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August 5, 1838, was the deadline for the Potawato-
mi to vacate their land. Some Potawatomi had already
left the area, but Menominee and others had not.
Anticipating the Indians’ departure, white squatters
started to arrive at Menominee’s village and violence
erupted. -
As soon as Colonel Pepper of Logansport had heard of the first Indian refusal to move-and he heard as soon as a courier from the squatters could reach him, August 26, 1838-he at once sent a dispatch by mounted courier to Governor David Wallace asking for a good general and at least one hundred soldiers. He reported that the Potawatomies on Yellow River were in arms and an outbreak was expected at any moment.
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He could do nothing with them, however. Colonel Pepper called all the warriors together in council at Twin Lakes on August 29, 1838.
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On September 4, 1838, more than 850 Potawatomi were gathered at gunpoint by mounted Indiana militia and
forcibly marched more than 600 miles—from their northern Indiana homes to Osawatomie, Kansas. Around forty
people, mostly children, died on this two-month march. -
Trail of death
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On September 5th they reached Mud Creek. Twenty guards deserted during the day, stealing Indian horses on which to get away
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On September 6th the Indians marched 17 miles, reaching Logansport, about 800 strong. They waited near the town three days for the government agents to make better arrangements for traveling. One-half of the militia was discharged and half were kept to accompany the Indians to the Indiana state line
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By this time the Indian children and old people were completely worn out. The children, especially, were dying in great numbers, not being used to such rigorous work. On September 9th and reported three hundred unfit for travel. The march from this time was not so rapid
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On September 18th, Tipton turned the command of the group over to Judge William Polke, who had been appointed by the national government to oversee the removal.
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The Sangamon Journal's article about the removal,
dated September 29, 1838. -
On October 10 the Potawatomi crossed the Mis-
sissippi on steam ferry boats and entered Missouri.
It took the Potawatomi almost a month to traverse
Missouri, which required crossing the Missouri River. -
The Indians touched Kansas soil on November 2
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Reached their final destination of Osawatomie, Kansas,
on November 4, 1838. They had traveled around 660
miles in two months.
