Dragging Canoe facts for kids

Dragging Canoe (born around 1738 – died February 29, 1792) was a brave Cherokee war chief. His Cherokee name was Tsiyu Gansini, which means "he is dragging his canoe." He led a group of Cherokee warriors who fought against American colonists and settlers in the southern United States.

During the American Revolution and the years after, Dragging Canoe's fighters sometimes teamed up with other Native American groups. These included the Upper Muskogee, Chickasaw, and Shawnee. They also worked with British supporters and agents from France and Spain. This series of conflicts, known as the Cherokee–American wars, continued for ten years after the American Revolutionary War ended. Dragging Canoe became the most important war leader among the Native peoples of the Southeast. He was the war chief, or skiagusta, of the group called the Chickamauga Cherokee (also known as the "Lower Cherokee"). He led them from 1777 until his death in 1792. After him, John Watts became the new leader.

Who Was Dragging Canoe?

Dragging Canoe was born around 1738. His father was Attakullakulla, also known as "Little Carpenter." His mother was Nionne Ollie, or "Tame Doe." His parents were from the Nipissing and Natchez tribes, who lived with the Cherokee. They had joined the Cherokee after facing difficulties with the French.

Dragging Canoe's family lived with the Overhill Cherokee. This was along the Little Tennessee River in what is now southeast Tennessee. When he was young, Dragging Canoe survived smallpox, which left marks on his face.

How Dragging Canoe Got His Name

According to a Cherokee story, Dragging Canoe got his name when he was a child. He wanted to join a war party that was going to fight the Shawnee. His father told him he could go if he could carry his canoe. The young boy tried his best to show he was ready for war. But the canoe was too heavy, and he could only drag it.

Leading the Cherokee Warriors

Dragging Canoe first experienced fighting during the Anglo-Cherokee War. After this war, he became known as a strong leader who opposed white colonists moving onto Cherokee lands. He eventually became the headman of Mialoquo, or "Great Island Town." This town was on the Little Tennessee River.

When the Cherokee decided to join the British against the colonists in the American Revolutionary War, Dragging Canoe led one of the main attacks. The colonial militias fought back and destroyed many Cherokee towns. After this, his father and Oconostota wanted to make peace.

Moving to New Towns

Dragging Canoe refused to give up. In 1777, he led a group of Overhill Cherokee away from their towns. They moved further south, about seven miles upstream from where the Chickamauga Creek meets the Tennessee River. This area is near what is now Chattanooga. Because they settled by the Chickamauga Creek, the settlers called them the "Chickamauga."

They built 11 new towns, including "Old Chickamauga Town." This town was across the river from a trading post run by John McDonald. He was a British agent who supplied the Chickamauga with guns, cannons, and supplies to fight the American colonists.

In the spring of 1779, an American pioneer named Evan Shelby led an expedition. His group of frontiersmen from Virginia and North Carolina destroyed Dragging Canoe's Chickamauga towns. Shelby wrote to Patrick Henry, saying the Chickamauga Cherokee were now "willing to treat for peace."

Establishing the Five Lower Towns

In 1782, American forces attacked Cherokee towns for a second time. The destruction caused by Colonel John Sevier's troops forced Dragging Canoe's group to move even further down the Tennessee River. Dragging Canoe then set up the "Five Lower Towns" below the natural barriers of the Tennessee River Gorge.

These towns were:

• Running Water Town (now Whiteside)
• Nickajack Town (near a famous cave)
• Long Island (on the Tennessee River)
• Crow Town (at the mouth of Crow Creek)
• Lookout Mountain Town (where Trenton, Georgia is today)

After this move, this group was also called the "Lower Cherokee."

From his base at Running Water Town, Dragging Canoe led attacks on white settlements across the American Southeast. He especially targeted American colonists along the Holston, Watauga, and Nolichucky rivers in eastern Tennessee. After 1780, he also attacked settlements in the Cumberland River area and raided into Kentucky and Virginia. His three brothers, Little Owl, the Badger, and Turtle-at-Home, often fought alongside him.

Death of Dragging Canoe

Dragging Canoe died on February 29, 1792, at Running Water Town. He passed away from exhaustion, possibly a heart attack. This happened after he danced all night celebrating a new alliance. This alliance was formed with the Muskogee and the Choctaw tribes. The Chickamauga were also celebrating a recent victory by one of their war groups against the Cumberland settlements.

Dragging Canoe's Legacy

Historians like John P. Brown and James Mooney believe Dragging Canoe was a role model for the younger Tecumseh. Tecumseh was a member of a Shawnee group living with the Chickamauga. He also took part in their wars. In the book Tell Them They Lie, it is said that both Tecumseh and Sequoyah were among Dragging Canoe's young warriors.