Cherokee in the American Civil War

Confederate Brigadier General Stand Watie, the only American Indian to reach the rank of general in the Civil War on either side.

The Cherokee in the American Civil War were active in the Trans-Mississippi and Western Theaters. In the east, Confederate Cherokees led by William Holland Thomas hindered Union forces trying to use the Appalachian mountain passes of western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee. Out west, Confederate Cherokee Stand Watie led primarily Native Confederate forces in the Indian Territory, in what is now the state of Oklahoma.[1] The Cherokee partnered with the Confederacy in order to get funds, as well as ultimately full recognition as a sovereign, independent state.[2]

  1. ^ "Watie, Stand (1806–1871)" Archived August 5, 2011, at the Wayback Machine Oklahoma Historical Society's Encyclopedia of History and Culture; retrieved 31 Aug 2011
  2. ^ Tindle, James (2019). ""Perpetual Peace and Friendship": The Cherokee-Confederate Coalition in the American Civil War". {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)