MOONEY] u'tSALA and CHARLEY 157 



Wisdom, the Cherokee Nation riuiiil)(>red H-i.4t31 persons, as follows: 

 Cherokee by blood (including all degrees of admixture), 2t),500; inter- 

 married whites, 2,300; negro freedmeii, 4,000; Delaware, 871; Shaw- 

 nee, 790. The total acreage of the Nation was r).(;)81.;:!51 acres, wliich, 

 if divided per capita under the provisions of the Curtis bill, after 

 deducting 60,000 acres reserved for town-site and other purposes, 

 would give to eacli Cherok(>e citizen 1-1-4 acres.' It must be noted 

 that the official rolls include a large number of persons whose- claims 

 are disputed by the Cherokee authorities. 



THK EASTERN HAND 



It remains to speak of the eastern band of Cherokee — the reuuiant 

 which still clings to the woods and waters of the old home country. 

 As has been .said, a considerable number had eluded the troops in the 

 general round-up of 1838 and had Hed to the fastnesses of the high 

 mountains. Here they were joined by others who had managed to 

 break through the guard at Calhoun and other collecting stations, until 

 the whole number of fugitives in hiding amounted to a thousand or 

 more, principally of the mountain Cherokee of North Carolina, the 

 purest-blooded and most consesrvative of the Nation. About one-half 

 the refugee warriors had put themselves under command of a noted 

 leader named U'tsala, " Lichen, " who made his headquarters amid the 

 lofty peaks at the head of Oconaluftee, from which secure hiding 

 place, although reduced to extremity of suii'ering from starvation and 

 exposure, they defied every effort to effect their capture. 



The work of running down these fugitives proved to be so difficult 

 an undertaking and so well-nigh barren of result that when Charley 

 and his sons made their bold stroke for freedom' General Scott eagerly 

 seized the incident as an opportunity for compromi.se. To this end he 

 engaged the services of William II. Thouias, a trader who for more 

 than twenty j^ears had been closely identified with the mountain Cher- 

 okee and possessed their full confidence, and authorized him to submit 

 to U'tsala a proposition that if the latter wcndd seize Charley and the 

 others who had been concerned in the attack upon the soldiers and 

 surrender them for punishment, the pursuit would be called off' and 

 the fugitives allowed to stay uiuuolested until an effort could be made 

 to secure permission from the genei'al government for them tor(Muain. 



Thomas accepted the conunission, and taking with him one or two 

 Indians made his way over secret paths to U'tsjlUVs hiding place. He 

 presented Scott's proposition and represented to the chief tiiat by 

 aiding in bringing Charley's party to punishment according to the 

 rules of war he could secure respite for his .sorely pressed followers, 

 with the ultimate hope that thej' might be allowed to remain in their 



* Report of .\gent 1). M. Wi.sdom, Report of Indian Conniiissioner, [i. I.'i'J, l.sy8. 

 ^Seepage 131. 



