The Sacrifice of Tsali
Having' boon givon assuranco that if ho sur¬
rendered, liis fellow Indians would bo al-
loued to live in peace, the old chieftain
gladly gave his life in their behalf.
MANY are the stories that
•have been handed down con¬
cerning the historical back¬
ground of the development of our
country. Although the facts are
few, the basic ideas of these stories
remain part of the heritage that is
told and retold by those who heard
them from grandfathers and great¬
grandfathers. One of the stories
that stands out among all others
in western North Carolina is about
Tsali, the Cherokee Indian.
The western expansion program
began early after the settlement of
America. The white man moved
steadily into the interior, driving
the Indian tribes before him. It was
only natural that the aborigines
should resent the forward march of
civilization into their hunting
«rounds. When the Revolutionary
far began, the Indians allied
themselves with the British hop¬
ing the Americans would be driven
from the continent, thus leaving
them in peace to hunt and fish
without the fear of the white man
prevailing in their hearts.
That attempt failed. Hope for
freedom also sprang up within the
Indians during the French-Indian
War, prior to the Revolution. But
the white man suppressed all re¬
sistance. Comparable to the death
struggle of a beaten animal, Te-
cumsch, leader of one of the tribes
united the Indian nation for an all-
out war against the invaders. Again
they failed.
Treaties Proved Ineffective
Treaty after treaty was made
between the two peoples but in
every case, the whites had desired
more and more territory and final¬
ly the order came to General Win¬
field Scott from President Jackson
to drive all Indians out of western
North Carolina to the territory
west of the Mississippi or subject
them to the jurisdiction of the
state.
President Jackson’s speech was
read by his order to the chief of
the Creeks. It said. "Friends and
Brothers, listen: Where you now
are. you and my white children
are too near to each other to live in
By JAMES G. BOOKER
harmony and peace. Your game is
gone, and many of your people will
not work and till the earth. Be¬
yond the great river Mississippi
your father has promised a coun¬
try large enough for all of you and
he advises you to remove to it.
There your white brothers will not
trouble you; they will have no
claim to the land, and you can live
upon it, and all your children, as
long as the grass grows or the water
runs, in peace and plenty. The land
beyond the Mississippi belongs to
the President and none else, and he
will give it to you forever.”
Most of the tribes were willing
to cooperate with the promise of
everlasting peace, but a few of
them remained on the land of their
fathers. General Scott was given
the job of removing those few
stragglers, who scattered among
the mountains for safety.
The tusk was a great one, but
slowly some of the Indians were
driven from their hideouts and
were escorted by Federal troops on
the long trek to the new Indian
territory.
Capture of Tsali
It was in one of these roundups
that Tsali, his wife, brother, and
three sons were captured, and,
along with others of their race,
were started on the journey. Tsali’s
wife, old, fat, and feeble was un¬
able to keep the pace that the
three-soldier guard wanted. One of
them continued pushing and prod¬
ding her. The blood boiled in
Tsali’s veins and when the soldier
jabbed his wife with his bayonet,
Tsali gave the signal for attack.
One soldier was killed in the
scuffle and the other two ran away.
Tsali and his family ran again into
the hills, for they realized the sig¬
nificance of their plight.
Colonel Thomas, a trader and a
long-time friend of the Indians
came to Tsali’s hideout in the
mountains and told him that Gen¬
eral Scott had sent him a message
to the effect that if Tsali, his two
eldest sons, and his brother would
surrender, the remaining Indians
would be allowed to stay in peace.
And Thomas also said that he had
talked to the chief of the tribe and
that the people wanted Tsali to
surrender. This he did.
A short military trial was held
and the four braves were sentenced
to be shot by a firing squad. Ac¬
cording to the principal. General
Scott asked the condemned men if
there was any last wish. Tsali
stepped forward and asked if the
firing squad could not be Cherokee
Indians. He thought it would mean
a symbol of peace to the free In¬
dians of his tribe. Although the re¬
quest was irregular, it was granted.
The four men were shot at sun¬
down.
Tsali’s third son, Wahsitona.
married and settled near Soco Gap.
He was given the nickname of
George Washington by his friends.
Dick Washington, great-grandson
of Wahsitona, now lives on the
Indian reservation at Cherokee.
Some Conflicting Facts
There are many controversies
concerning the details of this story
but the basic element is identical.
Some historians say that the revolt
took place in Tsali’s home. Others
say that the reason for the revolt
was that Tsali’s wife continued
asking the soldier if she might help
a sick child and that the guard be¬
came irritated and struck her.
Tsali's story was dramatized in
1927 by Miss Stella Cowan, under
the direction of W. E. Bird, present
dean of Western Carolina Teachers
College, and was given as a pag¬
eant there. As a result of this drama
J. E. Coburn, of Bryson City, pre¬
sented to Miss Cowan the gun with
which Tsali was allegedly killed.
Mr. Coburn had secured the gun
from Pearl Elliot, who in turn had
received it from Doc Jenkins: Miss
Cowan presented the gun to West¬
ern Carolina Teachers College. It
is now in the custody of the Great
Smoky Mountains Museum Com¬
mittee, having been lent this com¬
mittee by the officials of the col¬
lege.
THE STATE. Sem
20. 1047