Emery: American Indian Parker was Grant aide in Civil War

Native American heritage runs deep in the Land of Lincoln, though many stories are overlooked. One indigenous American was an aide to Ulysses S. Grant during the Civil War.

Ely Parker, a member of the Seneca tribe, was one of Grant’s most trusted subordinates, and drafted the terms of surrender at Appomattox Court House in the war’s final days. The inspiring story of Parker is an indelible, though little-known, part of the story of the war.

“He’s a major figure in American history,” said Wayne Temple, the retired Deputy Director of the Illinois State Archives in Springfield, Ill. “Parker was such an intelligent man, and was so widely respected.”

Parker (whose first name is pronounced “EE-lee”) was born in 1828 on the Tonawanda Seneca Reservation in western New York, where his parents called him “Hasanoanda,” or “Leading Name.” It was an apt beginning for a man who would touch countless lives.

At a Baptist Mission school, the boy adopted the name of the school’s clergyman, Ely. His surname, Parker, was a family tradition, taken by his grandfather in honor of a British officer who was adopted into the Seneca people.

Starting at age 15, the tribal elders repeatedly sent Parker to the nation’s capital, to address treaty disputes with the federal government. Parker quickly immersed himself in the capital society, and was invited to the White House as dinner guest of President James K. Polk at age 18.

He eventually studied law, but was declared ineligible for the bar in New York based on his heritage. Parker then turned to engineering, and earned statewide respect.

At age 23, he received the title of Grand Sachem of the Six Nations of the Iroquois Confederation, to which the Seneca belonged. In 1853, the New York governor officially recognized Parker as the chief representative of the Confederation. Parker, who was always active socially, was also a high-ranking Mason.

In 1857, Parker was transferred to Galena, Ill. to oversee the building of a marine hospital and customhouse, which he completed two years later. Parker also was assigned to a similar project in nearby Dubuque, where he established his residence. However, he frequently returned to Galena, where he met Grant, who was working as a clerk in his father’s leather goods store.

One source states that Parker remembered Grant as “quiet and shy” but “a lot like his Indian friends.” As Parker said, Grant “didn’t have much to say, but when you drew him out, there was a great deal of substance there.” A Grant biographer notes that the relationship grew closer when “Parker helped Grant out of a tight spot at a local saloon.”

Parker, though, lost his engineering position amid a political dispute, one of many that came to define his career. He went back to Tonawanda and tried to raise a regiment of Iroquois for the Civil War effort, only to be turned down by the state government, which made it clear that Native Americans were not welcome in the volunteers.

Parker then offered his skills to Secretary of State William Seward, who curtly told him, “the fight must be settled by white men alone. Go home, cultivate your farm, and we will settle our troubles without any Indian aid.”

As before, though, Parker’s determination stood out. He continued to work for a Union army commission, and his efforts finally paid off in May 1863, two years into the war. That September, he joined Grant’s staff as a military secretary, and was commonly known as “Grant’s Indian.”

Parker held the rank of lieutenant colonel and remained with Grant until the end of the war, becoming an indispensable part of the staff with his beautiful handwriting and multitude of professional talents. One officer called Parker “two hundred pounds of encyclopedia.”

“Grant trusted Parker implicitly,” said Temple, “and that’s not surprising. Grant looked for people who could get the job done, and Parker certainly filled that role.”

During Robert E. Lee’s surrender at Appomattox Court House on April 9, 1865, Parker was one of a small handful of Grant’s staff who was present for most of the meeting, and was by the commanding general’s side for much of the time.

As National Park Service sources report, Parker “made the formal ink copy of General Grant’s letter that spelled out the terms of surrender.” Another reference cites that Parker “transcribed in a fair hand the official copies of the document that [effectively] ended the Civil War.”

Parker recalled that “having finished [the draft], I brought it to General Grant, who signed it, sealed it, and then handed it to General Lee.” Following the acceptance, Parker slipped a copy of the original in the pocket of his uniform jacket.

Accounts vary on the verbal exchanges at Appomattox with Parker. Lee is said to have told Parker, “I am glad to see one real American here,” to which Parker supposedly replied, “We are all Americans.” Other versions, however, indicate that Lee was offended at the presence of a man of color.

Brevetted brigadier general, Parker remained in the Army after the war. Grant served as best man at his wedding in 1867.

Two years later, he accepted an appointment as Commissioner of Indian Affairs under Grant, who was now president. Parker was the first Indian to hold the position. He performed well as commissioner, but lost a power struggle amid allegations of minor misconduct. He was also disappointed that Grant distanced himself from the controversy, rather than offering support.

Parker subsequently made, and lost, a fortune on Wall Street and was forced to accept a mediocre clerk position in the New York City police department. Still, he remained a respected member of city society.

After struggling with diabetes and a severe stroke in his later years, Parker died in Fairfield, Conn. on Aug. 30, 1895. He was buried with full military honors, a final honor to a man of many nations.

In 2022, Parker was honored on the reverse of the $1 Sacajawea gold coin, and a building at the Bureau of Indian Affairs in Virginia was named in his honor in December 2000. He was portrayed in a bit part in the 2012 film Lincoln, starring Daniel Day Lewis.

Tom Emery is a freelance writer and historical researcher from Carlinville, Ill. He may be reached at 217-710-8392 or ilcivilwar@yahoo.com.