Bradley County, Tennessee: History
Indigenous peoples occupied this territory, especially along the waterways, for thousands of years before European contact. The first Europeans to see this area were likely Hernando De Soto and his expedition on June 2, 1540, while traveling through the Southeast interior of the North American continent. They encountered peoples of the South Appalachian Mississippian culture.
The historic Muscogee Creek and Yuchi occupied areas of what became Tennessee. The Yuchi town of Chestowee was located on the south bank of the lower Hiwassee River. They later moved from Tennessee into Georgia and South Carolina under pressure from the Cherokee, who were rising to power in the region. Cherokee warriors from the Middle Towns destroyed Chestowee in 1714, encouraged by English fur traders from South Carolina. Archeological surveys suggest that Chestowee was located at what is known as the Rymer archeological site, identified in later studies as within the European-American J.P. Rymer farm.
The Cherokee became predominant in this area and referred to a large region in present-day Bradley County as Chatata, meaning "clear water". The Yuchi, while speaking a different language, allied with the Muscogee Creek when moving into their territory in Georgia and Alabama.
In anticipation of forced removal of the Cherokee by treaty cession in this area north of the Hiwassee River, white settlers began to move here. In 1821, the Cherokee Agency, the official liaison between the U.S. Government and the Cherokee Nation, was moved to present-day Charleston, Tennessee. Between 1832 and 1838, the Cherokee moved their capital to the Red Clay Council Grounds, on the southern border of Bradley County with Georgia; it served as the Cherokee capital and the last council grounds of the Cherokee Nation-East. This property is now a state park, Red Clay State Park.
The Cherokee Removal began after some of their leaders signed the Treaty of New Echota, signed on December 29, 1835. The government had earlier tried to persuade them to move to Indian Territory; these leaders signed the treaty while trying to gain the best conditions for their people, as they believed it was inevitable.
General Winfield Scott was directed to remove the Cherokee from the Southeast, and set up the headquarters at Fort Cass in Charleston. Several internment camps were established in Bradley County in the valleys between Charleston and Cleveland, Tennessee, where the Cherokee were held in preparation for the journey westward. This became known as the Trail of Tears. Two of the largest internment camps were located at Rattlesnake Springs. …