Sam Sixkiller
Encyclopedia
Sam Sixkiller was a prominent Native American leader during the American Civil War
and the postbellum period.
in Indian Territory
—now Adair County, Oklahoma
. He served on both sides during the Civil War, offering his support to the Confederacy
as a private
in the 1st Cherokee Cavalry
before switching allegiance to the Union
and serving with his father at Fort Gibson
in an artillery battery
.
Following the war, he became the first captain
of the Indian Police
, providing police services for the lands of all five tribes. He was also a Deputy U.S. Marshal and a special agent for the Missouri Pacific Railroad
.
Sixkiller was murdered December 24, 1886, in Muskogee, Indian Territory
.
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
and the postbellum period.
Biography
Sixkiller was born in the Going Snake district of the Cherokee NationCherokee Nation
The Cherokee Nation is the largest of three Cherokee federally recognized tribes in the United States. It was established in the 20th century, and includes people descended from members of the old Cherokee Nation who relocated voluntarily from the Southeast to Indian Territory and Cherokees who...
in Indian Territory
Indian Territory
The Indian Territory, also known as the Indian Territories and the Indian Country, was land set aside within the United States for the settlement of American Indians...
—now Adair County, Oklahoma
Adair County, Oklahoma
Adair County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of 2000, the population was 22,638. Its county seat is Stilwell. Adair County was named after the Adair family of the Cherokee tribe.-History:...
. He served on both sides during the Civil War, offering his support to the Confederacy
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
as a private
Private (rank)
A Private is a soldier of the lowest military rank .In modern military parlance, 'Private' is shortened to 'Pte' in the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth countries and to 'Pvt.' in the United States.Notably both Sir Fitzroy MacLean and Enoch Powell are examples of, rare, rapid career...
in the 1st Cherokee Cavalry
Indian cavalry
Indian cavalry is the name collectively given to the Midwest and Eastern American Indians who fought during the American Civil War, most of them on horseback and for the South.-Cherokee Nation:...
before switching allegiance to the Union
Union (American Civil War)
During the American Civil War, the Union was a name used to refer to the federal government of the United States, which was supported by the twenty free states and five border slave states. It was opposed by 11 southern slave states that had declared a secession to join together to form the...
and serving with his father at Fort Gibson
Fort Gibson
Fort Gibson, now located in Oklahoma and designated Fort Gibson Historical Site, guarded the American frontier in Indian Territory from 1824 until 1890...
in an artillery battery
Artillery battery
In military organizations, an artillery battery is a unit of guns, mortars, rockets or missiles so grouped in order to facilitate better battlefield communication and command and control, as well as to provide dispersion for its constituent gunnery crews and their systems...
.
Following the war, he became the first captain
Police captain
- France :France uses the rank of capitaine for management duties in both uniformed and plain-clothed policing. The rank comes senior to lieutenant and junior to commandant....
of the Indian Police
United States Indian Police
The United States Indian Police were organized in 1880 by John Q. Tufts the Indian Commissioner in Muskogee, Indian Territory, to police the Five Civilized Tribes. The USIP recruited many of their police officers from the ranks of the existing Indian Lighthorsemen...
, providing police services for the lands of all five tribes. He was also a Deputy U.S. Marshal and a special agent for the Missouri Pacific Railroad
Missouri Pacific Railroad
The Missouri Pacific Railroad , also known as the MoPac, was one of the first railroads in the United States west of the Mississippi River. MoPac was a Class I railroad growing from dozens of predecessors and mergers, including the St. Louis, Iron Mountain and Southern Railway , Texas and Pacific...
.
Sixkiller was murdered December 24, 1886, in Muskogee, Indian Territory
Muskogee, Oklahoma
Muskogee is a city in Muskogee County, Oklahoma, United States. It is the county seat of Muskogee County, and home to Bacone College. The population was 38,310 at the 2000 census, making it the eleventh-largest city in Oklahoma....
.