Warriors in Mr. Lincoln's Army topic of DOU meeting
A presentation by Quita Shier, a member of The Wilbur T. Lanphierd Chapter of the Daughters of the Union, opened the group's first fall meeting. Shier discussed her recently published book, Warriors in Mr. Lincoln's Army - Native American Soldiers who Fought in the Civil War.
The meeting, "Subs and Sides" luncheon, was attended by 27 members and five guests.
Shier's book details her 26 years of research about the men of Company K of the First Michigan Sharpshooters. The 137 enlisted men and one of the three officers of Company K were all native Americans with most being members of the Ojibwa (Chippewa), the Ottawa or the Potawatomi tribes. They referred to themselves as the Anishinabek. These men enlisted in the Union Army to defend their homeland. Also, many feared they would be forced into slavery if the South won. In addition, the U.S. government promised that Native American soldiers would receive the same pay and benefits as non-Native American soldiers, and the U.S. government honored that promise. Finally, the men considered themselves warriors and possessed the warriors' sense of honor.
Company K included some of the best crack shots in the entire regiment. These marksmen were snipers whose main duty was to kill the officers of the opposing army and harass and create confusion in the enemy forces. Company K arrived in Maryland in March 1864 and were assigned to General Ambrose Burnside's Ninth Corp. The men of Company K served bravely until the end of the war in April 1865 and saw action at the battles of Petersburg, Spotsylvania and the Wilderness. Unfortunately, 41 of these Anishinabek, both enlisted men and one officer did not return home. They either died from wounds in battle or from disease. Quita's book includes interesting materials such as enlistment data, biographical information and other personal details about the 137 men and the three officers of Company K.
At the meeting, DOU members displayed 1170 personal care, snack, instant drink and game items that were collected for a fall service project. These items were donated to The Blue Star Mothers of Midland County. The Blue Star Mothers will use these articles to prepare gift containers for soldiers deployed in Iraq and other Middle Eastern countries.
The fifty-four members of the Daughters of the Union, Wilbur Thomas Lanphierd Chapter meet four times per year. Membership in the organization is open to females who have a Civil War ancestor. Those individuals who are interested may receive more information by contacting Paulette Bird, chapter regent, at email@example.com or 989-687-7776.