Iroquois in the Civil War: From Battlefield to Reservation - Paperback

by Laurence M. Hauptman (Author)

Despite the perennial interest in the American Civil War, historians have not examined sufficiently how Native American communities were affected by this watershed event in U.S. history. This ground-breaking book by one of
the foremost Iroquois historians significantly adds to our understanding of this subject by providing the first intimate look at the Iroquois' involvement in the American Civil War and its devastating impact on Iroquois communities.

Both fascinating and fast-moving, The Iroquois in the Civil War exposes many myths about Native American soldiers. To correct old stereotypes about American Indians, Hauptman discusses the Iroquois' distinguished war service as commissioned and noncommissioned officers as well as ordinary cavalrymen and common foot soldiers.

Drawing upon archival records and personal wartime letters and diaries never before used by ethnohistorians, Hauptman portrays the dilemma the Iroquois experienced during this era. He assesses the Iroquois' military volunteerism, their loyalty to the Union, and their concurrent effort to maintain their lands, sovereignty, and cultural identity just at a time when new pressures for tribal dissolution were increasing. He not only provides us with a remarkable glimpse into the hearts and minds of Iroquois Indians on the battlefield but also adds significantly to our understanding about the conflict affecting the women and children remaining on the reservations.

Author Biography

Laurence M. Hauptman, professor of history at the State University of New York at New Paltz, is the author and editor of twelve books and articles in Native American studies. He has worked for the Wisconsin Oneidas, the Mashantucket Pequots, and the Seneca Nation of Indians as a historical consultant. ln 1997 he received an award of commendation from the Seneca Nation for his expert testimony before both houses of Congress that contributed to congressional legislation in the Seneca-Salamanca lease debate.