Today in Chickamauga History - February 23
On February 23, 1836 Chickamauga Chief Duwali Bowles signed the Treaty of Bowles Village with Sam Houston for the 1,5000,000 acres in East Texas that the Chickamauga had worked so hard to attain. The Bronze Sculpture commemorating the Signing of the Treaty still stands In Nacogdoches, Texas as documented by the Texas State Historical Association.32
32 https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fbo47
1836, February 23: Treaty of Bowles Village with the Republic of Texas. Granted nearly 1,600,000 acres of east Texas land to the Cherokee and twelve associated tribes. (Violation of this treaty led to the Cherokee War in 1839, during which most Cherokees were driven north of the Choctaw Nation or who fled south into Mexico. Following this bloody episode, remaining Texas Cherokees under Chicken TROTTER joined Mexican forces in a guerrilla war, culminating in the invasion of San Antonio by Mexican General Adrian WOLF. Cherokee and allied Indians saw action at the Battle of Salado Creek and against the Dawson Regiment. Following this conflict, it was apparent that Mexico’s intervention was not going to provide the remaining Texas Cherokees with any stability or lands in the Republic of Texas. This led to a push by newly re-installed Texas President Samuel HOUSTON for a peace treaty in 1843.
1836, February 23: THE INDIAN PAPERS OF TEXAS AND THE SOUTHWEST – Page 14 -
TREATY BETWEEN TEXAS AND THE CHEROKEE INDIANS
This Treaty made and established between Sam Houston, and John Forbes, Commissioners, on the part of the Provisional Government of Texas, on the one part, and the Cherokee, and their associate Bands now residing in Texas on the other part to wit: Shawnee, Delaware, Kickapoo, Quapaw, Choctaw, Biloxi, Ioni, Alabama, Coushatta, Caddo of the Neches, Tahocullake, and Mataquo — By the Head Chiefs, Head men and Warriors, of the Cherokee, as Elder Brothers and Representative of all the other Bands, agreeably to this last General Council. This Treaty is made—conformably to a declaration made by the last General Consultation, at San Felipe, and dated 13th November AD 1835.
Done at Colonel Bowies Village on the Twenty third day of February, Eighteen hundred and thirty six. and the first Year of the Provisional Government of Texas
https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth786490/m1/42/
1839, February 23: The detachment of OLD FIELD arrives at Ft. Gibson.