The Indian Removal Act of 1830 mandated the removal of all American Indian tribes east of the Mississippi River to lands in the west. Bell’s Route was one of 17 Cherokee detachments that removed the Cherokee westward along the Trail of Tears. Chief John Ross appointed John Bell to lead this detachment of 650 to 700 Cherokee, accompanied by a military escort under Lt. Edward Deas. Deas reported that they followed the direct road through Fayetteville and Pulaski leading to Memphis, finding part of it very rough, and averaged 10 to 12 miles of travel a day. Vouchers from Edward Deas indicate that Bell’s detachment traveled a route approximating the alignment of present day Hwy 64 through middle and west Tennessee.