Pioneer history of Ingham County, compiled and arranged by Mrs. Franc L. Adams, secretary of the Ingham County pioneer and historical society.

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PIONEER HISTORY OF INGEIAM COUNTY

replied. Soon after he found Korbish and one other chief alive
in the crowd of dead. In his story to Mr. Bray, Okemos said he
thought these three were the only ones left alive among the 300.
They got into a boat and floated down the Sandusky river, and
finally escaped, though they had to pass within sight of an American fort, thought to have been the one at Lower Sandusky.
This was the only open fight Okemos ever took part in, but
"when in his cups" he would often boast of how many Americans
he had killed and scalped. His custom was to waylay the express-riders and bearers of dispatches between Detroit and Toledo. He would lie in wait and listen and when he heard one
coming he would step behind a convenient tree and spring upon
him as he passed and tomahawk him.
Mr. Bray disagrees with other historians, and thinks Okemos
was over one hundred years old at the time of his death, but agrees
with them in regard to the time he died, which was in 1858, near
Dewitt, Clinton county.
In 1852 Mr. Bray made the overland trip to California, and tells
an interesting experience he had while on his way. When about
seventy miles below St. Joseph on the Missouri river he stopped at
a landing and there found a number of Indians he had known in
Michigan before they were transported to the West. They recognized him at once, and urged him to leave the boat he was traveling on and stop at their reservation for a time. This he would
have gladly done, but his wagons, goods and teams were on the
boat where he could not unload them easily, so was forced to
continue his journey.
Mr. Bray in his article confirms the universal statement that
the squaws were the burden bearers and performed all menial
work. Each year large numbers of Indians were accustomed to
visit their old camping ground near Okemos to bring food for the
dead in their burial ground there, and the last thing before they
were taken to the West they gathered there to say farewell to their
dead.
One bleak day in December, 1858, a small train of Indians entered Dewitt drawing a handsled on which were the remains of
Chief Okemos. Those who drew the sled were his only kindred
and were taking the body of the deceased from his favorite hunting ground on the Looking Glass river, five miles from Dewitt,