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Native Americans in the Anglo-Boer War 1899-1902

Posted by penandspindle • 12/05/07 • Subscribe to this Discussion [RSS] • Report This Topic
Topics: an unconventional soldier, anglo-boer war, history, john young filmore blake, native american

I am curious to know if anyone else researching history has come across stories and photos of Native Americans in the Anglo-Boer War fought between the British Empire and the Transvaal Republic over gold deposits in southern Africa. I have just completed a thumbnail study of a greater research puzzle which includes some of the reasons behind the presence of foreign fighters in the war.

User Comments

12/05/07

speedyeoh

That's great! I have never read about america history before. I think this will be my best time to read on it

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12/05/07

aningeniousname

I have never heard of Native Americans fighting in that war, fascinating. why were they there? Were they mercenaries?

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1. 12/05/07
  
  penandspindle
  
  No. They were not mercenaries. See my comment below to the Stoneman.
12/05/07

clioandme

Never heard anything about it. What sources have you got on it?

And do you know about the history group here at BlogCatalog? www.blogcatalog.com/group/blogging-history

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1. 12/05/07
  
  penandspindle
  
  Stoneman hi, I have your blogs in my neighborhood. This is an ongoing research study that goes back to the early 1990s. I picked up on anomalies in the lists of American prisoners of war and fighters kept by British Intelligence and the War Office. These documents are housed in the National Archives, London, and National Archives, South Africa under the keywords Anglo-Boer War, South African War, Transvaal War, Boer War. The scope is huge and it has taken forever just to glean what I have gleaned. There is nothing that says - Native Americans were here. I cross referenced the anomalies with family history documentation and Native American records online eg. the Dawes Roll and used the lists of Rough Riders provided by Roosevelt - this last one is a wee bit ambiguous. I have some 'published' sources see info on my blogs penandspindle.blogspot.com and heathervallance.blogspot.com. I have also covered some of this history in An Unconventional Soldier. This story is a long way from fully covered and that is why I am interested in knowing if others have come across similar stories. No. They did not serve as mercenaries. Americans, Irish and Irish Americans with the Boers fought for ideological reasons. The historical record has been unkind to them but they truly believed that what they were doing was right and for a just cause. We can't judge people retrospectively, we have to accept the parameters of their time and beliefs.
12/05/07

davidj

Thanks Penandspindle , enjoyed reading your two short paragraphs. merry xmas David

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