USA > Virginia > Historical collections of Virginia : containing a collection of the most interesting facts, traditions, biographical sketches, anecdotes, &c. relating to its history and antiquities ; together with geographical and statistical descriptions ; to which is appended, an historical and descriptive sketch of the District of Columbia. > Part 57
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1
Within a quarter of a mile from the Ohio, on the river flats at Grave Creek, in full view of the passing steamers, is the mam- moth mound. On the summit is an observatory, crected by Mr. A. B. Tomlinson in 1837. From his communication in the Ameri- can Pioneer, we derive the following facts :
The Mammoth Mound is 69 feet high, and about 900 feet in circumference at its base. It is a frustum of a cone, and has a flat top of about 50 feet in diameter. This Sat, until letely, was slightly depressed-occasioned, it is supposed, by the falling in of two vaults below. A few years since a white oak, of about 70 feet in height, stood on the summit of the mound, which appeared to die of age. On carefully cutting the trunk transversely, the number of concentric circles showed that it was about 500 years old.
In 1838, Mr. Tomlinson commenced at the level of the surrounding ground, and ran in an excavation horizontally Ill feet. when he came to a vault that had been excavated in the earth before the mound was commenced. This vault was 12 feet long, 8 wide, and 7 in height. It was dry as any tight room. Along each side and the two ends,
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MARSHALL COUNTY.
stood upright timbers, which had supported transverse timbers forming the coiling. Over the timbers had been placed unhewn stone ; but the decay of the timbers" occasioned the fall of the stones and the superincumbent earth, so as to nearly fill the vault. In this want were found two skeletons, and of which was devoid of ornement-the other about six jochen in length, which is one inch and five eighths wide in the centre, half an inch wide at the ends, and on one side flat and on the other oval-shaped. A. singular white exudation of animal matter overhangs the roof of this vault.
The Mammoth Mound at Grave Creek.
Another excavation was commenced at the top of the mound downwards. Midway between the top and bottom, and over the vault above described, a second and similar vault was discovered, and, like that, caved in by the falling of the ceiling, timbers, stones, &c. In the upper vault was found the singular hieroglyphical stone hereafter described, 1700 ivory beads, 500 sea shells of the involuto species, that wore worn as beads, and five copper bracelets about the wrists of the skeleton. The shells and beads were about the neck and breast of the skeleton, and there were also about 150 pieces of isinglass strewed over the body.
The mound is confposed of the same kind of earth as that around it, being a fine loamy sand, but differs very much in color from that of the natural ground. After pene- trating about eight feet with the first or horizontal excavation, blue spots began to appear in the earth of which the mound is composed. On close examination, these spots were found to contain ashes and bits of burnt bones. These spots increased as they approached the centre : at the distance of 120 feet within, the spots were so numerous and con- densed as to give the earth a clouded appearance, and excited the admiration of all who saw it. Every part of the mound presents the same appearance, except near the sur- facc. The bine spots were probably occasioned by depositing the remains of bodies consumed by fire.
In addition to the relies in the mammoth mound, there has been a great number and variety of relics found in the neighborhood : many of them were discovered with skole- tons which were nearly decayed. Mr. Tomlinson has some beads, found about two
* At the top and bottom, where the timbers had been placed, were particles of charcoal-an evidence that fire, instead of iron, had been used in severing the wood. This goes to show that the constructors of the mound were not acquainted with the use of iron ; and the fact that none of that metal was found In the vault, strongly corroborates the opinion. Some of the stones were water-worn, probably from the river: others were identical with a whet stone quarry on the Olo side of the river, two miles north .- H. H.
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miles from this great mound, that are evidently a kind of porcelain, and very similar, if not identical in substance with artificial to the by dentists. Ti has also an image of stone, found with other relics about eight miles distant. It is in human shape, sitting in a cramped position, the face and eyes projecting upwards. The nose is what is called Homin. OF the crown of the head is a Furt, at which the hair is concimeand wood tied. The head and features particularly is a display of great workmanship and inge- nuity. It is eleven inches in height, but if it were straight would be double that height. It is generally believed to have been an idol.
