Report of John Ross on Leading the Cherokee West
9/8/1841
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This is Cherokee Chief John Ross's financial account and explanation of transporting a water detachment of Cherokee by steamboat to Indian Territory in late 1838 and 1839. He submitted it to the Federal Government, explaining the costs of the journey, and the issues he encountered along the way – as the one in charge of all of the detachments, he had to deal with the problems faced by those traveling by land as well.
Years earlier, in 1835, a small group of Cherokee leaders who favored moving to land west of the Mississippi River and representatives of the U.S. government had signed the
Treaty of New Echota. It required the eastern Cherokees to exchange their lands for land in the Indian Territory—what is today eastern Oklahoma. The Cherokees were to complete their removal to Indian Territory within two years.
Principal Chief John Ross and the majority of Cherokee opposed the treaty. All but about 2,000 Cherokees ignored the treaty and refused to move west or begin making preparations for removal. This reaction was encouraged by Chief Ross and continued for nearly two years.
Between 1835 and 1838, the small faction of Cherokees who had agreed to the treaty removed themselves to the west, either individually or in several Government-run detachments, in the first phase of Cherokee removal.
The next stage of removal, beginning what is known as the Trail of Tears, occurred when other Cherokees were rounded up by troops commanded by Gen. Winfield Scott in the spring of 1838 and forced into stockades and military stations throughout the Cherokee Nation. They were then forcibly moved to Indian Territory under military escort, using boat transportation via the Tennessee, Ohio, Mississippi, and Arkansas Rivers.
Due to the reports of sickness and suffering during the removal, Chief John Ross petitioned General Scott to let the Cherokee control their own removal. In the fall and winter of 1838–39, most remaining Cherokees migrated to Indian Territory under the leadership of Chief Ross, and traveled in one boat detachment (the "water detachment" described in this document) and 12 large wagon trains (each with about 1,000 persons) with Cherokee conductors.
The arduous journey claimed thousands of Cherokee lives, including that of Principal Chief John Ross's wife, Quatie Ross. Ross wrote: "my children became motherless and the remains of Mrs. Ross were left in a strange land!"
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A rough estimate of the probable cost of the Water Detachment of Emigrant Cherokees, [struck through] conducted by Capt. John Drews.
Conductors pay from the 7th Nov. to the 4th Dec. [bracket] 1838 inclusive being for the time detained unavoidably by low water, at the Agency previous to embarkation for the West, 28 days 5 $ p: [end bracket] $140.00
The Asst. Conductors pay for the same time @ $3 pr day 84.00
The Attending Physicians pay ditto "5" 140.00
"Interpreters" "2.50" 70.00
"Commissary's pay" "2.50" 70.00
[total] 504.00
4 flat bottomed boats for transporting the emigrants down the Hiwassee & Tennessee rivers 600.00
Services for Boat hands, and pilotage through [bracket] the Suck and the Muscle Shoals to the Canal including [struck through] tollage through the [struck through]
Canal, supposed to have cost [struck through] for about 40 or 45 days.
[end bracket] 410.00
[total] 1514.00
1 Steam Boat Cost (bought at Tuscumbia) 10.000.00
1 Keel boat purchased at Paduca 600.00
[struck through] Steam Boat Captains pay from about the 15th [bracket]
or 18th Jan 1839 to 18th of March say 2 mos @ $ 125 pr mo [end bracket] 250.00
Capts. Mates pay same time 2 – "75" 150.00
Principal Engineers pay "100" 200.00
Asst. do "75" 150.00
Carpenter's @ 75 150.00
Carried over - $ 13014.00
Amount brought over - $ 13014.00
Cook, Steward and 6 boat hands @ 30 pr mo for 2 months 480.00
Pilot from Tuscumbia to Paduca - 100.00
ditto - "Paduca to Montgomery Point" - 100.00
ditto - "Montgomery Point to Fort Gibson" - 150.00
Wood for Steam Boat averaging about 8 cords pr day [bracket]
for say 60 days, [struck through] 480 cords @ $ 3 pr cord [end bracket] 1440.00
Provisions for Steam Boats Crew of 14 persons for [bracket]
60 days making 840 rations @ 16 cts [end bracket] 134.40
Conductors Pay from the 5th Dec. 1838 to 18th March 1839 [bracket]
incl. making 104 days - @ 5 $ pr [end bracket] 520.00
Asst. Conductors pay 104 days - "3.00" - 312.00
Attending Physicians pay 104 days - "5.00" - 520.00
Interpreter to Ditto - "2.50" - 260.00
Commissary's pay - "2.50" - 260.00
Provisions for Emigrants from the 5th Dec. 1838 [bracket]
up to the 18th March 1839 inclusive 24024 rations 16 cts. [end bracket] 3843.84
3 lb. Soap to every 100 rations making 720 ¾ lbs. @ 15 cts. - 108.11 1/4
[total] $ 21242.35 1/4
Teamsters, going to the mouth of the [bracket] Illinois River and transporting the emigrants from the Steam Boat there Stopped (in consequence of low water) and hauling them out about 40 miles, to the Camp Ground on the same river, where the Detachment was dissolved; and the people were [struck through] subsisted by the U.S. Contractor &c. [end bracket] $ 21664.35 1/4 c.
