Civil War Within the Civil War
The Five Tribes began to fracture over the issue of Indian Removal prior to the Civil War. These fractures were later compounded by the Chickasaws and the Choctaw who were mostly aligned with the southern states due to their significant use of slaves. The Creeks, Cherokees and Seminoles were not in agreement regarding the issue of slavery.
The outbreak of the Civil War further divided the Cherokee Nation. Cherokee Chief John Ross led one faction that was intent on remaining neutral in the war. Opposing Ross was Stand Watie who supported joining the Confederate States based on his opposition to the United States Indian Removal policy and who also supported the use of slaves. Chief John Ross vowed to remain neutral in this "fight between brothers".
According to the Cherokee "declaration, no other course was consistent with the dictates of prudence or could secure the safety of their people and immunity from the horrors of a war by an invading enemy than a strict neutrality". Unfortunately, neutrality did not win out.
Some tribes feared committing to the North because if the North won the war, they believed that they would be powerless to resist further removal from their lands. Based on this reasoning they sided with the South. In the words of the Cherokee "declaration," "Whatever causes the Cherokee people may have had in the past, to complain of some of the Southern States, they cannot but feel that their interests and their destiny are inseparably connected with those of the South."
Eventually the vow of remaining neutral could no longer be supported and factions of the Five Tribes joined both the Union and Confederate Army's. In time, their alliances would shift back and forth before finally settling with the majority of American Indians supporting the Union.
The outbreak of the Civil War further divided the Cherokee Nation. Cherokee Chief John Ross led one faction that was intent on remaining neutral in the war. Opposing Ross was Stand Watie who supported joining the Confederate States based on his opposition to the United States Indian Removal policy and who also supported the use of slaves. Chief John Ross vowed to remain neutral in this "fight between brothers".
According to the Cherokee "declaration, no other course was consistent with the dictates of prudence or could secure the safety of their people and immunity from the horrors of a war by an invading enemy than a strict neutrality". Unfortunately, neutrality did not win out.
Some tribes feared committing to the North because if the North won the war, they believed that they would be powerless to resist further removal from their lands. Based on this reasoning they sided with the South. In the words of the Cherokee "declaration," "Whatever causes the Cherokee people may have had in the past, to complain of some of the Southern States, they cannot but feel that their interests and their destiny are inseparably connected with those of the South."
Eventually the vow of remaining neutral could no longer be supported and factions of the Five Tribes joined both the Union and Confederate Army's. In time, their alliances would shift back and forth before finally settling with the majority of American Indians supporting the Union.