Indian Nations Lighthorsemen

[MedicineMan]

During the War Between the States there were men that were deemed unfit for regular military duty. Many of these men were simply too old for the riggers of campaigning, some were to young, some had questionable backgrounds, some were wealthy and able to buy their way out of service, some were mentally unfit, some were physically unfit, some just found a way to avoid going to war, for what ever the reason these men did not serve in the regular army. These men did provide a service as Home Guards or in Confederate States "State Guards". In the Choctaw Nation of the Indian Territory as well as other places in the Confederacy men volunteered to guard home and hearth.  Acting as a buffer to protect settlements in Indian Territory from renegade soldiers of both sides, bandits, unfriendly Indian Tribes, acting as a police force, rounding up deserters, making sure conscripts reported for duty, and taking part in skirmishes and fighting only when it could not be avoided or suited them were a collection of men deemed unfit for combat and assigned to watch over the families of Confederate soldiers. For whatever reason age, illness, or injury, The Choctaw Nation Light Horsemen members were spared the trenches but protected the citizens. 

These men were from many different backgrounds merchants, doctors, farmers, teachers and such as well as noted highwaymen. The men that made up the Choctaw Nation Light Horsemen were of all different races. There were Whites, Choctaws, Chickasaws, Cherokees, Seminoles, Mulattos, Negros, and other men that were of mixed linage.

These men ruled with the iron fist of fear and intimidation. Many became bullying killers as the organization's duties shifted from civilian civility to the execution of war deserters.  They were scattered local men throughout the three districts of the Choctaw Nation and adjoining Creek, Cherokee, and Seminole Nations that came together at the proper signal from the chief of the Choctaw Nation to form a ragtag loosely formed local militia.  Officers were democratically elected by the membership at large. Their preferred fighting style was ambush or surprise. They very seldom if ever drilled and were more of a mob than a military organization. All members of the Choctaw Nation Light Horsemen never drilled on the same field at the same time or place. A handful of men might be drilling today and a different group tomorrow in a different location. On those occasions when they did drill the lack of military discipline was evident.

These men were also not above making a profit from the war. After a skirmish they would often glean the field of dead and wounded taking valuables to sell or use as trade. On more than one occasion they captured a few Union supplies and sold what supplies they did not want or need to the Confederate Army. Even though these men were staunch supporters of secession and states rights they also were reported to sell goods they had taken to Federals at Fort Gibson, Fort Washita and Fort Arbuckle. Supplies and profits were divided among the Light Horsemen and the peoples of the Choctaw Nation making the Light Horsemen popular with the local people. If members of the community could not manage to feed themselves or their household, if a family needed shelter, or clothing or other assistance the Light Horsemen saw it as their duty to care for them.  For whatever their logic and moral shortcomings these men saw their duty to care for the families of those gone to fight in the war as their main objective and did so at whatever the cost.

These men while on patrol for days at a time would often live on a diet of prickly pear salad and fruit, hominy, turkey, quail, deer meat (venison), or anything they could gather off the land. Reports indicate they traveled, as far east as Tupelo, Mississippi carrying out their duties. Their uniforms were almost none existent. They often wore homespun clothing or civilian attire. The Indians of the Choctaw Nation Light Horsemen often wore native ribbon shirts. What uniforms they did have were a hodgepodge of different uniforms taken in raids or gathered off the dead. The only consistency was a red ribbon tied about the forehead or around the hat. This red ribbon became the symbol of the Choctaw Nation Light Horsemen.

One officer that had been transferred from the east to assist the Choctaw people had a proper Confederate Uniforms.  He was an aged medical staff officer that had been sent to the Choctaw Nation to assist in caring for the "Indian People" as the Confederate Government had promised.  It was reported that he made a good target due to his "proper uniform suite."

The weapons used by the Choctaw Nation Light Horsemen were whatever they had. Shotguns, muskets, knives, pistols, bows, tomahawks, even rocks and clubs.  The Light Horsemen were often short on ammunition. The only ammunition they could get was what they took from supply trains. Both the Federals and Confederates were putting all their resources into the war in the east. The Trans-Mississippi was a low priority and Indian Territory was even lower. The State Guard, especially in Indian Territory, was about the lowest priority of defense for the Confederacy. Because of this ambush, surprise, and guerrilla warfare was primarily used by the Choctaw Nation Light Horsemen. On those occasions when they skirmished or fought alongside Confederate Army regulars none could question their bravery or dedication to the southern cause.

