Indian Leaders: Oklahoma’s First Statesmen Page: 49
vii, 182 p. : ill., maps, ports. ; 23 cm.View a full description of this book.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
OPOTHLEYAHOLA AND THE CREEKS DURING THE CIVIL WAR
By Carter Blue Clark
The United States' Civil War destroyed the unity of several American
Indian tribes. The Creeks, Cherokees and Seminoles fought a civil war
within their own tribes at the same time, 1861 to 1865, that the nation was
torn into warring factions in the national Civil War. New elements from
the Civil War combined with traditional factionalism within the Indian
nations to bring unprecedented tragedy and misery to the Indians of
Indian Territory. Opothleyahola, the leader of a large number of Creeks,
provides an example of the fate of many of the Indians during the period
of warfare. His leadership contributed to the survival of a segment of the
Creek tribe until the war ended. Unfortunately, after surviving freezing
cold, starvation and enemy bullets, he died of natural causes and old age
before he witnessed the reunification of his people after the war.
Opothleyahola held a strong position of leadership among the Creeks
over a long span of years. He had early entered tribal policy councils in the
Creeks' ancient homeland in Georgia and Alabama. At age fifteen he had
participated in the battle of Horseshoe Bend in the War of 1812. Shortly
thereafter he became the leading spokesman for the council of the Upper
Creeks, adamantly opposing their eviction from their homelands. Despite
his opposition to the removal of the native cultures from the Southeast, he
could do little but stall the inevitable negotiations. White land hunger sur-
rounded and swept away the Creek Nation. The chief led his people to a
new land west of the Mississippi River in what later became the state of
Oklahoma. There, thirty years afterward, the events of the Civil War era
would again sweep away sections of the Creek Nation.
The Creeks gradually rebuilt a way of life in their new homes and began
to prosper. The Nation numbeerd about 14,000 in 1861. However, a linger-
ing problem continued to haunt the nation even in the new homeland. The
bitterness and factionalism that had abetted removal in the 1830s lingered on
among tribespeople. One faction, the mixed-bloods, had favored wider ac-
ceptance of white ways and Indian removal in compliance with whites'
wishes. Another faction, the full-bloods, favored retention of the traditional
ways that had served their ancestors for untold generations. The full-bloods
opposed removal. Whites contemptuously referred to the full-bloods as
"blanket Indians" because they clung to the old ways-which included the
use of the blanket draped over the shoulders, in direct opposition to the49
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This book can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Related Items
Other items on this site that are directly related to the current book.
Indian Leaders: Oklahoma’s First Statesmen (Book)
Book discussing the history of Native Americans, including Quanah Parker and Black Kettle, and their involvement in political, military, and social confrontations in Oklahoma. Index starts on page 177.
Relationship to this item: (Has Format)
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Book.
Jordan, H. Glenn & Holm, Thomas M. Indian Leaders: Oklahoma’s First Statesmen, book, 1979; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. (https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc862883/m1/59/: accessed May 2, 2024), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, https://gateway.okhistory.org; .