Near Waynesville in Haywood County, North Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)
Rutherford's Expedition
In 1776, Revolutionary War General Griffith Rutherford led 2,400 men through the gap below and to your left. During the war's early phases the Cherokee, with British support, repeatedly attacked the frontier settlements. Rutherford's expedition was a major frontier offensive to subdue the Cherokee.
Rutherford's forces destroyed as many as 36 villages along the river valleys in this area, forcing the Cherokees’ retreat into the Great Smoky Mountains. Although skirmishes with the Cherokee continued, the colonists' major military efforts were then directed to battles with the British on the eastern seaboard.
Erected by National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Native Americans • Settlements & Settlers • War, US Revolutionary • Wars, US Indian. A significant historical year for this entry is 1776.
Location. 35° 26.335′ N, 83° 3.768′ W. Marker is near Waynesville, North Carolina, in Haywood County. Marker is on Blue Ridge Parkway (at milepost 441.9), on the right when traveling south. Marker is located at the Rabb Knob overlook. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Waynesville NC 28786, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 6 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Rutherford Trace (approx. 0.6 miles away); Plott Hound (approx. 3.9 miles away); Browning Knob (approx. 4.6 miles away); Windover (approx. 4.8 miles away); Waynesville Engagement (approx. 4.8 miles away); Green Hill Cemetery (approx. 5.1 miles away); Thomas's Resting Place (approx. 5.1 miles away); Felix Walker (approx. 5.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Waynesville.
Also see . . .
1. Rutherford Light Horse expedition. Wikipedia entry:
The Rutherford expedition was a punitive military excursion launched against the Lower, Middle, and Overhill Cherokee settlements of the Cherokee Indians in the Appalachian region of North Carolina. This was in retaliation for the Native Indian attacks made against the European American settlements of the Watauga Association in July 1776, in an early action of the American War of Independence. The expedition, which took place on the American frontier and resulted in the destruction of six Cherokee towns, ran from October 17 until November 16, 1776. It was led by Captain William Moore, acting directly under the command of Brigadier General Griffith Rutherford. (Submitted on September 18, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
2. The Rutherford Expedition. NCpedia website entry:
The Cherokees of western North Carolina in the mid-eighteenth century were part of a mighty nation, with a population of 36,000 controlling more than 140,000 square miles across the Southeast. That population was reduced to 7,000 by the 1770s as the native people felt the full impact of European settlers and ceded their lands through a series of treaties. In 1776, at the outset of the American Revolution, the two cultures clashed. (Submitted on September 18, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
Credits. This page was last revised on October 29, 2023. It was originally submitted on September 15, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 523 times since then and 43 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on September 18, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. 4, 5. submitted on October 22, 2023, by Tom Bosse of Jefferson City, Tennessee. 6. submitted on September 18, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.