Confederate 1st Choctaw Cavalry Flag

By Crusader1307

The Confederacy tapped the resources of many Native American Tribes as Fighting Units during The Civil War (1861-65). Many of these Tribes already had a “grudge” against The United States based on hundreds of years of mistreatment. The Confederacy stated that IF they had won, they would respect their “sovereignty”. Much like The Cherokee Nation, The Choctaw's sent a Battalion of Mounted Cavalry (1863) into service. Used primarily in The Western Theater of The War, The 1st Choctaws at once point numbered 500 men. Their Unit Colors were a Dark Blue Field with a Red Center Seal (trimmed in White). Their incorporated symbolism was linked to their Native American Culture of an Arrow, Bow and War Club. The Unit survived until 1865.