7. The Indian Territory Home Guard
In October, 1861, the Delaware nation, then living in the Indian Territory under the auspices of the Wichita Agency, announced its loyalty to the federal government in Washington. Delaware warriors, armed with their traditional weapons, volunteered for service with the Union Army. The following January the Commissioner of Indian Affairs in Washington, William Dole, directed the agencies to recruit and arm men of the several tribes in the Indian Territory to defend it against Confederate aggression, and from attacks from the tribes supporting the Confederacy. Several tribes responded by providing troops, which were formed into the Indian Territory Home Guard.
Delaware, Seminole, Creek, Shawnee, Seneca, Choctaw, and several other tribes responded to the call. The warriors were divided into two regiments, designated the 1st and 2nd Home Guard, and were led by tribal chiefs who reported to the Union agents. The Department of Indian Affairs authorized the Home Guard to erect fortifications and establish checkpoints and defensive positions on roads entering the Indian Territory. It also established that none of the troops of the Home Guard were allowed to serve outside the Indian Territory. Eventually, a third regiment was created, and though a fourth was authorized, the few men it recruited were transferred to the other units, and the regiment disbanded before it saw service.