Spirit of the Times Batavia, Genesee County, New York State November 9-1861 An Indian Volunteer. Mr. J.N. PARKER, the highly educated and talented Chief of the Tonawanda Indians in this County, recently applied to be admitted into the Volunteer service, to fight for and protect the flag and Government that has sheltered him and the remnant of his once powerful tribe of brother Indians; but was refused, at which he seems sorely grieved, if we may judge from the tone of the following letter which he addresses, to the editor of the Buffalo 'Courier.' He says:-- "That was very queer to me, as I am personally knowing of several red men who are now in the service--one in Elmira, several in Washington, and I have a nephew in the Navy, who signed his name on board the U.S. steamer in Michigan. I, with hundreds of others like myself, would like to know if we cannot go out into the field to defend our Stars and Stripes, that glorious and noble flag. Yes, the stars we saw when first we opened our eyes into the world; and we were bred and raised under its noble stripes. It taught us to be loyal, to be patriotic, to be true to our country. Yes, our American eagle hovered over us in our infancy, and when we got to be men that eagle now soars on high. The red man would like nothing better than to serve his country, to help save the country which is now weltering in its disgrace. Has not the red man a few grains of sand which he would love to protect, which now cover the ashes of our immortal Washington? Who can be more loyal than one whose flesh and bones are composed of American soil? Many a noble warrior fought, bled, and died, upon the Niagara frontiers in 1812, '13, '14, and '15, to protect his country, and even my aged father of seventy winters, has fought and bled for his country. In honor of having bled for his country he is now a pensioner. We are desirous of following in the noble steps of our fathers. Not only that, but we hear in the wind as it sweeps over the "mound" a voice calling upon us to defend our homes, our country, at all times, and the Great Spirit whispers to us in our dreams, calling upon us to uphold a country, to support a government which stands upon a pillar of strength, a column of wisdom, and adorned with America's beauty, the whole having for its foundation the Good Book. Who can be more patriotic than a red man? He was planted upon America's bosom, the red man's mother earth, by God himself. The red man does not wish to live under a government, to be governed by men whose very conduct, deeds, and words, are prompted by the imps of the devil, and much less to be made a slave. Before submitting to that, the red man will fight. He will die a warrior's death, and occupy a warrior's grave, before he will see his mother country fall into the skeleton grasp of our Southern sugar cane brothers. + submitted by Linda C. Schmidt