Christine Schultz White, Benton R. White. Now The Wolf Has Come: The Creek Nation in the Civil War. College Station: Texas A&M University Press, 1996. 216 pp. $29.95, ISBN 978-0-89096-689-1.

Reviewed by Kim Allen Scott

Published on H-CivWar (June, 1996)

The history of the Civil War in the Indian Ter‐ ernment. Creek opposition to the McIntosh course ritory presents a serious challenge for historians. found its leader in Opothleyahola, an aging orator Aside from a paucity of records left by the Native who based his refusal to join with the Rebel cause American participants, researchers must grapple not so much on any loyalty to the Union, but on a with the slippery issues of cultural bias and misin‐ sincere desire to avoid the confict altogether. In terpretation in the few accounts that have sur‐ his desire to sit out the fght, Opothleyahola found vived. The origins of wartime divisions between encouragement in the alleged neutral stance tak‐ tribes living in the region were complicated, en by John Ross, the leader of the Cherokee Na‐ which requires that anyone attempting to explain tion, as well as thousands of disgruntled members them use the tools of the anthropologist as much of the and other tribes who wanted as those of the historian. A good case in point is nothing more than to be left alone. the study of the Muskogee or Creek nation and its Circumstances worked against Opothleyaho‐ tragic introduction to our national agony during la's hope for peaceful neutrality, and as his home the closing months of 1861. became a rallying point for refugees feeing the Like others of the so-called civilized tribes coming holocaust he received word that John Ross who were relocated to the during had fnally bowed to the pressure of a Confeder‐ the early decades of the nineteenth century, the ate alliance. As the rebel government moved to Creek Nation experienced a bitter division partial‐ consolidate their claim on the Indian Territory, ly based on those who had embraced the removal Opothleyahola decided to act on an invitation he treaty and those who had not. The McIntosh fac‐ had received from Union authorities in Kansas to tion had a longstanding reputation of ready ac‐ seek refuge there. In the late autumn of 1861 ceptance of and assimilation with Euro-American 9,000 men, women, and children, hauling much of pioneers, and when the Civil War broke out the their worldly possessions in heavy oxcarts and McIntosh quickly allied with the Confederate gov‐ wagons, set out from Opothleyahola's home in a H-Net Reviews desperate attempt to escape the war. The pursuit, ence over the course of the entire Civil War, but led by Colonel Douglas H. Cooper, included regi‐ instead concentrates on Opothleyahola's fight ments from all the allied tribes, including the and the Creek pursuit led by Daniel McIntosh. A McIntosh Creeks who had their own agenda in large portion of the book is devoted to a vehement settling the score with Opothleyahola's people. critique of Euro-American society and its treat‐ Three pitched battles occurred during the ment of Native Americans woven into the tale of a Creek odyssey north to the Kansas border. The delegation sent to Washington, D.C., to plea for the frst at Round Mountain on November 19 was an relief of Opothleyahola's people. While this cri‐ unexpected victory for the refugees, sending tique is certainly an expression of the "Indian per‐ Cooper's army back to Fort Gibson for a second spective," one naturally wonders if its severity is wind. The next fght occurred on December 9 at entirely justifed. Bird Creek, where Opothleyahola was again able Now the Wolf Has Come contains no maps or temporarily to check the pursuing Rebels. But as a precise dates of activities as the Whites describe result of terrible weather and diminishing sup‐ Opothleyahola's ordeal. An explanation for the plies, the feeing warriors and their families were former omission, hinted at in the footnotes, is that trounced at Chustenahlah on December 26, and the location of the battles described remains a the relentless tracking of the survivors ceased matter of debate for researchers. Only the Confed‐ only when a blizzard mercifully intervened. Of erate battle reports are available (Opothleyahola's the 9,000 people who had begun the trek with people naturally did not write down their version Opothleyahola, only 7,000 ever made it to Kansas, for inclusion in the Official Records.) The omis‐ where the anticipated aid of the Union govern‐ sion of precise dates is intentional, since the ment became just another example of a long his‐ White's literary style precludes the use of conven‐ tory of broken promises. tional measurements of time. Yet the absence of The story of Opothleyahola's fight has been both maps and dates makes it difcult to compare retold in the volume by Christine White and Ben‐ the Muskogee ordeal with the well-documented ton White. They employ oral history interviews, fight of Chief Joseph and the Nez Perce, as the anthropological studies, and traditional primary Whites insist it should be. sources to paint a colorful word picture from Although the authors attempt to tell the story what the authors describe as the "Indian perspec‐ from the perspective of both the Tuckabachee and tive." Admitting a certain bias at the onset of a his‐ McIntosh factions without advancing the cause of torical work is certainly nothing new, but the either side, the reader is naturally left with a mea‐ Whites take their warning one step further than sure of sympathy for Opothleyahola's people. Af‐ most narratives by informing readers, "If yours is ter all, they are the ones that "lost" the campaign a world of linear logic, scientifc empiricism, and and sufered unbelievable hardship in their quest sensory perception only...if you cannot concede for Union protection in Kansas. The wartime ex‐ that there are at least other possibilities, you need periences of the McIntosh soldiers in the Confed‐ read no farther." What follows this introductory eracy and of the Creeks who enlisted in the Union red fag is a story that reads very much like a nov‐ Home Guard regiments are only briefy men‐ el, devoid of precise dates and locations, and pre‐ tioned. senting its events and characters against an ex‐ As a literary experiment, Now the Wolf Has tremely sympathetic background. Come is a compelling narrative that presents In a way, the subtitle of this book is mislead‐ readers with a story of pathos and hardship. As a ing. The work does not describe the Creek experi‐ historical work documenting the scope of the

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Creek nation's participation in the Civil War, the book falls short of its promise. Copyright (c) 1996 by H-Net, all rights re‐ served. This work may be copied for non-proft educational use if proper credit is given to the au‐ thor and the list. For other permission, please con‐ tact [email protected]. [The book review ed‐ itor for H-CIVWAR is Daniel E. Sutherland.]

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Citation: Kim Allen Scott. Review of White, Christine Schultz; White, Benton R. Now The Wolf Has Come: The Creek Nation in the Civil War. H-CivWar, H-Net Reviews. June, 1996.

URL: https://www.h-net.org/reviews/showrev.php?id=461

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