NATIVE AMERICAN NATIONS


See also INDIAN TERRITORY

SECRETARIES AND ADMINISTRATORS IN CHARGE OF NATIVE AMERICAN AFFAIRS

1849 - .... The Secretaries of the Interior Commissioners of the Office for Indian Affairs The Office of Indian Affairs was set up within the Department of War in 1824 to deal with all matters concerning the Native Americans. It was transferred to the Department of the Interior in 1849. 1869 - 1871 Eli S. Parker (Do-Ne-Ho-Ge-Weh of the Seneca Nation) 1828 - 1895 1871 H. R. Clum* 1871 - 1872 Francis Amasa Walker 1840 - 1897 1872 - 1873 H. R. Clum* (2x) 1873 - 1875 Edward Parmalee Smith 1827 - 1876 1875 - 1877 John Q. Smith 1877 - 1880 Ezra A. Hayt 1823 - 1902 1880 E. M. Marble* 1880 - 1881 R. E. Trowbridge 1881 - 1884 Hiram Price 1885 - 1887 John D. C. Atkins 1825 - 1887 - 1889 John H. Oberly 1889 - 1893 Thomas Jefferson Morgan 1893 - 1897 Daniel M. Browning 1897 - 1905 William A. Jones 1905 - 1909 Francis Ellington Leupp 1849 - 1918 1909 - 1913 Robert Grosvenor Valentine 1872 - 1916 1913 - 1921 Cato Sells 1859 - 1948 1921 - 1929 Charles Henry Burke 1861 - 1944 1929 - 1933 Charles James Rhoads 1872 - 1956 1933 - 1945 John Collier 1884 - 1968 1945 - 1948 William Aloysius Brophy 1903 - 1962 _________________________________________________________________________________

