July 21, 2009---Enjoyed the night anchored near the fort. Took the dinghy across the Little Tennesseee River to see the remains of the Tellico Blockhouse. It was established in 1794 about 34 years after Fort Loudoun was destroyed by the Cherokee Indians. William Blount, then Governor of the Territory, had the Blockhouse, or fort, built and stationed a small garrison of Federal Troops there. The Blockhouse was a major force in maintaining peace and order on the frontier. At this time Henry Knox, then secretary of war, believed peace could be maintained if the Cherokees were taught to be more like white people. This new approach, "the Factory Act" passed in 1795 provided for the establishment of trading houses. Tellico Blockhouse became such a place where the indians could receive fair exchange for their peltry and other goods and be taught the traditional agricultural practices and mechanical arts of the whites. The Blockhouse was abandoned in 1807.
No comments:
Post a Comment