The Cherokee Expedition, also known as Christie's Campaign, was a

military offensive An offensive is a military operation that seeks through an aggressive projection of armed forces to occupy territory, gain an objective or achieve some larger strategic, operational, or tactical goal. Another term for an offensive often used b ...

that occurred during the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

between

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

forces and

Cherokee The Cherokee (; chr, ᎠᏂᏴᏫᏯᎢ, translit=Aniyvwiyaʔi or Anigiduwagi, or chr, ᏣᎳᎩ, links=no, translit=Tsalagi) are one of the indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States. Prior to the 18th century, t ...

tribes allied to

Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It is ...

. The British encouraged and facilitated Cherokee raids in July 1776, into Colonial territories of

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

North North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating Direction (geometry), direction or geography. Etymology T ...

and

South Carolina )''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...

, and

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

to wreak havoc among the southern colonies. The state governments responded with a plan for retaliation throughout Cherokee territory. The main force of 1,800 Virginian volunteers under Colonel William Christian marched southwest passed the Northern Cherokee border, while the Georgians attacked north through the Southern border of Cherokee lands. Brigadier General

Griffith Rutherford Griffith Rutherford (c. 1721 – August 10, 1805) was an American military officer in the Revolutionary War, a political leader in North Carolina, and an important figure in the early history of the Southwest Territory and the state of Ten ...

was given command of North Carolina militia and joined up with South Carolina militia under Colonel Andrew Williamson. This attack group aimed at the central heart of Cherokee lands. The Cherokee were divided in their plan of action, the elders and majority of the nation seeking peace terms from the Colonials, while a rogue faction, composed mostly of younger men, continued its raids and war with the Colonials. However, these elements fled from any major engagements with the invading force. The expedition was met with little resistance as it marched into the heart of Cherokee lands in what is now

Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...

. It camped near several Cherokee towns and rebuilt abandoned forts to establish a long term presence. This show of force, although minimal, was enough to discourage further Cherokee raids during the American Revolution. It is likely that terms were made and the expedition returned home in December 1776.

References

{{Reflist *Nadia Dean, A Demand of Blood: The Cherokee War of 1776, Valley River Press, 2012 Campaigns of the American Revolutionary War Wars between the United States and Native Americans