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The Cherokee Nation in the Civil War

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Despite the perennial popularity of the American Civil War as a literary/historical subject, by comparison only small attention has been focused on the Civil War in the West - nor on the background of Cherokee Indian removal, or the varied and interesting history of the five civilized tribes in the West and their role in that same war. Truly neglected is the canvas that is the war's devastating effect on them.

Readers of the recent book "The Cherokee nation in the Civil War" by Clarissa Confer will be divided into two groups: those who never knew most of this happened, and a much smaller group who wonder if anything fresh is left to say about it. Native Americans, and most individuals with Native American heritage are, after all, antiquarians...these things are not new; so much here is familiar to them. They are astute in this rich and unique historical/ethnic area, as are so many around them. In Oklahoma state law requires one semester of Oklahoma history for high school graduation, and many college programs also require it. While school textbooks are not a scholarly treatise, they do provide substantial blocks of knowledge on these topics surrounding the Indian and the West and also the Civil War. This serves as a starting point for such an historical work.

Miss Confer narrates for us a story that is sad, rich, and absorbing. She approaches it at times as an essayist, at times in a tighter style. She writes about notable Cherokee leaders; about slaves, women, children, enlisted men, freedmen; about families and factions who participate, willingly or not, in the upset and devastation that was the Civil War as it played out in the West. She makes the point that these people and their lives must also matter to us. In other words, she does not consider mainstream white males in leadership positions to be the only actors on the historical stage. She insists that we look to the story of minorities of all stripes; to the little people history books so often ignore. Because of this viewpoint that is all encompassing and humane, she accomplishes an historiography that is new and significant. I wished it had been longer and perhaps fuller, but I admired it.

The bibliography of Clerissa Confer's book nearly duplicates that of so many pioneering histories of this region of the 19th century West, but with different results. Obviously she has been tireless in consulting the extensive original sources at the Gilcrease Museum in Tulsa, the Western History collections at the University of Oklahoma, Norman, and the Oklahoma State Historical Society. Anyone who enjoys Civil War, Western, or Indian/Cherokee history will be enriched by Miss Confer's book and will surely want to add it to their collection.

A well researched and beautifully written account of a time in history that usually finds its focus elsewhere. The devastating effects the Civil War had on our Native Nations is sadly overlooked in our study of American History. Ms. Confer does an outstanding job of bringing it to life for us in an interesting and readable work. I highly recommend this book and look forward to reading more from her.

The book is well written, and readable. The research is amazing ,scholarly and accurate. We don't offen see Native Americans portrayed that honestly, or thouroughly. Very different from the Hollywood
verison.