Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park will provide a 45 minute program exploring Principal Chief John Ross’s struggle to keep the Cherokee Nation’s ancestral homeland within its control. This program will be held on Saturday, Aug. 12, at 2 p.m. Conducted in
partnership with the Chief John Ross House Association, it will take place at the Ross House, 200
E. Lake Ave. in Rossville. The house will be open and available for visitation after the
program.
"In response to the passage of the 1835 Treaty of New Echota, Cherokee Chief John Ross scratched
out a letter to the United States Government stating, 'We are overwhelmed. Our hearts are sickened,
our utterance is paralyzed, when we reflect on the condition in which we are placed….' However,
Ross was not the only signer of the letter; three other individuals scribbled their names, along with 31
members of the National Committee and National Council and 2,174 others. One might think that
many voices would be loud enough, but their shouts fell upon deaf ears. Visitors will learn what lead
up to this letter being penned and the unfortunate consequences that ultimately befell the Cherokee
Nation," officials said.
For more information about programs at Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park,
contact the Chickamauga Battlefield Visitor Center at 706-866- 9241, the Lookout Mountain Battlefield Visitor Center at 423-821- 7786, or visit the park’s website at www.nps.gov/chch.