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The Civil War in the West
When the Wolf Came: The Civil War and the Indian Territory
Winner of the 2014 Oklahoma Book Award for nonfiction
Winner of the 2014 Pate Award from the
Winner of the 2014 Pate Award from the
440 pages, Hardcover
First published July 1, 2013
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80 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
December 15, 2024
A book review I wrote for my HIST 3730 class:
But Now the Wolf has Come
In discussions of the Civil War the focus is often on the Eastern Theater - particularly the high-casualty battles led by generals Robert E. Lee and Ulysses S. Grant at Gettysburg and Antietam - as well as the other political leaders involved in these conflicts. However, the Eastern Theater was not the sole deciding factor in the outcome of this war; the Western and Trans-Mississippi were just as vital as the aforementioned, but unfortunately are parts of this tumultuous history often overlooked. Mary Jane Warde’s When the Wolf Came: The Civil War and the Indian Territory seeks to shift this focus and to illuminate the often overlooked impact that the Civil War had on Native American nations in their Indian Territories. Warde looks to shed light on the experience of Native American nations in Indian Territory (now modern day Oklahoma), and their involvement in the Civil War. The strength lies in the book’s ability to intertwine the story of this period, with the nuanced struggles of these respective nations. She looks to showcase how Indigenous communities were deeply affected by the conflict not only by external pressures from both the Union and the Confederacy, but by internal divisions; they could not afford to be mere bystanders but had to be active participants in which their loyalty was continuously tested.
Warde opens this study with the recognition that Native American nations, particularly such tribes as the Choctaw, Chickasaw, and Creek, had long been coerced into making difficult choices before the Civil War officially broke out. Despite their showcase of continued loyalty to the United States and its government, southeastern Native American tribes were left questioning what was to come of them in their future.1 This sense of uncertainty was not a newfound issue for these respective tribes, instead it was compounded by the long history of betrayal that the United States federal government often gave them as an answer. These negotiations of ill faith came to a head during the Civil war, in which as the United States government became stretched thin by its own ongoing internal conflict, they largely abandoned the Indian Territory to fend for itself. The federal agents and troops, left to provide protection for these tribes, were nowhere to be found once the Civil War broke out. As a result, Native nations were left vulnerable to the advance of Confederate forces and turmoil within their own internal divisions, leaving a sour taste in the mouths of those that believed the government would keep them safe.
Warde includes a poignant letter that powerfully captures this deep sense of betrayal, where a Native American man describes the broken promises that have left him and others bitter. This man writes of his once believed promises that the federal government threw to the wayside at the turn of the Civil War. He writes in anger of the lack of kept promises; the homes of the tribes defended from all interference, but now dangerous men walk on their soils, and the dangerous wolf has arrived at their doorstep.2 The wolf was thought of as an outsider of destruction, and by including a key letter such as this, Warde conveys the feelings of abandonment and invasion experienced by the tribes. As described above, in her study, Warde carefully details the shifting federal policies towards Native Americans during the Civil War. With Confederate forces using the unkept promises as an advantage point to recruit support from these disrupted factions, it not only hurt their allegiance to the U.S. government but set the stage for further erosion of Native American autonomy as a whole.
Warde excels in illuminating how the internal conflicts among Native tribes mirrored the broader conflict between the Union and the Confederacy. She notes how leaders of these nations were seemingly split down the middle; some aligned with the Confederacy as their best hope for preserving their identity and lands, while others aligned with the Union as the better chance for more positive post-war outcomes. No matter their decisions, these tribes became divided, and from this Warde makes it clear in her book that the end of the Civil War only brought questions to Native Americans, not answers. Now divided by wartime alliances, these fractured Indian nations were faced with an uncertain filled future, and serious questions were on the minds of all people of the Indian Territory.3 Warde illustrates that these were questions of how those who allied with the Confederacy would be treated by the federal government, but more importantly, how these tribes may ever be able to reunite and navigate the power-war landscape.
