The Charlotte journal. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1835-1851, 1845-03-28
Va sl.ing.on, Jan. 6ihp 1874.

non. JOHN -. ChlNNkh
Dear Sir: Your note Of last Saturday
enclosing a copy Of Mr. Michelfs letter
TO the Hon. Thomas L. Clingman, duly
received, and have read the paper with no
ordinary share of interest, nor could have
resisted The impulse to add few remarks
of my own, hal you not kindly conferred
on me the privilege You mentlon that 1t
is your 1" intention 10 send the letter for
publication in the Agricultural Department
Of the New York Albion" in which il will
be appropriately placed, and you request
me TO write A short introduction 10 the
enclosed letter, setting forth what errors
or wrong impressions il may be calculated
10 rectify, and on what questions of geo.
graphical science or economical interest II
throws any and what new light"
Ia the first place, the general reader
could no, clearly understand the relations
Of places, and Of course appreciate the
value of such document without having
knowledge, general at least, Of The geo
graphical structure Of the country and
features Of nature named in the letter.
therefore commence with The following
brief sketch
That part o! North Carolina drained by
streams flowing towards the great central
Valley, extends 10 direction Of y. f. by
E., or s. w. by W., and TO small frac.
lion of 80 miles. The breadth varies
from.6j miles over the valley Of the French
Broad river to abou, 90 between the heads
Of the Watsuga and Yadkin rivers. Mean
breadth about 40. and area $3.50 square
miles. Politically, this region contains,
advancing from \. E., the counties Of
Ashe, Henderson, Yancy, Buncombe, Hay.
wood, and Macon. Regarded, however,
as q physical section, though drained to-
wards the Atlantic, the two counties Of
Wilkes and Burke ought to be added, and
thus giving an area Of something above
IL, 500 square miles 10 the mountain re.
gion Of North Carolina. 10 lat. il extends
from IS deg. 70 80 deg. SO min. ", and
in long. from Washington, from to 7
deg. w.
AsBE, the extreme Northeastern county,
bordering on Virginia and Tennessee,
and nearly commensurate with the high.
est valley of New river flowing TO the
northeast into Virginia, and finally los
ing It's name in that Of great hanawha.
WILKES county borders on Ashe, with the
Blue Ridge intervening, has its inclina-
ton eastward, and is nearly commensu-
rate with the highest valley Of the Yad-
kin.
BURKE county follows Wilkes 10 the south.
westward, and Is drained eas,wardly by
the extreme higher sources Of Catawba.
YANcY county extends between Buncom5
and Ashe, having It's slope to the north
westward, and 10 that direction drained
by the Watauga and NoIichucky rivers,
but particularly the latter.
BUNcosBE, as laid down in Bradford and
Goodrlch's Atlas, extends from the south.
western border Of South Carolina, 10 a
direction nearly due north TO the State
OF Tennessee, and is commensurate with
the higher valley Of French Broad river.
HAYWOOD county, on the authority quo
ted, lies between Buncombe and Macon,
slopes westward and IL drained by the
higher branches Of Big Pigeon, and
Tuckaseege rivers.
MACON county, westward Of HAYWOOD and
extending from Rabun county, Georgia.
10 the State Of Tennessee, and slopos
north.westward is drained by tho high.
er branches OF little Tennessee.