Fort Cass facts for kids

Fort Cass was an important fort located by the Hiwassee River in Charleston, Tennessee. It was the main military base for the Cherokee removal. This was a forced migration of the Cherokee people. It is sadly known as the Trail of Tears. The Cherokee were moved from their homes in the Southeast. They went to Indian Territory, which is now Oklahoma.

Fort Cass had many United States soldiers. They watched over large camps where Cherokee people were held. These camps were used in the summer of 1838. From here, the Cherokee began their long journey west. Fort Cass was one of three main starting points for this journey. The others were Ross's Landing in Chattanooga and Gunter's Landing near Guntersville, Alabama.

What Was Fort Cass?

The Cherokee people lived across a large area. This included parts of southeast Tennessee, southwest North Carolina, northern Georgia, and northeast Alabama. The first step of the removal was to gather the Cherokee. They were brought into several large camps. Fort Cass was the biggest of these camps. Other camps were spread out for many miles. They were located near Cleveland, Tennessee. Some were at Rattlesnake Springs. Other camps were at Ross's Landing and Fort Payne, Alabama. Fort Butler in Murphy, North Carolina was a military base in North Carolina.

The Cherokee Agency

Before the removal, Fort Cass was home to the "Cherokee Agency." This was like an embassy for the U.S. government. It served the Cherokee Nation from about 1819 to 1838. In 1819, the Cherokee gave up some of their land. The agency then moved to the future site of Fort Cass. This was on the south side of the Hiwassee River. The agency was located on the east side of what is now U.S. Route 11. Today, there are no signs of it left.

Why Fort Cass Was Built

The Indian Removal Act of 1830 started the process. This act led to the Trail of Tears years later. To prepare for the Cherokee removal, soldiers arrived. Company F of the 4th U.S. Infantry came to the Cherokee Agency. This was on September 1, 1834. They set up Camp Cass. It was named after the Secretary of War, Lewis Cass. The fort was partly meant to scare the Cherokee. The goal was to make them agree to move west.

At first, the army used buildings that were already there. This included the home of Lewis Ross. He was the brother of Chief John Ross. Starting in 1836, new buildings were built. These were for the removal operations. They included storage buildings, stables, and offices. An armory was also built. An armory is a place to store weapons. On November 6, 1836, an order was given to build an armory. It was surrounded by a 12-foot (3.7 m) tall wall.

The Forced Departure

In 1835, some leaders signed the Treaty of New Echota. But most of the Cherokee people did not want to leave their lands. In 1838, Brigadier General Winfield Scott took command. His army was called the "Army of the Cherokee Nation." Their headquarters were at Fort Cass. He told the Cherokee people to get ready. They would be forced to move.

Military actions began in the spring of 1838. This happened in Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Alabama. By July 25, 1838, over 4,800 Cherokee people were held near Fort Cass. They were in camps along nearby creeks. These included Mouse Creek and Rattlesnake Springs. The army first planned to move the Cherokee by boat. They would use the Tennessee River. But the river water was too low because of a drought.

So, a march over land became necessary. This march was delayed. It would have been very hard during the hot, dry summer. The journey was put off until September. Thousands of Cherokee spent several months in these camps near Fort Cass.

Sickness in the Camps

Many people got sick at Fort Cass during the summer of 1838. Diseases like whooping cough and dysentery spread. There were often several deaths each day. These illnesses made the survivors weak. This happened even before their long journey began.

Between late August and early December 1838, the Cherokee left. They were organized into twelve groups. They started their march west from Fort Cass and other locations. The last Cherokee left Fort Cass on December 5, 1838.

Today, nothing remains of Fort Cass or the camps. The historic Henegar House was built in 1849. It stands on part of the fort's original site.