Introduction to Fort Cass and Interpretive Work
The Trail of Tears National Historic Trail was established to commemorate, interpret, and promote understanding of this tragic event in American history. The National Park Service (NPS) has developed invaluable resources, including maps like the one showing Fort Cass, which sits within the Calhoun Historic District and near the Hiwassee River Heritage Center.
Melissa Woody—known for her persuasive energy—encouraged our team to bring our Fort Armistead research over to Fort Cass. This idea gained traction when Steve Burns and Mike Romero from the NPS visited. Mike, energized by the potential, offered funding for a geophysical survey led by Cadet Walker, with our team managing the archaeological work.
This effort built on a long-conceived but unrealized project dating back to a 2000 Wagner meeting. Thanks to the groundwork laid by Melissa and especially Darlene Goins, local landowner access was secured.
Understanding Fort Cass and Its Importance
Darwin Key’s schematic maps illustrate a network of forts and routes used during the removal process. Fort Cass—established at the Cherokee Agency—was a key immigration depot, one of the primary places where Cherokee prisoners were consolidated.
The agency itself, dating to 1820, was situated at a ferry crossing on the Hiwassee River. Established after the Treaty of 1819, it became the administrative center for U.S. dealings with the Cherokee Nation. The location later transformed into Fort Cass during the 1830s removal operations.
Winfield Scott, then the highest-ranking U.S. military officer, took command at Fort Cass. Due to fears of cholera and overcrowding at western destinations, Scott granted a delay in the removal. However, Georgia’s refusal to allow Cherokee return created a humanitarian crisis, requiring emergency camps and provisions.
The Prince Map and Landscape Reconstruction
A central document in our research is a July 11, 1838 map by Henry Prince, a founding member of the U.S. Army Corps of Topographical Engineers. Prince’s map identified roads, camps, buildings, and topography, created to assist in provisioning and managing detained Cherokee populations.
Using GIS, we were able to match specific local landmarks and reconstruct the broader Fort Cass district. The area covered approximately 12 by 8 miles and hosted thousands of people that summer.
This mapping helped us identify multiple overlapping landscapes:
Cherokee Occupations and Valuation Records
Transcribed valuation records helped identify civilian homesteads within the depot reserve:
Locations were triangulated using maps, U.S. Army Corps records, and other archival sources. For example, Blackbird’s property, referenced as “Blackbird Shoals,” aligns with U.S. topographic maps. Lewis Ross’s home, valued at $3,000, was later converted into the Barrett Hotel and still exists in modified form.
Agency records, including an account by Wy Lowry, reveal that the area had at least 17 stores, turning the agency area into a bustling commercial hub during the removal period.
Geophysical Surveys and Findings
Surveys using ground penetrating radar (GPR) and magnetometry revealed remnants of the old agency roadbed and other potential features. Although inconclusive in some locations, significant anomalies suggest the presence of a powder magazine and fort remains beneath driveways and yards.
At Fort Foster and Camp Worth near Rattlesnake Springs, we documented roadbeds, anomalies, and a possible powder magazine, confirmed by oral history from local landowners.
Deportation Camps and Artifact Discoveries
Deportation-era encampments are difficult to detect archaeologically. However, we secured permission for metal detection, identifying several ephemeral sites:
Artifacts included:
These were carefully documented, photographed, and reburied. Their discovery marked the archaeological climax of the project—emotional evidence of the final days in the homeland for many Cherokee.
Conclusion
This project, led in consultation with tribal TIPPO offices, the National Park Service, the Hiwassee River Heritage Center, and many others, offered the first material evidence of Cherokee deportation camps.
Henry Prince’s careful mapping deserves recognition. His effort to track, house, and feed imprisoned Cherokee speaks to the humanity that can emerge even within systems of displacement.
For me—as a career archaeologist—the moment we found those artifacts was a goodbye. After decades of following these people’s paths, to see the last place they walked in their homeland and find their remains—those few material clues—was profoundly moving.
Thank you to everyone who made this possible.
Introduction to Fort Cass and Interpretive Work The Trail of Tears National Historic Trail was established to commemorate, interpret, and promote understanding of this tragic event in American history. The National Park Service (NPS) has developed invaluable resources, including maps like the one showing Fort Cass, which sits within the
