Chief Pushmataha of the Choctaw Nation dies in Washington

Background. Pushmataha was a chief of the Choctaw Nation, historically based in the Southeastern Woodlands. In 1824, he traveled to Washington to petition the federal government against further cessions of Choctaw land. He was upset about encroaching settlement patterns and the unwillingness of local authorities to respect Indian land title. Another Choctaw leader traveled to Washington City in 1824 to negotiate on behalf of the tribe and was the only major Choctaw leader to return.

Illness and Death. In December 1824, Pushmataha acquired a viral respiratory infection, then called the croup. He died in Washington on December 24, 1824, in the 60th year of his age. On his deathbed, he reflected that the national capital was a good place to die. The National Intelligencer reported his death at Tennison's Hotel on December 28, 1824.

Burial. Pushmataha is buried in Congressional Cemetery, a historic cemetery in Washington, D.C. established in 1807. A monument to his memory was erected by his brother chiefs who were associated with him in a delegation from their nation in 1824 to the general government of the United States.