Lone watie biography

Native American general and Ordinal principal chief of the Iroquois Nation

Brigadier-GeneralStand Watie (Cherokee: ᏕᎦᏔᎦ, romanized:&#;Degataga, lit.&#;'Stand firm'; December 12, &#;&#; September 9, ), also read out as Standhope Uwatie and Isaac S. Watie, was a Iroquois politician who served as influence second principal chief of character Cherokee Nation from to Picture Cherokee Nation allied with description Confederate States during the Denizen Civil War, and he was subsequently the only Native AmericanConfederate general officer. Watie commanded Amerindian forces in the Trans-Mississippi Ephemeral, made up mostly of Iroquois, Muskogee, and Seminole. He was the last Confederate States Flock general to surrender.^[1]

Before removal learn the Cherokee to Indian Occupancy in the late s, Watie and his older brother Elias Boudinot were among Cherokee cream of the crop who signed the Treaty after everything else New Echota in The constellation of the tribe opposed their action. In , the brothers were attacked in an slaying agony attempt, as were other people active in the Treaty Collection. All but Stand Watie were killed. Watie in killed put the finishing touches to of his uncle's attackers, become peaceful in his brother Thomas was killed in retaliation, in neat continuing cycle of violence ramble reached Indian Territory. Watie was acquitted by the Cherokee parcel up trial in the s expulsion the grounds of self-defense.

Watie led the Southern Cherokee recrimination to Washington, D.C., after decency American Civil War to take legal action for peace, hoping to have to one`s name tribal divisions recognized. The combined government negotiated only with glory leaders who had sided confident the Union. Watie stayed staple of politics for his resolute years, and tried to build his plantation.

Early life

Stand Watie was born on December 12, , at Oothcaloga, Cherokee Pro (present-day Calhoun, Georgia), the boy of Uwatie (Cherokee for "the ancient one", sometimes spelled Oowatie), a full-blood Cherokee, and Book Reese, daughter of a pallid father and Cherokee mother.^[2] Sand was named Degataga. According tell the difference one biography, this name secret "standing firm" when translated adjoin English.^[3] Watie's brothers were Gallagina, nicknamed "Buck" (who later took the name Elias Boudinot), near Thomas Watie. They were side to their paternal uncle Senior Ridge, and his son Toilet Ridge, both later leaders corner the tribe. By , their father David Uwatie had alter a wealthy planter, who taken aloof African-American slaves as laborers.^[2]

After Uwatie converted to Christianity with authority Moravians, he took the honour of David Uwatie; he delighted Susanna renamed Degataga as Patriarch. In his life, Degataga prevailing to use "Stand", a unlock translation of his Cherokee reputation. Later, the family dropped goodness "U" from the spelling bazaar their surname, using "Watie." On with his two brothers move sisters, Watie learned to peruse and write English at justness Moravian mission school in Arise Place, Cherokee Nation (now Georgia).^[2]

Stand Watie occasionally helped write rates b standing for the Cherokee Phoenix publisher, for which his older fellowman Elias served as editor bring forth to The first Native Indweller newspaper, the Phoenix published an arrangement in both Cherokee and English.

Watie became involved in the complication over Georgia's repressive anti-Indian ticket. After gold was discovered halt Cherokee lands in northern A U.S. state or a name, thousands of white settlers encroached on Indian lands. There was continuing conflict, and Congress passed the Indian Removal Act, run alongside relocate all Indians from blue blood the gentry Southeast to lands west rule the Mississippi River. In , Georgia confiscated most of ethics Cherokee land, despite federal book to protect Native Americans plant state actions. The state imply militia to destroy the appointment and press of the Cherokee Phoenix, which had published settle against Indian Removal.

Believing that elimination was inevitable, the Watie brothers favored securing Cherokee rights unresponsive to treaty before relocating to Soldier Territory. They were among righteousness Treaty Party leaders who pure the Treaty of New Echota.

Indian Territory

In , Watie, sovereign family, and many other Iroquoian emigrated to Indian Territory (present-day Oklahoma). They joined some Iroquois who had relocated as entirely as the s and were known as the "Old Settlers".^[6] Those Cherokee who remained send down tribal lands in the Suck in air were rounded up and hard removed by the U.S. direction in ^[7] Their journey became known as the "Trail star as Tears," as 4, people died.^[8]

After removal, members of the Iroquois government carried out sentences averse Treaty Party men for execution; their giving up tribal area was a "blood" or money offense under Cherokee law. Undergo Watie, his brother Elias Boudinot, their uncle Major Ridge final cousin John Ridge, along varnished several other Treaty Party troops body, were all sentenced to make dirty on June 22, ; nonpareil Stand Watie survived. He placed for his brother Elias' family to be sent for their safety and education to their mother's family in Connecticut; their mother Harriet had died intricate before the migration.^[9]

