Hauptman tells the Civil War stories of nine different tribal groups in all parts of the country, showing readers that the tragic decline of the American Indian is incomplete without the Civil War. Desperately seeking legitimacy, autonomy, or simply land, the Indians were decimated and dislocated in what became a last, missed opportunity for coexistence. 30 photos.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Booklist
Very little of the information in this history of Native American participation in the Civil War is wholly news, and some--such as that Grant's aide, Eli Parker, was an Iroquois chief and that Cherokees under Stand Watie fought for the Confederacy--is known to most well-read Civil War enthusiasts. But no other recent author has pulled together into one accessible, well-written, and thoroughly researched book the full scope of Native American service in the Civil War. Indians participated both as groups and as individuals and with a wide diversity of motivation, but most had at least some notion that participation was a step forward to full acceptance in American society--a goal that, then as on too many other occasions, eluded them. The book requires some Civil War background knowledge to be fully appreciated, but to readers so prepared, it is unqualifiedly recommended. Roland Green
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A fine overview of Native Americans in the Civil War.,
By A Customer
This review is from: Between Two Fires: American Indians in the Civil War (Hardcover)
This history by Hauptman is a long overdue light on the hidden stories of Native Americans in the Civil War. As a Delaware Indian, I really appreciated his chapter on the Delaware Tribe, and our brave scouts, Black Beaver and Capt. Falleaf. It is good to see our heroes get the recognition they deserve. Non-Indians who read this will have to wonder at the courage and dedication of Indian people who fought in the Civil War, despite not being U.S. citizens. The stories of sacrifice and suffering of Indian people in this war needed to be told, and Hauptman has done an excellent job.
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
I was hoping for more,
This review is from: BETWEEN TWO FIRES: American Indians in the Civil War (Paperback)
In this book Hauptman tells about a little known part of Civil War/American Indian history-the Native Americans who fought on both sides of the conflict. Before reading this I generally thought of the Civil War as a period when the Plains Indians got a brief respite from their battle for freedom and the tribes of the East-well, I didn't really know.While Hauptman gives us some interesting facts, however, he never really treats the obvious question. Why? Why did so many American Indians put their lives on the line for a battle between two factions of whites? Unfortunately Hauptman devotes little time to this part of the issue, simply stating over and over that the Indians saw this as a way to ward off even further dislocation and perhaps as "a bargaining chip" with their conquerors. I would have liked him to go into more detail. For example, was it individual Indians who chose to fight, or were they encouraged by tribal leaders? Were there any negotiations going on between Indians and whites? Were the whites making promises to the Indians in order to recruit them? In his last chapter, Hauptman tells us what we already know. Whatever the Indians hoped to gain pretty much came to nothing. But he doesn't tell us what, if anything the Indians did to fight this outcome. This was worth reading because I learned some interesting things. For example how Indians were seen in the South vis a vis Blacks; how different tribes viewed slavery, etc. However, I was hoping for more.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Well-researched and thorough,
By
This review is from: Between Two Fires: American Indians in the Civil War (Hardcover)
As the title clearly tells us, this is a book (primarily) about the contributions of the American Indian to the American Civil War. It starts the reader with some of the early atrocities and misunderstandings that have characterized Indian and White interactions throughout American history. Some are the same things you will read about in any decent high school history text, and some are new for those that are not Indian history "buffs", such as myself. For example, I was not aware of the cruel and deliberate destruction of the Indian populations in California during the Gold Rush of 1849 until I read about it here.
The book discusses Indian participation on both sides of the war and their various motivations for joining in the fight. These motivations range from genuine patriotism to wanting to suck up to the government (be it Union or Confederate) for favors to wanting a steady, if small income to just wanting to get involved in the biggest thing that was going to happen to this generation of Americans. Among the more interesting vignettes are the story of how the Eastern Band of the Cherokees (if you have been to the Smoky Mountain Nat'l Park you've heard of them) earned their land through service to the CSA, the biography of Colonel Ely Parker, the Indian who drafted Lee's surrender for his friend U.S. Grant and the Battle of the Crater. This Battle in the Petersburg siege had 3 different groups of Indians fighting (one on the side of the CSA, two on the USA) along with Blacks and Whites. It was probably the most integrated battle the U.S. fought until the Korean War, when Truman desegegrated the armed forces. This is one of the most heavily referenced books I've ever read. There are 53 pages of end notes and 42 pages of bibliography for a 192 page book! If you are ever looking for a great source of information for a paper or research project on the Civil War, I'd recommend starting with this list. Final Grade: B+ (good writing style, ocassionally too in-depth and bordering on trivia)
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Front Cover | Front Flap | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Flap | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Inside This Book
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First Sentence:
IN 1867, TWO YEARS AFTER THE CIVIL WAR, THE COMMISSIONER OF Indian affairs wrote in his annual report: "... this benevolent and bounteous government [United States] has from the onset accorded to them [Indians] rights and possessions, and extended over them a paternal care which is most simply and admirably acknowledged in their appellation which styles the government 'the great father.'|" Read the first page Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
United States, North Carolina, South Carolina, New York, Cherokee Nation, Black Beaver, American Indian, Thomas Legion, Trans-Mississippi West, Fort Gibson, Army of the Potomac, Henry Berry, New Bern, Robeson County, First Michigan Sharpshooters, Stand Watie, Seneca Indian, South Carolinians, John Ross, Wichita Agency, Army of Northern Virginia, Fort Scott, General William, Mexican War, Batchelder's Creek New!
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Front Cover | Front Flap | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Flap | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
IN 1867, TWO YEARS AFTER THE CIVIL WAR, THE COMMISSIONER OF Indian affairs wrote in his annual report: "... this benevolent and bounteous government [United States] has from the onset accorded to them [Indians] rights and possessions, and extended over them a paternal care which is most simply and admirably acknowledged in their appellation which styles the government 'the great father.'|" Read the first page Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
United States, North Carolina, South Carolina, New York, Cherokee Nation, Black Beaver, American Indian, Thomas Legion, Trans-Mississippi West, Fort Gibson, Army of the Potomac, Henry Berry, New Bern, Robeson County, First Michigan Sharpshooters, Stand Watie, Seneca Indian, South Carolinians, John Ross, Wichita Agency, Army of Northern Virginia, Fort Scott, General William, Mexican War, Batchelder's Creek New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Front Flap | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Flap | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
16
books
cite this book:
See all 16 books citing this book
- Crossing the Pond: The Native American Effort in World War II (War and the Southwest) by Jere B. Franco in Front Matter, and Back Matter
- Elias Cornelius Boudinot: A Life on the Cherokee Border (American Indian Lives) by James W. Parins in Back Matter
- American Indian History: Five Centuries of Conflict & Coexistence, Vol. 2 by Robert W. Venables in Back Matter
- Civil War In Tennessee by Steve Cottrell in Back Matter
- Sifters: Native American Women's Lives (Viewpoints on American Culture) by Theda Perdue in Front Matter
See all 16 books citing this book
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