Mr. Heney R. Coleraft, ESchooleraft, ] whose researches upon the Indian antiquities of the west have placed him at the head of the list of scientific inquivers upon this subject, visited Grave Creek iu . August, ISER, and devoted several days to the examination of the amique works of art at that place. The result of bis investigations is partially given in a communication to the New York Commercial Advertiser, copied below, We were subsequently at Grave Creek, and obtained an impression in wax of the hieroglyphical stone to which he alludes. An accurate engraving from this impression we insert in its proper place in his article :
I have devoted several days to the examination of the antiquities of this place and its vicinity, and find them to be of even more interest than was anticipated. The most prominent object of curiosity is the great tumulus, of which notices have appeared in western papers ; but this heavy structure of earth is not isolated. It is but one of a series of mounds and other evidences of ancient occupation at this point, of more than ordinary interest. I have visited and examined seven mounds situated within a short distance of each other. They occupy the sannait level of a rich alluvial plain, stretch- ing on the kft or Virginia bank of the Ohio, between the jmedons of Big and Little Grave creeks with that stream. They appear to have connected by low earthen intrench. ments, of which plain fraces are still visible on some parts of the commons. Tucy included a well, stoned up in the usual manner, which is now filled with rubbish.
The summit of this plain is probably 75 feet above the present summit-level of the Ohio. It constitutes the second bench or rise of land above the water. It is on this summit, and one of the most clevated parts of it, that the great tumulus stands. It is in the shape of a broad cone, cut off at the apex, where it is some fifty feet across. This area is quite level, and commands a view of the entire plain, and of the river above and below, and the west shores of the Ohio in front. Any public transaction on this area would be visible to multitudes around it, and it has, in this respect, all the advan- tages of the Mexican and Yucatanese teocalli. The circumference of the base has been stated at a little under 900 feet ; the height is 69 feet.
The most interesting object of antiquarian inquiry is a small flat stone. inscribed with antique alphabetic characters, which was disclosed on the opening of the mound. These characters are in the ancient rock alphabet of 16 right and acute-angled single strokes, VIXXA4X used by the Pelasgi and other early Mediter- ranean nations, and which is the parent of the modern Runic as well as the Bardic. It is now some four or five years since the - completion of the excavations, so far as they have been made, and the discovery of this relic. Several copies of it soon got abroad which differed from each other, and, it was supposed, from the original. This .conjec- ture is true. Neither the print published in the Cincinnati Gazette in 1839, nor that in the American Pioneer in 1843, is correct. I bave terminated this uncertainty by taking copies by a scientific process, which does not leave the lines and figures to the uncer- tainty of man's pencil.
The existence of this ancient art here could hardly be admitted, otherwise than as an insulated fact, without some corroborative evidence in habits and customs, which it would be reasonable to look for in the existing ruins of ancient occupancy. It is thought
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some auch testimony has been found. I made out yesterday tiene miles, back to the range of high hills which encompass this sub-valley, to see a rude tower of stone stand- ing to an elevated pont, called Fare's Point, which commande a view of the whole plain, and which appears to have been constructed as a watch-tower, or lookout, from which to desery an approaching enemy. It is much dilapidated. About six or seven feet of the work is still entire. It is circular, and composed of rough stones, laid with- out mortar, or the mark of a hammer. A heavy mass of fallen walls lies around, cover. ing an area of some forty feet in diameter. Two similar points of observation, occupied by dilapidated towers, are represented to exist, one at the prominent summit of the Ohio and Chave creek kille and another on the promontory on the opposite side of the Chain, in Belmont county, Ohio.
It is well known to all acquainted with the warlike habits of our Indians, that they never evinced the foresight to post a regular sentry, and these rude towers may be regarded as of contemporaneous age with the interment of the inscription.
Several polished tubes of stone have been found in one of the lesser mounds, the use of which is not very apparent. One of these now on my table is twelve inches long, one and a fourth wide at one end, and one and a half at the other. It is made of a fine, compact, lead-blue steatite, mottled, and has been constructed by boring, in the manner of a gun-barrel. This boring is continued to within about three-eighths of an inch of the larger end, through which but a small aperture is left. If this small aperture be looked through, objec's at a distance are more clearly seen. Whether it had this telescope or others, the degree of art evinced in its construction is far from rude. By inserting a wooden rod and valve, this tube would be converted into a powerful syphon or syringe.
