Forgotten people : the Loyal Creeks and their trials during the Civil War.

Abstract

The Civil War conjures up images of battles like Gettysburg, emancipation, or soldiers clad in blue and gray. Historians write about great leaders and heroic soldiers, but still some figures go almost unconsidered. A forgotten people by many, the Loyal Creeks have their own story of the Civil War. This thesis uses both primary and secondary sources to create a historical narrative about the Loyal Creeks and shows their trials during the Civil War. Creeks struggled over question of allegiance and alliance as much as Americans, a struggle which culminated in a tragic and ultimately deadly intertribal split. This thesis reveals the reasons for the Creek split. The story of the Loyal Creeks did not end with the wartime division of the Creek Nation. The division forced those who remained loyal to the Union to abandon their homes and country. The Loyal Creeks escaped to Kansas in search of government refuge but found only a three-year struggle to survive at various refugee sites. Survival for the Loyal Creeks was a struggle because government aid was scarce at best. Hard, cold winters and lack of clothing, shelter, and food caused many of the Indians to die either from the elements or to become susceptible to disease that ultimately took untold lives. The Loyal Creeks' struggle with the government is not a new story, but combined with their intertribal split it is not only an important event in Indian history but in American history as well. The goal of this work is to bring to light the story of the Loyal Creeks and make them no longer a forgotten people.