Chief John Ross: Opportunist During The American Civil War

Commissioner Dennis Cooley took an enthusiastic interest in John Ross's affairs during the American Civil War. In fact, Cooley stated the best available case against Ross, and shortly after the war ended, he called him an opportunist. With Ross's death, the immediate investigation into his loyalty, and Cooley's claim that he was an opportunist during the Civil War, ended. However, because the claim was never fully uncovered, his loyalty and service to the Cherokee nation and the Union has remained unanswered. The investigation might have ended, but the confusion over Ross's loyalty during the Civil War did not end with his death. This book will investigate Cooley's opportunist claim further, and subsequently reveal many surprising facts about an American iconic figure.