Native American Conflict Quotes
This editorial was written just after the Massacre of Wounded Knee. An irony is that this editor who called for the extermination of Native Americans was later the author of The Wizard of Oz.
Large wagon trains of settlers crossed the content on their way to the Oregon Territory. The Sioux Indians whose land the wagon trains had to pass through often attacked the wagon trains in a vain effort to discourage others from passing through the area. The Sioux believed that the large wagon trains frightened the buffalo away, which was probably not a significant factor in the diminishing of the buffalo herds. The Indians and white hunters both over-hunted the buffalo which became few in numbers. With modern wildlife management Buffalo are not only back but are plentiful and being raised for their lean meat which has become a delicacy.
The months later, Colorado “volunteers” attacked a Cheyenne village flying and American and White flag, killing the women and children at what would come to be known as the Sand Creek Massacre.
He and George Washington were both young officers in this battle.
The congressman visited New York City for the first time. He was taken to Martin Van Buren's political stronghold, the sixth ward.
He and the 7th Cavalry were themselves whipped and killed shortly thereafter.
The Creeks—the Cherokee traditional rivals and enemies were under a different command but all the other Indians were under Stand Watie’s command. In this quotation, we see the negative reaction that many Southerners had toward Quantrill and his cutthroats. This quote and others show that the Quantrill atrocities were generally known throughout the South. The Confederate command structure however, did nothing to rein in Quantrill’s atrocities much less discipline him for his war crimes. It is not clear to whom Waite referred as “enemies”—the Union troops or the Creeks, their traditional enemies. The slavery issue of the Civil War divided more than the nation. The Cherokee’s were badly divided over social class, aristocracy, strategy in keeping their land and tribal sovereignty, and slavery. A number of the older families had Black slaves. Stand Waite was one of the old, traditional, Cherokee, families, who were not happy losing their traditional power and influence when Jon Ross was elected tribal leader. He and his majority faction would not support the South in the Civil War. Stand Waite did, and after Ross was murdered Waite became the Second Cherokee Tribal leader.
The officer who testified at the inquiry of the Sand Creek Massacre, Lieutenant Joseph Cramer, was murdered thereafter in Denver by a supporter of Chivington’s. Sand Creek’s Indians were mutilated even after death with breasts and scrotums cut off as souvenir tobacco pouches. Ironically, President Lincoln had med with some of the killed Cheyenne leaders at the White House the year before and his quotation presages those whites who would break treaty.
In March of 1814 Jackson led a force to track down the Red Sticks. When they did so at Horseshoe Bend. Jackson made a frontal assault on the Red Stick Breastworks which might have gone badly had not a cotangent of Cherokee Indians—also concerned about the Red Sticks attack on their settlements, assaulted the Red Sticks from the rear. The Red Sticks, caught between the two uncoordinated attackers, lost over 900 men and the battle which then decided the war. In this Battle, Junaluska, a Cherokee, saved Jackson’s life. Years later he would not differentiate between the different Indian peoples and contrary to a Supreme Court order, forced the Cherokee from their settled farms and ranches and moved them to the Oklahoma Territory.
