The Nankin Township Historical Society

Lancaster Intelligencer and Journal , July 13, 1819 While I would like to take a look at the "Detroit Tribune's" accounting of the murder of Tonquish and son on June 26, 1819 (despite this paper stating the June 4th edition) this is probably as close as I'm going to get from the available online sources. In this firsthand account by members of Tonquish's Pottawatomie tribe, Wa-o-gan (the brother of Tonquish), Wa-wa-se-cock, Na-o-kay, Wa-wa-a-gaw, Wa-wa-be-nous-quey and Na-o-kee-squoy-be, as interpreted by Col. Godfroy and Capt. Knaggs, the onus for the hostilities seemingly lay upon the younger Tonquish. While passing Sargeant's house a dog ran out and bit Wa-o-gan. One of the tribe's squaw went to the door haloowing and Sargeant came out with a cudgel in a threatening manner, charged Wa-o-gan and struck him in the neck. Tonquish, after laying aside his gun and supplies, attempted to intervene but was rebuffed by Wa-o-gan who attempted to make peace and su...

Detroit Free Press , December 9, 1852 The translation from reality to the written page for the Free Press was often an adventure of misinformation. While they usually got the story almost correct they seemingly misspelled, misnamed and misapplied every rule of fact-checking to get the paper to press as soon as humanly possible. In essence, publishing the story was more important than the story itself. In the case of the death of Chief Tonquish and his son by the same moniker, Tonquish, there are at least four renditions of the story. This one seems to be semi-faithful to the others in some regards and disparate in others. All seem to include a main participant by the name of Tom Sargent (sometimes Sargeant). In this instance the sect of Pottawatomie led by Chief Tonquish were returning to their home on the Livonia/Nankin border, where Schwarzburg was situated in the better portion of the last 75 years of the 19th century, after a day of trading their wares and gathering supplies. They ...