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Chickamauga Timeline
Buchanan's Station

Buchanan's Station, one of the outlying Cumberland settlements, was built  near Mill Creek soon after Fort Nashborough was constructed. 

Buchanan's Station Historical Marker
(Click for larger image)

Many Native American patriots died in the attack on Bucanan's Station led by John Watts in 1792. After the death of Dragging Canoe earlier in the year, Watts became the leader of the Chickamaugans. Brave, eloquent, and sincere, he was a popular war leader.

Because of the continuing encroachment by the whites on Indian land, the Chickamauga towns formally declared war on the United States in September of 1792. Traders alerted Tennessee's Governor Blount that the Chickamaugans were planning on sending a large force to wipe out the Cumberland settlements. Blount warned James Robertson in Nashville. Robertson immediately called out the militia to patrol the area.

From the Chickamauga towns, Watts led a force of about 280 warriors, including 83 Creeks commanded by Tallotiskie, and 30 Shawnees led by Shawnee Warrior, against the Cumberland settlements. As the sun went down on the evening of September 30, they approached Buchanan's station, about 4 miles from the fort at Nashville. A dispute broke out between Watts and Tallotiskie over whether they should attack the outlying station. The main objective of the campaign was to take the fort at Nashville, and Watts wanted to go on. Tallotiskie didn't like the idea of leaving an enemy force at the rear of the Indian army. Watts finally gave in and agreed to attack the station.

Buchanan's Station Site
(Click for larger image)

Having been warned by Robertson that trouble was on the way, several families had come in to the station from their farms, but there were only about 20 able-bodied men inside. They knew the Indians were close by because the cattle were restless. They prepared for the expected assault.

Attacking around midnight, the Indians hit the fort hard. But it was well defended by expert sharpshooters. They inflicted heavy losses on the Indian forces, killing or wounding most of their chiefs. The first shot fired by the whites killed Shawnee Warrior. Watts suffered a serious wound early in the battle. He was carried to safety, thinking his wound would be fatal. Chiachattalla, another Chickamauga chief, took a torch and climbed on the roof of the station, trying to set it on fire. He was shot and fell to the ground, mortally wounded. As he lay dying, he kept shouting encouragement to the other warriors to continue the attack. He held the torch against the fort's wall, and used his last breath to fan the flames in an unsuccessful attempt to ignite the logs.

Then Tallotiskie was killed as he led his Creek warriors in a charge on the fort. Two more Chickamauga chiefs suffered mortal wounds - Little Owl, brother of the late Dragging Canoe, and Unacata, brother of John Watts.

The whites fought bravely and with great skill, but they were extremely lucky to have taken out so many of the Indian leaders. The Indians also had seen the tracks and signs left by the militia that had been patrolling the area. They  expected this large force would soon be coming to the aid of the station. So when the cannon at Nashville was fired as a signal that help was on the way, the Indians retreated. They carried off their dead and wounded, except for Chiachattalla. His body was left behind because he had fallen so close to the fort. Incredibly, not one person inside the station was killed.

Mill Creek Near Buchanan's Station Site
(Click for larger image)

John Watts survived his wound. He went on to lead other, more successful campaigns against the white settlements in east Tennessee. But the war brought strong retaliation from the United States against the Chickamaugans. Their most important towns were attacked and burned. Many Cherokee towns that had tried to stay neutral were also destroyed. Leaders from other parts of the Cherokee Nation put pressure on Watts to end the war. He finally signed a peace treaty with the United States in 1794.

(Source: Old Frontiers, by John P. Brown)