Civil War in Indian Territory
“There was never a good war or a bad peace.” Benjamin Franklin
Divided Loyalties – 1800’s
North
South
Larger population – more urban
Smaller population – more rural
More representatives in Congress
Fewer representatives in Congress
Immigrants source of cheap labor for
factories
Slaves source of cheap labor for large
farms
Industry important to economy
Agriculture important to economy
Federal government viewed as more
important than state government
State government viewed as more
important than federal government
Tariffs were viewed by most as good
source of income for federal government
Because they imported more goods from
Europe and sold crops to Europe, many
felt tariffs were unfair to the south
Indian Territory joins the
confederacy
• Indian Territory’s attraction for Confederacy
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Horses and cattle (food, hides)
Grain
Lead (ammunition)
Salt
Men (additional soldiers)
Buffer between the North and South
Could serve as base west of the Mississippi
• April 1861: Secessionists seized military supplies en route
to U.S. forts in Indian Territory
• U.S. troops abandoned the three forts in the Territory
– Fort Washita, Fort Arbuckle and Fort Cobb
– Texas state militia took over
Taking sides
• Tribes divided on which side to take or whether to stay neutral
– Choctaw and Chickasaw – heavily confederate
– Other tribes still divided from Indian Removal wounds
• Without U.S. Army, the Indians had to accept Confederates in the
territory
• Albert Pike: Confederate Commissioner of Indian Affairs – urged
Cherokee Chief John Ross to join the Confederacy, but he refused
• Pike was able to sign a treaty with Creek, Choctaw, Chickasaw,
Seneca, Caddo, Wichita, Osage and Shawnee
• August 1861: Cherokee people pressured Ross to sign the treaty
• Fighting regiments of Indians were quickly formed, including the
Cherokee Mounted Rifles
Confederate outposts
• First Confederate outpost in Indian Territory
– Fort Davis near Muskogee
• March 1862: Fort Davis abandoned
– Fort McCulloch was established on the Blue River
• Located along military road between Fort
Smith, Fort Gibson and Fort Washita
War on Indian Land
• Civil War brought out the differences in the
Indians’ views
• Many wanted to be neutral or were pro-Union
• Upper Creeks (led by Opothleyahola) came to
Indian Territory after the Lower Creeks (led by
McIntosh) and wanted to stay with Union
– Known as Loyal Creek
Black Troops
• Aug. 1862: first “official” unit of African American
soldiers – First Kansas Colored Infantry
– 54th Massachusetts (from “Glory”)
• 1864: 11th Regiment, U.S. Colored Troops
– 265 men
– Deployed to guard supplies from Ft. Scott, Kansas to
Ft. Gibson, Ok
– Attacked at Cabin Creek (by Locust Grove, Ok)
– By 300-400 Confederate troops led by Stand Waite
– Held their ground and continued to Ft. Gibson
The battle of honey springs
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Largest and bloodiest battle of Indian Territory
July 17, 1863
1st Kansas Colored Infantry
Attack as revenge and prevention
Result: Uni9on controlled all of Indian
Territory north of the Arkansas River
The Texas Road at Honey Springs
So where does this leave us?
• Thousands of Indians displaced by the war
• Pro-Confederate Cherokee fled south across the
Arkansas River
• Loyal Creek went to Kansas
• 14,00 refugees along Red River Valley
• Indian Territory devestated: many dead or maimed,
farms and homes destroyed, money gone
• Official death count:
– Union 360,000
– Confederate 260,000
– Indian Territory – no one counted – so who knows