History of the Cherokee Indians Collections

Trouble with the Chicamaugas

Trouble with the Chicamaugas, Attack at Knoxville. Mussel Shoals Massacre, Removal to Arkansas, First Printed Laws. The first treaty between the United States and the Cherokees was made at Hopewell on the Keowee River on November 28, 1875, between “Benjamin Hawkins, Andrew Pickens, Joseph Martin and Lachlan McIntosh, Commissioners Plenipotentiary of the United States and the Headmen and Warriors of all the Cherokees.” The Commissioners were among the most distinguished men of the southern part of the republic. Pickens and McIntosh had been brigadier generals of militia in the revolution; Martin and Hawkins had held honorable positions both in military … Read more

Treasurers of the Cherokee Nation

The office of treasurer was provided for by article four, section twenty one of the constitution, as follows: “The treasurer of the Cherokee Nation shall be chosen by a joint vote of both branches of the National Council for the term of four years.” The annual salary was fixed on October 4, 1839 at five hundred dollars. David Vann 1839, 1843, 1847 and 1851; Lewis Ross 1855 and 1859: Springfrog 1867, he died and Clement Neeley Vann was elected in November 1870; Dennis Wolf Bushyhead 1871 and 1875; De Witt Clinton Lipe November 11, 1879; Henry Chambers 1883; Robert Bruce … Read more

The Texas Cherokee 1820-1830

By the year of 1812, about one-fourth of the Cherokee Nation east had emigrated to the Arkansas territory between the Arkansas and White Rivers. John Bowles, a chief, and a large number from Running Water Town, on the Mussel Shoals of the Tennessee, had left in the year 1874 and emigrated to the St. Francis River country in southeast Missouri. During the winter of 1811-12 this branch moved to the Arkansas Territory, where they were domiciled until a survey of the Cherokee Nation, Arkansas was made by the United States Government in 181Q in accordance with the provisions of the … Read more

The Emigration From Georgia

Under the provisions of the treaty of 1835 and the congressional acts to carry it into effect the Cherokee Nation was entitled to $6,537,634. By the treaty $600,000 were set aside from this amount to defray the expenses of removal. The detachments were placed under the following conductors: No Conductor Started Arrived west Days on road 1 Hair Conrad August 28, 1838 January 17, 1838 143 2 Elijah Hicks Sept. 1, 1838 January 4, 1839 126 3 Rev. Jesse Bushyhead Sept. 3, 1838 February 27, 1839 178 4 John Bengi Sept. 28, 1838 January 11, 1839 106 5 Situwakee Sept. … Read more

Supreme Court of the Cherokee Nation

The powers and prerogatives of the judiciary of the Cherokee Nation is given in the thirteen sections of article five of the constitution and “The Judges of the supreme court shall each be allowed three dollars per day, while in service in holding court.” 1839. John Martin, Chief Justice, Reverend Jesse Bushyhead and four other unknown associates. Elected by Constitutional convention. 1844. Rev. Jesse Bushyhead, Chief Justice, vice John Martin, died October 17, 1840, and Judge Bushyhead died July 17, 1844. George Hicks elected Chief Justice October 11, 1844 vice Bushyhead. Associated Justices. Thomas Pegg, Moses Parris and David Carter, … Read more

Solicitors of the Cherokee Nation

The following were the solicitors of the Canadian District Lewis Riley 1841 and 1842; David Boggs 1843 and 1844; Robert G. Anderson 1845 and 1846; David Boggs 1847 and 1848; George Washing-ton Campbell 1849; Unknown 1851; Star Deerinthewater 1853; John Porum Davis 1855; Charles R. Gourd 1857; Gah-luh-do-la-duh 1859; Levi Toney 1867; Charles Edwin Watie 1869; Snake Girty 1871; Unknown 1873, William Penn Payne 1875, suspended for incest, John Taylor Drew appointed; Johnson Blythe 1877; he died July 3, 1878 and James Halfbreed appointed, he died January 13, 1879 and Snake Girty was elected February 3, 1879; Robert McDaniel 1879; … Read more

Sheriffs of the Cherokee Nation

Sheriffs of Canadian District 1841 and 1843. James Mackey; James Ore 1845; Josiah Reese 1847; John Shepherd Vann 1849; James Starr 1851; Nelson Riley 1853; Joseph M. Reese 1855; John Porum Davis 1857; Charles Drew 1859; Unknown 1861; Charles Drew 1867; John Q. Hayes 1869 and 1871; Stand Watie Gray’ 1873; Thomas Jefferson Bean 1875 and 1877, he was suspended and Henry Clay Lowrey was appointed April 16, 18 79; McCoy Smith, 1879, William Mosley West 1881; Stand Watie Gray 1883, he was suspended and William Vann, appointed June 20, 1884; William Vann 1885, 1887, 1889 and 1891; John Calhoun … Read more

