Moreover, Cartersville is at some distance from the mountains,
and the Etowah river at this point does not answer the description
of a small rushing mountain stream. There is no considerable mound
at Coosawatee or in any of the three counties adjoining.
The Nacoochee mound has been cleared and cultivated for many years
and does not now show any appearance of a roadway up the side, but
from its great height we may be reasonably sure that some such means
of easy ascent existed in ancient times. In other respects it is the
only mound in the whole upper country which fills the conditions. The
valley is one of the most fertile spots in Georgia and numerous ancient
remains give evidence that it was a favorite center of settlement
in early days. At the beginning of the modern historic period it was
held by the Cherokee, who had there a town called Nacoochee, but their
claim was disputed by the Creeks. The Gentleman of Elvas states that
Guaxule was subject to the queen of Cofitachiqui, but this may mean
only that the people of the two towns or tribes were in friendly
alliance. The modern name is pronounced Nagu`tsi' by the Cherokee,
who say, however, that it is not of their language. The terminal may
be the Creek udshi, "small," or it may have a connection with the
name of the Uchee Indians.
From Guaxule the Spaniards advanced to Canasoga (Ranjel) or Canasagua
(Elvas), one or two days' march from Guaxule, according to one
or the other authority. Garcilaso and Biedma do not mention the
name. As Garcilaso states that from Guaxule to Chiaha the march
was down the bank of the same river, which we identify with the
Chattahoochee, the town may have been in the neighborhood of the
present Gainesville. As we have seen, however, it is unsafe to trust
the estimates of distance. Arguing from the name, Meek infers that
the town was about Conasauga river in Murray county, and that the
river down which they marched to reach it was "no doubt the Etowah,"
although to reach the first named river from the Etowah it would
be necessary to make another sharp turn to the north. From the same
coincidence Pickett puts it on the Conasauga, "in the modern county
of Murray, Georgia," while Jones, on the same theory, locates it
"at or near the junction of the Connasauga and Coosawattee rivers,
in originally Cass, now Gordon county." Here his modern geography
as well as his ancient is at fault, as the original Cass county is
now Bartow, the name having been changed in consequence of a local
dislike for General Cass. The whole theory of a march down the Coosa
river rests upon this coincidence of the name. The same name however,
pronounced Gansâ'gi by the Cherokee, was applied by them to at least
three different locations within their old territory, while the one
mentioned in the narrative would make the fourth. The others were
(1) on Oostanaula river, opposite the mouth of the Conasauga, where
afterward was New Echota, in Gordon county, Georgia; (2) on Canasauga
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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