- Cherokee Nation participant in 1838 Trail of Tears forced removal
Biography
John Christopher Bell, Jr. was born 1 May 1782 in Greenville, Greenville County, South Carolina, United States to John Bell (1754-) and Cherokee Lady (1760-) and died 12 July 1852 Rusk County, Texas, United States of unspecified causes. He married Charlotte Lightfoot Adair (1784-1838) 1804 in South Carolina, United States.
Trail of Tears
Trail of Tears painting by Robert Lindneux
The Trail of Tears was a series of forced relocations of Native American peoples from their ancestral homelands in the Southeastern United States, to areas to the west (usually west of the Mississippi River) that had been designated as Indian Territory. The forced relocations were carried out by government authorities following the passage of the Indian Removal Act in 1830. The relocated peoples suffered from exposure, disease, and starvation while en route to their new designated reserve, and many died before reaching their destinations. The forced removals included members of the Cherokee, Muscogee (Creek), Seminole, Chickasaw, Choctaw, and Ponca nations. The phrase "Trail of Tears" originates from a description of the removal of many Native American tribes, including the infamous Cherokee Nation relocation in 1838.
Between 1830 and 1850, the Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek, Seminole, and Cherokee people (including mixed-race and black slaves who lived among them) were forcibly removed from their traditional lands in the Southeastern United States, and relocated farther west. Those Native Americans who were relocated were forced to march to their destinations by state and local militias. The Cherokee removal in 1838 (the last forced removal east of the Mississippi) was brought on by the discovery of gold near Dahlonega, Georgia in 1828, resulting in the Georgia Gold Rush. Approximately 2,000–8,000 of the 16,543 relocated Cherokee perished along the way.
Flight to Mount Tabor, Texas
Inside the Cherokee Nation, there was a lot of hatred towards those who were affiliated with the treaty signing party. Those that did not approve were called the John Ross Party and they outnumbered the Treaty party by 2-1. In 1839, several of the more prominent Cherokee leaders were assassinated, Major Ridge, his son John Ridge, and Elias Boudinot, all signers of this treaty, were all killed on the same day - 22 June 1839. In 1845, another leader, John Starr was killed. Many of their family members then fled to Texas for safety.
Several of these families ultimately removed to Rusk County, Texas where they settled about six miles south of the town of Kilgore. They included members of the Bean, Bell, Harnage, Mayfield, Miller, Starr and Thompson families. As a group, these families came to be known as the "Mount Tabor Indian Community." The appellation "Mount Tabor" was obtained from the name that John Adair Bell (1800-1860) selected for his new plantation in Rusk County, Texas.
Biographical sketches for eight of the families are provided elsewhere at this website. Many of these families buried their dead in what is now called the old Mount Taber Cemetery. Unfortunately, this cemetery was essentially destroyed during the East Texas oil exploration boom in the 1930's and 1940's.
Some of these old families owned slaves at the time they lived in Rusk County, and the slaves adopted their master’s name. Some of the Negro families living there now are descendents from these old slave families. There are several families by the name of Mayfield, Bell and Starr still living in this community, both white and black, but the name “Mt. Taber” is unknown to them.
Marriage and Family
- John Adair Bell (1806-1860) - leader of 1838 Trail of Tears caravan of the Cherokee Nation.
- Elizabeth Hughes Bell (1807-1848)
- Silas Bell (1808-1883)
- David Bell (1809-1848)
- Samuel Bell (1812-)
- Nancy Bell (1814-1864)
- Devereaux Jarrett Bell (1817-1875)
- Sarah Caroline Bell (1820-1882)
- Ruth Bell (1822-1835)
- Charlotte Bell (1825-1912)
- James Madison Bell (1826-1915)
- Martha Jane Bell (1827-1857)
Children
| Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
| John Adair Bell (1806-1860) | 1 January 1805 South Carolina, United States | 1 May 1860 Rusk County, Texas, United States | Jane Jennie Martin (1816-1838) Elizabeth Harnage (1820-1847) Ellen Drowningbear (1814-1896) Sabra Lynch (1808-1863) |
| Elizabeth Hughes Bell (1807-1848) | |||
| Silas Bell (1808-1883) | |||
| David Bell (1809-1848) | |||
| Samuel Bell (1812-) | |||
| Nancy Bell (1814-1864) | |||
| Devereaux Jarrett Bell (1817-1875) | |||
| Sarah Caroline Bell (1820-1882) | |||
| Ruth Bell (1822-1835) | |||
| Charlotte Bell (1825-1912) | |||
| James Madison Bell (1826-1915) | |||
| Martha Jane Bell (1827-1857) | |||
Siblings
Residences
See Also
- John Bell
- Bell Family
- Bell in Greenville County, South Carolina
- Bell in Rusk County, South Carolina