An 1837 message from Brigadier General John E. Wool to the Cherokee Nation warning them of the consequences of resisting removal.
This document is an address from Brigadier General John E. Wool, at army headquarters in New Echota, to the Cherokee, dated March 22, 1837. Wool informs the Cherokee that they have until May 25, 1838 to remove to a territory west of the Mississippi according to the provisions of the New Echota Treaty (signed in 1835) or else they will be forced to remove by US soldiers. Wool threatens them with despicable treatment if they do not cooperate fully and tells them their fate will be even worse than the Creeks, the majority of whom fiercely opposed removal and suffered mightily from exposure and starvation.