Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1818-12-24
lHDMAS JEFFERSON.
DR.. BENJAMrN WATERHousE, Cambridge.
-fmcricon lfnfiqmifirs IN Ysnnexse,

The following Is a lust ana ait ael,n,a,i,, of ,b,
o.Sn' 5o,t' dc III called an ancient curiosity OF abe
Vest that has Not until now been described About 40
hites from this extraordinary work, ana abont or
iii'es hon' The town of Columbia. IA maur, county "A
cave h"s been diseOvered containing Na,iety of earth.
ehwaie bricks OF form different from Hose
aud an iron swoId Resembling .he SATIRE Of
ihe oid feiN@hs or scythahs. The is csmain
ed ~ aiettef from Nm Dmnnison, ESQ. OF Nashville
To the Hon Samuel l.. Miichi, Of New York, dated
Octobef -, 1878
SiRThe following description Of the Stone Fart is
partly from my aun aud partly non, ufor
hation derived trois Captain Thomas East,and who
iesioed ON that plantation called the Stone fort Farm,
ioi several years. After the completion Of the descrp
iion aud The diagram nwas sbewn several ndlvidu.
ais OF Intelligence, who had visited tire oIt. Tor the
purpose "i accurate examination, aud they individually
concur IN the correctness OF this statement viii no,
presume To suggest by what peopl. such fabric could
he reared or IN what Al The settlement Of the
stare oil Tennessee the eldest indians stated they had
heard their fathers speak IT hu, their ealest t,adi
tih had not uaCtd ITS origin Its descriptioltThe
Su". Fort IS si.uasd at ihe confluence two of The
mos, southern Of the three iorks Of Duck on the
Northwestern corner OF franklin county, Tenn The
"as OF his Tort were originally Composed entirely of
stone evs' The r"ckwas cenented time destroy.
ca az. Al this tIe the walls covered with coat of
earth or luit which during the process OF time aud he
constantly recurring decay OF vegetable matter far so
hat perhaps Centuries has eucIeaScd to Ike depth of
oAe VI TWO es On pal ing down nom its sides the tur
ihe Stone Fort stands completely revealed Al ina NORTH
e,n .Nutmitl al.d IN iont OF the WALL are conical
t"fs OF stone ahon feet high and at the base about
lO or u feet ~ diameter. Ia the rear OF those pillars
STANDS te no' ih.n wall extending from one branch OF
the i'er To tue other. This all nects branch of
Tue river ~ tue foot of fail of about IS feet the fails
oheuhei side heine abont the descent. In the
northern curtain OF the wallis n gateway ,Ybirb on ,hi
seclon af the fol is tie onl, outlet IIis wa an lis
ihhrI lace IS absutl0 feet perpendicular In the rear
OF The gatew ay Is stone huiiding nj "a foo, s,ar. 80
Tue right of which is OF similar descffption of
ahnnt 10 feet square. Raining south The stone wall
snn MAINTAINS The sane height until YOU arrive at the
"ot OF The new tails which about 20 feet high The
ialis OF each branch oi te are neatly at the Same
distance ioii The upper fails, nearly of the same
neishi on each branch 1t each :ali At these falls the
p one van terminates Ia consequence Of bold rising
Duu OF limestone through the centre Of which has aeon
eh'-lNate0 narrow pathway with steps to The river
The Ike also the the falls OH tile oppo
sue sIde "fthe peninsula. In continuing sonth f Ibis
Dn' Tue sne wall is again resumed aud continued To
It's most southwestern auge. From the most sou,h,.
tern angie, at right angles tie south curin IS continued
from river 10 river In This wall IS asp gateway The
south wall on ITS inner side about in heiyht Tbe
wall on the eastern side OF the m thai
on me western as TO he wall blun 1T the foot
OF tue fall, the rXcavated passage and the connn,nre
OF me wall after passing the hiu TO the most
eru angle OF the fort. south side Of tie sor
curtain OF this fort there is at the has az ,be ,s
ditch Of about 10 20 feet in width extending from
river to river Here also appears 20 have been AN i'm
ehse excavation o earth the average breadth is from
Som luo lset ana about 40 feet in depth extending
nom river 10 rver. AT the bottom Of which and next 10
me walt is the ditch. The wallis OF this fort are gene
Iay othe sane thckuess being about 10 or 20 feet AZ
'e pase ana on the top from 10 feet through. IL
appears probable that tue earth taken from the .xcavo
mas peSn spread over the face of The fort the
harrow strip of iand which soul, ofihe fort and next
10 tue river this lie probable from his circumstance
ha the area OF the fort aud Of strip land much
i8ne' even ny two or three feet the surrounding
country The present appearance The walls is as
hlsht I've expected after lapse ages rough ana an
Couh nat there are strong evidences the use OF the
hammer and the chisel. The whole area OF the fort
the excavation south OF it, and the walls has been
with strong and heavy timber and even AZ This
ihe u is not at all destroyed timber is apparent
" oil ie same growth aud age with thai nf the surround
ig county This fort contains abort acres oferoand
ny measurement. part of the area of this fort has
WITHIN or years been appropriated TO agricultural
purposes aud on running the first furrow they pIoghed
w Hhr piece OF Mint glass about inch thickness
dhd OF emaTkable Transparency. IL appeared to have
neeh piece oi bowl WAS neatly polished and Tuted.on
'ts sldes' AT Inc same time found small stone
very tautiiuS carved and ofnamented much snperioT
u any SHOWN art OF the Indians. North from The frt
apout thTee quarters of mile, main road lead
ing from nashville - Georgia, there is mound ofcon
s,"erahe magnitude OF an obcng form about rs feet
n'sh no "a length and ~ IN brradth covered with
heaVy uhef ON She northwest OF the fort about one
nsi iie distant Is another mound il is about 20 feet
hgh' % IN length, aud Ia IN width. Thus concludes
inns de'c rlptoH have thus far been as inmate as my
materials enabled me, and thus far am satisfied OF he
onTTecuiess-i IS certainly remarkable that tlronrb
OIL ts extensive western world there is not to he seen
an eAamp!e OF a ike description. Numerous are The
.oItHeai'ns OF ear:h which evidently venerable
rom thef apparent age but there nnt one of stone
nor mas there ee previous this any evidence of The
use OF he hammer ar any other tools iron In the
location and formation Of this fertilization there is evil
denced much military talents, much art industry and
consequent! labor ~
am, sir, with high respect and esteem your humble
Servant, WM. DONNlSON.