US MILITARY COMMANDERS IN THE WEST

Although Indian affairs were transferred to the civilian authorities in 1849 the military continued to play an important role in US-Indian relations for most of the remaining part of the 19th century, especially in the territory West of the Mississippi, where the army was in charge of the pacification of the Indian nations, their relocation into reservations and the quelling of possible ensuing revolts. (1) (1) Usually the tragedy of Wounded Knee in 1890 is considered as the end of these so-called "Indian Wars" (actually a cycle of raids, counterraids and skirmishes, the only real battle being that of the Little Big Horn in 1876) This is not fully correct as local resistance continued for many years and it perhaps are the three "Ute Wars" - in fact no more than some local skirmishes - of 1915, 1921 and 1923 which should actually be considered as the final act of traditional Indian resistance. MILITARY DIVISION OF THE MISSOURI (information given until 1890, the year of Wounded Knee) The Military Division of the Missouri was established in 1865, abolished the same year but already restored in 1866. In 1890 it included : - the Department of Dakota incorporating : - the States of Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota and parts of the States of Idaho and South Dakota - the Park of Yellowstone - the Department of the Missouri incorporating (west of the Mississippi only) : - the States of Arkansas, Kansas and Missouri - Indian Territory and the Territory of Oklahoma - the Department of the Platte incorporating : - The States of Colorado, Iowa, Nebraska, Wyoming (except Yellowstone Park) - the Territory of Utah - the Department of Texas incorporating : - the State of Texas Major Native Opponents included : - the Comanche, Kiowa, Southern Arapaho and Southern Cheyenne (1874 - 1875 in the Indian Territory and Texas) Leaders : Quanah Parker (Quahadi Comanche), overall Leader 1845 - 1911 Guipago "Lone Wolf" (Kiowa) 1820 - 1879 - the Dakota (Sioux), Northern Arapaho and Northern Cheyenne (1876 - 1877 in Montana, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wyoming) Leaders : -Tatanka-Iyotanka "Sitting Bull" (Hunkpapa Sioux), Spiritual Leader (2) 183. - 1890 -Tashunca-Uitco "Crazy Horse" (Oglala Sioux), War leader 1849 - 1877 -Dull Knife (Northern Cheyenne) 18.. - 1879 - the Northern Cheyenne (1878 in Indian Territory, Kansas and Nebraska) Leader : Dull Knife s.a. - the Ute (1879 in Colorado) Leaders : -Chief Jack House -Chief Quinkent "Douglas" White (2) More correctly Hunkpapa and Oglala Lakota/Teton (= Western Dakota) Commanders of the Military Division of the Missouri 1869 - 1883 Gen. Philip Henry Sheridan 1831 - 1888 1883 - 1886 Gen. John McAllister Schofield 1831 - 1906 1886 - 1888 Gen. Alfred Howe Terry 1827 - 1890 1888 - 1890 Gen. George Crook 1828 - 1890 1890 - 1891 Gen. Nelson Appleton Miles 1839 - 1925 Commanders of the Military Department of Dakota 1869 - 1872 Gen. Winfield Scott Hancock 1824 - 1886 1872 - 1886 Gen. Alfred Howe Terry (2x) s.a. 1886 - 1891 Gen. Thomas Howard Ruger 1833 - 1807 Commanders of the Military Department of the Missouri 1870 - 1883 Gen. John Pope 1822 - 1892 1883 - 1885 Gen. Christopher Columbus Augur 1821 - 1898 1885 - 1886 Gen. Nelson Appleton Miles s.a. 1886 Gen. Thomas Howard Ruger s.a. 1886 - 1887 Gen. Orlando Bolivar Willcox 1823 - 1907 1887 - 1891 ... Commanders of the Military Department of the Platte 1869 - 1872 Gen. Christopher Columbus Augur s.a. 1872 - 1875 Gen. Edward Otho Cresap Ord 1818 - 1883 1875 - 1882 Gen. George Crook s.a. 1882 - 1886 Gen. Oliver Otis Howard 1830 - 1909 1886 - 1888 Gen. George Crook (2x) 1888 - 1892 Gen. John Rutter Brooke 1838 - 1926 Commanders of the Military Department of Texas 1870 - 1872 Gen. Joseph Jones Reynolds 1822 - 1899 1872 - 1875 Gen. Christopher Columbus Augur s.a. 1875 - 1880 Gen. Edward Otho Cresap Ord s.a. 1880 - 1883 Gen. Christopher Columbus Augur (2x) 1883 Gen. Benjamin Henry Grierson 1826 - 1911 1883 - 1884 Gen. Ranald Slidell "Bad Hand" Mackenzie 1840 - 1889 1884 - 1892 Gen. David Sloane Stanley 1828 - 1902 MILITARY DIVISION OF THE PACIFIC (information given until 1886, year of the surrender of Geronimo) The Military Division of the Pacific was established in 1865. In 1886 it included : - the Department of Arizona incorporating : - the Territories of Arizona and New Mexico - the Department of California incorporating : - the States of California and Nevada - the Department of Columbia incorporating : - the State of Oregon - the Territory of Washington and part of the Territory of Idaho - Alaska Major Native Opponents included : - the Apache (1860 - 1886 in Arizona and New Mexico) Leaders : Cochise, leader of the Chokonens Chiricahua Apache. At war 1862 - 1872 (with interruptions). 18.. - 1874 Victorio, leader of the Mimbrens Chiricahua Apache. At war 1879 - 1880 (with interruptions). 1825 - 1880 Goyathlay "Geronimo", leader of the Bedonkohe Chiricahua Apache At war 1881 - 1886 (with interruptions) 1829 - 1909 - the Bannock and Northern Paiute (1878 in Oregon) Leaders : Buffalo Horn (Bannock) in may - june 1... - 1878 -Egan (Northern Paiute) in june - july 1... - 1878 -Oyte (Northern Paiute) in june - aug - the Modoc (1872 - 1873 in California) Leader : Kintpuash "Captain Jack" 1837 - 1873 - the Nez Percé (1877 in Idaho, later in Wyoming and Montana) Leader : Hin-mah-too-yah-lat-kekt "Chief Joseph" (the Younger) 1840 - 1904 - the "Sheepeaters" (renegate bands of Shoshone and Bannocks - 1879 in Idaho) Leader : ... Commanders of the Military Division of the Pacific 1870 - 1876 Gen. John McAllister Schofield s.a. 1876 - 1882 Gen. Irvin McDowell 1818 - 1885 1882 - 1883 Gen. John McAllister Schofield (2x) 1883 - 1886 Gen. John Pope s.a. 1886 - 1888 Gen. Oliver Otis Howard s.a. Commanders of the Department of Arizona 1866 - 1871 Gen. George Stoneman 1822 - 1894 1871 - 1875 Gen. George Crook s.a. 1875 - 1878 Gen. August Valentine Kautz 1828 - 1913 1878 - 1882 Gen. Orlando Bolivar Willcox s.a. 1882 - 1886 Gen. George Crook (2x) 1886 - 1888 Gen. Nelson Appleton Miles s.a. Commanders of the Military Department of California 1870 - 1872 Gen. Edward Otho Cresap Ord s.a. 1872 - 1876 none ? 1876 - 1888 The Commanders of the Division of the Pacific Commanders of the Military Department of Columbia 1869 - 1873 Gen. Edward Richard Sprigg Canby 1817 - 1873 1873 Gen. Alvan Cullem Gillem* 1830 - 1875 1873 - 1874 Gen. Jefferson "Jeff" Columbus Davis* 1828 - 1879 1874 - 1880 Gen. Oliver Otis Howard s.a. 1880 - 1884 Gen. Nelson Appleton Miles s.a. 1885 - 1891 Gen. John Gibbon 1827 - 1896
Back to U.S. HOME 1