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A Creek Warrior for the Confederacy: The Autobiography of Chief G. W. Grayson (Civilization of the American Indian Series)

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One can't help but come away from reading this autobiography of Chief G.W. Grayson with a deep sense of pride in character for this good and brave man. Chief Grayson's dignity, not only with regard to his Creek people, but especially in himself, from his exalted writing style to his modest, but declared nevertheless, mention of accomplishments is remarkable to behold. Elected to go to Washington on many delegations representing his people, he declares, "I have always been proud of the fact that I was never elected a member of any delegation of which I was member through any persistent electioneering on my part as was done by others," as if electioneering might be a taint on his image. "I seemed always to have been put on these delegations for service that I was supposed to be competent to do and not for the mere accommodation either of myself or anyone else." Writing this only a few years before his death in 1920, having served as the official chief of the Creeks after the last elected chief had died (appointed by Woodrow Wilson), one can imagine the self-respect and stateliness that guided his pen as he did so. Yet Chief Grayson can also tell a good story on himself, as he does when relating how cows had come up to his cabin after a snowstorm, frightening him to wits end because at the time he had quite a bit of "public money" in the cabin and was fearful of attack.

Grayson was born of metis (mixed blood) parents of the Creek Nation, southern branch, in Oklahoma in 1843. His branch associated with the Confederacy during the Civil War, and Grayson fought in a number of engagements in Indian Territory. An educated man (Arkansas College), he built up a successful business practice and became an active participant in tribal affairs. His dealings with Washington were numerous. In telling his own story he also tells the story of the passing of his own tribe; it's not a handsome story but Grayson will not stoop to its debasement. It's fitting that he decided to end the book not exactly chronologically, but by describing an act of congress from 1884 that would have taken away self-government from the Indians on Indian lands, and to make this indictment: "Here we, a people who had been a self-governing people for hundreds and possibly a thousand years, who had a government and administered its affairs ages before such an entity as the United States was ever dreamed of, are asked and admonished that we must give up all idea of local government ... Why? ... simply because regardless of the plain dictates of justice and a Christian conscience, the ruthless restless white man demanded it." Ah, yes. Read it and weep. It's a powerful book, a great autobiography, a noble account of a man's own life. And it's superbly edited by W. David Baird.