Camp Sixes Cherokee Internment Site
The Mill at Camp Sixes built in 1820. Image from Wikimedia
This article is adapted from "Cherokee Removal: Forts Along the Georgia Trail of Tears" by Sarah H. Hill.
Located in the Hickory Log District of the Cherokee Nation, the town of Sixes appears on numerous nineteenth century maps on the north and south sides of the Etowah River near its junction with the Little River.cxxix Little River flows into the Etowah bounding Fulton and Cherokee Counties. The name comes from the Cherokee word for six (ᏑᏓᎵ - su-da-li
In 1987, Southeastern Archaeological Services of Athens, Georgia completed a cultural resources survey of Allatoona Lake for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers that successfully correlated archaeological sites with records of Indian improvements in the town of Sixes.cxxx In other words, Sixes was geographically located even though it is inundated.
Settled about 1799, Sixes stood on the north and south banks of the Etowah River east of the Little River in the Piedmont uplands and in the Hickory Log District of the Cherokee Nation. On maps of the mid-nineteenth century, it appears to be on the south side, but in an 1834 letter to the governor, one John Brewster claimed to be living “in the heart of one of the most populous Indian settlements (The Sixes Town) on the N.W. side of the Etowah River.”cxxxi Brewster may have moved to the area in order to mine gold.
The discovery of gold in north Georgia intensified the pressure for the removal of the Cherokees. As many as ten thousand gold-seekers poured into Georgia following the late 1829 publication of the news of gold discoveries.cxxxii Georgia extended its laws over the Cherokee Nation and Gov. George Gilmer was authorized to take control of Cherokee lands. Rapid developments pitted the state against the federal government as Cherokee agent Hugh Montgomery issued a prohibition against intruders on Cherokee land and the federal government sent troops to guard the mines.
A detachment under the command of Lt. Abram
C. Fowler was stationed at Camp Hinar at Sixes, site of one of the richest mines in Georgia. Confusion exists to this day about Camp Hinar, which is often named as a removal post and/or called Fort Hinar, Fort Sixes, or Fort Hinar Sixes. There is a possibility that the 1838 companies occupied buildings erected by the 1830 troops, but otherwise the association of Hinar with the removal of Cherokees is wholly incorrect. In September 1830, the troops destroyed 19 buildings at Sixes in an effort to stop intruders from mining.cxxxiii The buildings must have housed miners or their equipment and may not have been part of the Cherokee community at all. Two months later, the federal troops were withdrawn, and in 1831, the Georgia Guard took over “the protection” of the mines for approximately one year. In May 1834, John Brewster informed the governor that the Sixes mine was closed.cxxxiv
In 1833, as many as 400 Cherokees lived in Sixes Town.cxxxv According to the 1835 census, a minimum of 26 families lived there. The census and, later, the valuations, recorded the waterways on which the Cherokees lived rather than town affiliations, and so the number of Sixes residents may have been considerably larger. Cherokee County courthouse records of 1835 mention a town house at Sixes.cxxxvi One Sixes resident was the relatively affluent Moses Downing, who owned a ferry where the Alabama Road crossed the Etowah River.cxxxvii All residents opposed the treaty and some refused to talk to the census takers or evaluators. In 1842, many former residents of Sixes submitted claims for compensation lost in Georgia. Chief Stop signed as a witness for several claims, which bring life to the otherwise nameless individuals rounded up by the militia in 1838.
Military Occupation.
More militia companies were stationed at Sixes than at any other post in Georgia, which supports the possibility that the town remained populous. On May 11, 1838 an order was sent from Ft. Cass for a colonel, major, and seven companies to take post at Sixes, but subsequent invoices indicate that the actual number at the post was five.cxxxviii The militia companies of Capts. John
D. Stell of Fayette County (79 men), James T. Ellis of Henry County (64 men), Thomas H. Bowman of Elbert County (70 men), Mathew T. Hamilton of Gwinnett County (38 men), and James Daniel of Madison County (73 men) totaled 324 soldiers.cxxxix
The most detailed description of the removal process comes from one of the soldiers stationed at Sixes. On June 6, 1838, N. W. Pittman of Daniel’s Madison Company wrote to
his father-in-law, wife, children, “and all inquiring friends.” He said the company left in the evening of May
28 and traveled until midnight taking prisoners, then camped. “Some of us lay in the Road, some in a house with the Red people, the balance in another house which we had taken an Indian and his wife and placed them all together. Some occupied the Indian bed before it was cold and some under the same. The balance stretched on the floor until there was no room for any more.” When morning came, they left the prisoners with a guard and continued from house to house taking captives and leaving guards until nearly all were posted. They returned to camp about 2 p.m. with a total of 92 captives, and met the other companies who had returned. The total number of prisoners taken in the 24-hour period was 927.cxl
On June 9, 1838, Gen. Floyd ordered three of the five companies to leave Sixes. Capt. Stell’s company was one of two that escorted a detachment of prisoners to Ross’s Landing, but records do not show which other companies were still at the encampment.cxli
Construction.
No information has been found about the construction that may have occurred at Sixes. Although the companies apparently camped rather than build a stockade, they may have stabled their several hundred horses, constructed ovens for cooking, or maintained a blacksmith shop. Lacking the opportunity for further archaeological investigation, we remain hopeful that additional primary records will be found to fill in the story.
