88 MYTHS OF THE CHEROKEE Lkthann.U) 



anticipation of an cxpcctod war with the United States the Bi'itisli 

 agents in Canada had been (Mieoiiraging the hostile feeling toward the 

 Americans l)y talks and presents of goods and ammunition, while lh(> 

 Spaniards also covertly fanned the flame of discontent.' At the height 

 of the ferment war was declared between this country and England on 

 June -2^, lcS13. Tecumtha, at the head of tifteen hundred wari'iors. at 

 once entered the British service with a commission as g(>neral. while 

 the Creeks began murdering and burning along the southern frontier, 

 after having vainly attempted to .secur&the cooperation of the Cherokee. 



From the Ci'eeks the new revelation was brought to the Cherokee, 

 whose priests at once began to dream dreams and to preach a return to 

 the old life as the oid}' hope of the Indian race. A great medicine 

 dance was appointed at Ustanali. the national capital, where, after the 

 dance was over, the doctrine was publiidy announced and explained by 

 a Cherokee prophet introduced by a delegation from Coosawatee. He 

 began by saying that some of the mountain towns had abused him and 

 refused to receive his message, but nevertheless he must continue to 

 bear testimony of his mission whatever might happen. The Cherokee 

 had broken the road which had })een given to their fathers at the begin- 

 ningof the world. They had taken the white man's clothes and trinkets, 

 they had beds and tables and mills; .some even had books and cats. All 

 this was bad, and because of it their gods were angry and the game 

 was leaving their country. If they would live and be happy as before 

 they must put off the white man's dress, throw away his mills and 

 looms, kill their cats, put on paint and buckskin, and be Indians again: 

 otherwise swift destruction would come upon them. 



His speech appealed strongly to the people, who cried out in great 

 excitement that his talk was good. Of all those present only Major 

 Ridge, a principal chief, had the courage to stand up and oppose it, 

 warning his hearers that such talk would inevitably lead to war with 

 the United States, which would end in their own destruction. The 

 maddened foUow-ers of the prophet sprang upon Kidge and would have 

 killed him but for the interposition of friends. As it was, he was thrown 

 down and narrowly escaped with his life, while one of his defenders 

 was stabtjed by his side. 



The prophet had threatened after a certain time to invoke a terrible 

 storm, which should destroy all but the ti'ue believers, who were 

 exhorted to gather for safety on one of the high peaks of the Great 

 Smoky mountains. In full faith thej^ abandoned their bees, their 

 orchards, their slaves, and everything that had come to them from the 

 white man, and took up their toilsome march for the high moiuitains. 

 There they waited until the appointed day had come and passed, show- 



• Mooney, Ghost-dance Religion, Fourteenth Ann. Rep. Bureau of Ethnology, p. 670 et passim, 

 lb96; contemporary documents in .\merican State Papers: Indian Affairs,!, pp. 798-801, iy45-850, 1832 