I have not space to notice one or two additional traits which serve to awaken new interest at this ancient point of aboriginal and apparently mixed settlement.
MARION.
MARION was formed in 1842, from Harrison and Monongalia, and named from General Francis Marion, It is about 40 miles long, with a mean width of 13 miles. It is watered by the west fork of the Monongahela and its branches. The county is well timbered, and adapted to grazing; its surface is hilly, and much of the soil fertile. Fairmont, formerly called Middletown, is the county-seat ; it is 278 miles sw. of Richmond, 40 miles E. of the Ohio, 22 N. of Clarksburg, and 18 s. of Morgantown. It was estah- lished by law in 1820, and is now a flourishing village, pleasantly situated on the west bank of the Monongahela, near the southern line of the county. It contains 5 mercantile stores, 1 Methodist and 1 Presbyterian church, several flouring and other ibills in it and vicinity, and about 70 dwellings. The face of the surrounding country is somewhat hilly ; the soil is generally of a rich loamy clay, producing all the staples common to the middle states. The forests abound with the finest timber, and the earth is stored with iron ore, and the best stone-coal, the latter of which is largely ex- ported. Palatine lies opposite Fairmont. on the Monongahela. It is a new and flourishing village, containing 2 stores, some mills, and about 25 dwellings. Holtsville, Newport, and Milford. are small but flourishing places on the Monongahela, below Fairmont. As this county comes within the limits of the tract described in Doddridge's Notes, we make an extract depicting the customs of those primitive times :
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MARION COUNTY.
The settlements on this side of the mountains commenced along the Monongahela, and between that river and the Laurel ridge, in the year 1772. In the succeeding year they reached the Ohio River. 'Une greater number of the best sellers come from the upper parts of the then colonies of Maryland and Virginia. Braddock's trail, as it was called, was the red by which the greater number of them eresul the mentain. A less number of them came by the way of Bedford and Fort Ligonier, the military road from Pennsylvania to Pittsburg. They effected their removals on horses furnished with pack-saddles. This was the more easily done, as but few of these early adventurers into the wilderness were encumbered with much baggage.
Land was the object which invited the greater number of these people to cross the mountain, for, as the saying when was, " It was to be had here for taking up;" that is, ยท building a cabin and raising & crop of grain, however small, of any kind, entitled the - occupant to four hundred acres of lard, and a pre-emption right to one thousand aces more adjoining to be seemed by a loud office warrant. This right was to take effect if there happened to be so much vacant land, or any part thereof, adjoining the tract secured by the settlement right.
At an early period the government of Virginia appointed three commissioners to give certificates of settlement rights. These certificates, together with the surveyor's plat, were sent to the land-office of the state, where they lay six months, to await any caveat which might be offered. If none was offered, the patent then issued.
There was, at an early period of our settlements, an inferior kind of land title de- nominated a " tomahawk right," which was made by deadening a few trees near the head of a spring, and marking the bark of some one or more of them with the initials of the name of the person who made the improvement. I remember having seen a number of these " tomahawk nights" when a boy. For a long time many of them burg the names of those who made them. I have no knowledge of the efficacy of the toma- hawk improvement, or whether it conferred any right whatever, unless followed by tax actual settlement. These rights, however, were often bought and sold. Those who wished to make settlements on their favorite tracts of land, bought up the tomahawk improvements, rather than enter into quarrels with those who had made them. Other improvers of the land, with a view to actual settlement, and who happened to be stout veteran fellows, took a very different course fout that of purchasing the "tomahawk rights." When annoved by the claimants under those rights, they deliberately cut a few good hickories, and gave them what was called in those days a " laced jacket," that is, a sound whipping.
