Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park invites the public to join a ranger for a free, 90-minute historical hike of the Brown’s Ferry Road on Moccasin Bend on Saturday, April 12, at 1:30 p.m. To find the trailhead, follow the “Special Event” signs beginning on Manufactures Road to find the Brown’s Ferry Road trailhead on Moccasin Bend Road.
A Nation Mourns, Cherokee Removal and the Brown’s Ferry Road: In June 1838, a U.S. Army officer named Col. William Lindsay wrote a colleague from Ross’ Landing (present day Chattanooga), “On this day there are 3,000 Indians in my camp…I have little doubt that three days more will bring 3,000 more.” In a few short months, nearly the entire Cherokee nation were forcibly rounded up, processed through camps like Col. Lindsay’s, and removed from their ancestral lands in a chapter of one of the darkest stories in American history.
What awaited the Cherokee in their journey to the west? As they took their first steps across Moccasin Bend’s Road, did they think of the home being left behind or the future awaiting them? Tread in their footsteps and explore a glimpse of the tragedy—and hope—that came from this journey, said officials.
Comfortable, supportive footwear, appropriate clothing for the weather and water are recommended for this program.
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 821-7786, or visit the park’s website at www.nps.gov/chch.