Physician's Report on the "Sick of the Emigrating Cherokees" at Chadata
8/1838
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This document, written by a Dr. Edward, reports on the sickness and suffering endured by the Cherokee people during their forced removal, what is now known as the "Trail of Tears."
The Indian Removal Act of 1830 was the first major step in forcibly relocating American Indian tribes living east of the Mississippi River to land further west. Then in 1835, a small group of Cherokee leaders who favored moving west signed the Treaty of New Echota with representatives of the U.S. government. It required the eastern Cherokees to exchange their lands for land in the "Indian Territory"—what is today eastern Oklahoma.
Principal Chief John Ross and the majority of the Cherokee people opposed the treaty, claiming it was invalid because the Principal Chief did not sign it and those who did were not authorized to create a treaty. All but about 2,000 Cherokees ignored the treaty and refused to move west or begin making preparations for removal. This reaction was encouraged by Chief Ross and continued for nearly two years.
Between 1835 and 1838, the small faction of Cherokees who had agreed to the treaty removed themselves to the west, either individually or in several Government-run detachments, in the first phase of Cherokee removal.
The next stage of removal, beginning what is known as the Trail of Tears, occurred when other Cherokees were rounded up by troops commanded by Gen. Winfield Scott in the spring of 1838 and forced into stockades and military stations throughout the Cherokee Nation. They were then forcibly moved to Indian Territory under military escort, using boat transportation via the Tennessee, Ohio, Mississippi, and Arkansas Rivers.
Despite Scott's order calling for removal in a humane fashion, this did not happen. Some people had to walk as many as 1,000 miles over a four-month period. Approximately 4,000 of 16,000 Cherokee people died along the way. Chief John Ross petitioned General Scott to let the Cherokee control their own removal; and in the fall and winter of 1838–39, most remaining Cherokees migrated to Indian Territory under the leadership of Chief Ross.
The Indian Removal Act of 1830 was the first major step in forcibly relocating American Indian tribes living east of the Mississippi River to land further west. Then in 1835, a small group of Cherokee leaders who favored moving west signed the Treaty of New Echota with representatives of the U.S. government. It required the eastern Cherokees to exchange their lands for land in the "Indian Territory"—what is today eastern Oklahoma.
Principal Chief John Ross and the majority of the Cherokee people opposed the treaty, claiming it was invalid because the Principal Chief did not sign it and those who did were not authorized to create a treaty. All but about 2,000 Cherokees ignored the treaty and refused to move west or begin making preparations for removal. This reaction was encouraged by Chief Ross and continued for nearly two years.
Between 1835 and 1838, the small faction of Cherokees who had agreed to the treaty removed themselves to the west, either individually or in several Government-run detachments, in the first phase of Cherokee removal.
The next stage of removal, beginning what is known as the Trail of Tears, occurred when other Cherokees were rounded up by troops commanded by Gen. Winfield Scott in the spring of 1838 and forced into stockades and military stations throughout the Cherokee Nation. They were then forcibly moved to Indian Territory under military escort, using boat transportation via the Tennessee, Ohio, Mississippi, and Arkansas Rivers.
Despite Scott's order calling for removal in a humane fashion, this did not happen. Some people had to walk as many as 1,000 miles over a four-month period. Approximately 4,000 of 16,000 Cherokee people died along the way. Chief John Ross petitioned General Scott to let the Cherokee control their own removal; and in the fall and winter of 1838–39, most remaining Cherokees migrated to Indian Territory under the leadership of Chief Ross.
Transcript
Dr. Edward’s ReportFor August 1838
SPECIAL FILE
No. 249
[page 2]
Report of the Sick of the Emigrating Cherokees
in the encampment on Chadata for the month
of August 1838
[line drawn horizontally across page]
Sick at last report & subsequently attacked
[handwritten in vertical columns separated by lines]
9 Remaining at last report
4 Fever
31 1 Dysentery
29 Diarrhoea
9 Measles
2 Rheumatism
2 Consumption
1 Peritonitis
78 Total
87 Aggregate
74 Discharged
7 Died
6 Remaining
2 Births
Of the Deaths reported above, 2 died of
Consumption, 2 were extremely old & the other 3
were of those who would not take medicine.
There appears to be an abatement of the frequency of attacks and also of the
violence of disease among the Cherokees of this encampment, and by the
most assiduous attention to them, their confidence is so far gained as to induce them
much more readily to be prescribed for; consequently deaths are far less frequent. All,
I believe have been vaccinated, but in a portion of them the vaccination was ineffectual,
probably from being accidently scratched out. In these, the operation shall be
speedily repeated.___ Owing to recent Emigration, the number does not now perhaps
exceed 600.
Very Respectfully
Dr. J.W. Lide
[T.J.?] R. Edwards
Sup. Phys
Phys to E.C.
This primary source comes from the Records of the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
National Archives Identifier: 300342
Full Citation: Physician's Monthly Report of Emigrating Cherokees at Chadata in August 1838; 8/1838; Special Files, ca. 1840 - ca. 1904; Records of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Record Group 75; National Archives Building, Washington, DC. [Online Version, https://www.docsteach.org/documents/document/physicians-report-cherokees, March 27, 2025]Rights: Public Domain, Free of Known Copyright Restrictions. Learn more on our privacy and legal page.
