“There is a dim but persistent tradition of a strange white race preceding the Cherokee, some of the stories even going so far as to locate their former settlements and to identify them as the authors of the ancient works found in the county.””
“These Wretches they expelled…”
Atop Fort Mountain, in the northwestern corner of Georgia, is an 885-foot-long rock wall that zigzags its way through the curves of the mountain. Though the ruins were constructed with stone from the surrounding region, the story behind it, when it was built, and by whom, remains a mystery. Theories arose to explain the structure’s origin, today most agree it was likely completed by Native people who lived in the area. But who were they?
Legend says that a unique, ancient race of people once inhabited the highlands of lower Appalachia– a group known simply as the Moon-Eyed People. Often, described as light-skinned, with blonde hair and blue eyes; they were uniquely handicapped by their inability to see during the day
The legend exists most prominently from the oral tradition of the Cherokee people, who purportedly encountered the ancient race upon their arrival to the region; however, the mystery as to who they were and where they went is far more complex.
Additional Links From This Episode:
Sources:
Barton, Benjamin Smith. New Views on the origins of the Tribes and Nations of America. Philadelphia: John Bioren, 1797. Internet Archive. https://archive.org/details/newviewsoforigin00bartarch.
Greenwood, Isaac J. The Reverend Morgan Jones and the Welsh Indians. Boston: David Clapp & Son, 1898. Internet Archive. https://archive.org/details/revmorganjoneswe00gree.
Haywood, John. The Natural and Aboriginal History of Tennessee: Up To The First Settlements Therein By The White People In The Year 1768. Nashville, TN: George Wilson, 1823. Internet Archive. https://archive.org/details/naturalaborigina00hayw.
Johnsen, Bruce E. and Barry M. Pritzker, eds. “Ohio Valley Mound Culture.” Encyclopedia of American Indian History. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO Ltd., 2008.
Koster, John. “Caitlin Was Not the First but Perhaps the Last to Believe the Mandans Wew Welsh Indians.” Wild West, February 2012. https://www.historynet.com/catlin-not-first-perhaps-last-believe-mandans-welsh-indians.htm.
Mooney, Jame. Myths of the Cherokee. Washington, D.C.:Government Printing Office, 1900. Reprint, New York: Dover Publications, 2012.
“Mystery Shrouds Fort Mountain.” Last modified October 21, 2020. https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=46359.
Rome News-Tribune (Rome, Ga.). “Whites built myth of Fort Mountain - but not stone wall.” August 28, 1994. https://news.google.com/newspapers.
Wafer, Lionel. Edited by George Parker Winship. A New Voyage and Description of the Isthmus of America. London: The Crown in St. Paul’s Churchyard, 1699. Reprint, Cleveland, OH: Burrows Brothers Company, 1903. Google Books. https://books.google.com.
