Parker was a member of the Southern Treaty Commissionthat renegotiated treaties with those Indian Tribes, mostly from the Southeast, that had sided with the Confederacy. Parker, Arthur C., The Life of General Ely S. Parker: Last Grand Sachem of the Iroquois and General Grant's Military Secretary, Buffalo Historical Society Publication, 1919. Ely Parker was born in New York in 1828. Originally called Hasanoanda, he was baptized as Ely Samuel Parker. In this field he quickly became a recognized success, obtaining a number of important positions, beginning with work on the Genesee Valley Canal in 1849, and later with the Erie Canal. citizens of the United States, an event that did not occur until 1924. His work dealt largely with the construction and maintenance of canals. He carried on, one step at a time. Ely S. Parker was a Seneca Indian born in 1828 on the Tonawanda Indian Reservation in western New York. His mother was Elizabeth Johnson (Ga-ont-gwut-ywus, c. 1786-1862), a Seneca Indian and member of the wolf clan. Once again, his race proved to be an obstacle to obtaining a army commission from either the governor of New York or from the Secretary of War. Realizing the significance of the law to his future and that of his people, he turned his attention in that direction. Their friendship was to last for the rest of their lives. Apparently initially believing Parker to be a black man, Lee finally shook hands with Parker and said, "I am glad to see one real American here." The decision resulted in his resignation in 1862. Parker, however, was denied admittance to the bar in the State of New York on the basis of his race, in that Indians were not A year later he became Grant’s military secretary and served at the General’s side until Appomattox, where he copied the terms of surrender given to Robert E. Lee. In addition, his humanitarian and just treatment of the hostile western Indians created many influential political enemies in Washington. He spent his life bridging h… Leaving the mission school at ten years of age, Parker had only a rudimentary knowledge of English, being able to understand but not speak the language. The Senecas were one of the tribes of the great Iroquois Confederation called the Six Nations. Grant had to personally intervene to allow him to join the army since Indians were not allowed. Ely S. Parker, a Native American, Drafted the Surrender Documents for the Civil War. He was commissioned a lieutenant colonel during the American Civil War, where he served as adjutant to General Ulysses S. Grant. Ely Samuel Parker (born with the Native American name Hasanoanda and later known as Donehogawa) was a student of law, civil engineer and Seneca Indian leader who was a valuable informant of such well-known early anthropologists as Lewis Henry Morgan, Henry Rowe Schoolcraft … He was commissioned a lieutenant colonel during the American Civil War, when he served as adjutant and secretary to General Ulysses S. Grant. Angel when he had served as sub-agent from 1846 to 1848 for the New York Indian Agency. Known by his Seneca name, Do-Ne-Ho-Geh-Weh meaning “Keeper of the Western Door,” Parker had a front-row seat to some of the greatest moments in … Working first as a tribal diplomat, and later forming a close friendship with Ulysses S. Grant during the civil war, he came to be the first Native American to hold the position of Head of the Bureau of Indian Affairs. He was taken to Canada for several years where he was taught to hunt and fish, returning to the Tonawanda Reservation at the age of twelve resolved to learn English and to further his formal education. In fact, Ely’s grandmother had been white, a fact of which few were aware. Ely Cathedral; Ely Rural District, a former district surrounding Ely, Cambridgeshire on the west and north; Isle of Ely, a historic region and former county around the city of Ely He also made a small fortune on Wall Street, only to lose it a few years later. Ely Samuel Parker (Hasanoanda), a member of the Seneca tribe, was born in Genesee County in about 1828. Parker resigned from the army with the brevet rank of b… Ely S. Parker (1828-1895) General Grant's staff officer and friend, Lt. This firm had represented the Seneca Indians in several cases, and Parker had been previously acquainted with W.P. One Real American: The Life of Ely S. Parker, Seneca Sachem and Civil War General by Joseph Bruchac Middle School Abrams 248 pp. Ely S. Parker : biography 1828 – August 31, 1895 As an engineer, Parker contributed to upgrades and maintenance of the Erie Canal, among other projects. General Grant and Staff - Lt. During treaty negotiations between the United States and Native American nations , Parker was responsible for interpreting on behalf of Native American leaders and certifying the signatures of Native leaders on … www.neh.gov.Visit our website at www.buffalohistory.org He was commissioned a lieutenant colonel during the American Civil War, when he served as adjutant to General Ulysses S. Grant. Ely Parker: Iroquois Chief and Union Officer When Robert E. Lee met with Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox, Virginia, on the momentous morning of April 9, 1865, the Union commander insisted on introducing his staff members to Lee individually. 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