Cherokee Braves Flag

The outbreak of the Civil War forced all communities across the country to make difficult choices. American Indian tribes in present-day Oklahoma faced an uncertain future as many were slave-owners and identified themselves with Southern culture and traditions.

The flag is symbolic of the Cherokee Nation'ss support of the Confederacy. The pattern copies the Confederate First National flag. The circle of 11 white stars represents the states which formed the Confederacy. Within the circle are five red stars for each of the "Civilized Tribes." They are the Choctaws, Seminoles, Chickasaws, and Creeks with the large center red star representing the Cherokees. The words "Cherokee Braves"� announce the unit's fighting resolve at the beginning of the war.

The flag is associated with Colonel Stand Watie. Watie was a prominent Cherokee tribal leader with Southern sympathies. In 1861 he quickly began recruiting tribesmen to fight for the Confederacy.

Waite'ss first major action was at the Battle of Pea Ridge, March 1862. Following the battle, they returned to Indian Territory and were involved in several small actions and raids against Cherokee Unionists.

In June 1862 a Federal force followed the Neosho River to an area the Confederates had been raiding. Among them was Stand Watie and other Confederates. At sunrise on July 3, 1862, a detachment of about 300 Federal cavalrymen completely surprised the Confederate camp near Locust Grove. Some of the Confederates fled to nearby woods where occasional gunfire continued all day while others scattered. The crushing defeat at Locust Grove demoralized American Indian resistance and encouraged Cherokee recruitment for the Union cause.

The flag was found in the Confederate camp by Lt. David Whittaker of the 10th Kansas Infantry. The flag was subsequently acquired by the National Park Service from a private collector. This is the only known example of a Confederate American Indian regimental flag.