Cleveland Bradley
County History’
Page 4
In 1819, an
agency known as the Cherokee Agency was established on the present site of the
City of Charleston, with Return J. Meigs as the first agent. At the Red Clay
Council Ground, located in Bradley County, it is believed that a full council
was held in October 1835, a proposed treaty with the United States
providing for removal of the Cherokees to the Indian Territory, now Oklahoma,
was overwhelmingly rejected. John Howard Payne, author of “Home Sweet Home” and
a champion of Indian rights, attended the council which was also attended by a
number of prominent United States citizens and Cherokee officials.
One—half mile
south of the Council Ground, near the town of Red Clay, Georgia, stands a U.S.
marker erected in honor of Sleeping Rabbit, a famous Cherokee veteran of the War
of 1812. Four miles northeast at Flint Springs was the last home in the East of
John Ross, Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation~ The site of the grave of
Nancy Ward, high priestess of the Cherokee and loyal friend of the white
settlers, is near Benton. In the same vicinity is Old Fort Marr, believed to
have been constructed around 1814 to protect the white from the Cherokee.
Some of the Cherokees
known to have lived in this area included:
Crowing Chicken, Waterbird,
Dew—in—the—Water, Waterlooker, Trailup, Big—Path, Poor Bear, Bull—frog,
Quart-whiskey, Young Pup, Pigeon, Crazy, Woman Killer, Young Duck,
Sleeping—deer, Four Killer, Blackbird, Running Water, and Crying Wolf.
Source: Professor Roy G.
Lillard
Cleveland State Community
College
