"The People were over"

Moving thousands of people and about 5,000 horses and 500 wagons across the Tennessee River at Blythe's Ferry was slow, and some crossings took as long as three days. John Ross wrote that when he reached Blythe's Ferry on Sunday evening, the great body of Peter Hildebrand's detachment of Emigrating Cherokees was quietly encamped on the south bank of the Tennessee River, while a portion with about twelve wagons had crossed to the north bank. At dawn the next morning, the emigrants were ready and began crossing the river. Four boats were used and continued running until dusk, and two of them were manned by Cherokees themselves. By the close of the day about sixty-one wagons of the detachment, with the people, were safely across the river. Crossing resumed early the next morning, and before 12 o'clock eighteen wagons and carriages, with all the people, were over.

Tennessee · United States