you should not belive everything people write in books and the eastern cherokee are just as mixed as us in the west as far as full bloods go there are way more in the west then in the east witch means nothing to the cherokee one drop is all you need to be a tribal member and it has always been that way, my people worked for james vann at springplace before it was ga and they had mixed with the whites for 100 years then most cherokees east and west are mixed that is not a bad thing. Lldurham@aol.com wrote: In a message dated 9/13/02 1:43:20 AM, JJack26899@aol.com writes: << Did I read in my search that they were forced to march to OK, but some hid out and did not go? Jack >> There are likely others more knowledgeable than I about this, but here's my understanding. All Cherokees were rounded up. Seems unlikely that a few stragglers weren't missed, however - it was a big territory. Some escaped along the Trail, dropping off in Kentucky, Missouri, etc. A larger party escaped to the mountains. They were led by a fellow (someone will surely know his name, he is an Eastern Cherokee national hero) who intervened when a soldier was molesting a Cherokee woman during the time those who had been located were being held in pens awaiting Removal. This Cherokee man killed the soldier, then escaped into, as I said, the mountains. Over time, others joined him, including another man whose story I don't know, but who likewise had killed someone. Eventually there were about 400 Cherokees who made their way to these two men. The Removal went forward. The Cherokees en masse were driven like cattle to Indian Territory. In the meantime, the hunt went on for the two guys and the other escapees. Eventually the government gave up. It had accomplished its primary goal and the cost of the continued search outweighed its value to the government. So the government said if the two men would turn themelves in, the others could stay. It entered into a treaty with them which created the Qualla Boundary, a reservation, essentially, and home today to those who descend from the 400. The two men turned themselves in and were hung. >From the perspective of those of us who research, one of the more interesting things about the Eastern Cherokee (those who reside on the Boundary) is that they did not intermarry to the same extent with white people as did the Western Cherokee, and so are "purer" in appearance to the early Cherokee than are the WC. Looking at your second post, someone seems to have answered already but it hasn't made it to my server. The story can be found in Grave Steele Woodward's book, The Cherokees. I have recited it from memory, however. Feel free to do further research and substitute more factual information if you find it. Leo ==== GAMURRAY Mailing List ==== --- Author Retains Copyright --- -- Copyright 2002 Author -- All Rights Reserved Post to List: GAMURRAY-L@rootsweb.com http://www.selfroots.com Unsubscribe request To: GAMURRAY-L-request@rootsweb.com ARCHIVES: http://searches2.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/listsearch.pl --------------------------------- Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! News - Today's headlines