The Civil War and Reconstruction in Indian Territory

by Bradley R. Clampitt (Editor)

In Indian Territory the Civil War is a story best told through shades of gray rather than black and white or heroes and villains. Since neutrality appeared virtually impossible, the vast majority of territory residents chose a side, doing so for myriad reasons and not necessarily out of affection for either the Union or the Confederacy. Indigenous residents found themselves fighting to protect their unusual dual status as communities distinct from the American citizenry yet legal wards of the federal government.

 

The Civil War and Reconstruction in Indian Territory is a nuanced and authoritative examination of the layers of conflicts both on and off the Civil War battlefield. It examines the military front and the home front; the experiences of the Five Nations and those of the agency tribes in the western portion of the territory; the severe conflicts between Native Americans and the federal government and between Indian nations and their former slaves during and beyond the Reconstruction years; and the concept of memory as viewed through the lenses of Native American oral traditions and the modern evolution of public history. These carefully crafted essays by leading scholars such as Amanda Cobb-Greetham, Clarissa Confer, Richard B. McCaslin, Linda W. Reese, and F. Todd Smith will help teachers and students better understand the Civil War, Native American history, and Oklahoma history.

Genres: History, Civil War, Transmississippi, American Civil War, Nonfiction

200 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 2015

Reviews

[Kirk · Rating 4 out of 5]

And I thought Missouri and East Tenn. were the "worst" war within a war locations. What happened in Indian Territory appears to be worse(5 tribes bitterly divided between North and South...made me think of the Cold Mt soundtrack song "You Will Be My Ain True Love"), as these collection of 8 essays inform. I'm not sure why the Boston Public Library picked up this book, but I'm glad they did.

[Jeff Pollock · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good collection of essays. Some variation in quality, but all worth the read for additional perspectives on the personal nature of the war in Indian Territory, as well as its place within the broader conflict and memory of the same.

[Nicole]

Each of the pieces can stand alone. As someone not much interested in the military details, I found the chapters on the Five Tribes and the Wichita Agency tribes most helpful for combining military highlights with other issues.

[Shrike58 · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I was aware that there was military activity in the Indian Territory during the American Civil War, and knew of some of main players, I'm honest enough to admit that I didn't realize what a ghastly affair it was in terms of death and destruction; which this collection of essays lays out in some detail. Even more than the sad litany of disaster, the gutting of all that the Five Tribes had accomplished in the decades since Removal meant that these nations were in little position to contest the destruction of their sovereignty and the creation of the Oklahoma Territory; particularly since Washington was prepared to use the forced adhesion of the Five Tribes to the Confederacy as a stick to bludgeon home the post-1865 agenda of free soil for white settlers and punching through the transcontinental railway project.

Underlying all this conflict was the existential issue of who exactly was a member of a given tribe and who should have predominance between the mixed-breed folks who were inclined to follow Christian religion and American commercial culture and those trying to maintain a traditional way of life; never mind the still ongoing issue of where the Freedmen fit into this picture.

Apart from an essay on public remembrance that feels like something of an afterthought there is much to learn in this collection.

Originally written: October 8, 2019.

[Jimmy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The individual essays are very good, giving excellent (but limited) coverage on a variety of topics. On the other hand, the book doesn't give an in-depth look at the entire war in the territory, just certain aspects. For example, it describes the civilian homefront for the Cherokees and the Creeks but not the other three tribes.