Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1811-12-16
From the MERCURY.
CHILIcoTHE, Nov. 6, 1871

! WHICH mas OtcH atoCoNSFEu III ltiS~ SlatC' IL
! is curiosity the public have rot jet been
/ informed OF.
was upon an electioueering excursion,
| some weeks ago, when / came in company
; with Mr.. De Voss, a gentlemen VINO lives
/; abont elavon mites from THIS place (ChIn-
\ cotiel and ne Po';t iy invited INC to his house
I; On our wy tnither we passed an Indian
mound, which made some remarks upon, Sc
/: then cn9uircd of him whether there were
/, pot in his part Of the country, some antlqul"
! ties fl,at ore might convesiently visit. he
replied that there were some OH bis iarm tior
/: they are all farmers there) which woult high
; iy crafty the curiosity of any one, and 1t
bad any curiosity he would so with me to
examine them.
| On the next morning we rose carly and
proceeded 10 cxa--ine toTtiGcation which Is
! Oh the iepci summit CT a high Hill. Il contains
! about one hundred acr2s, and is enclosed by
STONE WALL, which IF we may Judge
| from the quantity OF stones, for it is lii RUNS
must have been twelve or diten feet high and
| four or five thick. Within the area there are
about thirty furnaces, fro,u some of which l
| took ciaders that rcsembe in every way those
| formed in blacksmith's torges. From some
of them got pieces OF burnt, unwrought clay
| that look somewhat like pujnice stone, but arc
of pale blue color. Those lying OH the sur
face of the earth are covered with coats OF rus
ty mail which probably had laln there since
the days of Lycurgus
The fort is nearly circular, and has, 1t J
recolecl rightly. ten passes or gates, which
arc placed at regular distances tlom each o.
| tier.
Atone of these passes, and on the outside,
| there is the appearance ola well or spring en-
closed with stoue wall. This well was in-
tended, | suppose, TO supply water to those
| who nigh; have occupied the fort, as there is
nothing like spring or watering place with
a the limits oft
| There are trees now growing IN this torHtl-
cation which are four or FIVE feet IL diameter
and they appear to have been preceded hya
race still more gigantic, it we may Judge from
the iong traces left by those that have rotted
| into their native dust. Some ii the iarges;
! crew out OF the foundation OF The wall lii
| places where the stone had tun.bicd dow,
to the SIDE of the hill.
These things shew the antiquity OF the
work, but there arc t!.ings that skew 1t to have
been also work OF great labor for there
, within a nile Fof lht. ruins, except III PANT
Creek, which runs by the edge OF the hill !;
! but the creek stones are OF avery different
kind from those used III the wall.
Attic ho'ton' Of the bill on the southwest
SIDE, are the ruins OF the togcn, or rather Ci-
tTY. The cellars and the stone foundations
Of The houses still remain. The streets are
il regular squares Near it there is large
Dnund perfectly level to the top. 1t was IRON
IAN aDpearances the residence OF warllke
race but a description Of it will form the
subject OF a future communication.
| The widest spccu!..siur.s nave of,en proved
10 i,e the most correct, and conjecture or &C
ciden, are the leaders 10 INC discoveries OF ex-
periencc
| Bat on this subject the first Impressions
will probably with n'ost people be the last ;
and tic general opinion will be still generally
admitted as thetfuc.
The notion Of Bishop Madison of Virginia
that those ancient works, whose remains APP
pear in our country, were never 1ntenNed as
iortr.sses, is the most 1ntre that have known
TO be advanced think he has not had the
::.onsortaaity of viewing any one built of stone
Very few, presume, who have examined tor
themselves, VIII OtliCfC eHSoS ""i u" w.
tain the iScd Installations OF the people who c
rected chem. The situation of these fortihca-
tons (forI will still venture to call them 500
must have rendered them every way lnconVe-
rient for the settled residence even OF Way
ike people, AID presents only the advantage
OF security.
Placed On the SUBMITS of hills, they screen
eli those within them from all missile weapons
and from all weapons suppose, their antedi-
luvian Inhabitants were acquainted with. The
face of the hill formed the g3aciS and super
ceded the necessity of Josee.
Of thut long DESTROYED race, OF people we
know nothing except what we learn from their
works. even their traditions have sank with
them into a common grave. But we have
enough left in those Testiges OF their labonrs
and their wars, to convince us that they were
much more civilized than the present Indian
inhabitants of any portion OF our continent.