Manataka American Indian Council


 

 

 

THE LEGEND OF
Pathkiller
by Takatoka

 

 

 

During a war between the white man and American Indians between 1790 and 1803, in what would become the state of Kentucky, a band of Overhill Cherokee warriors of the Red Paint clan captured a group of white soldiers and brought them to their Chief  Pathkiller. 

One of the captives was a young soldier by the name of Moore.  (His name may not have been Robert Alec Moore.)  Chief Pathkiller stood the white soldiers in front of the tribal council who sentenced young Moore to be bound and burned at the stake the following day.  That evening the warriors celebrated their victory by dancing and drinking the white man's whiskey until at last every warrior was in a deep sleep.

Chief  Pathkillers' pretty young daughter, who was attracted to the handsome Moore, put together a plan to free Moore.   Seeing the exhausted warriors were not an immediate threat, she led a pony from the camp, silently loading the pony's back with a few supplies.  Then, she quietly slipped up to the prisoners, cut the bonds of Moore, gave him moccasins for his feet and together they slipped out of camp. 

Retrieving the pony, they began their perilous journey.  Traveling by night and hiding in daylight they cautiously made their way deep into the wilderness.  Chief Pathkiller was furious.  He and a large war party set off in pursuit.   The warriors were often seen riding over a mountain ridge while Pathkiller's daughter and Moore were concealed below another ridge.  The angry Chief and his men often came close to where his daughter and Moore were hiding.

The two fugitives survived by eating berries and herbs and whatever other raw food they found.  Building a campfire was not possible.  Then bad weather came with a fury.  Snow blanketed the forest and for many days they were afraid to move out of hiding for fear of leaving tracks in the snow. In desperation and near starvation, they killed their pony for food.

As the weather finally cleared after several days, the two set out again.  After several weeks, they finally reached the safety of a white settlement. 

Pathkiller's daughter gave up her Indian identity and married Moore.  Nancy Ann "Polly" Pathkiller-Moore and Robert A./Alec Moore had eight children.  Polly Pathkiller Moore died in Tennessee.   Her husband preceded her in death. 

Pathkiller died in 1827 in Hamilton County, Tennessee.  He is buried near the Tennessee and Georgia state line.   An historical monument of Chief Pathkiller stands at the corner of the two states.

The children of
Nancy Ann "Polly" Pathkiller and Robert Moore were:
    Andrew Moore, 1804 - 1890, Lawrenceburg, Missouri
    Alec (Jack) Moore
    Lucinda Moore
    Samuel A. Moore, 1805 - 1856, Knox County, Tennessee
    Nancy Moore
    Rachel Tabith Moore, March 4,1814 TN. (D) March 10,1887 Camden Co. Mo.

    Cem./Decaturville Cemetary. 

    Buried by her husband John Calvin. 
    Polly Moore (Hollngsworth)
    Martha Moore

The daughter of Stand Watie, who signed the Treaty of New Echota, married Charles Moore Woodall.  Woodall was the son of Ellen (Aisley) Moore Woodall who appears on the Old Settler's Payment Roll.  Ellen was the daughter of Charles (Shooter) Moore who also signed the Treaty of New Echota with Stand Watie.  Charles Moore, whose Cherokee name meant Shooter, may have been related to the English clan of  Robert A.(?) Moore.  (One objection to the assertion that Robert A. Moore was related to Charles Moore has been received from a descendant.  No proof of the objection was provided.)

About the time of the Removals, many Cherokee and other indigenous people denied their Indian blood quantum. A white trustee was often assigned to take charge of a person and all his/her property if one was more than 1/4 Indian blood.   The Cherokee clan of Nancy Ann "Polly" Pathkiller were fortunate they did not lose their lives to white greed because they were connected to whites (Robert A./ Alec Moore) by marriage.  They were unfortunate as they were forced to leave their farms before finally resting in Arkansas as Black Dutch.

The Chief Pathkiller and Colonel Pathkiller Connection

Documents supplied by Ace Murray, a descendent of Pathkiller alleges that Chief Pathkiller of the Cherokee Nation and Colonel Pathkiller of the Cherokee Nation is the same person.  Chief Pathkiller was married at least twice.  His first wife was Peggy and his second wife was named Sookie Martin. Ace Murray submitted two documents to Harvey Moore of Missouri, that purportedly shows that the Chief and Colonel were the same man.  (Below is a Power of Attorney dated October 5, 1816, that allegedly bears the "X" of Chief Pathkiller.)

 

Here is what Wikipedia, the online encyclopedia has to say about Chief Pathkiller:

 

"Pathkiller, (1749 to January 1827), was the Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation, fought in the Revolutionary War for Britain and in the wars against American frontiersmen from 1783 through 1794. Pathkiller, a "fullblood," unacculturated Cherokee, became principal chief in 1811 and was the last individual from a conservative background to hold that office. Although Pathkiller remained principal chief through 1827, authority in the Cherokee Nation, after 1813, shifted to Charles Hicks.... Pathkiller was the mentor to John Ross, identifying the young Cherokee of Scotch-Irish descent as the future leader of the Cherokee people. Pathkiller is buried in New Echota Cemetery in New Echota, Georgia."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pathkiller

 

 
 

The burial site of Chief Pathkiller

New Echota Cemetery

The headstone at Echota gives the date of "Col. Pathkiller". It is now supposed that Chief Pathkiller and Colonel Pathkiller are one and the same person.  There remains some doubt about the exact date of death.

