Wednesday, February 19, 2020

Working With The Materials At Hand

“I suppose a great statesman should use in the best way he can the worst materials as well as the best that are within his reach and, if possible, make them all subserve the great purposes he has to accomplish.”
Major General John Schofield, Forty-Six Years in the Army
I found the quote from Schofield in a new book, Caught in the Maelstrom by Clint Crowe, about the Indian Nations in what is now Oklahoma, during the Civil War.

After serving in the Trans-Mississippi (including Oklahoma) and later under Sherman and Thomas, Schofield became Secretary of War for several months under Presidents Johnson and Grant and, from 1888 to 1895, Commanding General, United States Army. The context of the quote was Schofield’s recounting of his struggles with corrupt Union politican/generals and contractors who defrauded both the army and Indian allies and of President Lincoln’s actions and inactions in dealing with the bad actors.

Schofield’s observation points to an ever present tension and challenge in political leadership.

Caught in the Maelstrom tells the tale of the Indian nations caught up in the tumult of the Civil War.  The tribes themselves, predominately Cherokee, Choctaw, Seminole, Creek, were themselves divided, as some of them were slaveowners and indeed, several, including the Cherokee, initially decided to support the Confederacy.

Those divides, in which pure blood Indians tended to side with the Federals and mixed-breeds with the Confederacy, led to a civil war within the Civil War with organized Indian military units on both sides.  The only Indian to attain the rank of General during the war was Stand Watie, a Cherokee and commander of a Confederate cavalry unit.  Watie's was the last Confederate field unit to surrender, on June 23, 1865, ten weeks after Lee's surrender at Appomatoxx.

The corruption described in Crowe's book wasn't contained to just skimming off the top.  Most of the Indians' valuable cattle herds were rustled by Union connected thieves.

1 comment:

  1. In this fashion my acquaintance Wesley Virgin's biography starts in this SHOCKING and controversial VIDEO.

    As a matter of fact, Wesley was in the military-and soon after leaving-he revealed hidden, "mind control" secrets that the government and others used to get everything they want.

    As it turns out, these are the exact same secrets lots of celebrities (notably those who "come out of nowhere") and the greatest business people used to become wealthy and famous.

    You probably know that you only use 10% of your brain.

    Really, that's because most of your brain's power is UNCONSCIOUS.

    Maybe that thought has even taken place INSIDE OF YOUR very own brain... as it did in my good friend Wesley Virgin's brain around 7 years back, while driving an unlicensed, beat-up trash bucket of a car without a driver's license and with $3 in his bank account.

    "I'm so fed up with going through life check to check! When will I finally succeed?"

    You took part in those types of conversations, ain't it right?

    Your success story is waiting to start. You need to start believing in YOURSELF.

    UNLOCK YOUR SECRET BRAINPOWER

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