The Forgotten Battle That Ended Native American Resistance in Middle Tennessee

Lieutenant Snoddy’s Battle at Rock Island Crossing

In 1793, Rock Island was no quiet spot on the map. It sat on the old Chickamauga Path where the Caney Fork River could be crossed.

Lieutenant Snoddy and his men tracked Chickamauga Cherokee warriors there, claiming they stole horses. The Chickamauga, who broke from the main Cherokee Nation years before, had set up camp at this key ford.

After Snoddy’s men raided their camp and took "much spoils," they pulled back to higher ground. All night, the warriors made animal calls to scare them.

By dawn, the Chickamauga attacked but lost the fight. This clash marked one of the last battles for Middle Tennessee.

Rock Island State Park now holds this forgotten story of America’s westward push.

Rebel Cherokees Broke Away During Revolutionary War

A group of Cherokee warriors split from the main Cherokee Nation during the American Revolutionary War.

War chief Dragging Canoe led this breakaway group, called the Chickamauga Cherokee, after refusing to accept treaties that gave away Cherokee lands to American settlers.

They built new villages along Chickamauga Creek and throughout the Tennessee River valley.

They attacked frontier settlements across Tennessee, Georgia, and Kentucky throughout the 1780s and early 1790s, long after the Revolutionary War ended.

Rock Island Served As A Critical River Crossing

Rock Island sits where the Caney Fork and Collins Rivers meet, creating one of the few spots where people could cross these waterways.

The natural limestone rocks made a rare shallow section that Native Americans used for centuries as part of the Chickamauga Path.

This old trail linked tribal areas across what later became Tennessee, Kentucky, and Alabama. American settlers quickly saw how important this crossing point was.

Whoever controlled Rock Island controlled movement between settlements.

Years Of Fighting Pushed Both Sides To The Breaking Point

The Cherokee-American Wars lasted from 1776 to 1794, setting the stage for the Rock Island fight. Americans kept moving deeper into Cherokee land, while Cherokee groups reacted differently to this pressure.

Many Cherokee leaders reluctantly signed land treaties hoping for peace. The Chickamauga group rejected these deals completely, calling the signers traitors.

By 1793, Americans had built the Cumberland settlements, but travel between them stayed dangerous. Attacks from both sides kept the frontier in chaos.

Snoddy Chased After Horse Thieves

In 1793, Lieutenant Snoddy got orders to find Chickamauga warriors who stole horses from American settlers. He gathered a small group of soldiers from the local militia and left the Cumberland settlements.

The men followed Native American trails through the wilderness.

Horse theft hurt settlers badly since the animals were needed for farming, travel, and survival on the frontier.

Snoddy’s mission aimed to show Americans could protect their settlements and strike back at Chickamauga raiders.

Americans Stumbled Upon A Major Chickamauga Camp

Snoddy’s patrol found more than they expected at Rock Island.

Instead of just a few horse thieves, they came across a large Chickamauga camp near the river crossing. The warriors picked the spot carefully as a base for raids against settlers using the Chickamauga Path.

The camp held supplies, weapons, and goods taken from American settlements. Snoddy faced a tough choice: retreat and report the camp, or take action despite having fewer men.

Surprise Attack Caught Warriors Off Guard

Snoddy chose to raid the camp rather than wait for more men. His group rushed in quickly, surprising many of the Chickamauga.

The Americans grabbed "much spoils" according to old records, probably including the stolen horses plus weapons, furs, and supplies. The Chickamauga warriors ran into the nearby woods during the chaos.

Snoddy knew his small group couldn’t hold the camp, especially with angry warriors gathering nearby. The Americans took what they could carry and left.

High Ground Gave Soldiers A Defensive Advantage

After the raid, Snoddy led his men about a mile away to higher ground as night came. This smart move gave the Americans a better spot to defend themselves.

From up high, they could see anyone coming and use the land to their advantage. The soldiers set up a watch area and got ready for a possible night attack.

They took turns keeping lookout while guarding the goods they’d taken from the camp.

Animal Calls Filled The Night As Warriors Tried Scare Tactics

All night long, Chickamauga warriors made animal sounds from the dark forest. They copied owls, wolves, and other animals as a way to scare the American soldiers.

This mind game tried to make the Americans nervous, waste their bullets shooting at nothing, or scare them into running away. Snoddy’s men stayed calm despite the creepy sounds.

The Chickamauga didn’t attack directly during the night, maybe waiting to check the Americans’ strength.

Morning Brought A Full-Scale Attack On Snoddy’s Position

When daylight came, the Chickamauga finally attacked. Warriors came at Snoddy’s position from many sides, using trees and rocks for cover.

The Americans fired back from their spot on the high ground. The fight lasted several hours as the Chickamauga tried again and again to overrun the soldiers.

Even with fewer men, Snoddy’s group held their ground and shot several attacking warriors. The Chickamauga finally backed off.

Skirmish Marked The End Of An Era In Tennessee

Snoddy’s men returned to the Cumberland settlements with their recovered goods and stories of their victory.

This 1793 fight turned out to be one of the last armed conflicts between Native Americans and settlers in Middle Tennessee. The Chickamauga’s power was fading as more American settlers poured into the region.

Within a year, the Treaty of Tellico Blockhouse officially ended the Cherokee-American wars. Joseph Terry became Rock Island’s first permanent American settler around 1796, just three years after the skirmish.

The area that had seen bloodshed quickly transformed into a settlement as Native American resistance collapsed.

Old War Path Became A Busy American Road

The ancient Chickamauga Path that witnessed the 1793 skirmish soon transformed into the Old Kentucky Road. American travelers used this route to move between settlements in Tennessee, Kentucky, and Alabama.

Rock Island remained an important crossing point, now serving wagons and settlers instead of war parties.

The strategic location that once attracted Chickamauga warriors later drew merchants, farmers, and eventually industrialists. Mills and small factories sprang up to harness the water power of the Caney Fork River.

The crossing point that once saw bloodshed became a hub of commerce and transportation, with its violent past gradually fading from memory.

Visiting Rock Island State Park, Tennessee

Rock Island State Park at 82 Beach Road preserves the site where Lieutenant Snoddy’s soldiers fought Chickamauga Cherokee warriors in 1793 along the ancient Chickamauga Path.

The park opens daily 8am-4pm with free admission to historic areas. You can see the skirmish site from the Historic Cotton Mill overlook near Great Falls.

Walk the Twin Falls and Downstream Trail for the best views of areas connected to the Cherokee. The visitor center has exhibits about local history.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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