The American Indian as Slaveholder and Seccessionist: An Omitted Chapter in the Diplomatic History of the Southern ConfederacyAbel, Annie Heloise
History
The American Indian as Slaveholder and Seccessionist: An Omitted Chapter in the Diplomatic History of the Southern Confederacy
Abel, Annie Heloise
Indian Territory; Slavery -- United States; United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865
The Choctaw commissioners met Albert Pike rebel commissioner & made a
treaty with him, with reference to this he says "The Choctaws rec'd
quite a bundle of promises from the rebel government. Their treaty
gives their representative a seat in the rebel congress, acknowledges
the right of the Choctaws to give testimony in all courts in the C.
S., exempts them from the expences of the war, their soldiers are to
be paid 20$ a month by the C. S. during the war, the C. S. assume the
debts due the Choctaws by the U. S., they have the privilege of coming
in as a state into the Confederacy with equal rights if they wish it,
or remain as they are, the C. S. to sustain their schools _after the
war_, they guarantee them against all intrusion on their lands by
white men, allow them to garrison the forts in their territory with
their own troops if they wish it said troops to be paid by the C.
S."--Here is a list of promises and when I think of these, of the
belief of their oldest missionaries in the final success of the
rebels, of the fact that all the old Officers of the U. S. government
were in the service of the rebels, of the occupation of the forts
there by rebels, of the activity of a knot of bitter disunionists led
by Capt. Jones, who has long been a very influential man, of the Texas
mob law which considered it a crime for a young man to refuse to
volunteer, of the fact that there was no way for them to hear the
truth as to the designs of the U. S. government concerning them,
except through Col. Pitchlyn who was soon silenced & of the falsehoods
told them as to the designs of the Government, I do not wonder that
they have joined the rebels.
I saw strong men completely unmanned even to floods of tears by the
leaving of Dr. Hobbs and the thoughts of what was before them. I heard
men say they did not want to fight but expected to be forced to do it.
I trust the government will consider the circumstances of the case &
deal gently, considerately with the indians. I do not like to write
such things of my brother missionaries but they are I believe facts &
though I love some of them very much I still must say that, except
Rev. Mr. Byington who was doubtful & Rev. Mr. Balantine a missionary
to the Chickasaws who was union, all the ordained missionaries
belonging to the Choctaw & Chickasaw Mission of the Presbyterian Board
who remain there were victims of the madness which swept over the
South, were secessionists--One or two of the three Laymen who remained
were union men--Cyrus Kingsbury son of Rev. Dr. K. being one....
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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