Between Two Fires: American Indians in the Civil War
Very little of the information in this history of Native American participation in the Civil War is wholly news, and some--such as that Grant's aide, Eli Parker, was an Iroquois chief and that Cherokees under Stand Watie fought for the Confederacy--is known to most well-read Civil War enthusiasts. But no other recent author has pulled together into one accessible, well-written, and thoroughly researched book the full scope of Native American service in the Civil War. Indians participated both as groups and as individuals and with a wide diversity of motivation, but most had at least some notion that participation was a step forward to full acceptance in American society--a goal that, then as on too many other occasions, eluded them. The book requires some Civil War background knowledge to be fully appreciated, but to readers so prepared, it is unqualifiedly recommended.Roland Green