When the Wolf Came presents a compelling, historically grounded account of the Native American nations' struggles in the Civil War, and the uncertainties that reshaped their futures. Warde’s study is a necessary contribution to the overall discussion of this time in American history, as she brings often left out voices to the forefront of the mainstream narrative, showing that they too were collateral damage of this conflict. In her careful use of first hand sources, such as government documents, tribal records, and personal accounts, Warde ensures that this section of history is told with a sense of both accuracy and empathy. Not just a mere recounting of the involvement of Native Americans, but a critically profound exploration of how the war transformed these tribes' lives, lands, and futures. Because of this outlook, this book is a vital addition to the literature of the Civil War; Warde understands that these stories have long been overshadowed in the traditional narrative of the Civil War, and through her work it is paramount that she highlights the resiliency and struggles of these nations.
Bibliography
Warde, Mary Jane. When the Wolf Came: The Civil War and the Indian Territory. University of Arkansas Press, 2019, 11.
Warde, When The Wolf Came, 64.
Ibid., 241.
But Now the Wolf has Come
In discussions of the Civil War the focus is often on the Eastern Theater - particularly the high-casualty battles led by generals Robert E. Lee and Ulysses S. Grant at Gettysburg and Antietam - as well as the other political leaders involved in these conflicts. However, the Eastern Theater was not the sole deciding factor in the outcome of this war; the Western and Trans-Mississippi were just as vital as the aforementioned, but unfortunately are parts of this tumultuous history often overlooked. Mary Jane Warde’s When the Wolf Came: The Civil War and the Indian Territory seeks to shift this focus and to illuminate the often overlooked impact that the Civil War had on Native American nations in their Indian Territories. Warde looks to shed light on the experience of Native American nations in Indian Territory (now modern day Oklahoma), and their involvement in the Civil War. The strength lies in the book’s ability to intertwine the story of this period, with the nuanced struggles of these respective nations. She looks to showcase how Indigenous communities were deeply affected by the conflict not only by external pressures from both the Union and the Confederacy, but by internal divisions; they could not afford to be mere bystanders but had to be active participants in which their loyalty was continuously tested.
Warde opens this study with the recognition that Native American nations, particularly such tribes as the Choctaw, Chickasaw, and Creek, had long been coerced into making difficult choices before the Civil War officially broke out. Despite their showcase of continued loyalty to the United States and its government, southeastern Native American tribes were left questioning what was to come of them in their future.1 This sense of uncertainty was not a newfound issue for these respective tribes, instead it was compounded by the long history of betrayal that the United States federal government often gave them as an answer. These negotiations of ill faith came to a head during the Civil war, in which as the United States government became stretched thin by its own ongoing internal conflict, they largely abandoned the Indian Territory to fend for itself. The federal agents and troops, left to provide protection for these tribes, were nowhere to be found once the Civil War broke out. As a result, Native nations were left vulnerable to the advance of Confederate forces and turmoil within their own internal divisions, leaving a sour taste in the mouths of those that believed the government would keep them safe.
Warde includes a poignant letter that powerfully captures this deep sense of betrayal, where a Native American man describes the broken promises that have left him and others bitter. This man writes of his once believed promises that the federal government threw to the wayside at the turn of the Civil War. He writes in anger of the lack of kept promises; the homes of the tribes defended from all interference, but now dangerous men walk on their soils, and the dangerous wolf has arrived at their doorstep.2 The wolf was thought of as an outsider of destruction, and by including a key letter such as this, Warde conveys the feelings of abandonment and invasion experienced by the tribes. As described above, in her study, Warde carefully details the shifting federal policies towards Native Americans during the Civil War. With Confederate forces using the unkept promises as an advantage point to recruit support from these disrupted factions, it not only hurt their allegiance to the U.S. government but set the stage for further erosion of Native American autonomy as a whole.
