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Southern cherokee nation of kentucky
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The Southern Cherokee Nation of Kentucky have went by many names. We were first called the Over The Hill Cherokee, then we were called the Chicamugan Cherokee, then we were called the Treaty Party, then during the American Civil War we became the Southern Cherokee Nation, Stand Watie was elected as our Principal Chief in 1862. We had more casualities than any Confederate unit in the civil war one year after the confederate forces had given up. We were still fighting. In 1866 Watie laid a cease fire treaty down in front of the Union Army. The Union army rcplied what happens if we dont, Watie looked at the Union army and said if you do not sign it we will fight til we are all die. Then he grabbed his coat and said sign it or not, I have wounded soldiers in the field to attend to. The Union Officer signed the treaty this was witnessed by Samuel Martin. We got to keep our arms-our seal and our flag and also our horses. This ended the conflict with the U.S.Army as you can see we never gave up or surrendered. But we still fought the Penne Indians of the Cherokee Nation. The Penne Cherokee,they burned our homes and Killed our people. In 1871 Stand Watie died and left the nation in disarray his cousin Samuel Martin took a delegation to Fort Smith,Arkansas. They asked the Union Army to protect them agaihst the Penne Indians. The Union Army told them that they had no troops to defend them and they were told to see after themselves. While they were there, wagons started coming in to Fort Smith.
By the end of the month there were 75 wagons there. They elected Samuel Martin as their Principal Chief they decided to go back home, their original homes in Tennesse and Kentucky. Once they got to Kentucky they decided to call thenselves the Southern Cherokee Nation of Kentucky.
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