Rare CDV of Id’d Group of Confederate Arkansas Soldiers – This rare CDV was found at an estate sale, recently, near Bedford, Virginia and brought to us by the purchaser, along with additional rare, Confederate, Arkansas images. This image, depicting five Confederates, all wearing what appear to be shell or short jackets, has four names penciled on the back (there is no photographer’s back mark); the names written are: Eugene Smith; then a  currently indecipherable name – additional and ongoing research required; Ferdinand Hamilton and Jinks Brown. The original buyer of this image posted it on Facebook shortly after his initial purchase; the posting immediately elicited a response from the 4^th great grandnephew of the soldier standing in the top right of the image; the responding descendant identified the soldier as – John Washington Foster – the grandnephew indicated (see the text of the posted comment) that Foster had served with the Cherokee Confederate leader, Stand Watie. Three of the identified men were from Arkansas, and two, we discovered, served in the 4^th Arkansas Cavalry. All the soldiers depicted in the image are wearing military style, Confederate shell jackets, with what appear to be brass buttons; all are wearing period, slouch style hats. The image remains in excellent condition, with strong resolution. To find an Id’d, group CDV of Confederate cavalrymen is exceedingly rare, especially with one in the image having served with Stand Watie; it is conceivable that all of the Confederate soldiers from Arkansas in this CDV, may have served with the 1^st Cherokee Mounted Rifles, under General Stand Watie.

William Hamilton (middle name of Ferd or Ferdinand Hamilton)

Capt Ferd W Hamilton

BIRTH

29 Apr 1845

DEATH

15 Feb 1898 (aged 52)

BURIAL

Mount Holly Cemetery

Little Rock, Pulaski County, Arkansas, USAAdd to Map

PLOT

Rees Pritchard lot

Military Unit

Fourth Cavalry, De-G

Full Name

Foster, John W

Age

18

Year

1863

Estimated Birth Year

1844 – 1845

Conflict Period

Civil War (Confederate)

Branch

Confederate Army

Served For

Confederate States

4th AR Cavalry

4th or Gordon’s Arkansas Cavalry Rgt.

1st Cherokee Mounted Rifles

The 1st Cherokee Mounted Rifles (also known as the 1st Arkansas Cherokee Mounted Rifles and the “Cherokee Braves”) was a cavalry formation of the Confederate States Army in the Trans-Mississippi Theater of the American Civil War.

Formation

After Cherokee Principal Chief John Ross signed a treaty of alliance with the Confederate States in October 1861, he and the Cherokee Council authorized the formation of the 1st Cherokee Mounted Riflemen, to be commanded by Colonel John Drew.^[1] Most of the riflemen of the newly formed regiment were ideologically uncommitted to the goals of the Confederacy, but were loyal to Ross.^[a]

Drew’s regiment became part of Colonel Cooper’s command and was ordered to help stop the flight of Union-supporting Creeks, led by their principal chief Opothleyahola, who were attempting to flee to Kansas. Although the unit participated in the Battle of Round Mountain, the Battle of Chusto-Talasah, and the Battle of Chustenahlah, they made known their dislike for fighting the Creeks, who had done the Cherokees no harm. They had expected to be fighting the invading Yankees, instead.

Consolidation

A portion of Drew’s regiment deserted in late 1861. Following the Battle of Old Fort Wayne in October 1862, most of the remainder of Drew’s men, including Maj. Thomas Pegg, deserted to the Union army. What remained of his troops were consolidated with 2d Cherokee Mounted Rifles and reorganized as the 1st Regiment of Cherokee Mounted Rifles with Stand Watie in command.^[2]

1862–1865

During the war, Watie’s troops participated in twenty-seven major engagements and numerous smaller skirmishes. Although some of the engagements were set-piece battles, most of their activities utilized guerrilla tactics. Watie’s men launched raids from south of the Canadian River throughout northern-held Indian Territory and into Kansas and Missouri, tying down thousands of Union troops. Poorly equipped and armed mostly with castoff rifles or captured weapons, the Cherokees were well suited to this type of warfare. Watie was promoted to brigadier general in May 1864.^[3]

Watie’s most spectacular victories included the Ambush of the steamboat J. R. Williams, in June 1864,^[3] and the capture of a Union wagon train at the Second Battle of Cabin Creek in September 1864. His three most infamous actions were the burning of Rose Cottage, home of Chief John Ross, and the Cherokee Council House in October 1863, and the massacre of detachments of the First Kansas Colored Infantry and 2nd Regiment Kansas Volunteer Cavalry at the Hay Camp Action (a.k.a. the Battle of Flat Rock) in September 1864.^[4]

In February 1865 Stand Watie was given command of the Indian Division of Indian Territory but was unable to launch any offensive operations. He released most of his troops following the collapse of Confederate resistance in the spring of 1865. After participating in the Camp Napoleon Council in May, Stand Watie officially surrendered on June 23, 1865, becoming the last Confederate general to lay down his arms. The regiment was disbanded.