In spite of popular opinion that the American Civil War was fought only by whites on the side of the South, there is considerable proof that they were joined by Native Americans in the struggle for Southern Independence. One of the most famous of these Native Americans even went on to reach the rank of Brigadier General in the Confederate Army and was one of the last Confederate commanders to surrender. In addition to this Native Americans could be found in the ranks of the Confederate Army from the plains of Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Texas all the way to the great battlefields of Virginia and the swamps of Florida.
Some of the most famous Indian units to have fought for the Confederate Army were found in Texas and Oklahoma. Two of the most famous were the Cherokee Braves and the Chickasaw and Seminole Rifles under the command of Brigadier General Stand Watie of the Cherokee Nation. There were other famous units that are not so well known today. The next most famous unit was that of the Thomas Legion which was raised among the Cherokee of North Carolina. It was led under the able command of Colonel William Thomas, who was an adopted Cherokee, who became chief of the North Carolina Cherokee Nation. They fought primarily in the mountains from Western Virginia down through Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia.
In addition to the units of General Watie and Colonel Thomas there were other Indian units that history has practically all but ignored but still did their portion in fighting for the Confederate cause. In Florida, McBride’s Company of Independent Infantry Scouts under the command of Captain A. McBride provided valuable assistance to the Confederate commands of Colonel Munnerlyn and Captain Dickinson in keeping the Union forces out of the interior of Florida until the end of the Civil War. In Misssissippi, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Western Tennessee the regiments of the Choctaw, Chickasaw, Natchez, and Bogue Chitto Scouts provided invaluable service in keeping tabs on the Union Army from the start of the conflict. There were even Indian scouts at the siege of Vicksburg who were among the only troops to not surrender there and to be able to sneak away from the Union Army of Ulysses Grant.
History has unfortunately often overlooked these men and their contributions to the Confederate service. Often when studying history we hear of the units like Hood’s Texas Brigade, The Kentucky Orphan Brigade, Nathan Forrest’s Mississippi Cavalry, and Stonewall’s Foot Cavalry. We also often hear of the more famous leaders such as General Lee, General Bragg, and General Jackson but few have ever heard of Captain McBride and the fights that his Indian forces led in Florida’s swamps. Few have heard much of the way that outside of Quitman, MS in 1863 the Choctaw and Chickasaw scouts assisted in saving over 400 people from dying in a river flood when a train bridge was washed out by a storm. It is hoped that this article will help to bring a little of the efforts of these men to light so that you will be further interested in researching and studying the Native American heritage of the American Civil War.
On this our 150th anniversary of the late conflict between the states, it is still possible to feel the effects in many ways upon our society today of this conflict. It is the sincere hope of the author that all who read this will remember the men on both sides of the conflict and of all ethnic heritages who gave their time and sometimes their lives to make our nation what it is today.
Sources
The Southern American: Confederate Braves
Lars Gjertveit, “A Guide to Confederate Cherokee Military Units”, Yvwiiusdinvnohii.net
Florida Sons of Confederate Veterans: Minorities in the Confederate Army
Thomas Legion Cherokee: Thomas Legion – The 69th North Carolina Regiment
Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians: Choctaw Indians as Confederate Soldiers
Research Online: Florida Civil War Soldiers Index
