Today in Chickamauga History - May 8

The Chickamauga Nation

February 9, 2025
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Today in Chickamauga History

Today in Chickamauga History - May 8

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1838, May 8:  Major General Winfield SCOTT arrives in Charleston to supervise the erection of forts for the troops and stockades for the internees throughout the Cherokee Nation.  Naturally, some of these forts had been built as early as 1830, immediately after the signing of the Treaty of New Echota.  Looking at the following information regarding these internment camps and forts, one must ponder why the Principal Chief John ROSS believed there was any hope of negotiating a stay with the United States Government.  These Cherokees followed ROSS to their detriment and some, loss of life.  Why?

These are some of the Forts and Internment Camps some built for and/or used for Cherokee removal:

Forts in Tennessee:  Fort Cass (Cherokee Agency), Fort Foster (halfway between Fort Cass and the current Cleveland, TN), Camp Worth (Rattlesnake Springs), Camp Ross (Red Clay Council Ground), Fort Marr (southeast Bradley County), Fort Wood (east of Ross’ Landing), Fort near Indian Springs, Ross’s Landing (Hamilton County, TN).  Another 2,000 Cherokees were held at this internment camp.  

Forts and Internment Camps in Georgia (25):  Cherokees who refused to report voluntarily to the forts the Georgia Guard considered them renegades and they were hunted down. Fort Hetzel (Ellijay, Gilmer County).  WALKING STICK joined John ROSS in a failed attempt to abrogate the Treaty of New Echota, Fort Scudders (Frogtown Creek north of Dahlonega), Fort Talking Rock (near Jasper, Pickens County), Fort Gilmer (Coosawatie, built for Indian Removal in 1838), Fort Buffington (near Canton), Fort Hoskins (Spring Place), Fort Wood (New Echota), Fort at Head of Coosa (now Rome, GA), Fort Means (halfway between Dahlonega and Canton), Fort Newnan (halfway between Ft. Gilmer and Ft. Campbell.  Used solely as an internment camp for Cherokee Indians, Fort Red Clay, Fort Cummings (Lafayette), Fort Armistead, Fort Cass (built solely for Indian Removal in 1835), Fort Cedartown, Fort Chastain, Fort Dahlonega, Fort Hoskins (built after the Georgia lottery, not far from Chief VANN’s home.  This is one of the most infamous Cherokee Removal forts, Fort Means (Kingston), Fort New Echota (built solely to house Cherokees for removal purposes), Fort Sixes.  This was the first Indian removal fort built in Georgia.  This was built in September 1830, shortly after Congress pass the Indian Removal Act of 1830.

Forts in North Carolina:  Fort Lindsay (Bryson City), Fort Scott (Aquone), Fort Montgomery (Robbinsville), Fort Hembrie (Hayesville), Fort Delaney (Valleytown), and Fort Butler (Murphy).

Forts in Alabama:  Fort Payne, Fort Turkeytown, Fort Lovell, Fort Likens, Fort Armstrong (DeKalb County), and Fort Deposit (downstream from Gunter’s Landing).

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