Resettling Chickamauga Cherokee

the primary areas of operations during chickamauga wars, showing more prominent settlements of war , postwar lower towns in lower left quarter

for decade or more after end of hostilities, northern section of upper towns had own council , acknowledged top headman of overhill towns leader. gradually had move south due ceding of land united states.

john mcdonald returned old home on chickamauga river, across old chickamauga town, , lived there until selling in 1816. purchased boston-based american board of commissioners foreign missions use brainerd mission, served both church (named baptist church of christ @ chickamauga) , school offering academic , vocational training. daughter, mollie mcdonald, , son-in-law, daniel ross, developed farm , trading post near old village of chatanuga (tsatanugi) days of wars. settled near them sons lewis , andrew ross, , number of daughters. son john ross, born @ turkey town, later rose become principal chief, guiding cherokee through indian removals of 1830s , relocation indian territory west of mississippi river.

the majority of lower cherokee remained in towns inhabited in 1794, known lower towns, seat @ willstown. leaders john watts, bloody fellow, doublehead, black fox, pathkiller, dick justice, glass, tahlonteeskee (brother of doublehead); nephew john jolly (ahuludiski, adoptive father of sam houston); john brown (owner of brown s tavern, brown s landing, , brown s ferry, judge of chickamauga district of young cherokee nation); young dragging canoe, richard fields, , red-headed weber, whom titsohili called willstown, among others. former warriors of lower towns dominated political affairs of nation next twenty years. more conservative leaders of upper towns, adopting many elements of assimilation keeping many of old ways possible.

roughly speaking, lower towns south , southwest of hiwassee river along tennessee down north border of muscogee nation, , west of conasauga , ustanali in georgia, while upper towns north , east of hiwassee , between chattahoochee river , conasauga. latter approximately same area later amohee, chickamauga, , chattooga districts of cherokee nation east.

also traditional settlements of cherokee in highlands of western north carolina, had become known hill towns, seat @ quallatown. similarly, lowland valley towns, seat @ tuskquitee, more traditional, upper town of etowah. notable both being inhabited full-bloods (as many cherokee of other towns of mixed race identified cherokee) , being largest town in cherokee nation. overhill towns remaining along little tennessee remained more or less autonomous, , kept seat @ chota.

all 5 regions had own councils. these more important people nominal nation council until reorganization in 1810, took place after national council held year @ willstown.