 

"The Cherokee Minute Docket of the 4th Commission, Pages 72, 168, 246, 269 and 445" lists information and names of the lawyers who represented "PathKiller's heirs to Reservation #165". On page 445, decree 715 it list the heir as "Sarah Pathkiller, the daughter of Pathkiller, who is now married to James T. Gardenhire".

 

"Pathkiller was head of the tribe in name only. Men like the aging Charles Hicks and John Ross were the real power-brokers, and they were united in their stand to create a Cherokee Nation."

http://ngeorgia.com/history/cherokeehistory4.html

 

There remains some confusion about two different burial locations.  Chief Pathkiller had a daughter by the name of Nancy Ann "Polly" Pathkiller who is rumored to have run-off with a white solider by the name of Robert A. / Alec Moore. Both Colonel Pathkiller and Chief Pathkiller lived at St Clair, AL. 

 

A book entitled, "History of Hamilton Co. TN, Vol. 1, page 44" by Zella Armstrong" says that Chief Pathkiller was Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation on January 8, 1827 when he died.  Assistant Chief Broom, born 1796, was secretary of the Council in 1818 and treasurer succeeded Pathkiller on January 8, 1827.   In the History of St. Clair, Alabama, page 30" states, "Chief Pathkiller died January 8, 1827".   It says that Chief Pathkiller was Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation on January 8, 1827 when he died.  Assistant Chief Broom, born 1796, was secretary of the Council in 1818 and treasurer succeeded Pathkiller on January 8, 1827.  

 

Chief Pathkiller is presumed to have been married to a full-blood Cherokee woman named Peggy. In the "Records of St. Clair County, Alabama, page 18", it says, "Peggy Pathkiller's settlement of estate, Oct. 31, 1833 was paid to her heirs: $455 to daughter Nancy, $375 to Nelly, $450 to Crying Snake. To Quata and George Cammell, $1,200; to Eustace $300, to Jenny $1188.60; to Qualocoo and Beaver Tail $100 and to Charqahyooca and Richard Rarliff $300."  

 

Colonel Pathkiller is buried at the New Echota Cemetery in New Echota, Georgia.   A monument of Chief Pathkiller stands today at the intersection of the Georgia and Tennesee state lines at Calhune, Georgia.

 

Harvey L. Moore of Missouri is related to Ailsey Pathkiller and her marriages to William Gardenhire and Taylor Eldridge.  U'ga'lo'gv "Leaf" also known as Nellie Pathkiller married Dragging Canoe.  She thought to be the daughter of either Chief Pathkiller or Colonel Pathkiller.

 

Acccording to Moore, "...I visited the Pathkiller burial site at New Echota in Calhoun, GA and then went on to view the library files.  I found it odd that burial site of "Col. Pathkiller" was once quoted in a local 1930 Chattanooga, TN newspaper as being the tomb of an "unknown Indian". However, to make it more confusing, the records at New Echota says in the 1920s the Calhoun Womens League erected the headstone monument for "Col. Pathkiller" at the [present day] tomb site, so why in 1930 is he suddenly "unknown?" 

 

"The headstone of the monument broke at one point and noted an order form from the 1980's form for a new headstone.  The original, broken stone is now in storage at New Echota, said Moore.

 

"The Treaties with the Cherokee, dated 1816-1819, is signed by Pathkiller a Pathkiller, Jr. [See Ratified Treaty of 1819.] There is no other mention of him after that date. Could this have been Col. Pathkiller and later Chief Pathkiller or is it the latter with Archilla who would have been very young at that time?," asked Moore.

 

Moore asks, were Chief Pathkiller and Colonel Pathkiller the same person?
 

Some records indicate the birth dates for Chief Pathkiller and Colonel Pathkiller are twenty plus years apart, but the death dates are but a single year apart.

 

"I have done a good bit of document gathering on Chief Pathkiller and found nothing so far that might disprove my current theory that Colonel Pathkiller (1742-1827) may have been the father of Chief Pathkiller (1764-1828, aka Pathfinder.

 

If my theory is correct, Chief Pathkiller and Peggy had at least 7 children (Chief Nunnaâ hi-Dihiâ, Nancy Ann "Polly", U'ga'lo'gv "Leaf" "Nellie", Quatee [Eliza?], Charwahyooca "Peggy", Jennie/Jenny, and You'choo'howee'yuh "Bear Meat").  Together, Colonel Pathkiller and Sookey had at least three children: Ailsey, son Archilla, and Sarah.  I believe all were Red Paint Clan of the Overhill Cherokee.
 

"Again, this is only my theory and nothing etched in stone.  I gladly welcome any comments with factual evidence to disprove the theory," said Harvey Moore.

 


It is generally believed the father of Chief (Colonel) Pathkiller was Chief Kanagagota, Standing Turkey.


 

 

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