VOL XIX. NO. 11
AUGUST 11, 1951
Publication date, Saturday.
Subscription, $5.00 per year..
Carl Goerch, Publisher,
Lawyers Bldg., Raleigh, N. C.
Entered as second-class matter June l, 1933, at the Postoffice at Raleigh, North Carolina, un der the Act of March 3, 1879
Removal of the Cherokees
Various authors, who obtained firsthaml
information concerning the event, describe
it as exceeding in grief and pathos any
other passage in American history.
Many thousands of people saw the
pageant “Unto These Hills” at Chero¬
kee last summer, and many addition¬
al thousands are enjoying it this sea¬
son. Not only is it splendid en¬
tertainment but it also brings to light
numerous details concerning the his¬
tory and life of the Indians in the
western part of the state.
Of outstanding interest is the episode
which has to do with the removal of
most of the tribe from North Caro¬
lina to Oklahoma in 1838. There is
much in the histories concerning de¬
tails of the removal but we are in¬
debted to James Mooney for additional
and valuable information about it.'
Mooney lived among the Cherokees
for several years during the 3 880's. He
had intimate contacts at the time with
old people, both Indian and white,
who knew at firsthand the facts per¬
taining to this tragic event. Much of
this information is contained in a book
which he wrote in 1897.
A Chapter of Shame
The removal turned out to be a
much more pretentious undertaking
than it appeared to be at first. It
constitutes one of the chapters of
shame in the annals of the American
government.
It was early in June when 17,000
of these natives of the mountains, in¬
cluding women and children with their
scanty belongings, were huddled to¬
gether in stockades in preparation for
the westward journey. One of the first
deportations was a group of about
5,000 who were taken as far as the
Mississippi by water. Gathered at con¬
venient places they were herded on
boats which sailed down the Tennes¬
see, thence into Ohio and finally to
Bif G. R. ROBERTS
the west bank of the Mississippi, from
which point the trip was made over¬
land to the Indian territory.
Because of the sickness and suffer¬
ing among the Indians, due principally
to the hot weather, the leaders im¬
plored General Scott to permit the rest
of the emigrants to begin their trek in
the fall. This was granted, and by
October the remaining 13,000, includ¬
ing some Negro slaves, started west¬
ward, most of them by the land route.
The casualties along the way, the sick¬
ness and death, the inevitable plight
of mothers and their children under
circumstances of exile, constitute a
tale of deepest pity. It took approxi¬
mately six months to complete the
journey. Mooney describes the exodus
as follows:
Under Scoff’s Orders
The history of this Cherokee re¬
moval of 1838, as gleaned by the
author from the lips of actors in the
tragedy, may well exceed in weight
of grief and pathos any other passage
in American history. Even the much-
sung exile of the Acadians falls far
behind it in its sum of death and mis¬
ery. Under Scott's orders ihe troops
were disposed at various points
ihroughout the Cherokee country,
where stockade forts were erected for
gathering in and holding the Indians
preparatory to removal. From these,
squads of troops were sent to search
out with rifle and bayonet every small
cabin hidden away in the coves or by
the side of mountain streams, to seize
and bring in as prisoners all the occu¬
pants, however or wherever they might
be found. Families at dinner were
startled by the sudden gleam of bay¬
onet in the doorway and rose up to
be driven with blows and oaths along
the weary miles of trail that led to the
stockade. Men were seized in their
fields or going along the road, women
were taken from their wheels and
children from their play. In many
cases, on turning for one last look as
they crossed the ridge, they saw their
homes in flames, fired by the lawless
rabble that followed on the heels of
( Continued on page 20)
THE STATE, AUBUST 11, 1951
3
