Bartram arrived in Cowee to meet a guide to take him to the Overhill Towns, near modern day Loudon, TN. The guide never showed, allowing Bartram to explore the surrounding area and to provide us with the only description we have of Cowee town and Cherokee people during this period. It was May of 1775, and just a little over a year later Cowee and all the surrounding Cherokee villages would be brutally destroyed by Rutherford’s troops in one of the early campaigns of the American Revolution. Bartram’s encounters with southern Indians and his descriptions of their villages and customs is one of the most important sources for that era of American history that exists. He was a radical for his time and argued for the equality and respect of native Americans, which was one of the main reasons his book was not well received by his fellow citizens when it was published in 1791. It is worth quoting Bartram on the subject of native American equality: Their ideas, with respect to the duties, and conduct of individuals, to their superiors, coincide with those of the most perfect government on earth. Are these people not worthy of our friendship? Are they not worthy of our care? …. Who has a stronger claim to this country than the Indians? If priority of possession gives the best right, then surely they have it? These are radical views for the 18th century, and not shared by his father, whose father- William’s grandfather - had been killed by Indians on the Cape Fear River in the early 18th century.
Bartram explores the Cowee Mountain range across the valley from the Nantahala Mountains with a trader by the name of Patrick Galahan while waiting on his guide, then decides to pursue his journey to the Overhill settlements alone. There were numerous trade paths across the Nantahala Mountains, but the main path out of Cowee to the Overhill towns was across Burningtown Gap, where the Appalachian Trail now crosses. Galahan accompanies him part of the way up the Nantahala’s, taking him through the Cherokee village of Jore, now the location of the Macon County Airport. Bartram describes a grove of Yaupon Holly growing there, which is a coastal species that the Cherokees were growing for ceremonial reasons. It is our only native plant that contains caffeine and was used as an emetic by all of the southern Indians.
As he is climbing the Nantahala, which were then called the Jore Mountains, Bartram begins to reflect on his life and priorities, comparing himself to Nebuchadnezzar – expelled from the society of men, and constrained to roam in the mountains and wilderness, there to herd and feed with the wild beasts of the forest. He startles a young Cherokee man hunting, but they are soon exchanging handshakes and smile and Bartram leaves him with some choice tobacco. Bartram returns to his gloomy state of mind and proceeds up to Burningtown Gap, where he then climbs south to Wayah Bald on an ancient path that is now the Appalachian Trail. Here he makes an important observation that Charles Darwin would later reference when considering the distribution of species. Bartram observes species that are identical yet isolated from one another by elevation and temperature, and how their bloom times varied based on these factors. He had observed this earlier when travelling into the Oconee Mountains, approaching the Blue Ridge as well. He describes a very rich forest in the Nantahala Mountains – Ash, various species of Oaks, Basswood, Cucumber tree, Elm, Viburnum, Carolina Jasmine, Ginseng, Angelica, Lily of the Valley, and much more – species which still characterize these rich forests, though species such Ash, Hemlock, Beech, Dogwood, and Chestnut are all but gone or are in serious trouble from exotic pests and diseases.
What have historically been known as balds are mountaintops that were once more open and exposed. Their origins date back to the last ice age, the Pleistocene, when these high mountains were above tree line due to colder temperatures. When the climate warmed, large herbivores maintained them as balds, as did anthropogenic fire and grazing of cattle and sheep by settlers. Today a bald like Wayah would soon be grown over were it not maintained as an opening.