United States, Georgia, 32.75042, -83.50018Payne, David H.2002-07-11Encyclopedia article about John Rollin Ridge. Ridge (also known as Cheesquatalawny and Yellow Bird), considered the first Native American novelist, was born near New Echota (near the present city of Rome) on March 19, 1827. His grandfather Major Ridge, his father, John Ridge, and his uncles Elias Boudinot (Buck Watie) and Stand Watie led the Cherokee "Treaty Party," which signed a removal agreement at New Echota in 1835. The four leaders were marked for execution by members of the John Ross party in 1839. All but Stand Watie were killed, and twelve-year-old John Rollin Ridge witnessed his father's murder.GSE identifier: SS2H2text/htmlengForms part of the New Georgia Encyclopedia.http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/Forms part of the New Georgia Encyclopedia.Ridge, John Rollin, 1827-1867Authors, AmericanNovelists, AmericanIndians of North AmericaCherokee IndiansIndian authorsJohn Rollin Ridge (1827-1867)Text