METIS-L Archives

Archiver > METIS > 2007-06 > 1182362111


From: "Gary Boivin" <>
Subject: [METIS] Michigan Indians or Anishinaabe Soldiers in the Civil War
Date: Wed, 20 Jun 2007 11:55:11 -0600


>From The French-Canadian Heritage Society of Michigan List

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
----


Mid-Michigan Genealogical Society presents at their meeting Wednesday, June
27, 2007

Roger D. Winthrop who will speak on "Michigan Indians or Anishinaabe
Soldiers in the Civil War".



Roger D. Winthrop is an "independent historian" with degrees from Kentucky
and Wisconsin who has a long-standing interest in the Civil War, and a more
recent one in Michigan's First People.



Mr. Winthrop years ago set out to write a 'Regimental' history of a Michigan
unit and was trying to choose one when he kept encountering the roster of
Company K, First Michigan Sharpshooters, the only all-Indian unit to serve
the Union in the East. He could not shake the questions : "Who ARE these
people? Why are they fighting?" Answering them took years of research under
the guiding hand of an Odawa elder who could take him through the veils of
language and culture that separated him from understanding. What was found
was not what either of them expected, and from their research is emerging
the first complete and coherent story of the Anishinaabeg experience in the
Civil War.



He will focus on Co. K, but will comment on WI and, to lesser extent, MN
Natives if for no other reason than to demonstrate that the reasons they
fought were substantially different, quite dependent upon localized
socio-politics.



Anyone with interest in a particular name associated with Co. K should
contact him directly at <> prior to 27th so he can
more adequately address their questions that evening.



Imperfect but useable rosters of Co. K can be found in Ray Herek's
THESE MEN HAVE SEEN HARD SERVICE: THE FIRST MICHIGAN SHARPSHOOTERS IN THE
CIVIL WAR [Wayne State Press, 1998] or online at either of these websites:

http://www.michiganinthewar.org/sharpshooters/1mssa.htm


http://members.aol.com/roundsky/company-k.html



Meetings are held at Plymouth Congregational Church

2001 East Grand River Ave., Lansing, MI. 7pm-9pm.

All are welcome.



This thread: