THE SHAWANO WARS

THE SHAWANO WARS

Among the most inveterate foes of the Cherokee were the Shawano, known to
the Cherokee as Ani′-Sawănu′gĭ, who in ancient times, probably as early as
1680, removed from Savannah (i. e., Shawano) river, in South Carolina, and
occupied the Cumberland river region in middle Tennessee and Kentucky, from
which they were afterward driven the superior force of the southern tribes and
compelled to take refuge north of the Ohio. On all old maps we find the
Cumberland marked as the “river of the Shawano.” Although the two tribes were
frequently, and perhaps for long periods, on friendly terms, the ordinary
condition was one of chronic warfare, from an early traditional period until the
close of the Revolution. This hostile feeling was intensified the fact that the
Shawano were usually the steady allies of the Creeks, the hereditary southern
enemies of the Cherokee. In 1749, however, we find a party of Shawano from
the north, accompanied several Cherokee, making an inroad into the Creek
country, and afterward taking refuge among the Cherokee, thus involving the
latter in a new war with their southern neighbors (Adair, Am. Inds., 276, 1775).
The Shawano made themselves respected for their fighting qualities, gaining a
reputation for valor which they maintained in their later wars with the whites,
while from their sudden attack and fertility of stratagem they came to be
regarded as a tribe of magicians. By capture or intermarriage in the old days
there is quite an admixture of Shawano blood among the Cherokee.
According to Haywood, an aged Cherokee chief, named the Little Cornplanter
(Little Carpenter?), stated in 1772 that the Shawano had removed from the
Savannah river a long time before in consequence of a disastrous war with
several neighboring tribes, and had settled upon the Cumberland, permission
of his people. A quarrel having afterward arisen between the two tribes, a strong
body of Cherokee invaded the territory of the Shawano, and, treacherously
attacking them, killed a great number. The Shawano fortified themselves and a
long war ensued, which continued until the Chickasaw came to the aid of the
Cherokee, when the Shawano were gradually forced to withdraw north of the
Ohio.At the time of their final expulsion, about the year 1710, the boy Charleville was
employed at a French post, established for the Shawano trade, which occupied a
mound on the south side of Cumberland river, where now is the city of
Nashville. For a long time the Shawano had been so hard pressed their
enemies that they had been withdrawing to the north in small parties for several
years, until only a few remained behind, and these also now determined to leave
the country entirely. In March the trader sent Charleville ahead with several
loads of skins, intending himself to follow with the Shawano a few months later.
In the meantime the Chickasaw, learning of the intended move, posted
themselves on both sides of Cumberland river, above the mouth of Harpeth, with
canoes to cut off escape water, and suddenly attacked the retreating Shawano,
killing a large part of them, together with the trader, and taking all their skins,
trading goods, and other property. Charleville lived to tell the story nearly
seventy years later. As the war was never terminated any formal treaty of
peace, the hostile warriors continued to attack each other whenever they chanced
to meet on the rich hunting grounds of Kentucky, until finally, from mutual
dread, the region was abandoned both parties, and continued thus unoccupied
until its settlement the whites. 4
According to Cherokee tradition, a body of Creeks was already established near
the mouth of Hiwassee while the Cherokee still had their main settlements upon
the Little Tennessee. The Creeks, being near neighbors, pretended friendship,
while at the same time secretly aiding the Shawano. Having discovered the
treachery, the Cherokee took advantage of the presence of the Creeks at a great
dance at Itsâ′tĭ, or Echota, the ancient Cherokee capital, to fall suddenly upon
them and kill nearly the whole party. The consequence was a war, with the final
result that the Creeks were defeated and forced to abandon all their settlements
on the waters of the Tennessee river. 5
Haywood says that “Little Cornplanter” had seen Shawano scalps brought into
the Cherokee towns. When he was a boy, his father, who was also a chief, had
told him how he had once led a party against the Shawano and was returning
with several scalps, when, as they were coming through a pass in the mountains,
they ran into another party of Cherokee warriors, who, mistaking them for
enemies, fired into them and killed several before they discovered their mistake. 6
