Cowboys-Indians/January-2012/Native-Americans-in-the-Civil-war/

 

[RobertBruceFerguson]

 

[RobertBruceFerguson]

North Carolina Cherokee (source:http://ncpedia.org/deep-creek-battle)