Charleston in Bradley County, Tennessee — The American South (East South Central)

Sickness in the Camps

Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, July 24, 2021

1. Sickness in the Camps Marker

Inscription.

On last Friday two Cherokee men came into our camps … for the purpose of ascertaining whether any thing could be done for their relief. … They said they left their families sick and one of them said he had lost one of his children … When I told these men that we were ourselves all prisoners and could do nothing for their relief, the young man who lost one of his children manifested a great deal of feeling and his eyes immediately filled with tears, his countenance indicated emotions of dispare [sic].

— Stephen Foreman to David Greene, Camp Hetzel, Cleveland, TN, June 29, 1838

Caption: The Reverend Stephen Foreman was a Cherokee Presbyterian minister and politician. During removal, he served as an assistant conductor for the Old Field detachment to Indian Territory. Courtesy of George Washington Smith Papers, Special Collections/Morris Library, Southern Illinois University at Carbondale.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Indigenous Peoples and Communities • Religion & Religious Structures • Science & Medicine. In addition, it is included in the Trail of Tears series list. A significant historical date for this entry is June 29, 1838.

Location. 35° 16.9′ N, 84° 45.546′ W. Marker

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is in Charleston, Tennessee, in Bradley County. It can be reached from Market Street NE north of Hiwassee Street (U.S. 11), on the left when traveling north. Marker is on the Voices from the Past trail at Hiwassee River Heritage Center. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 8746 Hiwassee Street, Charleston TN 37310, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in East Tennessee.

It is also in the American South,

specifically in the Upper South,

in Appalachia,

and specifically in Southern Appalachia. Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the original Cherokee Nation,

the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: A different marker also named Sickness in the Camps (a few steps from this marker); A New Home (within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker also named A New Home (within shouting distance of this marker); Prisoners (within shouting distance of this marker); Voices from the Past (within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker also named Prisoners (within shouting distance of this marker); Preparing for Removal (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); a different marker also named Preparing for Removal (about 300 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Charleston.

More about this marker. It is double-sided, with each side identical to the other.

Also see . . . Foreman, Stephen (1807-1881). Short biography by Anna Eddings in The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture. (Submitted on July 25, 2021, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)

Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, July 24, 2021

2. Sickness in the Camps Marker

Credits. This page was last revised on July 25, 2021. It was originally submitted on July 25, 2021, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 552 times since then and 25 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on July 25, 2021, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.