Anonymous Coward
User ID: 70888671
 United States
08/17/2017 10:37 AM
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Report Copyright Violation | Confederate Monuments in Oklahoma, Native Americans fought in the Civil War? Did Native Americans fight in the Civil War? And if so, who's side did they fight on and why?
Were battles actually fought in Oklahoma (Indian Territory)?
The answer is YES! Some Native Americans did fight in the American Civil War, in Oklahoma (Indian Territory) and some of them fought for the Confederacy!! 28,693 Native Americans served in the Union and Confederate armies during the Civil War, participating in battles such as Pea Ridge, Second Manassas, Antietam, Spotsylvania, Cold Harbor, and in Federal assaults on Petersburg.
Some Civil War battles occurred in Indian Territory. The First Battle of Cabin Creek occurred July 1–2, 1863, along the Grand River in modern-day Mayes County, Oklahoma which involved the 1st Kansas Colored Infantry. The Confederate force was led by General Stand Watie. A second battle was fought near the same location on September 19, 1864. This time the Union forces under Major Henry M. Hopkins were defeated by a Confederate force under Brigadier Generals Richard Gano and Stand Watie. This was the last major battle of the Civil War in Indian Territory.
There are no less than 25 Civil War monuments, memorials, historic sites, and cemeteries in the state of Oklahoma today!
In Oklahoma, the first true monument to be
erected appears to be Confederate Monument
on the grounds of the Cherokee National Capitol (UDC, 1913), followed by a Union monument
in the Enid Cemetery (LGAR, 1917), a Confederate monument on the grounds of the Bryan
County Courthouse (UDC, 1918), a Union monument in Oklahoma City’s Fairlawn Cemetery
(GAR, 1918), a Confederate monument in Oklahoma City’s Fairlawn Cemetery (UDC, 1923),
and a Confederate monument in Oktaha Cemetery (UDC, 1940). Undated monuments are in
Durant’s Highland Cemetery (UDC) and in
Miami’s GAR cemetery (WRC).
Two monuments to Confederate General
Stand Watie were erected by the UDC, probably in the 1910s or 1920s. One is in Polson
Cemetery next to his grave, and the other on
the grounds of the Cherokee National Capitol in
Tahlequah. An additional moumnent to Watie
was added to the Polson Cemetery in 1971 by
the Oklahoma Historical Society.
Who was Stand Watie??
Stand Watie was a leader of the Cherokee Nation, and not only a brigadier general of the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War, but the only Native American general of the Confederate Army. He commanded the Confederate Indian cavalry of the Army of the Trans-Mississippi, made up mostly of Cherokee, Muskogee and Seminole, and was the final Confederate general in the field to cease hostilities at war's end.
So Stand Watie fought for the Confederacy, did he believe in slavery or white supremacy?
That cannot be answered definitely. He did however do as the Confederacy ordered.
He and General Richard Montgomery Gano led a raid that captured a Federal wagon train and netted approximately $1 million worth of wagons, mules, commissary supplies, and other needed items. Stand Watie's forces massacred black haycutters at Wagoner, Oklahoma during this raid. Union reports said that Watie's Indian cavalry "killed all the Negroes they could find", including wounded men.
Some Civil War commemorations have since been removed from Oklahoma. For example, The Oklahoma State Capitol for years flew a Confederate flag as part of its 14 flags exhibit
on the capitol grounds. This exhibit has been
replaced with a new centennial plaza featuring
inlaid engraved granite memorials to significant
events of Oklahoma History. Unfortunately, the
Civil War is not included. In fact all that can be
found at the capitol are two paintings commemorating the Battle of Round Mountain and the surrender of Confederate General Stand Watie, which have graced the Senate Lounge since 1998 and 2000 respectively.
Vandalism strikes Civil War memorials in Oklahoma. The Tahlequah UDC monument is the oldest formal Civil War monument in Oklahoma. Part of it is missing (the pediment) and it has been
vandalized--its future seems at risk. It has the appearance of a monument that has no champion, and that is falling to the cultural forces
that make it politically incorrect to remember the Confederacy or Confederate soldier.
The monument is on the grounds of the historic Cherokee National Capitol building,
constructed in
1868.
Bryan County Courthouse Statue/Monument. This statue of a Confederate private “at rest”
was sculpted in Italy on behalf of the Julia
Jackson chapter of the United Daughters
of the Confederacy, and was delivered about
1914. It was intended to be erected with a
drinking fountain at the intersection of Main
Street and Third Avenue but that was not
allowed. When a new courthouse was authorized in 1917, the architect and construction contractor (Manhattan Construction
Company) offered to construct at no charge
a base for the monument on the courthouse
grounds. The courthouse cornerstone was
set on July 4, 1917, and the base of the
monument is inscribed “1917,” but due to
construction delays related to the World
War, the monument was not dedicated until May of 1918.
There are other sites and cemeteries throughout the state, some Union, some Confederate. Battles were fought in Oklahoma and to erase these lasting reminders of a country torn apart and the men and women who served and died for their respective side would be a travesty and disservice to their sacrifices. It is our history, all of it. We must remember where we've come from or else we are destined to repeat the same mistakes again and again.
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Anonymous Coward (OP)
User ID: 70888671
United States
08/17/2017 10:46 AM
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Report Copyright Violation | Re: Confederate Monuments in Oklahoma, Native Americans fought in the Civil War? I hope someone reads that post. Maybe it will mean something to someone somewhere some time. |
Anonymous Coward (OP)
User ID: 70888671
United States
08/17/2017 11:00 AM
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Report Copyright Violation | Re: Confederate Monuments in Oklahoma, Native Americans fought in the Civil War? A thoughtful post and no one bats an eye.
Post something about a celeb kid changing genders and everyone loses their minds. |
