Fort Cass

Fort Cass was a pre-Civil War fortification built by the United States Army in the Cherokee Nation, near present-day Charleston, Tennessee. Construction began in 1835 as part of a network of forts and military posts designed to oversee and control the Cherokee people during the period leading up to the Trail of Tears.

Fort Cass served as the military headquarters for the Cherokee Removal. It was named in honor of Lewis Cass, then Secretary of War under President Andrew Jackson. Cass was a strong proponent of Indian Removal policies.

The fort complex included barracks, officers' quarters, a hospital, storehouses, and other support buildings. A large stockade surrounded the area. It functioned as a processing center for Cherokee people before they were forced to migrate westward. Families were often held at Fort Cass before being sent to internment camps further west, from which they would eventually begin their forced march.

Following the completion of the Cherokee Removal in the late 1830s, the fort was abandoned by the U.S. Army. The buildings gradually deteriorated, and the site returned to agricultural use.

Today, little remains of the original Fort Cass. The site is marked with historical markers and is recognized as a significant location associated with the Trail of Tears National Historic Trail. Archaeological investigations have been conducted at the site to uncover more information about the fort's layout and activities. The Fort Cass site serves as a reminder of the forced displacement and suffering endured by the Cherokee people.