The Relations of the Cherokee Indians with the English in America Prior to 1763
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University of Tennessee, Knoxville TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange Masters Theses Graduate School 12-1923 The Relations of the Cherokee Indians with the English in America Prior to 1763 David P. Buchanan University of Tennessee - Knoxville Follow this and additional works at: https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_gradthes Part of the Political History Commons, Social History Commons, and the United States History Commons Recommended Citation Buchanan, David P., "The Relations of the Cherokee Indians with the English in America Prior to 1763. " Master's Thesis, University of Tennessee, 1923. https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_gradthes/98 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange. It has been accepted for inclusion in Masters Theses by an authorized administrator of TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange. For more information, please contact [email protected]. To the Graduate Council: I am submitting herewith a thesis written by David P. Buchanan entitled "The Relations of the Cherokee Indians with the English in America Prior to 1763." I have examined the final electronic copy of this thesis for form and content and recommend that it be accepted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts, with a major in . , Major Professor We have read this thesis and recommend its acceptance: ARRAY(0x7f7024cfef58) Accepted for the Council: Carolyn R. Hodges Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School (Original signatures are on file with official studentecor r ds.) THE RELATIONS OF THE CHEROKEE Il.J'DIAUS WITH THE ENGLISH IN AMERICA PRIOR TO 1763. BY DAYID P. BUCHANAN A THESIS PRESENTED TO TEE FACULTY OF THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF THE UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE IN PARTIAL FULFILUffiNT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS. TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER I. THE CHEROKEES. Location of the Cherokee Country. - Divisions of the nation. Towns and Villages.- Tunissee- Chote - Population - Personal appearance of the Cherokee - Dress - Homes - Religion - Religious Ceremonies and Marriage - Government - Weapons - War Canoes Factors in the demoralisation of the Cherokees. CHAPTER II. EARLY VIRGn~IA EXPLORATIONS. Beginnings of Anglo-French Rivalry - Virginia most active English Colony - Founding of Fort Henry - Wood's Activities - John Dedersr Expedition of Batts and Fallam. - Expedition of Needha:m and Arthur ... Discovery of the Cherokee - Needhamts return and death - Arthur's Adventures - Return of Ar1;hur - Close of Wood r s Activities - Trade With the Cherokee. CHAPTER III. EARLY SOUTH CAROLINA ACTIVITIES. Reasons for Carolinian Activities - Slave trade - Introduction to the Cherokee ... Slave Tre.de ContinueB - Carolina traders among t he Indians ... French Coureur de bois - Jean Couture - ·Expedition to the Arkansas Expansion of Carolinat:s trade - Queen Anne's War and French Asoendancy Tuscarara Outbreak - Cherokee join the Yamasse in Revolt - First com meroial treaty with the Cherokee. CHAPTER IV. BEGIb'NINGS OF ANGLO-FRENCH RIVALRY. Early French activities on the Mississippi - Iberville founds Biloxi - English protest - Early French Activities among Southern Indians - The Choctaw - Chickasaw feud - English enoourage the . Chick:a.sa:w - French in contact with the Cherokee - Founding of Fort Toulouse - Condition of affairs in 1720 - Gov. Nicholson's Treaty Revolt of Fort Toulouse - Col. Chicken's mission - English attempt to •. .,f'.. CHAPTER IV. Continued. make peace between Northern and Southern Indians .. Sir Alexander Cumming's treaty - Natohez uprising .. Franoe deolares war on the Chiokasaw - Defeat of the French - Priber's mission to the l1 Cherokee .. The "Kingdom of Paradise - Pro-French sentiment among the Cherokee -Outbreak of smallpox - King George's Var. CHAPTER V. DISSATISFACTION AMONG THE CHEROKEES. Situation in 1750 .. Frenoh attempt to win Cherokee .. Defeat of the Great Mortar - Results of Frenoh Attempts .. Gov. James Glen - New system of Indian trade" War between Greeks and Cherokee trade .. Gov. Glen protests .. Robert Dinwiddie - Dinwiddie negotiates with Cherclcee Byrd .. Randolph treaty with the Cherokee. CHAPTER VI. BUILDING OF FORTS IN TENNESSEE. Cherokee ask for a fort .. Dinwiddie - Glen correspondence regarding a fort - Maj.Lewis sent to the Cherokee Country .. Building of Virginia fort .. Hostility of the Cherokee .. Gov. GJen send an expedition to the Cherokee Country .. Building of Fort Loudoun .. Capt.P.aymond Demere .. French influence among the Cherokee. CHAPTER VII. THE CHEROKEE WAR. General situation in 1757 .. Dinwiddie attempts to garrison the Virginia fort .. Cherokee aid the English in the French and Indian War .. Treaty between the Cherokee and Iroquois - Treaty with the Creeks - Plans tor attack on Fort