Senators of the Cherokee Nation

Senators from the Canadian District 1841. Captain William Dutch- and the other one unknown. 1843. Captain William Dutch and Joseph Tally. Both resigned. 1844. John Shepherd and Nelson Riley, vice Dutch and Talley, resigned. 1845. James Mackey and William Shorey Coody. The latter was elected President of the Senate. 1847. Captain William Dutch and William Shorey Coody. The latter died April 16, 1849. 1849. Josiah Reese and Lightningbug Bowles. 1851. David Boggs and Nelson Riley. 1853. David Boggs and Teesee Guess. 1855. John Drew and Lightningbug Bowles. 1857. John Drew and William Doublehead. 1859. Joseph Abalom Scales and Daniel Coody. … Read more

Proclamation May 28, 1828

May 6, 1828. 7 Stat. 311. Proclamation, May 28, 1828. Articles of a Convention, concluded at the City of Washington this sixth day of May, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and twenty-eight, between James Barbour, Secretary of War, being especially authorized there for by the President of the United States, and the undersigned, Chiefs and Head Men of the Cherokee Nation of Indians, West of the Mississippi, they being duly authorized and empowered by their Nation. Object of the Treaty. Whereas, it being the anxious desire of the Government of the United States to secure … Read more

Officers of the Cherokee Nation

Officers of the Cherokee Nation, September 9, 1839 to June 30, 1908. The anomaly of a fully constitutional government with all of the concomitant expenses of executive, legislative, judicial and educational departments; being in existence for fifty-nine years, self-sustaining, without direct personal taxes, would seem at first thought, Utopian and impossible. But this was the condition presented by the Cherokee Nation from September 6, 1839 to July 1, 1898. A contented and satisfied communal government in which personal land titles were nonexistent; livestock, had free range, universally attended free schools with free text books, were the center of each annuities … Read more

Missionary Activities. First Printing

When the missionaries commenced work among the Cherokees at the beginning of the nineteenth century they found a condition awaiting them that was never presented to the Christian workers by a heathen people. Within less than three quarters of a century before, Christian Priber, ex-Jesuit had identified himself with this tribe, became one of them, learned their language, related to them the biblical stories, which the tribesmen had retained and remembered in infinite detail, although they had entirely forgotten Priber and the source of the stories. The sturdy Scotch and English countryman had also insidiously imbued the people with many … Read more

Judges of the Cherokee Nation

Judges of Canadian District 1841. John Brewer; 1843. Robert G. Anderson; 1847. Nelson Riley; George Washington Campbell; 1849. William Reese. 1851. Lewis Riley; 1853. William Reese; 1855. Star Deer in the water; 1857. Dempsey Fields; 1859. William Doublehead; 1861. James Ore; 1867 and 1869. Joseph Martin Hildebrand; 1871, 1873, 1875, 1877, 1879 and 1881. Abraham Woodall; 1883 and 1885. Stephen Hildebrand; 1887 and 1889. Henry Clay Lowrey 1891 and l893. Herman Johnson Vann; 1895. Walter Scott Agnew 1897. Herman Johnson Vann Judges of Cooweescoowee District 1855. Not known; 1857. John Lucien Brown; 1857. Charles Coody Rogers; 1861. Jackson Tyner; 1867 … Read more

History of the Cherokee Indians

Originally published in 1921, History of the Cherokee Indians, a reference originally created “for the purpose of perpetuating some of the facts relative to the Cherokee tribe, that might otherwise be lost,” in the words of author Emmet Starr. The result is a straightforward history of the Cherokee tribe with especial attention upon the 1800’s, an assortment of primary source writings, and thoroughly extensive genealogies of old Cherokee families. Genealogists and anyone tracing Cherokee ancestry are sure to find History of the Cherokee Indians especially illuminating; other readers curious about a more general history of the tribe will also find a wealth of insightful information about the Cherokee’s conflicts with other tribes, adoption of its constitution, emigrations, treaties, and much more. A handful of black-and-white photographs illustrate this solid historical and genealogical accounting.

