Articles

Diversity Spotlight Essay

MOSAIC: Ely S. Parker

By Kara Ledbetter

Ely S. Parker was born Ha-sa-no-an-da to mother Elizabeth Parker, a Seneca clan mother, and father William Parker, a Seneca war chief on a reservation in New York. Ely was brought up in the Seneca tradition at home, but he also received an education at the local missionary school. In his youth, Ely was once mocked by a British soldier for his broken English. Ely vowed from that point to master the English language and complete his studies. He was accepted to the advanced Yates Academy, where he excelled in the spoken and written word.

Seneca elders took note of Ely Parker’s academic success and appointed him an ambassador for the tribe. At 16, he went to Albany, New York to act as interpreter for the Seneca chiefs in the fight to keep control of the Tonawanda (Seneca) Reservation. His work as a bridge between cultures led to his installment as a sachem, or chief, of the Iroquois Confederacy in 1851.

Parker studied law for three years at an established firm in New York. He applied to take the bar examination but was not allowed to sit the exam because he was not a recognized U.S. citizen. In the 1850s, Parker studied civil engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York. He was selected as a resident engineer to work on a project to lengthen the Erie Canal.

Parker’s success as a civil engineer led him to a supervising position in the construction of a federal customs house in Galena, Illinois. In Galena, Parker began what would become a lifelong friendship with Ulysses S. Grant. Grant, who was in dire need of Union engineers, saw that Parker was appointed to chief engineer of the 7th Division in 1863. Parker was eventually appointed to the position of military secretary for General Grant.

Parker arrived at Appomattox Court House as a member of Grant’s staff when Confederate General Robert E. Lee agreed to surrender. When Lee recognized Parker’s apparent heritage, he reached out to shake Parker’s hand, saying “I am glad to see one real American here.’ Parker simply replied, “We are all Americans.” When Union Colonel Joe Bowers was too shaky to draft the terms of surrender, Parker stepped in to complete the task. The formal surrender document is in Ely Parker’s handwriting.

Ely Parker rose to the rank of Brevet brigadier general before his resignation in 1869. That same year, Grant became president and appointed Parker Commissioner of Indian Affairs. He was the first Native American to hold this office. Parker is regarded as the architect of President Grant’s Peace Policy that helped to reduce Indian retaliation against ongoing westward expansion.

Parker left office in 1871 and found his fortune in the stock market investing on Wall Street. Five years later, after losing that fortune, Parker tried to find work as an engineer again but found that the field had advanced too far beyond his skills. He eventually found a position as a clerk for the New York City Police Department; it would be the last job he held. Ely Parker passed away on August 31, 1895.