audiobook Between Two Fires: American Indians in the Civil War by Laurence M. Hauptman in History

Review

0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Between Two Fires Continues To Burn BrightlyBy Mississippi's Literary CriticHuaptman's topic is of strong interest; and he covers the obscure well. However; he does not go far enough. During the American Civil War; American Indian tribes participated--many for the Union; but most for the Confederacy. Huaptman divides his book into 3 major sections: the Trans-Mississippi West; the South; and the North.Across the Mississippi River; the Delaware contributed to the Union cause. The celebrated Cherokee Stand Waite has a chapter of his own and deservedly so. Waite was one of the last to surrender and the only Confederate General of a strong degree of American Indian blood.In the Southern section (the section I consider obscure and highly captivating); he covers the Pamunkey and Lumbee Unionist; the Catawba; and the Eastern Band of Cherokee. Disappointingly; he includes a small one paragraph mention of the 1st Choctaw Battalion out of Mississippi. Huaptman could have gone a little further with them. In fact; there is enough material about them for a whole book; so a chapter about them would have been an integral part of this book.In the last part; he investigates the Unionist roles of Northern tribes like the Ottawa; Ojibwa; Pequot; and Mohegan Indians. Ely S. Parker; the Seneca; was an interesting re-read as he is well known. Parker was on the staff of General Ulysses S. Grant.Overall; he did an admirable job. I notice a number of discrepancies in the notes while doing my own research. On page 215; the letter from "John A. Davis to Major Memminger; April 12; 1863" ... The letter was actually from Brig. Gen. John Adams to Memminger. Also; on the same page; J. W. Pierce was the writer than a "J. N. Pierce."0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Great informationBy troubleVery interesting and well done. Lots of facts without being too dry.6 of 7 people found the following review helpful. Well-researched and thoroughBy DWD's ReviewsAs the title clearly tells us; this is a book (primarily) about the contributions of the American Indian to the American Civil War. It starts the reader with some of the early atrocities and misunderstandings that have characterized Indian and White interactions throughout American history. Some are the same things you will read about in any decent high school history text; and some are new for those that are not Indian history "buffs"; such as myself. For example; I was not aware of the cruel and deliberate destruction of the Indian populations in California during the Gold Rush of 1849 until I read about it here.The book discusses Indian participation on both sides of the war and their various motivations for joining in the fight. These motivations range from genuine patriotism to wanting to suck up to the government (be it Union or Confederate) for favors to wanting a steady; if small income to just wanting to get involved in the biggest thing that was going to happen to this generation of Americans.Among the more interesting vignettes are the story of how the Eastern Band of the Cherokees (if you have been to the Smoky Mountain Nat'l Park you've heard of them) earned their land through service to the CSA; the biography of Colonel Ely Parker; the Indian who drafted Lee's surrender for his friend U.S. Grant and the Battle of the Crater. This Battle in the Petersburg siege had 3 different groups of Indians fighting (one on the side of the CSA; two on the USA) along with Blacks and Whites. It was probably the most integrated battle the U.S. fought until the Korean War; when Truman desegegrated the armed forces.This is one of the most heavily referenced books I've ever read. There are 53 pages of end notes and 42 pages of bibliography for a 192 page book! If you are ever looking for a great source of information for a paper or research project on the Civil War; I'd recommend starting with this list.Final Grade: B+ (good writing style; ocassionally too in-depth and bordering on trivia)