William Goyens TX9275
WILLIAM "BILL" GOYENS

Born a slave in South Carolina, 1794; escaped to Texas in 1821. Rendered valuable assistance to the Army of Texas, 1836. Interpreter for the Houston-Forbes Treaty with the Cherokees, 1836. Acquired wealth and was noted for his charity. Died at his home on Goyens' Hill 1856. His skin was black His heart, true blue.

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Fort Strother - 646
Creek Indian War, 1813-14, 12 miles north. Built by Andrew Jackson with Tennessee troops and friendly Cherokees. Used as advanced base of operations on the border of Creek Confederacy. Location: Randolph County

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Fort Williams - 688
12 miles west. Built by Andrew Jackson with U.S. Regulars, Tennessee Volunteers and friendly Cherokees and Creeks. Used as advance base during final phases of Creek Indian War, 1813-14. Military cemetery nearby. Location: Talladega County

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Madison County - 378
Made a county in 1808 by order of Governor of Mississippi Territory. Area ceded 1805, 1806 by Cherokees, Chickasaws. This was the first land in Alabama ceded by these great civilized tribes. Location: Madison County

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Sequoyah (1760 - 1843) - 183
Born in Tennessee, Sequoyah moved to Wills Town (DeKalb County, Alabama) area of the Cherokee Nation in 1818.   Here, in 1821, he invented an 86 symbol alphabet providing the Cherokees with the only written Indian language in the United States. Location: DeKalb County

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Sequoyah - 182
1760-1843. Nearby lived the inventor of written language of Cherokees. Nation adopted it, became only literate Indians with written language. Location: DeKalb County

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Sequoyah - 240
1760-1843. Inventor of system of characters representing syllables in Cherokee language. This give them the only written Indian language. Adopted here at Sauta in 1822, Cherokees used new written language to print the Bible, hymns and a newspaper named Cherokee Phoenix. Location: Jackson County

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Trail of Tears - 308
Thousands of Cherokee Indians passed through Waterloo in the 1830s when they were forced by the U.S. government to move West on the "Trail of Tears." Most came by boat from Tuscumbia and camped here to await transfer to larger steamboats. During the encampment several births and deaths occurred. One party of 1,070 Cherokees traveled overland from Ross' Landing in Tennessee due to low water in the upper river. Following the general route of U.S. Hwy.72 to Florence, they arrived here July 10, 1838, in miserable conditions after a 23-day journey. About 17,000 Cherokees were driven from their homeland in the southern Appalachian Mtns. Most traveled by land through Tennessee and on to Oklahoma. Great suffering and about 4,000 deaths occurred along the Trail, especially during the winter of 1838-39. Location: Lauderdale County

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Buchanan's Station 3A10
One of Cumberland settlements, established here in 1780. The fort was attacked Sept. 30, 1792, by about 300 Creeks and Lower Cherokees under Chiachattalla. Aided by the heroism and efficiency of Mrs. Buchanan and other women in the stockade, the attack was repulsed and Chiachattalla was killed.

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The War Ford 1C66
Located .2 mile east on the Big Pigeon River is a strategic crossing used by the Cherokees. In August 1782, Gen. Charles McDowell of Burke Co., North Carolina, raised an army of five hundred mounted militia from Morgan District to cross the mountains, join Col. John Sevier's army of the same number from Washington District, and subdue the Indians who sided with the British. During this three-month campaign, one of the final skirmishes of the Revolutionary War was fought at this site.

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