Lone watie biography definition

By the time Isaac reached young adulthood, his father David Uwatie had become a wealthy planter who owned African American slaves. Beginning inthousands of prospectors poured into Georgia after gold was discovered in Cherokee territory. Anglo settlers put increasing pressure on the Cherokee to relocate to reservations further west, a process that intensified after Congress passed the Indian Removal Act in Facing untenable choices, the Cherokee splintered into two factions.

The majority, led by Chief John Ross, wanted to stay on their lands and fight for tribal sovereignty. Inhe and several others signed the Treaty of New Echota, ceding ancient Cherokee homelands in Georgia to the U. Watie made the move west insettling in the northeastern corner of the western Cherokee Nation, near Honey Creek. Thousands of other Cherokees weren't so lucky.

A majority believed the treaty invalid, and stayed put while Chief Ross appealed, unsuccessfully, to Washington, to nullify the agreement. Bythe U. Under Cherokee law, selling tribal lands without the people's approval was punishable by death. So inmembers from the majority faction executed Watie's co-signers of the New Echota treaty—his brother, his uncle and his cousin.

His father was a full-blooded Cherokee, while his mother was the daughter of a white father and Cherokee mother.

Lone watie biography definition: Watie, was a Cherokee politician who

He was named Degataga, which meant "standing firm. ByStand's father, David, had become a wealthy planter in Georgia who was also a slave owner. Stand Watie became a bit of a writer and often helped write articles for the Cherokee Phoenix. It was the first Native American newspaper that published articles in English and Cherokee. He became involved in the dispute over Georgia's anti-Indian laws, but it mattered little.

Gold was soon discovered on Cherokee land, and white settlers encroached on their land. Knowing that removal was inevitable, the Watie lone watie biographies definition tried to secure Cherokee rights before relocating to Indian territory. However, the majority of Cherokee Indians opposed removal and, therefore, opposed the treaty.

Tribal Council and Chief John Ross refused to ratify the treaty. They joined some others from their tribe who had relocated as early as the s and were known as the "Old Settlers. Those that remained on tribal lands in the East were eventually removed by force by the United States government in Their removal became known as the "Trail of Tears," and approximately 4, Cherokee died on the journey.

It was one of the saddest moments in American History. Stand and others who supported the Cherokee treaty with the United States government before the removal were sentenced to death for giving up tribal lands, which was a capital offense under Cherokee law. This was part of the post-Removal violence within the tribe, which was close to civil war for years.

Ross supporters executed Stand's brother Thomas Watie in His nephew E. Boudinotwho had returned to the West and become a lawyer, defended him. In the summer ofRoss removed the tribal records to Union-held Kansas and then proceeded to Washington, D. On February 18,it passed a resolution to emancipate all slaves within the boundaries of the Cherokee Nation.

After many Cherokee fled north to Kansas or south to Texas for safety, pro-Confederates took advantage of the instability and elected Stand Watie principal chief. Ross' supporters refused to recognize the validity of the election. Open warfare broke out between Confederate and Union Cherokee within Indian Territory, the damage heightened by brigands with no allegiance at all.

Watie pushed for recognition of a separate "Southern Cherokee Nation", but never achieved that. Watie was the only Native American to rise to a Confederate brigadier-general's rank during the war. Fearful of the Federal Government and the threat to create a State Oklahoma out of most of what was then the semi-sovereign "Indian Territory", a majority of the Cherokee Nation initially voted to support the Confederacy in the American Civil War for pragmatic reasons, though less than a tenth of the Cherokee owned slaves.

Watie organized a regiment of mounted infantry. In Octoberhe was commissioned as colonel in what would become the 1st Cherokee Mounted Rifles. Although Watie fought Federal lone watie biographies definition, he also led his men in fighting between factions of the Cherokee and in attacks on Cherokee civilians and farms, as well as against the CreekSeminole and others in Indian Territory who chose to support the Union.

Under the overall command of General Benjamin McCullochWatie's troops captured Union artillery positions and covered the retreat of Confederate forces from the battlefield after the Union took control. Drew, a nephew of Chief Ross, remained loyal to the Confederacy. In Augustafter John Ross and his followers announced their support for the Union and went to Fort Leavenworththe remaining Southern Confederate minority faction elected Stand Watie as principal chief.

He was appointed to the grade of Brigadier-General on May 10,with a date of rank of May 6, [ 14 ] though he did not receive word of his promotion until after he led the ambush of the steamboat J. Williams on July 16, They fought in a number of battles and skirmishes in the western Confederate states, including the Indian Territory, Arkansas, MissouriKansasand Texas.

Watie's force reportedly fought in more battles west of the Mississippi River than any other unit. Watie took part in what is considered to be the greatest and most famous Confederate victory in Indian Territory, the Second Battle of Cabin Creekwhich took place in what is now Mayes County, Oklahoma on September 19, Union reports said that Watie's Indian cavalry "killed all the Negroes they could find", including wounded men.

Since most Cherokee were now Union supporters, during the war, General Watie's family and other Confederate Cherokee took refuge in Rusk and Smith counties of east Texas. By then, however, the Confederates were no longer able to fight in the territory effectively. He was the last Confederate general in the field to surrender. In Septemberafter his demobilization, Watie went to Texas to see his wife Sallie and to mourn the death of their son, Comisky, who had died at age The U.

By doing so, it was able to extract a number of concessions from both sides. The resulting treaty required the Cherokee to free their slaves. The Southern Cherokee wanted the government to pay to relocate the Cherokee Freedmen from their lands. The Northern Cherokee suggested adopting them into the tribe, but wanted the federal government to give the Freedman an exclusive piece of associated territory.

The federal government required that the Cherokee Freedmen would receive full rights for citizenship, land, and annuities as the Cherokee. It assigned them land in the Canadian addition.

Lone watie biography definition: Lone Watie () was a.

This treaty was signed by Ross on July 19,and ratified by the U. Senate on July 27, four days before Ross' death. The tribe was strongly divided over the treaty issues and a new chief was elected, Lewis Downinga full-blood and compromise candidate. He was a shrewd and politically savvy Principal Chief, bringing about reconciliation and reunification among the Cherokee.

After the treaty signing, Watie had gone into exile in the Choctaw Nation. Shortly after Downing's election, he returned to the Cherokee. Watie tried to stay out of politics and rebuild his fortunes.

Lone watie biography definition: Stand Watie was given the Cherokee

He returned to Honey Creek, where he died on September 9, Their families had been long-time friends. Both daughters died not long after their father. Sarah died in His child with Elizabeth Fields was stillborn in Contents move to sidebar hide. Retrieve it. Term » Definition Word in Definition Translations. Word in Definition. How to pronounce Lone Watie?

Alex US English. David US English. Mark US English. Daniel British. Libby British. Mia British. Karen Australian.