130 MYTHS OF THE CHEROKEE [eth.ann.19 



thousands and thousands are approaching from every quarter to render 

 resistance and escape alike hopeless. . . . Will you. then, by 

 resistance compel us to resort to arms ... or will 3'ou by flioht 

 seek to hide yourselves in mountains and forests and thus o})lige us to 

 hunt you downT' — reminding them that pursuit might result in con- 

 tlict and liloodshed. ending in a general war.' 



Even after this Koss endeavored, on btdialf of his people, to secure 

 some slight modification of the terms of the treaty, but without avail. ^ 



THE REMOVAL — 1S38-39 



The history of this Cherokee removal of 1838, as gleaned by the 

 author from the lips of actors in the tragedy, may well exceed in 

 weight of grief and pathos any other passage in American history. 

 Even the nnu'h-sung exile of the Acadians falls far ))ehind it in its 

 sum of death and miserv. Under Scott's orders the troops wt're dis- 

 posed at various points throughout the Cherokee country, where 

 stockade forts were erected for gathering in and holding the Indians 

 preparatory to removal (-t3). From these, squads of troops were sent 

 to search out with riHe and l>ayon(^t every small cal)in hidden away in 

 the coves or by the sides of mountain streams, to seize and bring in as 

 prisoners all the occupants, however or wherever they might be found. 

 Families at dinner were startled by the sudden gleam of bayonets in 

 the dooi'way and rose up to be driven with blows and oaths along the 

 weary miles of trail that led to the stockade. Men were seized in 

 their fields or going along the road, women were taken from their 

 wheels and children from theii' play. In many cases, on turning for 

 one last look as they crossed the ridge, they saw their homes in flames, 

 fired by the lawless rabble that followed on the heels of the soldiers to 

 loot and pillage. So keen were these outlaws on the scent that in 

 some instances they were driving off the cattle and other stock of the 

 Indians almost before the soldiers had fairly started their owners in 

 the other direction. S^ystematic hunts were made by the same men 

 for Indian graves, to rob them of the silver pendants and other valu- 

 ables deposited with the dead. A (leorgia volunteer, afterward a 

 colonel in the Confederate service, said: " I fought through the civil 

 war and hav^e seen men shot to pieces and slaughtered by thousands, 

 but the Cherokee removal was the cruelest work I ever knew." 



To prevent escape the soldiers had been ordered to approach and 

 surround each house, so far as possible, so as to come upon the occu- 

 pants without warning. One old patriarch, when thus surprised, 

 calmly called his children and grandchildren around him, and, kneel- 

 ing down. l)id them pray with him in their own language, while the 

 astonished soldiers looked on in silence. Then rising he led the way into 



' Royee, Cherokee Nation, op. cit., p. 291, ' Ibid, p. 291. 



