State

Tsali’s Great Sacrifice He was a «real Cherokee chief, and refused lo obey the mandates of the white people to leave Western \ortli Carolina. It was only to save his own tribe that lie finally sur¬ rendered. I HAVE hoard the story of old Tsali told over and over again, but never have I been so impressed us when 1 heard it told by Miss I.ucille and Irma Washington, great-great -grand¬ daughters of the old Indian martyr. Earlier in the summer I accom¬ panied the State Highway and Public Works commissioners when they made a trip through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. After the tour through the park, the party re¬ turned to Cherokee where a luncheon was given by the school officials for the commission’s party and also for the Rotary clubs of Svlva and Bryson City. More than two hundred persons were present at the luncheon which was interspersed with a program given by young Indian maidens of the reser¬ vation. Among those on the program were two young Washington girls, great-great -granddaughters of old Tsali, the great Indian warrior who died so that his |>cople might stay ill the great vastness of the Smoky Mountains. Each of the two girls gave a short talk on the history of the Eastern Cherokee Indians and included in the talk was the story of their famous ancestor. The Exodus of 1838 It seems, according to the story of the two young Indian girls, that one hundred years ago. in is:is. the Fed¬ eral government decided to remove the Cherokecs to a western reservation in Oklahoma. General Scott was in charge of the soldiers sent into the Cherokee country to rout the natives. His work went along very nicely until one day a group of soldiers was sent far hack on the mountainside to bring in the family of Tsali. The soldiers reached his humble domain and told the family to hurry up and get ready to go. The Indians hurried as best they could but were not given much time to say their farewells. Soon they started on the long trek back to tin- settlement. While on the journey. Tsali’s wife asked for |H-rmission to attend to a sick baby. The request was By Bl. КС II ALLISOIN refused ami after a second request, the soldier became angry and started to strike the woman. At this point. Tsali and his sons. Ridges and Wulisi- fona. and his son-in-law, Lownie. at¬ tacked the soldier and in the melee that followed, two soldiers were killed. Л third soldier was wounded, but he ran to (ieneral Scott's camp and re¬ ported the attack. Forgotten Temporarily The incident was forgotten for the time being and the soldiers went on about their business of rounding up the other Indians. In October of the same year after practically all the Cherokecs had been driven from their mountain retreat and wore on their way to the far distant west, (ieneral Scott had more time to attend to the belligerent Tsali family. By this time the members of the family bad scattered to the remote sections of the Great Smokies. General Scott told Colonel Thomas that if he would go into the mountains and bring Tsali into camp for execu¬ tion, the other Indians would In- allowed to remain in the mountains. Colonel Thomas had long U-en associ¬ ated with the Cherokecs and he knew just about where Tsali would In- bid ing. At least, he knew some Indians who could direct him to the elusive old warrior. It is a fact that Andrew Jackson had declared all Indians must l*e moved, but after staying in the Indian country for a period of time General Scott decided that some of them might stay. Many of the Indians had sworn to In- killed rather than Ik* removed. Colonel Thomas went to Achilla, a powerful warrior who knew the hiding place of Tsali and his followers, anil told him to go find Tsali and his sons. The message from (Ieneral Scott reached Tsali in his mountain hiding place. For many days the Cherokee pondered over the problem. At last In- said to his young son, Wnlisitona, "We will come down. Xo hand of soldiers could ever take me alive, hut my people — they can stay. We will come!" Some few day- later the soldiers went after Tsali and his people. The little hand was found just under what is now called ding- man’s Dome, one of the highest points in the Great Smokies. Had not Gen¬ eral Scott come to his decision about Tsali. In- and hi' family would never have 1нч*п taken alive. Killed By His Own Tribe Xcvcr has a man showed greater courage than did this once proud Indian brave a» he marched down the mountain to a certain death. The party was taken to a point some twenty miles |*-low Bryson City where the men were to be shot. General Scott conceived the idea "f letting Cherokee braves fire the fatal shots. He thought it would impress the Indians so much that they would never again cause trouble. The men. Tsali. his son Ridges, and hi- son-in- law, Lownie, were commanded to stand and face the firing squad com- posed of their fellow warriors. With never a flinch these brave men of the mountains stood facing the suiokv haze of tin- mountain- and were shot. Young Wnlisitona, lieeanse of hi- exlreine youth, was spared by tin- soldiers. The three were buried on the spot. Tsali’s wife, who was then vj war- old. came hack to Alarka to live, hut it was not many years before she also died. The youngster. Wah-itona. later came to Sooo Creek near Soco Gap to make his home. The name George Washington was given to Wnlisitona ns a nickname and it has lasted until now; his descendants still go by the name of Washington. The young Washington girls then went on to tell the cause of the Great Removal. Some years before the Tsali incident a young Indian 1юу found gold in the Indian territory and this caused a rush of white men to tlu- ( Continued on page sixteen)