Some of the early settlers took the precaution to come over the mountains in the spring, leaving their families behind to raise a crop of corn, and then return and bring them out in the fall. This I should think was the better way. Others, especially those whose families were small, brought them with them in the spring. My father took the Jatter course. His family was but small, and he brought them all with him, The Indian meal which he brought over the mountain was expended six weeks too soon, so that for that length of time we had to live without bread. The lean venison and the breast of wild turkeys we were taught to call bread. The flesh of the bear was denomi- nated meat. This artifice did not succeed very well. Atter living in this way for some time we became sickly, the stomach seemed to be always empty and tormented with a sense of hunger. I remember how narrowly the children watched the growth of the potato tops, pumpkin and squash vines. hoping from day to day to get something to answer in the place of bread. How delicious was the taste of the young potatoes wheu we got them ! What a jubilee, when we were permitted to pull the young core for roasting ears. Still more so, when it had acquired sufficient hardness to be made into jonny-cakes by the aid of a tin grater. We then became healthy, vigorous, and con- tented with our situation, poor as it was.
. My father, with a small number of his neighbors, made their settlements in the spring of 1773. Though they were in a poor, and destitute situation, they nevertheless lived in peace ; but their tranquillity was not of long continuance. Those most atrocious murders of the peaceable, inoffensive Indians at Cantina and Yellow Creek, brought on the war of Lord Dunmore in the spring of the year 1774. Our little settlement then broke up. The women and children were removed to Morris's Fort, in Sandy Creek glade, some distance to the east of Uniontown. The fort consisted of an assemblage of small hovels, situated on the margin of a large and noxious marsh, the effluvia of which gave the most of the women and children the fever and ague. The men were com. pelled by necessity to return home, and risk the tomahawk and scalping-karte of the Indians, in raising corn to keep their families from starvation the succeeding winter
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Those sofferings dangers, and losses, were the tribute we had to pay to that thirst for blood which actuated those veteran murderers who brought the war upon us! The memory of the sufferers in this war, as well as that of their descendants, still looks back upon them with regret and abhorrence, and the page of history will consign their names to posterity with the full weight of infamy they deserve.
My father, like many others, believed that, having secured his legal allotment, the rest of the country belonged of right to those who chose to settle in it. There was a piece of vacant land adjoining his tract, amounting to about 200 acres. To this tract of land he had the pre-emption right, and accordingly secured it by warrant ; but his conscience would not permit him to retain it in his family ; be therefore gave it to an apprentice lad whom he had raised in his house. This lad sold it to an uncle of mine for a cow and a calf, and a wool hat.
Owing to the equal distribution of real property directed by our land laws, and the sterling integrity of our forefathers in their observance of them, we have no districts of " sold land," as it is called, that is, large tracts of land in the bands of individuals, or companies, who neither sell nor improve them, as is the case in Lower Canada, and the northwestern part of Pennsylvania. These unsettled tracts make huge blanks in the population of the country where they exist.
The division-lines between those whose lands adjoined, were generally made in an amicable manner, before any survey of them was made, by the parties concerned. In doing this they were guided mainly by the tops of ridges and water-courses, but par- tienlarly the former. Hesee the greatei number of farnes in the western parts of Ponn. sylvania and Virginia bear a striking resemblance to an amphitheatre. The buildings occupy a low situation, and the tops of the surrounding bills are the boundaries of the tract to which the family mansion belongs.
Our forefathers were fond of farios of this description, because, as they said. they are attended with this convenience, " that every thing comes to the house down hill."
Most of the early settlers considered their land as of little value, from an apprehension that after a few years' cultivation it would lose its fertility, at least for a long time. I have often heard them say that such a field would bear so many crops, and another so many, more or less than that. The ground of this belief concerning the short-lived fer- tility of the land in this country, was the poverty of a great proportion of the land in the lower parts of Maryland and Virginia, which, after producing a few crops, became unfit for use, and was thrown out into commons.
My reader will naturally ask where were their mills for grinding grain ? Where their tanneries for making leather ? Where their smith-shops for making and repairing their farming utensils ? Who were their carpenters, tailors. cabinet workmen, shoemakers, and weavers ? 'The answer is, those manufacturers did not exist, por had they any tradesmen who were professedly such. Every family were under the necessity of doing every thing for themselves as well as they could. The hommony-block and hand-mills were in use in most of our houses. The first was made of a large block of wood about three feet long, with an excavation burned in one end, wide at the top and narrow at the bottom, so that the action of the pestle on the bottom threw the corn up to the sides towards the top of it, from whence it continually fell down into the centre. In consequence of this movement, the whole mass of the grain was pretty equally subjected to the strokes of the pestle. In the fall of the year, while the Indian corn was soft, the block and pestle did very well for making meal for jonny-cake and mush, but were rather slow when the corn became bard.