Because of their support and their being mostly locals they could seem to vanish. Local people hid them and protected their identity. Often times local people were not sure who was in the guard and who was not. The only ones that they knew for sure were those that made it publicly known such as those in the picture below. On one occasion an aged farmer turned in one of the Choctaw Nation Light Horsemen members to federal soldiers. The Light Horseman was publicly hanged by federals as a spy. The aged farmer was found the next day decapitated with his head spiked to his barn door. No one ever turned in another Choctaw Nation Light Horsemen member.
     
The Confederacy had promised the Indians protection if they would join the Confederate States. The people of the Choctaw Nation did not know that the protection they would receive would be their own Light Horsemen while the rest of the men were at war. Such was the local scene the "state guard" or in this case the Light Horsemen protected. It proved itself in a rugged era.



   Choctaw Nation Light Horsemen
The Light Horsemen acted as the Choctaw Nation National Militia and would be called by the Chief of the Nation whenever there was a need to enforce order. During the War Between the States the Light Horsemen acted to protect the citizens of the Choctaw Nation left at home.


NOTE: The Light Horsemen did not disband until 1895 when Judge Holson of the Choctaw Criminal Court in Wilburton ordered them dissolved after they executed 54-year-old Silan Lewis. Lewis was shot by the Light Horsemen on November 5, 1894 but did not die from the gunshot and the Light Horsemen continued the execution by suffocating him.  This caused a serious disturbance in the Choctaw Nation and this led to the judges disbanding action.


This Photo is from the late 1800's. 




   

[1961MJS]

Hi according to the police cars I see around OKC, the Light horse are still in business.  Haven't met one yet.

Later

[Tater Peale]

I realize this is an old thread. But the history of law enforcement in the Indian Territory/ Oklahoma Territory is one of my favorite subjects. So had to comment.

The Chickasaw, Cherokee, Creek, and  Seminole  Nations still have Lighthorse police as their Tribal police agency. Those are/were the patrol cars you were seeing. The Choctaw Nation has a law enforcement agency but they dont use the Lighthorse name. All these agencies  are responsible for law enforcement on tribal land. Keep in mind that in Oklahoma there isn't a reservation system but the Nations do own quite a bit of  land. The land owned by the Nation is considered sovereign for most law enforcement activities, hence the need for internal agencies. The county I worked in had an agreement with the Chickasaw Nation were they commissioned all the County Deputies to allow us to enforce Oklahoma Law on Tribal land. Otherwise we would have had no jurisdiction. I served as a Sheriff's Deputy with an officer who eventually went over to the Chickasaw Lighthorse police. Sadly he was killed in the line of duty in 2002.

Interesting fact that most people don't realize is that at different times what is now Oklahoma was known first as Indian Territory, then was divided into Oklahoma Territory /Indian Territory before becoming Oklahoma Territory and finally admitted to the Union as Oklahoma in 1907.

During all these periods different agencies were responsible for law enforcement in Indian Territory. During the post civil war period the Lighthorse was responsible for crimes involving Tribal members. Each of the Indian Nations in the territory had its own laws and court systems and these courts were responsible for trying cases brought in by the Lighthorse Police.  If a non tribal member was involved or if the crime involved members from different tribes then the "Indian Police" no longer had jurisdiction and the crime came under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Marshals. For most of the Indian Territory period the only court with jurisdiction for crimes committed in the I.T. was in Fort Smith Arkansas, and for most of that time it was a court of no appeal the verdict delivered and sentence imposed was carried out without any provision for appeal.  The number and severity of the crimes in Indian Territory during those years led to a common saying among I.T. residents: "There's no law west of the Mississippi and no God west of Fort Smith." During this time period whites were officially banned from entering the Indian Territory, but court records show that a huge number of the crimes committed involved whites.

Its great to see that there are others out there who are interested in the Lighthorse Police. The work that the officers of the Tribal Lighthorse  did along with the U.S. Marshals from Fort Smith during the Indian Territory period brought great honor to them and the agencies they represented.