Military

Indian Home Guard

Indian Home Guard

During the war of the rebellion a number of the residents of the Indian Territory, members of the various tribes therein located, were organized into regiments for military service in the armies of the United States, and were designated as the First, Second, and Third Regiments of Indian Home Guards. They were regularly mustered into the United States service, borne upon the rolls of the Army, and paid upon the monthly muster and pay rolls by paymasters of the Army. Numbers 1 and 2 of accompanying documents show that those troops were regularly recognized as in service.

Department of Interior Reports 1A – 5A

No. 1 A. FORT GIBSON. C. N., August, 1, 1865. DEAR SIR: I have, been here for a month attending to business for the Cherokees and Creeks, particularly for bark pay of deceased soldiers and pensions for widows. The three Indian regiments were mustered out the 31st of May, 1865, and each company had a white lieutenant, and I am the attorney for them all. It is reported here that these lieutenants and others are now making out papers in Kansas to draw the pay of deceased soldiers and the bounty of those who were not paid, and that General … Read more

Letter, Department of the Interior

Department of the Interior, Washington D. C., April 30, 1872. SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of the following resolution, adopted by the House of Representatives, December 11, 1871: Resolved, That the Secretary of the Interior be, and he is hereby, directed to transmit to this House copies of all letters, telegrams, and reports of special agents and other official papers or records of the Department pertaining to the payment of bounties, back pay, and pensions to the First, Second, and Third Regiments of Indian Home Guards, together with copies of all letters in the ease taken … Read more

Alleged Frauds Against Certain Indian Soldiers

June 8, 1872.—Laid on the table and ordered to he printed. Mr. BURDETT, from the Committee on Indian Affairs, made the following REPORT The Committee on Indian Affairs to whom were referred the sundry papers, documents, and memoranda appertaining to certain transactions of John W. Wright and others with members of the First, Second, and Third Regiments Indian Home Guards, submitted to Congress by the Secretary of the Interior, with his letter of April 30, 1872, in response to the following House resolution: “Resolved, That the Secretary of the Interior be, and he is hereby, directed to transmit to this House … Read more

Indian War of 1868

During the three years following the battle of Sand Creek there was little trouble with the Indians in El Paso County; consequently the people of that section of Colorado, while keeping a sharp lookout, felt fairly safe upon their ranches. During the summer season of each of these years, however, the Sioux, Cheyenne, and Arapaho continued their raids upon the exposed settlements and the lines of travel to the East. In the meantime, the Government was following its usual temporizing policy with the savages. In the spring of 1867, agents of the Indian Bureau attempted to negotiate a new treaty … Read more

Apache Activities During the Civil War

The Civil War began April 12, 1861, with the Confederate attack on Fort Sumter, and ended April 9, 1865, with Lee’s surrender to Grant. As has been set forth in the preceding chapter, the Apache War broke out in dead earnest a few weeks previous to the fall of Fort Sumter, as a result of the dash between Lieutenant Bascom and Cochise. A fiery whirlwind, leaving death and destruction in its wake, tore through the white settlements of Arizona. There were only two military posts in the Gadsden Purchase at this time–Fort Buchanan on the Sonoita. River, and Fort Breckenridge … Read more

Indian Wars, Conflicts and Disturbances 1614-1893

Prophet's Rock view

For almost 200 years the population of North America or the colonial or federal government have been at war with the Indian Nations of this country. Early English settlers enjoyed peaceful relations with nearby tribes, but the colonists were taking sides in military rivalries between Indian Nations in order to open further land for settlement. All the wars and conflicts generally resulted in the opening of Indian lands to further colonization, the conquest of the American Indians and their forced relocation to Indian reservations.      

Washington Indian Wars Continue, 1856-1858

Wright's Campaign Map

When Governor Stevens returned to his capital from the Blackfoot Country, he was to some extent deceived as to the perils which threatened the Puget Sound region. He approved of the energetic course of Mason, and advocated the vigorous prosecution of the war. But from what he had seen east of the Cascades, and from what he knew of the indolent habits of the tribes on the Sound, he was disposed to think the war was to be carried on in the Yakima and Walla Walla valleys rather than at home. In a special message delivered extemporaneously to the legislative … Read more

Virginia Civil War Battlefield Maps

Virginia Civil War Battlefield Map – Maps depicting the battles fought within the state of Virginia during the Civil War. 1861 1862 1863 1864 1865  

Texas Civil War Battlefield Map

Texas Civil War Battlefield Map – Map depicting the battles fought within the state of Texas during the Civil War.      

Tennessee Southern Claims Commission Index

Tennessee Southern Claims Commission Index: This index lists Tennesseans who filed claims with the Southern Claims Commission from 1871 to 1873. These 3,929 Tennesseans claimed their property had been taken by United States military personnel for use in the Civil War. The claim files include interesting detail about people and about the Civil War period in Tennessee. Each claimant was required to describe his losses in detail, and to prove his loyalty to the Union. Witnesses gave testimony in support of his allegations. The paperwork in the files is often extensive.

South Carolina Civil War Rosters

A complete roll of all the members who belonged to Kershaw’s Brigade of South Carolina. In the list of officers there will appear some seeming irregularities and inaccuracies, but this is accounted for by the fact that the duplicate rolls were those taken from the companies’ muster rolls when first enlisted in the Confederate service, and little or no record kept of promotions. Thus we will see Captains and Lieutenants in these rolls marked as non-commissioned officers. This was occasioned by those officers being promoted during the continuance of the war, and no record kept of such promotions.