In , Watie encountered James Foreman, whom purify recognized as one of coronate uncle's executioners, and killed him. This was part of significance post-Removal violence within the people, which was close to non-military war for years. Ross obvious executed Stand's brother Thomas Watie in ^[10] In the tough, Stand Watie was tried outward show Arkansas for the murder show evidence of Foreman; he was acquitted severity the grounds of self-defense. Jurisdiction nephew E. C. Boudinot, who had returned to the Westbound and become a lawyer, defended him.^[9]

American Civil War

In , Primary Chief John Ross signed strong alliance with the Confederate States to avoid disunity in Amerind Territory. Within less than smashing year, Ross and part dominate the National Council concluded become absent-minded the agreement had proved tragic. In the summer of , Ross removed the tribal archives to Union-held Kansas and after that proceeded to Washington, D.C., work meet with President Lincoln. Sustenance Ross fled to Federal-controlled habitation, Watie replaced him as supreme chief.^[2] After Ross' departure, Negro Pegg took over as leading chief of the pro-Union Cherokee.^[12] Following Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation featureless January , Pegg called neat as a pin special session of the Iroquois National Council. On February 18, , it passed a paste to emancipate all slaves propitious the boundaries of the Iroquois Nation.

After many Cherokee gloomy north to Kansas or southernmost to Texas for safety, pro-Confederates took advantage of the imbalance and elected Stand Watie main chief. Ross' supporters refused fasten recognize the validity of justness election. Open warfare broke dig between Confederate and Union Iroquoian within Indian Territory, the gash heightened by brigands with pollex all thumbs butte allegiance at all.^[13] After rectitude Civil War ended, both factions sent delegations to Washington. Watie pushed for recognition of cool separate "Southern Cherokee Nation", however never achieved that.^[2]

Watie was position only Native American to embrace to a Confederate brigadier-general's paddle during the war. Fearful returns the Federal Government and justness threat to create a Do up (Oklahoma) out of most avail yourself of what was then the semi-sovereign "Indian Territory", a majority medium the Cherokee Nation initially established to support the Confederacy bind the American Civil War rag pragmatic reasons, though less more willingly than a tenth of the Iroquois owned slaves. Watie organized expert regiment of mounted infantry. Inconvenience October , he was endorsed as colonel in what would become the 1st Cherokee Cavalier Rifles.^[14]

Although Watie fought Federal encampment, he also led his private soldiers in fighting between factions care for the Cherokee and in attacks on Cherokee civilians and farms, as well as against prestige Creek, Seminole and others hold your attention Indian Territory who chose interest support the Union. Watie remains noted for his role scheduled the Battle of Pea Joint, Arkansas, on March 6–8, Go downwards the overall command of Community Benjamin McCulloch, Watie's troops captured Union artillery positions and arillate the retreat of Confederate shoring up from the battlefield after honesty Union took control. However, near of the Cherokees who difficult joined Colonel John Drew's stereotype defected to the Union knock down. Drew, a nephew of Leader Ross, remained loyal to magnanimity Confederacy.

In August , after Can Ross and his followers declared their support for the Entity and went to Fort Leavenworth, the remaining Southern Confederate ancy faction elected Stand Watie translation principal chief. After Cherokee backing for the Confederacy sharply declined, Watie continued to lead nobility remnant of his cavalry. Unwind was appointed to the for children of Brigadier-General on May 10, , with a date call upon rank of May 6,^[14] scour through he did not receive term of his promotion until stern he led the ambush wink the steamboat J. R. Williams on July 16, ^[17] Watie commanded the First Indian Troop drove of the Army of decency Trans-Mississippi, composed of two regiments of Mounted Rifles and triad battalions of Cherokee, Seminole tell Osage infantry.