Councilors from the Cherokee Nation

Councilors from Canadian District 1841. Joseph Talley, Wind and Wrinklesides. 1843. Lightningbug Bowles, Dahlahseenee and Oosoody. Bowles would not qualify and Lewis Riley was elected. Dahlahseenee died October 26, 1844 and Oosoody died November 29, 1844. 1845. Lewis Riley, John Shepherd and Jefferson Nivens. 1847. Lightningbug Bowles, Jacob Thorne and William Doublehead. 1840. Leggings, David Boggs and William Arnold. 1851. Charles Chambers, John Porum Davis and third party unknown. 1853. Leggings, Lightningbug Bowles and Duqulilu Wagon Bowles. 1855. Dempsey Fields, Lightningbug Bowles and Duqulilu Wagon Bowles. 1857. Lightningbug Bowles, William Rees and William Arnold. 1859. Lightningbug Bowles, Cabin Smith and … Read more

Constitution Of The Cherokee Nation

The elected delegates met and formed the following constitution: Constitution Of The Cherokee Nation Formed by a Convention of Delegates From the Several Districts, at New Echota, July 1827 We, the Representatives of the people of the Cherokee Nation, in Convention assembled, in order to establish justice, ensure tranquility, promote our common welfare, and secure to ourselves and our posterity the blessings of liberty; acknowledging with humility and gratitude the goodness of the sovereign Ruler of the Universe, in offering us an opportunity so favorable to the design, and imploring His aid and direction in its accomplishment, do ordain and … Read more

Clerks of the Cherokee Nation

Clerks of the Council 1841. Rev. Jesse Bushyhead. 1843. Jonathan Mulkey. 1845. Rev. David McNair Foreman. 1847. Hercules T. Martin. 1849. Hercules T. Martin. 1851. Thomas B. Wolf. 1853. Thomas B. Wolf. 1855. Hercules T. Martin. 1857. Hercules T. Martin. 1859. Thomas B. Wolf. 1861. Thomas B. Wolf. 1867. Thomas B. Wolf. 1869. Clement Neeley Vann. 1871. Ellis Sanders. 1873. George Osceola Sanders. 1875. Allen Ross. 1877. John Francis Lyon. Resigned. Daniel Ross Hicks, vice John F. Lyon, resigned. 1879. Daniel Ross Hicks. 1881. Joel Bryan Mayes. Resigned. Joel B. Mayes, resigned. 1883. Seaborn Cordery. 1885. Clark Charlesworth Lipe. 1887. … Read more

Circuit Judges of the Cherokee Nation

Circuit Judges, Middle Circuit Timothy Meigs Walker 1867; Jacob Bushyhead 1871, Kinick Sixkiller appointed in 1872 to try Ezekial Proctor; Timothy Meigs Walker 1875; Stephen Teehee 1879; Cicero Leonidas Lynch 1883 and 1887; William Nicholls Littlejohn l891, he resigned August 26, 1895 and Benjamin Goss was appointed August 2 7, 1895; Martin Van Benge 1895, he resigned and Charles Harris Sisson was appointed May 1, 1897. Circuit Judges, Northwestern Circuit Unknown 1831; Thomas Jefferson Pack 1843, he resigned and Riley Keys elected, vice Pack; Unknown 1845; Thomas B. Wolf 1847; Riley Keys 1849; Thomas Jefferson Pack 1851; Unknown 1853; Samuel … Read more

Cherokee Public School System Established

Prior to 1842 the educational interests of the Cherokees was in the hands of the missionaries of the Moravian, Presbyterian, Methodist, Congregational and Baptist Churches. The United Brethren or Moravians commenced their missionary’ work among the Cherokees at Spring Place in Georgia in l801. The American Board of Foreign Mission, maintained by the Presbyterian and Congregational churches entered the field at Brainard in 18I7. The Baptists commenced their labors in the western part of North Carolina, during the same year but soon allowed their work to lapse until 1820 in which year Valley Town Mission was founded. In 1824 the … Read more

Cherokee Origin and Religion

For four hundred years the question: “From whence came the Indian?” has been a recurrent problem. Four centuries of quest and investigation have not brought the solution nearer and it’s sanest answer of today is conjecture. Every person, who has made an extended study of Indians either as a tribe or as a race, has naturally evolved some idea of their possible origin and this is very often based on tribal migration legends. At some ancient period, so remote that even legend does not note it, the earth most probably came so ear the sphere of influence of some other … Read more

Act of Union Between The Eastern and Western Cherokees

The following act of union between the eastern and western Cherokees was signed on August 12, 1839. Whereas our Fathers have existed, as a separate and distinct Nation, in the possession and exercise of the essential and appropriate attributes of sovereignty from a period extending into antiquity, beyond the records and memory of man: And Whereas these attributes, with the rights and franchises which they involve, remain still in full force and virtue, as do also the national and social relations of the Cherokee people to each other and to the body politic, excepting in those particulars which have grown … Read more