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 Trail of Tears Posted by:  snfromky
N 34° 58.842 W 085° 43.860
16S E 615828 N 3871638
The sad tale of the forced march of Native Americans from the eastern US to the Oklahoma Territory.
Waymark Code: WM2CAW
Location: Alabama, United States
Date Posted: 10/10/2007
Views: 147
In May 1838 soldiers, under the command of U.S. Army General Winfield Scott, began rounding up Cherokee Indians in this area who had refused to move to Indian Territory in Oklahoma. About 16,000 Cherokees were placed in stockades in Tennessee and Alabama until their removal. Roughly 3,000 were sent by boat down the Tennessee River and the rest were marched overland in the fall and winter of 1838-1839. This forced-removal under harsh conditions resulted in the deaths of about 4,000 Cherokees.
In late June of 1838 a party of 1,070 poorly equipped Indians was marched overland from Ross' Landing at Chattanooga, Tennessee, to Waterloo, Alabama, because of low water in the upper Tennessee River. Following the general route of present day U.S. Highway 72, they camped at Bellefonte, where about 300 escaped between Bellefonte and Woodville. On June 26, the remainder refused to proceed. Consequently,the militia, under the command of Army Captain G.S. Drane was tasked to mobilize the group and escort them to Waterloo. Arriving in miserable condition on July 10, 1838, the Cherokee were placed on a boat to continue their journey West.
The "Trail of Tears" which resulted from the Indian Removal Act passed by U.S. Congress in 1830, is one of the darkest chapters in American history.
This route was designated as the "Trail of Tears Corridor of North Alabama" by resolution of the Alabama Legislature on July 13, 1995. Alabama remains the home of many Cherokee Indians today.
Marker Name: Trail of Tears
Marker Type: Rural Roadside
Addtional Information::
Darla Graves, executive director of the Alabama Indian Affairs Committee and Jerry Davis initiated meetings and served on a committee that helped write the legislation for the Trail of Tears Corridor of North Alabama. This legislation passed, with the support and cooperation from (then) Lt. Governor Don Siegelman, as Joint House Resolution 95-346 and was signed by (then) Governor Fob James, Jr. on July 13, 1995. Also, this Trail of Tears route was added to the National Park Service’s brochure of the Trail of Tears - National Historic Trails.
Richard Sheridan and Jerry Davis wrote the historical text and Alabama Waterfowl Association funded and installed the first historical marker for the Trail of Tears in Alabama, at Waterloo, Alabama on October 14, 1995. The second Trail of Tears historical marker was placed at Bridgeport, Alabama in Jackson County, on U.S. Highway 72, near the east state line on September 20, 1997. ALDOT donated a paved pull-off for the marker. Richard Sheridan and Jerry Davis wrote the text. This marker is partially funded by the Trail of Tears motorcyclists, Alabama Harley Davidson and the Jackson County Historical Association. All this was accomplished with the cooperation of Ms. Darla Graves, executive director of the Alabama Indian Affairs Commission. The Jackson County Trail of Tears Marker will be the first Trail of Tears Marker with the Alabama Indian Affairs Commission logo on it.
Date Dedicated / Placed: 09/20/1997
Marker Number: N/A
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Visit Instructions:
Please post a photo of you OR your GPS at the marker location. Also if you know of any additional links not already mentioned about this bit of Alabama history please include that in your log.
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