Now the Wolf Has Come: The Creek Nation in the Civil War
ISBN: , SKU: , AUTHOR: White, Christine Schultz / White, Benton R., PUBLISHER: Texas A&M University Press, In the winter of , nine thousong>anong>d Native Americong>anong>s in Indiong>anong> Territory took a chong>anong>ce. Drawing on little else but wits, raw courage, ong>anong>d unshakable faith in the old gods, ong>anong>d their aging leader, Opothleyahola, they made a desperate escape from Confederate troops that were closing in. Seeking to reach the protection of federal forces in Kong>anong>sas, their dramatic journey, recounted here from a unique Creek/Muskogee perspective, was filled with hazards; their destination, with disillusion ong>anong>d despair. The fleeing tribes suffered on the trek from blizzards, disease, ong>anong>d starvation. Constong>anong>t harassment ong>anong>d desperate pitched battles with rival bong>anong>ds of the Creek Nation led by the Confederate-allied McIntosh family, adjoining Cherokees under Colonel Stong>anong>d Waitie, ong>anong>d Texong>anong> Confederate sympathizers whittled away the number of survivors. When they finally straggled into Kong>anong>sas, two thousong>anong>d were dead or missing. Even then, their trials were not over: Federal "protection" proved to be hollow ong>anong>d harsh. Along with mong>anong>y others, Old Opothleyahola himself died in one of the bleak Federal camps. The complexity of the relationship between Opothleyahola ong>anong>d McIntosh--ong>anong>d the Native Americong>anong> strategies they represented--the passion of the Civil War, ong>anong>d the drama of battles ong>anong>d pursuits fill the pages of this story of ong>anong> earlier day's refugee plight. Told from the Native Americong>anong> view of the events, never before written, this narrative account relies heavily on Creek oral tradition. Personal interviews with members of the Muskogee Nation have been supplemented with academic research in state, federal, ong>anong>d university archives ong>anong>d in the records of the Museum of the Muskogee Nation in Okmulgee, Oklahoma. Not only students of Native Americong>anong> history but also those interested in the Civil War will find this volume invaluable reading.