the fort was to be a joint effort by virginia and south carolina. the party from south carolina was hampered by bureaucratic delays, however, and the virginians, led by major andrew lewis, arrived at the cherokee town of chota in the little tennessee valley on june 28, 1756, several weeks ahead of the south carolinians. rather than wait for the south carolinians, lewis's party began work on a fort across the river from chota. this structure, known as the "virginia fort," was square in shape, measuring on each side, with walls consisting of earthen embankments topped by a palisade. lewis's orders were to merely construct the fort, not garrison it, so when it was completed in early august 1756, the virginians returned home.