Cherokee Removal From Georgia National Park Service and the Georgia Department of Natural Resources/ Historic Preservation Division 2005 Cherokee Removal From Georgia Final Report By Sarah H. Hill Under a joint partnership between The National Park Service and the Georgia Department of Natural Resources/Historic Preservation Division Funded by The National Park Service Challenge Cost Share Program December 2005 Georgia’s Trail of Tears Acknowledgements This project was managed by Georgia Department of Natural Resources/Historic Preservation Division staff Christine Neal and Dave Crass; maps were produced by Joey Charles. The Georgia Chapter of the Trail of Tears Association, and in particular Doug Mabry, were instrumental in helping to locate documentary material and sites. Patsy Edgar, Past President of the Georgia Chapter of the TOTA, was a tireless advocate of this project. We especially wish to thank National Trail of Tears Association President Jack Baker, whose good offices and leadership mean so much to the preservation of Trail of Tears sites throughout the southeast. ii Georgia’s Trail of Tears Table of Contents Acknowledgments............................................................................................................................ii List of Illustrations...........................................................................................................................v An Introduction to the Trail of Tears Project.............................................................................................1 Goals and Method................................................................................................................ 1 The Cherokee Nation in Georgia..................................................................................................................... 4 An Overview........................................................................................................................4 Physiography............................................................................................................4 Environment and Ecology........................................................................................6 Changing Landscapes and Economies..................................................................... 9 Roads and Trails.................................................................................................... 11 The Georgia or Federal Road..................................................................... 11 Postal Roads............................................................................................... 15 The Unicoi Turnpike.................................................................................. 15 The Alabama Roads................................................................................... 16 Alabama Road North-South Connector..................................................... 17 The Brainerd Roads................................................................................... 18 Dahlonega to the Federal Road.................................................................. 19 Tennessee to Hightower River Turnpike...................................................20 Auraria to Northern Boundary Line of Georgia........................................20 The Laudsville to Blairsville Road............................................................20 North Carolina to Clarksville.....................................................................21 To the North Carolina Line........................................................................21 New Road Cut by Removal Troops...........................................................21 Cherokee Removal in Georgia...............................................................................22 Forts and Stations...................................................................................................25 Fort Wool...................................................................................................25 Fort Buffington (Canton, Cherokee County).............................................30 Sixes (Cherokee County)...........................................................................34 Fort Floyd (Dahlonega, Lumpkin County)................................................36 Fort Hetzel (Ellijay, Gilmer County).........................................................40 Fort Gilmer (Rock Springs, Murray County)............................................43 Fort Newnan (Blaine, Pickens County).....................................................47 Encampment at Chastain’s (Blue Ridge, Union County)..........................50 Fort Hoskins (Springplace, Murray County).............................................52 Fort Campbell (Blaine, Forsyth County)...................................................56 Fort Cumming (Lafayette, Walker County)...............................................59 Fort Means (Kingston, Floyd County).......................................................64 Cedar Town (Polk County)........................................................................66 Camp Scott (Rome, Floyd County)...........................................................69 iii Georgia’s Trail of Tears Perkins, Dade County............................................................................... 72 Future Research.................................................................................................... 74 Appendix A: Georgia Site Forms IV Georgia’s Trail of Tears List of Illustrations Illustration 1. Georgia Trail of Tears Study Area.......................................................................2 Illustration 2. The Cherokee Nation........................................................................................... 4 Illustration 3. Physiography of Georgia.....................................................................................5 Illustration 4. Georgia Counties................................................................................................. 6 Illustration 5. Georgia Early Roads and Trails circa 1730-1850.............................................. 12 Illustration 6. The Vann Tavem............................................................................................... 12 Illustration 7. Tanner’s 1834 map.............................................................................................13 Illustration 8. Mitchell map of Cherokee County in 1846........................................................16 Illustration 9. An 1834 map of Cherokee County....................................................................17 Illustration 10. Mitchell map of Paulding County inl846.........................................................17 Illustration 11. An 1839 Burr map of Walker County................................................................18 Illustration 12. Habersham County in 1846 ..... 21 Illustration 13. Portraits of John Ridge, Elias Boudinot, Major Ridge..................................... 23 Illustration 14. Winfield Scott....................................................................................................27 Illustration 15. The possible location of Fort Wool.................................................................. 29 Illustration 16. Harmony Primitive Baptist Church...................................................................30 Illustration 17. Field reconnaissance in the Fort Buffington area..............................................32 Illustration 18. The possible location of Fort Buffington...........................................................34 Illustration 19. The possible location of Fort Floyd..................................................................40 Illustration 20. Fort Hetzel marker.............................................................................................40 Illustration 21. The possible location of Fort Hetzel................................................................. 43 Illustration 22. The Vann House................................................................................................43 v Georgia’s Trail of Tears Illustration 23. Fort Gilmer historical marker............................................................................44 Illustration 24. The possible location of Fort Gilmer.................................................................47 Illustration 25. The possible location of Fort Newnan...............................................................50 Illustration 26. The possible location of Fort Hoskins......................................... 55 Illustration 27. A view of the possible location of Fort Campbell............................................. 56 Illustration 28. The possible location of Fort Campbell.............................................................. 59 Illustration 29. Fort Cumming historical marker......................................................................... 60 Illustration 30. The possible location of Fort Cumming..............................................................63 Illustration 31. The possible location of Fort Means....................................................................66 Illustration 32. The possible location of Cedar Town Station......................................................69 Illustration 33. View of Rome, Georgia.....................................................................................72 vi Georgia’s Trail of Tears Goals and Methods The goal of this project