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Located in the Hickory Log District of the Cherokee Nation, the town of Sixes appears on numerous nineteenth century maps on the north and south sides of the Etowah River near its junction with the Little River.cxxix Little River flows into the Etowah bounding Fulton and Cherokee Counties. The name comes from the Cherokee word for six (ᏑᏓᎵ - su-da-li
In 1987, Southeastern Archaeological Services of Athens, Georgia completed a cultural resources survey of Allatoona Lake for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers that successfully correlated archaeological sites with records of Indian improvements in the town of Sixes.cxxx In other words, Sixes was geographically located even though it is inundated.
Settled about 1799, Sixes stood on the north and south banks of the Etowah River east of the Little River in the Piedmont uplands and in the Hickory Log District of the Cherokee Nation. On maps of the mid-nineteenth century, it appears to be on the south side, but in an 1834 letter to the governor, one John Brewster claimed to be living “in the heart of one of the most populous Indian settlements (The Sixes Town) on the N.W. side of the Etowah River.”cxxxi Brewster may have moved to the area in order to mine gold.
The discovery of gold in north Georgia intensified the pressure for the removal of the Cherokees. As many as ten thousand gold-seekers poured into Georgia following the late 1829 publication of the news of gold discoveries.cxxxii Georgia extended its laws over the Cherokee Nation and Gov. George Gilmer was authorized to take control of Cherokee lands. Rapid developments pitted the state against the federal government as Cherokee agent Hugh Montgomery issued a prohibition against intruders on Cherokee land and the federal government sent troops to guard the mines.
A detachment under the command of Lt. Abram C. Fowler was stationed at Camp Hinar at Sixes, site of one of the richest mines in Georgia. Confusion exists to this day about Camp Hinar, which is often named as a removal post and/or called Fort Hinar, Fort Sixes, or Fort Hinar Sixes. There is a possibility that the 1838 companies occupied buildings erected by the 1830 troops, but otherwise the association of Hinar with the removal of Cherokees is wholly incorrect. In September 1830, the troops destroyed 19 buildings at Sixes in an effort to stop intruders from mining.cxxxiii The buildings must have housed miners or their equipment and may not have been part of the Cherokee community at all. Two months later, the federal troops were withdrawn, and in 1831, the Georgia Guard took over “the protection” of the mines for approximately one year. In May 1834, John Brewster informed the governor that the Sixes mine was closed.cxxxiv
In 1833, as many as 400 Cherokees lived in Sixes Town.cxxxv According to the 1835 census, a minimum of 26 families lived there. The census and, later, the valuations, recorded the waterways on which the Cherokees lived rather than town affiliations, and so the number of Sixes residents may have been considerably larger. Cherokee County courthouse records of 1835 mention a town house at Sixes.cxxxvi One Sixes resident was the relatively affluent Moses Downing, who owned a ferry where the Alabama Road crossed the Etowah River.cxxxvii All residents opposed the treaty and some refused to talk to the census takers or evaluators. In 1842, many former residents of Sixes submitted claims for compensation lost in Georgia. Chief Stop signed as a witness for several claims, which bring life to the otherwise nameless individuals rounded up by the militia in 1838.
Military Occupation.
More militia companies were stationed at Sixes than at any other post in Georgia, which supports the possibility that the town remained populous. On May 11, 1838 an order was sent from Ft. Cass for a colonel, major, and seven companies to take post at Sixes, but subsequent invoices indicate that the actual number at the post was five.cxxxviii The militia companies of Capts. John D. Stell of Fayette County (79 men), James T. Ellis of Henry County (64 men), Thomas H. Bowman of Elbert County (70 men), Mathew T. Hamilton of Gwinnett County (38 men), and James Daniel of Madison County (73 men) totaled 324 soldiers.cxxxix
The most detailed description of the removal process comes from one of the soldiers stationed at Sixes. On June 6, 1838, N. W. Pittman of Daniel’s Madison Company wrote to his father-in-law, wife, children, “and all inquiring friends.” He said the company left in the evening of May 28 and traveled until midnight taking prisoners, then camped. “Some of us lay in the Road, some in a house with the Red people, the balance in another house which we had taken an Indian and his wife and placed them all together. Some occupied the Indian bed before it was cold and some under the same. The balance stretched on the floor until there was no room for any more.” When morning came, they left the prisoners with a guard and continued from house to house taking captives and leaving guards until nearly all were posted. They returned to camp about 2 p.m. with a total of 92 captives, and met the other companies who had returned. The total number of prisoners taken in the 24-hour period was 927.cxl
On June 9, 1838, Gen. Floyd ordered three of the five companies to leave Sixes. Capt. Stell’s company was one of two that escorted a detachment of prisoners to Ross’s Landing, but records do not show which other companies were still at the encampment.cxli
Construction.
No information has been found about the construction that may have occurred at Sixes. Although the companies apparently camped rather than build a stockade, they may have stabled their several hundred horses, constructed ovens for cooking, or maintained a blacksmith shop. Lacking the opportunity for further archaeological investigation, we remain hopeful that additional primary records will be found to fill in the story.
More...
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