Fort Cass established in Tennessee (1834–1835)

Fort Cass was established in Charleston, Tennessee, in 1835 as a U.S. military post. It functioned as the headquarters for the Cherokee removal, serving as a federal agency site and later as an emigration depot. The fort housed troops who supervised internment camps during the summer of 1838, prior to the main trek westward.

Episodes

Background and detail

Background. The Hiwassee Purchase of 1819 ceded Cherokee lands to the Federal Government, making the Hiwassee River a boundary. Charleston, initially known as Walker's Ferry, became a key location. Fort Cass was constructed in Charleston following the Indian Removal Act of 1830, serving as the headquarters for the removal process initiated by the Treaty of New Echota in December 1835.

Establishment. Fort Cass was established in 1835. Before the removal began, the site served as the U.S. federal agency to the Cherokee Nation from about 1819 to 1838. Infantry arrived at the Cherokee Agency on September 1, 1834, establishing Camp Cass, which later developed into the fort serving as the military headquarters.

Military Role. The fort housed a garrison of U.S. troops. It served as one of three emigration depots where Cherokee began their journey west, alongside Ross's Landing and Gunter's Landing. Military operations began in the spring of 1838 in several states, including Tennessee, where the fort played a central role in the supervision of removal activities.

People involved

Sources

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