The Chickamaugas, Cumberland Compact

and the Battle of the Bluffs

Standards: 4.36, 8.26

Essential Question: What was the Battle of the Bluffs and how did it impact the Cumberland Settlement?

TheChickamaugaswereadiverse groupofCherokees,Creeks,dissatisfiedwhites,andAfricanAmericanswhohinderedwhitesettlementin Tennesseeforapproximatelynineteenyears.OnMarch19,1775, onemonthbeforetheoutbreakoffightingin theAmericanRevolution,RichardHendersonsignedtheTreatyofSycamoreShoalswiththeCherokeesledbyAttakullakulla,orLittleCarpenter. TheprivatetreatycededCentralKentuckyandnorthernMiddleTennesseetoHenderson.LittleCarpenter'sson,DraggingCanoe,ledtheoppositionandwarnedthewhitesthattheywerebuyinga"darkandbloodyground."

In1776, theShawneechief Cornstalkcame southtopersuadetheCherokeesandothersoutherntribes tojointheBritishandresistAmericansettlementacross theAppalachianmountains.DraggingCanoeandmanyoftheyoungerCherokeeswerequitesympathetic,andeventuallythemajorityofthe2,500Cherokeewarriors attackedtheUpperEastTennesseesettlements.TheWataugasettlers droveawaytheattackers,andsoldiersfromtheCarolinasandVirginiadestroyedmostoftheCherokeevillageseastofthemountains.ThemostantiwhiteCherokees,ledbyDraggingCanoe,BloodyFellow,YoungTassel,andHangingMaw,movedintoseveralabandonedCreektownsincludingCiticoandChickamaugaalongChickamaugaCreekandbegancallingthemselvesChickamaugasafterthe"riverofdeath."

TheBritishprovidedthegroupwithtwothousandpoundsofsuppliesearlyin 1779inpreparationforamajorraid ontheEastTennesseesettlements.Inapreemptivestrike,EvanShelbyand900VirginiaandNorthCarolinatroops descendedtheTennesseeRiverbyboatandsurprisedtheChickamaugas.Thewhitesburnedthevillagesandseizedthesupplies.TheraidproducedfewIndiancasualties,however,andDraggingCanoemovedthegrouptothemoredefensibleterritorywest ofLookoutMountain,settingupthefiveLowerTowns:RunningWaterandNickajackin Tennessee,LookoutMountaininGeorgia,andLongIslandandCrowtown inAlabama.

Bythis timetheChickamaugas,whohadstartedoutasdissatisfiedOverhillCherokees,includedmanyUpperCreeks,Shawnee,French"boatmen,"someblacks,andScotstraders. DanielRosssettledamongthemby1785.TheShawneewarriorCheesekauandhisyoungerbrotherTecumsehalsolivedwiththem.

TheDonelsonrivervoyagers toFortNashboroughfoughttheirwaythroughtheChickamaugaareaduringthespring of1780.Inthecourseoftheirvoyage,severalmembersofthe partywerekilled.Upon reaching the settlement then known as French Lick, Henderson drew up the Cumberland Compact and had all the men sign it. The document was largely about landholding, though there was some mention of representative government. Inthefall of1780theChickamaugas struckattheCumberlandsettlementsanddestroyedMansker's Stationin Goodlettsville.ThefollowingApriltheyattackedFortNashborough and drove off the horses found outside the walls. A short time later, the settlers gave chase, but were attacked by a large party of Native Americans. According to legend, Charolette Robertson, wife of James Robertson, saved the men by releasing the hunting dogs inside the fort to attack the Native Americans. The men were able to return to the fort, but 11 men were killed in what came to be called theBattleoftheBluffs.

InDecember1780theChickamaugaslost80men toforcesunderJohnSevieratBoyd'sCreek,neartheLittleTennesseeRiver.TheChickamaugaskepttheCumberlandsettlementsisolatedin 1787,andevenattackedFortWhite(Knoxville)in 1788.Onarivertrip,JosephBrownwas captured;hespentayearatNickajack.In1792theystruckatBuchanan'sStation,justfourmilessouthofFortNashborough.TravelersbetweenEastandMiddleTennesseewereforcednorthontheWildernessTrail,andeventhere,some100deathsoccurred.Then,onFebruary29,1792, the dayafteragreatvictorycelebration,DraggingCanoediedsuddenly,andthemantleof leadershippassedtoYoungTassel.

Thespecificend oftheChickamaugaperiodcameonSeptember12,1794,whenaSouthwestTerritorymilitiaunitunderMajorJames OreandledbyformerprisonerJosephBrowncrossedMonteagleMountainandwipedoutNickajackandRunningWater. Bytheend oftheyeartheremainingChickamaugashadjoinedtheOverhillCherokeestomaketreatieswiththewhiteTennesseans.

Indianresistancecontinued,as thetownsofLookoutMountain,LongIsland,andCrowtownrealignedthemselveswiththeUpperCreeks.RaidsintosoutheastMiddleTennesseecontinuedonaregularbasis.TheareafromMurfreesborotoBeechGrovecouldnotbesettleduntil1800;WarrenCountyopenedtowhitesettlementin 1806;andwhitessettledSequatchie Countybetween1807and1810.Noeffectivewhitesettlements,however,exceptthetradingpost ofDanielRoss,reachedChattanoogauntil1817.TheChickamaugamovementfinallyendedwithAndrewJackson'svictoriesovertheRedStickCreeksin the1813-14Alabamacampaign.

The Chickamaugas, Cumberland Compact

Source:FredS.Rolater,MiddleTennesseeStateUniversity.TennesseeEncyclopediaofHistoryandCulture.

Loggins, Kirk. "The Heart of Historic Nashville."The TennesseanJun 24 2004ProQuest. 26 June 2014