NY-CIVIL-WAR-L Archives

From: "DonLinda" <>
Subject: [NY-CIVIL-WAR] An Indian Volunteer, 1861
Date: Mon, 11 Sep 2006 19:45:55 -0400

source:
Spirit of the Times, Batavia NY, Nov 9-1861

transcribed & submitted by L.Schmidt, 9/2006

"An Indian Volunteer"
Mr. J.N. Parker, the highly educated and talented Chief of the Tonawanda
Indians in this County, recently applied to be admitted into the Volunteer
service, to fight for and protect the flag and Government that has sheltered
him and the remnant of his once powerful tribe of brother Indians; but was
refused, at which he seems sorely grieved, if we may judge from the tone of
the following letter which he addresses to the editor of the Buffalo
'Courier.' He says: -
"That was very queer to me, as I am personally knowing of several red men
who are now in the service - one in Elmira, several in Washington, and I
have a nephew in the Navy, who signed his name on board the U.S. steamer
Michigan. I, with hundreds of others like myself, would like to know if we
cannot go out into the field to defend our Stars and Stripes, that glorious
and noble flag. Yes, the stars we saw when first we opened our eyes into
the world; and we were bred and raised under its noble stripes. It taught
us to be loyal, to be patriotic, to be true to our country. Yes, our
American eagle hovered over us in our infancy, and when we got to be men
that eagle now soars on high. The red man would like nothing better than to
serve his country, to help save the country which is now weltering in its
disgrace. Has not the red man, a few grains of sand which he would love to
protect, which now cover the ashes of our immortal Washington? Who can be
more loyal than one whose flesh and bones are composed of American soil?
Many a noble warrior fought, bled and died, upon the Niagara frontiers in
1812, '13, '14, and '15, to protect his country, and even my aged father of
seventy winters, has fought and bled for his country. In honor of having
bled for his country he is now a pensioner. We are desirous of following in
the noble steps of our fathers. Not only that, but we hear in the wind as
it sweeps over the "mound" a voice calling upon us to defend our homes, our
country, at all times, and the Great Spirit whispers to us in our dreams,
calling upon us to uphold a country, to support a government which stands
upon a pillar of strength, a column of wisdom, and adorned with America's
beauty, the whole having for its foundation the Good Book.
Who can be more patriotic than a red man? He was planted upon America's
bosom, the red man's mother earth, by God himself. The red man does not
wish to live under a government, to be governed by men whose very conduct,
deeds and words, are prompted by the imps of the devil, and much less to be
made a slave. Before submitting to that, the red man will fight. He will
die a warrior's death, and occupy a warrior's grave, before he will see his
mother country fall into the skeleton grasp of our Southern sugar-cane
brothers."

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• [NY-CIVIL-WAR] An Indian Volunteer, 1861 by "DonLinda" <>