Amount brought forward - $ 21664.35 1/4 c.
Besides these there are many other items of expense necessarily incurred in the removal of this detachment, which cannot now be remembered, as the vouchers of disbursements are on file at home in the Cherokee Nation, among my other papers – not deeming it expedient or proper to encumber myself with them; nor, to run the risqué of their conveyance to Washington ^without^ reason for doing so, they were left – the furnishing this Estimate for the satisfaction of the War Department, it is done [struck through] ^in part^ from memory, consequently it may not be precisely correct, but the items are put down at prices approximating as nearly to the actual cost as recollection serves me, and I do not believe that it is far wrong one way or the other – but I am certain, if all the items of the entire cost were enumerated, it would exceed the amount
of the above exhibit.
[stamped] THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF THE UNITED STATES
I must now state that on the part of the Cherokee Nation it has ever been most clearly & distinctly understood that the sum of $ 65.88 for each emigrant at the rate of eighty days agreed to by Maj. Genl. Scott, although the estimates proposed were made on the principle for removing by land, yet, it was also intended to embrace and govern the cost of the Water Detachment.
[struck through] ^And^ at no time after this aggregate sum of the estimates were approved, by Genl. Scott did [underline] he [end underline] or any other Officer or Agent of the United States ever intimated or proposed to me, as the Superintendent of emigration, or to any of the Authorized Agents of the Nation, to make a separate agreement for the cost of removing the Water Detachment – that the authorities of the Nation felt themselves free to change the mode of removal and go by water instead of by land if the stage of navigation and other circumstances [struck through] ^had preponderated^ in favor of the change, before the preparation for the land route had been completed.
As to the detention of the Boat at the Mouth of the Ohio River, the circumstances which impelled me to make the halt were simply these – On my arrival with the Water Detachment at Paduca I received letters from various persons connected with some of the first [struck through] Houses in Nashville informing me that it was understood many of the land detachments had been stopped at the Mississippi River by the ice, and for various reasons it would be most advisable to transport the Emigrants from that point by water;
therefore they sent me proposals for furnishing Steam Boats for that purpose – At the mouth of the Ohio, I also received letters from Mr. Thos. N. Clark jr. one of my principal agents on the route, and other [underline] persons, all [end underline] urging me in the most pressing terms to visit the detachments that were still detained at or near Willard's ferry on the Mississippi River as my presence among the people was indispensably necessary to remove many embarrassments growing out of certain tales calculated to deter them from pursuing their journey through Missouri on roads represented to be very bad and where it would be impossible to procure supplies for the subsistence of themselves and horses – These reports were suspected to have been put in circulation with the view of creating alarm among the people, that they might insist on taking water at that point – it was also suggested that it might be deemed advisable to transfer some of the sick to the Water Detachment – Above all, that the funds requisite for meeting the expenses of the emigrants on the road had almost exhausted – I therefore deemed it my duty to repair to them without hesitation – At first, I determined on [struck through] the propriety of running the Boat up to Willard's ferry with the view of receiving such of the sick as might wish to go by water – but the Capt. of the Boat advised against it, for reasons that neither himself nor the pilot knew anything of the navigation of that part of the Mississippi river – so, I took portage on a [struck through] Boat that was just on the eve
[stamped in bottom left corner] THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF THE UNITED STATES
