North American Indians in the Great War

Applegate Krouse Susan

Description

More than twelve thousand American Indians served in the United States military in World War I, even though many were not U.S. citizens and did not enjoy the benefits of enfranchisement. Using the words of the veterans themselves, as collected by Joseph K. Dixon (1856–1926), North American Indians in the Great War presents the experiences of American Indian veterans during World War I and after their return home.

 

Dixon, a photographer, author, and Indian rights advocate, had hoped that documenting American Indian service in the military would aid the Indian struggle to obtain general U.S. citizenship. Dixon managed to document nearly a quarter of the Indians who had served but was unable to complete his work, and his records languished unexamined until now. Unlike other sources of information on Indian military service collected by government officials, Dixon’s records come primarily from the veterans themselves. Their comments reveal pride in upholding an Indian tradition of military service as well as frustration with the U.S. government. Particularly in its immediacy and individuality, Dixon’s documentation of American Indian veterans of World War I adds greatly to our understanding of the experiences of American Indians in the U.S. military.

Sujets

• Histoire
• USA
• Military history
• World War I
• Indigenous peoples
• History of the Americas
• États-Unis

Informations

• Publié par: Nebraska Paperback
• Date de parution: 01 décembre 2007
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9780803213890
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 6 Mo

Extrait

North American Indians in the Great War

Studies in War, Society, and the Military

g e n e r a l e d i t o rs Peter Maslowski University of Nebraska–Lincoln David Graff Kansas State University Reina Pennington Norwich University

e d i t o r i a l b oa r d

D’Ann Campbell Director of Government and Foundation Relations, U.S. Coast Guard Foundation Mark A. Clodfelter National War College Brooks D. Simpson Arizona State University Roger J. Spiller George C. Marshall Professor of Military History, U.S. Army Command and General Staff College (retired) Timothy H. E. Travers University of Calgary Arthur Waldron Lauder Professor of International Relations, University of Pennsylvania

s u s a n a p p l e g a t e k ro u s e

North American Indiansin the Great War

Photographs and original documentation by jo s e p h k . d i xo n

University of Nebraska Press Lincoln & London

©2007by the Board of Regents of the University of Nebraska All rights reserved Manufactured in the United States of America

Library of Congress Cataloging-in- Publication Data Krouse, Susan Applegate,1955– North American Indians in the Great War / Susan Applegate Krouse ; photographs and original documentation by Joseph K. Dixon. p. cm.—(Studies in war, society, and the military) Includes bibliographical references and index. isbn 978-0-8032-2778-1(cloth : alk. paper) 1. World War,1917–1918—Participation, Indian.2. World War,1914–1918— Personal narratives.3. United States— Armed Forces—Indians. I. Dixon, Joseph Kossuth. II. Title. d810.i5k76 2007 940.4'03—dc22 2007004494

Cover: American Indian soldiers at Camp Merritt, New Jersey, September14, 1919. Front row (left to right): Thomas Slinker, John Grass (Sioux);back row, (left to right): Fred Chavez (Mission Indian) [?], Webster Hovis (Chippewa) or Charlie Carter (Sac and Fox) [?], Joseph LaJeunesse (Chippewa) [?]. Photo cropped from original, omitting last figure on top right.

To my parents, John and Carol Applegate

Contents

List of Illustrations . . .ix Acknowledgments . . .xi

Introduction . . .1 1. Serving for Duty and Justice . . .17 2. Battlefield Experiences around the World . . .35 3. On the Front Lines as Scouts and Runners . . .66 4. Killed in Action and Other Casualties of War . . .80 5.Noncombat Service . . .97 6. Proud to Be a Warrior . . .118 7. The Discouraging Return Home . . .133 8. Soldiers but Not Citizens . . .154 Afterword . . .165 Appendix: Documenting American Indian Service in World War I . . .179

Notes . . .199 Bibliography . . .235 Index . . .241

Illustrations

All photographs are by Joseph K. Dixon and are used by permission of the William Hammond Mathers Museum, Indiana University.

Following page124 1. James Bartlett Rich, Rollin L. Dixon, and Joseph K. Dixon,1908 2. “Old Nokomis rocking cradle of young Hiawatha,”1908 3. “Scouting Party on the Plains,”1909 4. Joseph K. Dixon and American Indian chiefs,1913 5. Flag raising, St. Regis Mohawk Reservation,1913 6. American Indian soldiers from13th Infantry, Camp Mills,1919 7. American Indian soldiers from13th Infantry, Camp Merritt,1919 8. James Black Hawke (Cherokee),1919 9. Stokes Mortar Platoon, Camp Mills,1919 10. Jesse Lewis (Choctaw),1919 11. Charles Robert Ward (Cherokee),1919 12. Ewing Peters (Klamath),1919 13. Sam Thundercloud (Winnebago),1919 14. William Hollowbreast (Northern Cheyenne),1919 15. John Whirlwind Horse (Oglala Sioux),1919 16. Corbett White (Otoe),1919 17. Sioux men on horseback at Sioux Memorial Ceremony,1920 18. Frank Reynolds (Cheyenne),1919 19. Joseph Dixon presenting flag at Sioux Memorial Ceremony,1920