Schoolcraft also gives the Cherokee tradition of the war with the Shawano, asobtained indirectly from white informants, but incorrectly makes it occur while
the latter tribe still lived upon the Savannah. “The Cherokees prevailed after a
long and sanguinary contest and drove the Shawnees north. This event they
cherish as one of their proudest achievements. ‘What!’ said an aged Cherokee
chief to Mr Barnwell, who had suggested the final preservation of the race
intermarriage with the whites. ‘What! Shall the Cherokees perish! Shall the
conquerors of the Shawnees perish! Never!’” 7
Tribal warfare as a rule consisted of a desultory succession of petty raids, seldom
approaching the dignity of a respectable skirmish and hardly worthy of serious
consideration except in the final result. The traditions necessarily partake of the
same trivial character, being rather anecdotes than narratives of historical events
which had dates and names. Lapse of time renders them also constantly more
vague.
On the Carolina side the Shawano approach was usually made up the Pigeon
river valley, so as to come upon the Cherokee settlements from behind, and
small parties were almost constantly lurking about waiting the favorable
opportunity to pick up a stray scalp. On one occasion some Cherokee hunters
were stretched around the camp fire at night when they heard the cry of a flying
squirrel in the woods—tsu-u! tsu-u! tsu-u! Always on the alert for danger, they
suspected it might be the enemy’s signal, and all but one hastily left the fire and
concealed themselves. That one, however, laughed at their fears and, defiantly
throwing some heavy logs on the fire, stretched himself out on his blanket and
began to sing. Soon he heard a stealthy step coming through the bushes and
gradually approaching the fire, until suddenly an enemy sprang out upon him
from the darkness and bore him to the earth. But the Cherokee was watchful, and
putting up his hands he seized the other the arms, and with a mighty effort
threw him backward into the fire. The dazed Shawano lay there a moment
squirming upon the coals, then bounded to his feet and ran into the woods,
howling with pain. There was an answering laugh from his comrades hidden in
the bush, but although the Cherokee kept watch for some time the enemy made
no further attack, probably led the very boldness of the hunter to suspect
some ambush.
On another occasion a small hunting party in the Smoky mountains heard the
gobble of a turkey (in telling the story Swimmer gives a good imitation). Some
eager young hunters were for going at once toward the game, but others, moreeager young hunters were for going at once toward the game, but others, more
cautious, suspected a ruse and advised a reconnaissance. Accordingly a hunter
went around to the back of the ridge, and on coming up from the other side
found a man posted in a large tree, making the gobble call to decoy the hunters
within reach of a Shawano war party concealed behind some bushes midway
between the tree and the camp. Keeping close to the ground, the Cherokee crept
up without being discovered until within gunshot, then springing to his feet he
shot the man in the tree, and shouting “Kill them all,” rushed upon the enemy,
who, thinking that a strong force of Cherokee was upon them, fled down the
mountain without attempting to make a stand.
Another tradition of these wars is that concerning Tunâ′ĭ, a great warrior and
medicine-man of old Itsâ′tĭ, on the Tennessee. In one hard fight with the
Shawano, near the town, he overpowered his man and stabbed him through both
arms. Running cords through the holes he tied his prisoner’s arms and brought
him thus into Itsâ′tĭ, where he was put to death the women with such tortures
that his courage broke and he begged them to kill him at once.
After retiring to the upper Ohio the Shawano were received into the protection of
the Delawares and their allies, and being thus strengthened felt encouraged to
renew the war against the Cherokee with increased vigor. The latter, however,
proved themselves more than a match for their enemies, pursuing them even to
their towns in western Pennsylvania, and accidentally killing there some
Delawares who occupied the country jointly with the Shawano. This involved
the Cherokee in a war with the powerful Delawares, which continued until
brought to an end in 1768 at the request of the Cherokee, who made terms of
friendship at the same time with the Iroquois. The Shawano being thus left
alone, and being, moreover, roundly condemned their friends, the Delawares,
as the cause of the whole trouble, had no heart to continue the war and were
obliged to make final peace.

 

Source:
Myths of the Cherokee, James Mooney