Quatie

by Larry Jameson

Photo by Larry Jameson 2005 This marker is in Mt. Holly Cemetery at 1200 Broadway in Little Rock.

Quatie (Elizabeth Brown Henley) was the Christian wife of Chief John Ross of the Cherokee Nation. John Ross was born near Lookout Mountain, Tennessee, October 3, 1790. His father was Scottish and his mother was part Cherokee. In 1813, he founded the town of Ross' Landing, known today as Chattanooga. In 1839 John was named Chief of the United Cherokee Nation after having served as Principle Chief since 1828. Chief John Ross led the last detachment of Cherokees on the Trail of Tears. Made up mostly of the elderly and children, many of this group died on the winter journey, including Quatie. She was buried in a shallow grave in Little Rock. The marker pictured to the left is a replica of the original stone, which is now housed at the Arkansas History Museum.

Quatie and the Trail of Tears

"No state could achieve proper culture, civilization, and progress, as long as Indians remained within its boundaries," argued President Andrew Jackson. He then ordered the removal of all Cherokees, Creek, Choctaws, Chickasaws and Seminoles from the southern states after Congress passed the Indian Removal Act of 1830.

After passage of the Act, it was thought that the Indians would leave their homelands voluntarily because they were being given new land in Oklahoma over which they would retain control forever. Chief John Ross was not the only one who spotted a fly in the ointment, and the tribes refused to leave.

In 1835, President Jackson gave permission to Reverend John F. Schermerhorn to sign a treaty with some members of the Cherokee tribe he was able to persuade. No Cherokee leaders were in attendance when the Treaty of New Echota of 1836 was signed, and Chief John Ross led the resistance.

In April 1838, Chief Ross sent a petition to Congress that contained over 15,000 signatures requesting the Treaty be invalidated. The War Department responded by sending General Winfield Scott to oversee the removal of the Indians.

In May, 1838, the Cherokee roundup begins and by July, over 13,000 Cherokees are imprisoned in military stockades. Arkansas' statehood was less than two years old when the roundup began. The Arkansas River provided a link from the southeastern states to Oklahoma. Yet, the severe drought that encompassed the south lowered water levels and made many rivers impassable.

Many were forced to walk the rugged country. The Trail of Tears actually consisted of several trails, or routes: Northern Route, Hildebrand's Route, Benge's Route, Bell's Route and the Water Route. The Water Route was the Arkansas River from the Mississippi River through Ft. Smith into Oklahoma. All four of the other routes passed through Arkansas as well. See article about Elkhorn Tavern.

Stories passed down from generation to generation state that five Cherokees died each day of the trek through Arkansas. Quatie has her own legend. It is said that she gave her blanket, her only protection from the cold, to a child in order to protect and save the child. She contracted pneumonia and died as a result.

Her grave marker in Little Rock stands as a reminder to one of the saddest episodes in American history. "The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated." Fifty years had not passed since adoption of the Fourth Amendment to the Constitution.

And, what about the gold that had been discovered on the Indians lands shortly before they were forced to leave?

Back to Top

Larry Jameson is a regular contributor to Online Little Rock. He is a member of the International Travel Writers & Publishers Alliance and the International Council of Online Professionals. ©2005, NetVentures Unlimited, Inc., All Rights Reserved.