Ely Samuel Parker, born in Indian Falls, New York in 1828, was bilingual being fluent in English and Seneca. He worked for a legal firm in Ellicottville, New York, and applied to take the bar examine. Unfortunately, Native Americans were not considered US citizens, and he was not permitted to take it.
After a chance meeting with Lewis Henry Morgan, Parker helped Morgan with information on the Seneca for Morgan's book on the Iroquois. With Morgan's help, Parker earned an engineering degree from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York.
He worked as a civil engineer until the start of the Civil War. President Grant appointed Parker to the Commissioner of Indian Affairs, become the first Native American to hold that position. Parker tried to raise a regiment of Iroquois volunteers to fight for the Union, but was turned down. He tried to enlist in the Army but was turned down since he was Native American.
Grant got Parker a commission to captain in May 1863. Later, Parker was appointed as military secretary to Grant with the rank of lieutenant colonel. He helped draft the surrender documents for Robert E. Lee's surrendered at Appomattox Courthouse in April 1865.
Parker was promoted to brigadier general of the US Army March 2, 1867, becoming the first Seneca to achieve that rank.
He passed away in August 1895.
