Life of General Stand Watie by Mabel Washbourne Anderson

Author:Mabel Washbourne Anderson [Anderson, Mabel Washbourne]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780615336596
Google: t86YuQAACAAJ
Publisher: Delaware County Historical Society
Published: 2010-01-15T03:34:27+00:00

BRIEF QUOTATIONS FROM WAR RECORDS.

A careful search, through the Official War Records of the Federal and Confederate Armies, reveals nothing but praise or commendation for Stand Watie. Letters found in these records from superior officers in the Confederate army, before and after his promotion speak of him only in laudatory terms. It is always, “The brave Stand Watie”, “That true Soldier”, “Our gallant Officer”, “That tried friend of his Country”. In another instance we find, in an account of a certain battle, “Colonel Watie was, as he always is, conspicuous for his bravery”. A present ethnological scholar of Oklahoma has declared that in his research work, no Indian character has appealed to him, with such force, as that of Stand Watie. “Thoburn and Holcomb’s History of Oklahoma”, records the fact that in 1862 while the Federal forces were invading and occupying the Cherokee Country, Colonel Cooper sent a message, in the name of the President of the Confederate States to John Ross, who was in Washington, asking that all Cherokee men, of required age, be enlisted in the Confederate army. Ross failed to respond. When the Federal forces retired northward, a National Convention was held, when John Ross was declared to be deposed from office of Principal Chief and Stand Watie selected to succeed him. The members of the Cherokee Council who were in the Federal Military Service said to have constituted a quorum refused to recognize the election. But from this time on until the close of the war the Cherokees were not only divided, but practically had two tribal governments, the one headed by Ross; the other by Stand Watie. In a letter found in The War Records dated Sept. 15, 1862, we find: In the meantime the serious feud ever existing between the Cherokees has terminated in the expulsion of Ross and the unsound faction and in the election of our tried friend Stand Watie as their Chief.” It will also be gathered, from this source, that, after this division of the Cherokees, Watie was considered by the Government as Principal Chief during and at the close of the war and that all official business with the Southern Cherokees was enacted through him as their head. In a letter from Commissioner Scott, Jan. 1, 1863, to Seddon, War Secretary, Scott says, “Of the Cherokees less than one half followed Ross when he deserted his country, almost the whole of the worth and talent of the Nation, however, was left behind and is now clustered about Stand Watie, its present gallant and patriotic Chief.” But though Watie gave the very best of his life to his people and their interests, he made no effort himself to assert his right or authority and no one ever heard him refer to any desire for public office. He was ready, as his life shows, to make any personal sacrifice compatible with honor, for the good of his people. And like the man, the friends and admirers of Watie have had little to say about these historic truths as to his leadership as Chief of the Southern Cherokees.

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