The sweep was sometimes used to lessen the toil of pounding grain inte meal. This was a pole of some springy elastic wood, thirty feet long or more ; the butt end was placed under the side of a house, or a large stump. This pole was supported by two forks, placed about one-third of its length from the butt end, so as to elevate the small end about fifteen feet from the ground ; to this was attached, by a large mortise, a piece of a sapling, about five or six inches in diameter; and eight or ten feet long. The lower end of this was striped so as to answer for a pestle. A pin of wood was put through it st a proper height, so that two persons could work at the sweep at once. This simple machine very much lessened the labor, and expedited the work. I remember that. when a boy, I put up an excellent sweep at my father's. It was made of a sugar-tree sapling. It was kept going almost constantly, from morning till uight, by our neigh- bors for several weeks. In the Greenbrier country, where they had a number of salt. petre caves, the first settlers made plenty of excellent gunpowder by the means of those eweeps and mortara.
A machine still more simple than the mortar and pestle, was used for making meal,
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MATHEWS COUNTY.
MATHEWS.
MATHEWS was created in 1790, from Gloucester, and named in honor of a meritorious officer of the Virginia troops in the revolu- tion, and subsequently governor of Georgia. This county is a pen- insula, extending into Chesapeake Bay, united to the main by a nar- row neck of land scarcely a mile wide, and its boundaries are almost entirely of water. It is 20 miles long, and in its widest section not nine miles, The principal streams are the Piankatank, . East, and North Rivers. About 60.000 acres of the land are of a medium fertility. Marl exists in some parts, Formerly ship-build- ing was carried on to such an extent, that agriculture was almost entirely neglected. The county is supplied with meal by wind and tide mills, Owing to the land being almost a dead Jevel. there are no streams of fresh water running through the county ; hence in long dry seasons every cattle hole, at which the stock water, dry up, and they suffer much from thirst. Pop., in 1840, wlutes 3,969, slaves 3,309, free colored 174; total, 7,442
Mathews C. HI., or Westville, is near the centre of the county, on a small stream putting up from East River, 100 miles E. of Rich- mond. It is a port of entry, and contains about 20 dwellings.
Gwyn's Island is on the east side of the county, in Chesapeake Bay, at the mouth of Piankatank River; it contains about 2000 acres, and a population of about 200. There is a tradition that Pocahontas, in attempting to swim across the Piankatank, was near drowning, but was rescued by an individual, to whom, as a token of her gratitude, she gave this island.
Several months after the burning of Norfolk, Lord Dunmore left Hampton Roads with his whole fleet, landed about the Ist of June at Gwyn's Island, where he fortified himself. His force, consisting of about 590 men, including negroes, whom he had induced by false promises to leave their masters, was attacked by the Virgin. jans under Gen. Lewis, and compelled to abandon the place. Shortly after, Dunmore left the coast of Virginia forever.
The annexed account of the attack upon Dunmore, and his ex- pulsion from Gwyn's Island, is from the Virginia Gazette of July 29th. 1776 :-
We got to the island on Monday, the 8th, and next morning, at 8 o'clock, began o. furious attack upon the enemy's shipping, camp, and fortifications, from two batteries, one of five, six, and nine-pounders ; the other mounting two eighteen-pounders. What forces the enemy had, were encamped on a point of the island nearly opposite to our five-ynn battery, covered by a battery of four emirasures, and a breastwork of con- aiderable extent. Besides this, they had two other batteries, and a stockade fort higher up the haven, where troops were stationed to prevent our landing. In the haven were three tenders ; one a sloop, (the Lady Charlotte,) mounting six carriage-guns ; a schooner of two carriages, six swivels and coborn ; and a pilot-boat, badly armed, who had orders from Captain Hammond, of the Roebuck, to prevent our boats passing over to the island, and to annoy the rebels by every means in their power. Gen. Lewis announced his orders for attacking the enemy, by putting a match to the first gun, an eighteen- pounder, himself; and the Dunmore being then nearest to us, at the distance of about 500 yards, at passed through her hull, and did considerable damage. Our five-gun bat-
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