A correct and detailed knowledge of the Indian trails leading through
their country, and called by them warpaths, horse trails, and by the
white traders "trading roads," forms an important part of Indian
topography and history. Their general direction is determined by
mountain ranges and gaps (passes), valleys, springs, water-courses,
fordable places in rivers, etc. The early explorers of North American
countries all followed these Indian trails: Narvaez, Hernando de Soto,
Tristan de Luna, Juan del Pardo, Lederer and Lawson, because they were
led along these tracks by their Indian guides. If we knew with
accuracy the old Indian paths of the West, we would have little
difficulty in rediscovering the routes traveled by Coronado's and
Peñalossa's troops in New Mexico and in the great wastes of the
Mississippi plains. In hilly lands these trails are, of course, easier
to trace than in level portions of the country.
The best-known trails leading from the east to the Creek towns were as
follows:
1. The _upper_ trail or "warpath" crossed Chatahuchi river at
Che`láko-Nini by a horse ford, about sixty miles above Kasiχta; cf.
Schoolcraft, Indians, V, 255, and Adair, History, pp. 258. 368.
2. The "High Tower path" started from High Shoals on Apalachi river,
which is the southern branch of Okóni river, and went almost due west
to "Shallow Ford" of Chatahuchi river, about twelve miles right north
of Atlanta, Georgia, in the river bend.
3. The _southern_ trail crossed the Chatahuchi river, coming from the
Okóni and Okmúlgi rivers,[93] at the "Broken Arrow," `Lé-kátchka,
while other travelers crossed it at the Yuchi towns, which cannot have
been distant from the "Broken Arrow." The Tallapoosa river was passed
at Tukabatchi; cf. Schoolcraft, Indians, V, 254.
[Footnote 93: Bartram, Travels, p. 54, gives the following
particulars: "On the east bank of the Okmulgee this trading road
runs nearly two miles through ancient Indian fields, the
Okmulgee fields ... with artificial mounds or terraces, squares,
etc." This horsepath began at the Rock Landing on Okóni river, a
British post just below Wilkinson and about four miles below
Milledgeville, Georgia, passed Fort Hawkins built upon the
Okmúlgi old fields, then the site of Macon, on the shore
opposite, then Knoxville, then the old Creek agency on Flint
river, then crossed Patsilāíka creek, the usual ford on
Chatahuchi river lying between Kasíχta and Apatá-i Creek.]
From Tukabatchi it crossed over almost due west, as represented in Em.
Bowen's map, to Coosa river, which was passed by a horse-ford, then
followed the Coosa river up to Coosa old town. This is the trail
partly traveled over by the Kasiχta tribe, as described in the
migration legend.
4. The _trail_ leading from St. Mary's river, Georgia, to the Creek
towns went into disuse since 1783, and at the time of Swan's visit
(1791) was difficult to trace. Cf. Schoolcraft, V, 256. If correctly
represented in Tanner's map of 1827, a road then running from St.
Mary's river to the Hitchiti ford of the Chatahuchi river crossed that
river at Hitchitū′dshi.