The Civil War broke out in 1861. The armies, desperate for strength, asked for Native Americans to serve in the armies.
28,693 Native Americans fought in the war, which lasted for four years. Some Native American tribes held slaves, such as the Choctaw who held 6000 slaves, and agreed with the policy of the Confederate States.
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Some of the battles in the Civil War were fought in Indian territory, for example Battle of Cabin Creek. Native Americans did fight in most of these battles, but their part wasn't very big. Few Natives ever got to high ranks in the armies.
Ely S. Parker of the Seneca nation got to the ranks of Brevet Brigadier General, only one of the two Native to get to general ranks (the other one was Stand Watie, who fought for the Confederacy). Parker wrote the terms of surrender between the United States and the Confederate States of America.
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At the end of the war some tribes, such as the Choctaw had to adapted to the changed policy and releases all of it's slaves.
Native Americans in the Civil War
