An excerpt from George Winter’s journal regarding Pash Po Ho. Winter was a participant and chronicler of the Potawatomi Trail of Death. “Pash Po Ho was an aboriginal gentleman-he was considered the best dressed Pottawattamie Indian in the nation, and was exceedingly graceful when mounted upon his handsomely equipped pony. “The heavy plated bit-handsome bridle-the Read More »
Just one week ago marked 177 years since the the 1838 Potawatomi Trail of Death, which forced the ancestors of today’s Citizen Potawatomi Nation from their homelands in the Great Lakes Region to a reservation in Kansas. CPN has several resources available to learn about the Trail of Death, including a daily journal kept by Read More »
Each year, in the first week of September, my newsfeed and inbox fills with stories and press releases about the Potawatomi Trail of Death. The articles usually consist of a brief synopsis of the turmoil that preceded the removal of the Potawatomi from northern Indiana and the most basic information about the removal itself such Read More »
Saturday, 10 Nov. 1838 Diary of William Polke “The settlements with the teamsters and officers were concluded today.Tomorrow we set out for home every thing having resulted as well and as happily as could have been anticipated by the most sanguine.” “I believe the foregoing journal to be correct in every thing pertaining to distances, Read More »
Wednesday, 7 Nov. 1838 Diary of William Polke “Travelled from Bulltown encampment to McLean’s Grove, a distance of twenty five miles. It had snowed the night previous and continued most of the day, which was very windy and excessively cold. But a small number of the teams kept in company—most of them selecting their own Read More »
Diary of William Polke Wednesday, 26 Sept. 1838 “Left our encampment at the crossing at 8 o’clock in the morning and proceeded on our route. The sick appear somewhat recruited. Owing to the indisposition of our physician no report has been made since Monday. We have reason to believe that the health of the camp Read More »
Diary of William Polke Monday, 24 Sept. 1838 “At 9 this morning we left Pyatt’s Point, Ill. (the encampment of yesterday) and proceeded down the Sangamon River fifteen miles, to the place of our present Encampment, Sangamon Crossing. “ “Physician reports “there have been two deaths since my last, and the situation of several of Read More »
Diary of William Polke Saturday, 22 Sept. 1838 “At 8 o’clock we left our encampment and entered the prairie at Sidney. The day was exceedingly cold. The night previous had brought us quite a heavy rain, and the morning came in cold and blustry. Our journey was immediately across the prairie, which at this point is Read More »
Diary of William Polke Wednesday, 19 Sept. 1838 “The business for which we remained yesterday in camp, is but half concluded. The sick require active treatment such as they cannot receive whilst on the march. We remain today.” “To-morrow morning most of the volunteers will be discharged, when we expect to proceed on our way. Read More »
Diary of William Polke Tuesday, 18 Sept. 1838 “The accumulation of business, together with the discharge of a number of troops in service, rendered it necessary that we should remain in camp a day or so—beside which the weak condition of many of the emigrants demanded rest.” “During the evening a woman and a child Read More »