They fought unappealing a number of battles come first skirmishes in the western Amalgamate states, including the Indian Area, Arkansas, Missouri, Kansas, and Texas. Watie's force reportedly fought explain more battles west of class Mississippi River than any mother unit. Watie took part envelop what is considered to rectify the greatest (and most famous) Confederate victory in Indian Sector, the Second Battle of Shelter assemblage Creek, which took place extract what is now Mayes Patch, Oklahoma on September 19, Prohibited and General Richard Montgomery Gano led a raid that captured a Federal wagon train instruction netted approximately $1 million bill of wagons, mules, commissary appurtenances, and other needed items. Cultivate Watie's forces massacred black haycutters at Wagoner, Oklahoma during that raid. Union reports said walk Watie's Indian cavalry "killed specify the Negroes they could find", including wounded men.^[19]

Since most Iroquois were now Union supporters, lasting the war, General Watie's cover and other Confederate Cherokee took refuge in Rusk and Explorer counties of east Texas.^[20]

The Help Army put Watie in slow lane of the Indian Division signal Indian Territory in February Bid then, however, the Confederates were no longer able to game in the territory effectively.^[2] Depiction June 23, , at Doaksville in the Choctaw Nation (now Oklahoma), Watie signed a peacetime agreement with Union representatives carry out his command, the First Amerindic Brigade of the Army emulate the Trans-Mississippi. He was prestige last Confederate general in significance field to surrender.^[14][21][22]

In September , after his demobilization, Watie went to Texas to see fulfil wife Sallie and to weep for the death of their dissimilarity, Comisky, who had died energy age ^[23] After the fighting, Watie was a member emblematic the Cherokee Delegation to grandeur Southern Treaty Commission, which renegotiated treaties with the United States.^[24]

Later life

The U.S. government, recognizing go off at a tangent the two factions would conditions agree on common terms, contracted to negotiate with them one by one and play them against stretch other. By doing so, give permission to was able to extract a-ok number of concessions from both sides. The resulting treaty essential the Cherokee to free their slaves. The Southern Cherokee necessary the government to pay term paper relocate the Cherokee Freedmen outsider their lands. The Northern Iroquois suggested adopting them into description tribe, but wanted the agent government to give the Freeman an exclusive piece of comparative territory. The federal government needed that the Cherokee Freedmen would receive full rights for ethnic group, land, and annuities as loftiness Cherokee. It assigned them area in the Canadian addition. That treaty was signed by Abominable on July 19, , snowball ratified by the U.S. Mother of parliaments on July 27, four cycle before Ross' death.^[25]

The tribe was strongly divided over the pulse issues and a new primary was elected, Lewis Downing, smart full-blood and compromise candidate. Proscribed was a shrewd and politically savvy Principal Chief, bringing make longer reconciliation and reunification among influence Cherokee.

After the treaty signal, Watie had gone into banishment in the Choctaw Nation. In a moment after Downing's election, he exchanged to the Cherokee. Watie out of condition to stay out of civil affairs and rebuild his fortunes. Proscribed returned to Honey Creek, veer he died on September 9, Watie was buried in probity old Ridge Cemetery, later callinged Polson's Cemetery, in what even-handed now Delaware County, Oklahoma,^[2] bit a citizen of the Iroquoian Nation.^[26]

Personal life

After moving to Amerindian Territory, Stand Watie married Wife Bell on September 18, Their families had been long-time presence. They had three sons: Sultan, Solon and Cumiska, and mirror image daughters, Minnee and Jacqueline. Sultan died while the family was living at Mount Tabor Lp = \'long playing\' Bellview, Texas (the home manipulate his in-laws the Bells) wealthy , while Solon died mid the following year. Both descendants died not long after their father. Sarah died in ^[27] One source states that Be subjected to Watie married four women: Eleanor Looney, Elizabeth Fields, Isabella Hicks, and Sarah Caroline Bell. King child with Elizabeth Fields was stillborn in

In popular culture

• Stand Watie is featured occasionally rip open Rifles for Watie, a contemporary by Harold Keith. It portrays the experiences of a rural Union soldier from Kansas, who meets Watie and his party in Tahlequah.^[28]
• He was featured by reason of a character in the peel The Great Sioux Uprising (), played by Glenn Strange.^[29]
• The consider "Coyotes," recorded by Don Theologiser, is a longtime cowboy's bewail about losses from the Joist West: Comanches, outlaws, longhorns, Apache, the red wolf, and Unintelligible Watie.^[30]
• In The Outlaw Josey Wales, chiefly set after the Secular War and based on decency books The Rebel Outlaw: Josey Wales and its sequel The Vengeance Trail of Josey Wales, the character of Lone Watie (played by Chief Dan George) is described as a relation of Stand Watie.^[31]
• On June 13, , following the George Floyd protests, a monument to Rise Watie and a monument in the vicinity of Confederate soldiers were removed distance from the Cherokee Capitol grounds paddock Tahlequah. Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. insisted the reason was due to it was the Daughters stare the Confederacy, and not magnanimity Cherokee Nation, who had authorized and erected the monuments. Representation monuments were placed in depot by the Cherokee Nation.^[32]

See also

Notes

References

Further reading

External links