Toulouse - disaffeotion among the Cherokee - Campaign against Fort DuQuesne and desertion of the Cherokee .. Beginning of iihe Cherokee War .. Gov.Lyttleton makes peaoe - linprisomnent of Cherokee Chiefs Gov.Bull beeanes Governor .. Campaign of Cols.Byrd and Montgomery - Retreat of Montgomery .. Surrender of Fort Loudon - Massacre of Garrison - Capt. Stuart's escape .. Col.Grant'scampaign .. Defeat of the Cherokee - Peace. CHAPTER I. TEE CHEROKEE. When the English first came into contact with the Cherokee. they found them settled in a line running east and 'West, about l 140 miles in length. Their extreme eastern settlements were 10- cated in the country lying between the Broad and Catawba Rivers in South Carolina; -while their extreme western towns were located on the Hiwassee and Little Tennessee Rivers, in what is now the 2 state of Tennessee. The Cherokee made two divisions of their country, which they termed Ayrate and Ottare I signifying IT low" and "mountainous". The'.,/"-- former applied to the extreme eastern settle1l'..ents, the latter to 3 the settlements beyond the mountains. Historians of a later date, howe-ver I have made a three-fold division of the Cherokee coun~J; the "Upper Towns" or "Over.l"'hill Towns'" were those upon the Hiv.rassee and Little Tennessee Rivers; the "Lower Towns" were those ~reme eastern ,~ settlements located in South Carolina; while the "Middle Towns" were located high up in the mountains along the present boundary line of 4 North Carolina and Tennessee. The Cherokee towns and villages were always found along some river or creek. both because of the greater fertility of the soil. 1. Ada~r, "HJ.story of' the Ai'iierican IndJ.aD.S, pp.226. 2. Royce, "Cherokee Nation".pp.l40,14l. 3. Adair, pp.226. 4. Ramsey. "Annals of Tennessee". pp.163. and because of an ancient belif of these Indians that r~vers· '/ 5 were necessary to oonstitute a paradise. The towns themselves oonsisted of a group of rude huts, arranged without order or regularity. To each house was attached a small patch of ground where the Indian squaw cultivated beans and Indian corn. This garden usually was not fenced, as the domestic animals were not kept in the village, but were allowed to roam at large in the S woods and canebrakes. The principal town of the Ayrate 'WaS Keowee, looated on the Keowee River in what is now Oconee County, South Carolina. Other towns of importanoe among -the Ayrate were Tuskegee, Elejoy, Noyoee, 7 and Sugar Town. The chief to'WIl of the Ottare in the beginning of the eigh1:ieenth oentury was Tunissee, or Tennessee, which was situated on the south bank of' the Little Tennessee River, not far above its junotion with the Tellico. It was here in the earlier period 8 that the great oouncils were held, and it was here also that 9 the crown and chief symbols of the nation were kept. This town, however, declined in importance until in 1763 it possessed only 21 fighting men.lO With the decline of Tunisee, Chote became the town of chief importance, especially during the latter half' of the eighteentll century. Chote was the 'City of Refuge', the place C where the manslayer or unfortunate captive could· find a sure asylum 5. Adair, pp.22S, ~27. 6. Ramsey, pp.86• .,. Mereness, flT~§,vels in .American Colonies, II pp.lOI, 103, 104. 8. Ibid, pp.l12. 9. Hewatt, "History of South Carolina",pp.4-o, Vol.ll. 10. Timberlake, ":Memoirs" I map. -2- fro:m the avenger. The town was located on the Little Tennessee \ River, about five miles above its junction with the Tellico.ll other towns of importance among the ottare were Ci'tico, Great Tellico, '.. 12 Chilhowee, Tomnotley, and Toqua. When the white man first came into contact with the Cherokee they were a populous and powerful tribe. A oensus taken in 1715 by Gov.Johnson of South Carolina, .of all the Indian tribes within his jurisdiction showed that the Cherokee nation oontained 30 towns .../ 13 and an aggregate population of 11,210, of Whom 4000 were warriors. Since the South Carolinians were barely aoquainted with the Over-hill towns at thi s time it is quite likely that they were not inc1uded in this census. In 1735 English traders reported that the Cherokee 14 had 60 towns and villages and 6000 fighting men. However.. in 1738 the Cherokee nation was greatly depopulated by smallpox, which was brought into their country by Carolina traders. It is estimated 15 that fully one-half of the nation was destroyed by this disease alone. Constant warfare with their neighbors, both white and red, further 16 decreased their numbers, and by 1755, they had but 2590 warriors. By the close of' the Cherokee War in 1761, this number had further 17 decreased to approximately 2300. The Cherokee were of medium stature, straight and well-built, L.. 11. Ibid, map. 12. Timberlake, Map. 13. Royce, pp.142. 14. Adair, pp.237. 15. Ibid, pp.232. 16. ftNorth Carolina Colonial Recordsft v.V, pp.320-321. 17. Adair, pp.227. -3- Their skin was of an olive color" though generally painted; and after the advent of the white man they further disfigured it by tatooing.