Names of Cherokee Soldiers in the Civil War

Pea Ridge Battle

In 1861, Stand Watie led the formation of the Cherokee Mounted Rifle Regiment in support of the Confederacy, becoming its Colonel. Other officers included Thomas Fox Taylor and Elias Cornelius Boudinot. Companies were organized with various captains and lieutenants, including notable figures like Joseph Franklin Thompson and James Madison Bell. Despite initial neutrality, pressures led to alliances with Confederate forces as the Cherokee sought to protect their interests. The regiment, reflecting their commitment, faced numerous challenges and engaged in battles throughout the Civil War.

Biography of J. W. Towner

J. W. Towner the subject of this sketch, now Judge of the Superior Court of Orange County, is a native of Essex County, New York, born in 1823, in the town of Willsboro. When he was fifteen years old his father moved to St. Lawrence County, same State. His education was only that of the common school except one term, in 1841, at the Malone Academy, Franklin County. In 1844, he and an older brother went to Cleveland, Ohio, where he remained until 1854, when he went to West Union, Fayette County, Iowa, remaining there until August, 1861, when he … Read more