Payson Wolfe facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Payson Wolfe
Born	August 1833 Grand Manitou Island, Ontario
Died	December 7, 1900 (Age 63) Cross Village Township, Michigan
Spouse(s)	Mary Jane Smith (1851-1879)

Payson Wolfe (born August 1833 – died December 7, 1900) was a brave Odawa man. He was an Odawa Indian who served in the American Civil War. He joined Company K of the 1st Regiment Michigan Volunteer Sharpshooters. This was from August 1863 to June 1865. During this time, he was held as a prisoner of war at Andersonville Prison.

Payson Wolfe was a citizen of the United States. He was one of the few Native Americans to vote Republican in the 1856 Presidential election. Most Native Americans voted Democrat then. This was often due to fears about the government. Payson Wolfe is known as the most documented Odawa Indian of his time. This is because he was the son-in-law of Rev. George Smith. Rev. Smith's personal diaries are kept in the Library of Congress.

Payson Wolfe: A Brave Odawa Soldier

Early Life and Family

Payson Wolfe was born around 1833. His father was Nayan Miengun (Wolfe). His mother was Charlotte Waukazoo, also known as Kin-ne-quay. She was the daughter of a war chief. She was also the sister of Peter and Joseph Waukazoo.

Peter Waukazoo and Reverend George Nelson Smith helped start the town of Waukazooville. This town was later renamed Northport, Michigan in 1854. Payson Wolfe went to school in Northport. He could speak both the Odawa and English languages very well.

On July 29, 1851, he married Mary Jane Smith. She was 15 years old. Mary Jane was the daughter of Reverend George Smith. Rev. Smith performed the wedding ceremony. He wrote about the event in his personal diary. Payson and Mary Jane lived on a farm in Northport. Their farm overlooked Grand Traverse Bay. They had thirteen children together. Their children were born between 1852 and 1874.

Joining the Civil War

In March 1863, a new law was passed. This law allowed Native Americans to get the same benefits as white soldiers. These benefits were for those who joined the Civil War. A special effort was made to recruit Native Americans. They were asked to join a company of sharpshooters.

Payson Wolfe already had six children. He decided to join the army. He enlisted on August 3, 1863, in Northport. He officially joined the army in Dearborn, Michigan on August 8, 1863. He became a member of Company K. This was part of the 1st Regiment Michigan Volunteer Sharpshooters. He fought with his regiment during Grant's Overland Campaign.

Wolfe was a very skilled shooter. He would often shoot birds out of the sky. He would fill baskets with them to feed his family. With Company K, Wolfe fought in several important battles. These included the Battle of the Wilderness, Battle of Spotsylvania Court House, Battle of Cold Harbor, and Petersburg. He was captured on June 17, 1864. This happened after his group was ordered to attack Confederate defenses.

Life as a Prisoner of War

After being captured, Wolfe spent three weeks at Libby Prison in Richmond. Then, he spent five months at the famous Andersonville Prison in Georgia. Conditions at Andersonville were very harsh. Prisoners often went without food for up to four days. They slept outside, exposed to the weather. Payson Wolfe experienced these terrible conditions too.

He told his father-in-law stories about the prison. He said men were forced to eat boiled rice with maggots. Food was so scarce that some had to eat the vomit of others to survive. Payson Wolfe was finally released in August 1864. This was part of an agreement to return sick and wounded Union prisoners.

Out of 15 men from Company K, only 8 survived Andersonville. Payson Wolfe was one of them. After his release, he spent time in Northport to recover. He returned to service with other surviving members of Company K on December 2, 1864. He was officially discharged from service on June 13, 1865.

After the War

The experience at Andersonville had a lasting impact on Wolfe. He weighed only 60 pounds when he was released. He also had a permanent disability in his left arm. This was caused by an illness called scurvy.

The war's physical and mental effects were very hard on him. He moved from Northport to Cross Village in 1878. He received a pension in September 1869. This was for the injuries he suffered at Andersonville. Payson Wolfe died on December 7, 1900. He is buried at the Holy Cross Cemetery in Cross Village, Michigan.