Peter Pitchlynn: chief of the Choctaws, (The Civilization of the American Indian series)

Peter Pitchlynn: chief of the Choctaws, (The Civilization of the American Indian series) by Baird, W. David. hardcover edition. ISBN: 9780806109916.

One of the few tribal leaders who left records sufficient to document a biography, Peter Pitchlynn lived during the most eventful nineteenth-century years of Choctaw history. In a large measure his story is also the story of the Choctaws. The mixed-blood son of a white interpreter, Peter Perkins Pitchlynn (1806- 1881) was educated at both the University of Nashville and the Choctaw Academy. He early assumed an important role in tribal affairs. His leadership was especially apparent during negotiation of the 1830 treaty of removal to Oklahoma, and throughout the removal process itself. West of the Mississippi, Pitchlynn took an even larger part in the re-creation of Indian society, helping to build a national tribal government and an adequate educational system. Pitchlynn’s speculation in Indian lands, his purchase of Kansas properties, and his investment in railroad securities are all considered. But Pitchlynn’s principal speculative interest was the “net proceeds” claim, a three-million-dollar claim based upon the removal treaty of 1830, which he first presented to the United States Congress in 1853. Between 1853 and 1881, save for the Civil War years, Pitchlynn spent most of his time in Washington, D.C., in an effort to fund the claim. During his residence there he also acted as tribal delegate, tending to various matters of interest to the tribe. Pitchlynn was selected as chief of the tribe during the late years of the Civil War. He worked to alleviate wartime suffering, surrendered the Choctaw troops to the Union Army, and contributed much to the formation of the peace that followed. He returned to Washington after the war in pursuit of the net proceeds, a claim that was not paid during his lifetime. Largely based on original manuscript resources, this book adds a new dimension to the history of the Choctaw Nation. But even more, it is the story of a truly remarkable man.