ascending the river, and leaving [underline] my sick family [end underline] with the other emigrants, to await my return which should be as speedily as possible – about 12 oclock that night, I was landed at Willard's ferry, where I met with Mr. Clark, my Brother Lewis and others in the employ of the Emigration and from whom I ascertained that Chuwalookee's detachment had crossed the river and were then encamped a short distance off, and that Geo. Hicks', Peter Hildebrand and Richard Taylor's detachments had not yet [struck through] crossed, but were in readiness for the purpose – On the morrow, my arrival was announced to Chuwalookee who with others immediately came to where I was; This Conductor, is an aged Chief, not conversant with the English language, consequently [struck through] had to rely much on his Asst. for the discharge of those duties, which were necessary to control the conduct of the whites employed in the Detachment, also, in the disbursements of contingent expenses – Chuwalookee frankly told me that [struck through] owing to the entire want of energy on the part of the Asst. Conductor, one of the waggon Masters and some of the waggoners had become so unruly whilst the party were detained by the ice, in camps, that the Detachment could not get along satisfactorily on the journey without their dismissal, thereby affording him better aid for the preservation of subordination in future - As to the Cherokees, he remarked, that he could exercise sufficient influence and authority over them, to get along without trouble – Mr. Clark was consequently, forthwith assigned to this detachment, with instructions to exercise a supervisory authority over it jointly with the Conductor, also, to discharge and pay off every faithless person under employment
[struck through] ^in^ it – and to disburse the necessary expenses on the journey this gave general satisfaction, at the same time, I directed it to be distinctly made known that, no change could, or would be made from completing the journey by land – and that it was evident these alarming tales about the roads through Missouri were in great measure magnified for effect, but, however true the scarcity and high prices for supplies immediately on the road might prove to be, that supplies should be procured cost what ^they^ would, if [struck through] they were to be had at all within reach of the route of their travel – preparations were then directed to be made for taking up the line of march the next [struck through] morning which was done accordingly – Geo. Hicks' detachment began to cross, also on the morrow of my arrival – And on that day, I finished all my arrangements with the Conductors for ^resuming^ their journey – And I was then ready for returning to the Water Detachment – The health of the people had become much improved, and those who were still sick continued with their respective Detachments – The descending boats being generally laden, could not be prevailed upon to stop & take me on board – after thus being detained two or three days, I determined not to wait any longer for a passage by water, and I procured the loan of a horse & rode down in two days to the Boat, accompanied by my Brother. And the next morning after my return, we slipped cable –Within a week from that time, my children became motherless and [struck through] the remains of Mrs. Ross were left in a strange land! –
With these facts before you, Sir, I cannot doubt you will see that this detention was unavoidable, and that it was forced upon me imperiously by necessity – Especially when you reflect upon, the relation in which I stood to the Cherokee Nation in this emigration. Of the solemn duty I owed to the calls of my expatriated countrymen whose interests were entrusted to my superintency during their sojourneyings to the place of their exile – in connexion with this ^the^ duty I owed to my own family and the Water Detachment, which forbade my final separation from them at that point under existing circumstances, will I trust be deemed good reasons for that detention –
I am Sir, Very respectfully
Yr. obt. Servt.
[signed] John Ross Pl. Chief &c
of the Cherokee Nation
To Major Wm. B. Lewis
2nd. Artillery
Washington City September 8th. 1841This primary source comes from the Records of the Accounting Officers of the Department of the Treasury.
National Archives Identifier:
301664Full Citation: Financial account and explanation of John Ross for transporting a detachment of emigrant Cherokee by steamboat to Indian Territory in late 1838 and 1839; 9/8/1841 ; Settled Indian Accounts and Claims, 1/1794 - 2/1894; Records of the Accounting Officers of the Department of the Treasury, Record Group 217; National Archives Building, Washington, DC. [Online Version, https://docsteach.org/documents/document/report-john-ross, April 24, 2024]