My Isaqueena story disappeared!
I referred to Isaqueena because I had posted the bigger legend about her. Somehow, it has disappeared, so I will retell it.
Issaqueena was a member of the Keowee village of the Lower Hills region of the Cherokee. In the 1700's they used a path from their home near Seneca and Clemson, SC which crossed the Eastern tributaries of the Seneca River and then switched to following the Western tributaries of the Saluda River to about the area of Greenwood, SC. From there, it worked it's way to Charleston, where the Cherokee traded many things; but primarily deer hides. At that area near Greenwood, a path from middle Georgia met where the Muscogee traders headed to Charleston.
Someone figured that this was a good place to set up a trading post where he did well. It wasn't long before a few families of settlers lived there. Disagreements would occur and there were some skirmishes between Cherokee. Often it went thqat an unscrupulous person of one group would do something like kill or steal and then the victim would retaliate against anyone of the other group. The settlers built a stockace as a retreat in times of unrest.
Later, the British built a fort at the confluence of the two trails (the Star Fort) and another across the river from the Keowee tribe (Ft Prince George), the latter of which only housed eight and was manned by rotating personnel from the Star Fort every month.
Isaqueena was a bit different from most others in her village. She was stolen from another tribe as a child and incorporated into the Cherokee as she grew up. Most stories described her as Catawba, which makes sense in that there was a small band of that nation just East of the Lower Hill Cherokee.
The most often told story is that Isaqueena and a soldier stationed at Ft Prince George became quite fond of each other and were thinking of marrying. Isaqueena asked the chief for permission to marry him and the chief was angry. He had already noticed their attractions towards each other and he wanted it stopped: she was to marry someone else from the tribe. She was upset at this and couldn't sleep. As she restlessly wandered through town that night, she overheard the chief and council set plans to surprise attack the Star Fort where her loved one was already stationed, after performing his month's duty.
She crept to the horses, sneaked hers out from town and onto the path. As she crossed the first creek, she estimated that she had gone one mile. She crossed the next after going six miles; another at twelve, and eighteen miles. These creeks are respectively named Mile Creek, Six Mile Creek, Twelve Mile Creek and Eighteen Mile Creek. Other Creeks were named; Three And Twenty and Six And Twenty. When she reached the fort, she had gone ninety Six miles. The name for the town became Ninety Six. There is also a Six Mile.
I have seen a map with the name Ninety Six and told as being 96 miles from the Keowee Village and no mention of the FT Prince George. It might possibly be a love affair of someone from the old trading post and still have some veracity to the legend.
Issaqueena was a member of the Keowee village of the Lower Hills region of the Cherokee. In the 1700's they used a path from their home near Seneca and Clemson, SC which crossed the Eastern tributaries of the Seneca River and then switched to following the Western tributaries of the Saluda River to about the area of Greenwood, SC. From there, it worked it's way to Charleston, where the Cherokee traded many things; but primarily deer hides. At that area near Greenwood, a path from middle Georgia met where the Muscogee traders headed to Charleston.
Someone figured that this was a good place to set up a trading post where he did well. It wasn't long before a few families of settlers lived there. Disagreements would occur and there were some skirmishes between Cherokee. Often it went thqat an unscrupulous person of one group would do something like kill or steal and then the victim would retaliate against anyone of the other group. The settlers built a stockace as a retreat in times of unrest.
Later, the British built a fort at the confluence of the two trails (the Star Fort) and another across the river from the Keowee tribe (Ft Prince George), the latter of which only housed eight and was manned by rotating personnel from the Star Fort every month.
Isaqueena was a bit different from most others in her village. She was stolen from another tribe as a child and incorporated into the Cherokee as she grew up. Most stories described her as Catawba, which makes sense in that there was a small band of that nation just East of the Lower Hill Cherokee.
The most often told story is that Isaqueena and a soldier stationed at Ft Prince George became quite fond of each other and were thinking of marrying. Isaqueena asked the chief for permission to marry him and the chief was angry. He had already noticed their attractions towards each other and he wanted it stopped: she was to marry someone else from the tribe. She was upset at this and couldn't sleep. As she restlessly wandered through town that night, she overheard the chief and council set plans to surprise attack the Star Fort where her loved one was already stationed, after performing his month's duty.
She crept to the horses, sneaked hers out from town and onto the path. As she crossed the first creek, she estimated that she had gone one mile. She crossed the next after going six miles; another at twelve, and eighteen miles. These creeks are respectively named Mile Creek, Six Mile Creek, Twelve Mile Creek and Eighteen Mile Creek. Other Creeks were named; Three And Twenty and Six And Twenty. When she reached the fort, she had gone ninety Six miles. The name for the town became Ninety Six. There is also a Six Mile.
I have seen a map with the name Ninety Six and told as being 96 miles from the Keowee Village and no mention of the FT Prince George. It might possibly be a love affair of someone from the old trading post and still have some veracity to the legend.
posted by Marion at 10:40 PM
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