Image of an Osage warrior in native dress, possibly a member of the 2nd Regiment Indian Home Guard; the Osage were native to Kentucky, but relocated to the Kansas-Oklahoma area after years of fighting with the Iroquois.

A treaty between the Osage Nation and the Confederacy was signed on October 2, 1861. A cavalry battalion (three companies) led by Major Broke Arm was organized in early 1863 and surrendered with General Stand Watie in June 1865. Many members of the Osage tribe sided with the Union, however.

Between June 22 and July 18, 1862, the 2nd Regiment, Indian Home Guard was organized at Big Creek and Five Mile Creek, Kansas, under the command of Colonel John Ritchie. The regiment consisted of one company each of Delaware, Kickapoo, Quapaw, Seneca and Shawnee, and two companies each of Osage and Cherokee.

The 2nd Regiment saw duty in Arkansas, Missouri, Kansas, and the Indian Territory, including the Battle of Prairie Grove, Arkansas, on December 7, 1862.

The regiment was mustered out of service on May 31, 1865.

Carte-de-Visite by Unknown Photographer

Image Courtesy Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield; WICR 31894