28 Facts About Peter Pitchlynn

Peter Pitchlynn worked to reduce the sale of alcohol in their territory.

Peter Pitchlynn died in Washington, DC and is buried there.

Peter P Pitchlynn was born in Noxubee County, Mississippi, January 30,1806 as the first son of Sophia Folsom, a Choctaw of partly Anglo-American descent; her mother Natika was Choctaw and her father was Ebenezer Folsom, an Anglo-American trader.

Peter Pitchlynn's father was Major John Pitchlynn, a man of Scots descent.

John Peter Pitchlynn served George Washington as an interpreter for negotiations with the Choctaw.

One of ten children born to the Pitchlynns, after several years at home, Peter was sent to a Tennessee boarding school about 200 miles from Mississippi.

In 1824, Peter Pitchlynn was made the head of the Lighthorse, the Choctaw Nation's mounted police, and among other duties, supervised the removal of whiskey from tribal lands.

The Peter Pitchlynn sons had difficulties as youths and adults: Lycurgus and Leonidas were convicted of assault in 1857 and sentenced to prison.

Peter Pitchlynn never married and continued to live with her father after her mother's death.

Peter Pitchlynn was well educated in both Choctaw and European-American culture.

Peter Pitchlynn began working on ways to improve Choctaw life.

Peter Pitchlynn worked to ban the sale of alcohol in Choctaw territory.

Peter Pitchlynn stayed closely involved with the school, receiving quarterly reports.

In 1830 Peter Pitchlynn was elected to the National Council of Choctaw.

Peter Pitchlynn moved with the Choctaw to Indian Territory in the 1830s, where they resettled.

Peter Pitchlynn was a remarkably handsome man; some years past forty, I should judge; with long black hair, an aquiline nose, broad cheek-bones, a sunburnt complexion, and a very bright, keen, dark, and piercing eye.

Peter Pitchlynn dwelt on this: and said several times that unless they tried to assimilate themselves to their conquerors, they must be swept away before the strides of civilised society.

Peter Pitchlynn was evidently pleased by this assurance, though he rejoined with a good-humoured smile and an arch shake of his head, that the English used to be very fond of the Red Men when they wanted their help, but had not cared much for them, since.

Peter Pitchlynn took his leave; as stately and complete a gentleman of Nature's making, as ever I beheld; and moved among the people in the boat, another kind of being.

Peter Pitchlynn sent me a lithographed portrait of himself soon afterwards; very like, though scarcely handsome enough; which I have carefully preserved in memory of our brief acquaintance.

Peter Pitchlynn continued to take on more responsibilities for the Nation; in 1845 he was appointed as the Choctaw Delegate to Washington, DC to represent the nation there.

In 1861, Peter Pitchlynn was in Washington, DC to address national affairs of the Choctaw when the American Civil War started, and immediately returned to the Choctaw Nation, hoping to escape the expected strife.

Peter Pitchlynn advocated loyalty to the Union or at the very least neutrality in the conflict, and then-Chief George Hudson sought to maintain Choctaw neutrality.

Peter Pitchlynn was elected Principal Chief of the Choctaws in 1864 and served until 1866.

Peter Pitchlynn had been collecting information on this issue since the 1850s from officials involved in the Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek, and later joined the Lutheran Church.

Peter Pitchlynn addressed the President and several congressional committees in defense of Choctaw claims.

Peter Pitchlynn was the third Native American to be buried there, after his fellow Choctaw chief Pushmataha and the Apache chief Taza.

Peter Pitchlynn was reported to have told of the origin of the Choctaw:.