Lieutenant Colonel Ely S. Parker, whose photo can be found by clicking here , (born Hasanoanda, later known as Donehogawa), a Seneca lawyer, engineer, and tribal diplomat, was present when Confederate General Robert E. Lee (See drawing below) surrendered at Appomattox Courthouse in April 1865.

At the surrender meeting, seeing that Parker was an American Indian, General Lee remarked to Parker, “I am glad to see one real American here.” Parker later stated, “I shook his hand and said, ‘We are all Americans’.”  (Sources for further general reading: this and that.)

Parker went on to head up the Bureau of Indian Affairs and collaborated with American anthropologist Lewis Henry Morgan. Read on, by all means!

Technical:

When my wife and I lived in Charlottesville, VA in the mid 1990s, I developed an interest in Robert E. Lee for reasons that continue to intrigue me, not the least of which is related to my having read Don Quijote de La Mancha as both an undergraduate and a graduate student. I’m fascinated by the man and how he is viewed in retrospect.

The reference photo I used can be found here along with others. I imported the photo into Procreate, drew it freehand using various brushes to apply and smudge color, and cropped it out. I could have spend more time on this one.