Warde excels in illuminating how the internal conflicts among Native tribes mirrored the broader conflict between the Union and the Confederacy. She notes how leaders of these nations were seemingly split down the middle; some aligned with the Confederacy as their best hope for preserving their identity and lands, while others aligned with the Union as the better chance for more positive post-war outcomes. No matter their decisions, these tribes became divided, and from this Warde makes it clear in her book that the end of the Civil War only brought questions to Native Americans, not answers. Now divided by wartime alliances, these fractured Indian nations were faced with an uncertain filled future, and serious questions were on the minds of all people of the Indian Territory.3 Warde illustrates that these were questions of how those who allied with the Confederacy would be treated by the federal government, but more importantly, how these tribes may ever be able to reunite and navigate the power-war landscape.
When the Wolf Came presents a compelling, historically grounded account of the Native American nations' struggles in the Civil War, and the uncertainties that reshaped their futures. Warde’s study is a necessary contribution to the overall discussion of this time in American history, as she brings often left out voices to the forefront of the mainstream narrative, showing that they too were collateral damage of this conflict. In her careful use of first hand sources, such as government documents, tribal records, and personal accounts, Warde ensures that this section of history is told with a sense of both accuracy and empathy. Not just a mere recounting of the involvement of Native Americans, but a critically profound exploration of how the war transformed these tribes' lives, lands, and futures. Because of this outlook, this book is a vital addition to the literature of the Civil War; Warde understands that these stories have long been overshadowed in the traditional narrative of the Civil War, and through her work it is paramount that she highlights the resiliency and struggles of these nations.
Bibliography
Warde, Mary Jane. When the Wolf Came: The Civil War and the Indian Territory. University of Arkansas Press, 2019, 11.
Warde, When The Wolf Came, 64.
Ibid., 241.
February 28, 2020
Author Mary Jane Warde does a splendid job in writing and bringing focus to the troubles and conflict inflicted on the "Five Civilized Nations" and that of the other Native American nations during the Civil War.
Much of the focus on the Civil War has been concentrated on the Eastern theater of the United States without much thought to the Western theater and conflicts between Native Americans, Confederate States and the Union.
Warde, gives a great account of how the Indian Nations, though wanting to remain neutral, were forced to take sides. This caused conflicts within their own communities, which remained after the Civil War.
Much of the focus on the Civil War has been concentrated on the Eastern theater of the United States without much thought to the Western theater and conflicts between Native Americans, Confederate States and the Union.
Warde, gives a great account of how the Indian Nations, though wanting to remain neutral, were forced to take sides. This caused conflicts within their own communities, which remained after the Civil War.
November 22, 2021
An excellent overview of the way in which the civil war affected the various Native American nations, and how they participated in the civil war, the missteps that led to the "five civilized tribes" joining the confederacy, divisions within the tribes, and how the war and its results continued to shape how the United States interacted with the Native Americans well into the twentieth century.
July 8, 2021
A really dark and sad piece of history. I didn't realize how widespread slavery was among the tribes of the southeast but it does explain a few things. This is a complex period of time and I think Warde does a good job of presenting it from different angles as well as explaining the consequences.
November 6, 2025
Read for my History class!
June 1, 2014
Most previous works on the Civil War in Indian Territory have been narrative descriptions of military matters. When the Wolf Came is weaker at that and better at the social history of the conflict. That would have benefited from a firmer anchoring to the sequence of events. The chapter covering conditions in the latter years of the war got lost between the winters of 1863-4 and 1864-5. I would also have expected to see a little more on the effects of Price's Raid. The concluding chapter would also have benefited from a closer focus on the immediate post-war years rather than summarizing the history running up to the present day. Still, well worth reading.
August 31, 2016
Fascinating topic that really reminds you of the complex realities that the tribes were facing as they made political and tactical decisions during the Civil War. Unlike so many books about the Indian Removal era this one does a good job of portraying the tribes and individuals as smart people with agency in their own decisions.
Some of the longer play-by-plays of the battles remind me of why I don't often read civil war nonfiction but when she delves into the complex politics, alliances and self-interests of different groups within the Confederacy and the tribes and nations it was very interesting and researched.
Some of the longer play-by-plays of the battles remind me of why I don't often read civil war nonfiction but when she delves into the complex politics, alliances and self-interests of different groups within the Confederacy and the tribes and nations it was very interesting and researched.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews