Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1848-05-27
NATIONAL INTELLIGENCER.
LETTERS FROM THE ALLEGHANy MOUNTAINS
Ml4iah Falls, Georgia, ApriI %, 1913

arriving this place, and, having obtained guide, PAL
him witt at his residence, which is planted directly III
mouth of The Talulah chasm He lives in log cabin
lying the of small valley through which the Taua
river winds Maynard course. It is completely hemmed il
all sides By wild and abrupt mountains, and of tn
romantic and beautiful hooks giaahle lGndeuer
about sixty years OF age, small in stature has regular bull
weasel face small gray eye, and long white beard
HI born in South Carolina spent bis early manhood
the ws Of Kentucky, and the last thirty of his life il
the wilderness of Georgia. BY way Of foEc. he took
par the Creek war. and is said tohave killed more Indian
than any other white in the army. In the battle o
oassee alone, he is reported have sent his ball hrougt
the hearts of twenty poor heahen merely because they hz
undyng passion for their native hills, which they could no.
bear leave for an unknown wilderness. But Vandege
aimed his rifle the command Of bis country, and Of
the charge of cold booded butche does not rest upon his
bead. He il living with his third wife, and claims TO
be the father of thirty eren only five Of whom, how
ever living his roof the remainder being dead
scattered the world. During the months he
t with his hand, the few of land which ccnsti.
bis domain. His live stock consists Of mule and
bali dozen goats, together with number OF dogs.
On inqurng into his forest life be gave among others,
III following particulars When the hunting season
noes, early in November he supplies himself With every
,.,;. Of snoong materials steetaps, and comfortable
8, some nd region among the mountains where he remains
, the foil wing spring. The saanty which he occupies
during this casca Is The iudest character with one side
aixays open be e me- for the purpose having an
abundance of fresh air. In killing wild animals he pursues
but Two methods called " fire lighting and sthunting Y
His avore game is The deer, but he PARTICULAR and
secures the fur of every fouegged which may hap
= cross his path. The largest number Of skins that hs
t,ncbt home al one time six hundred among which
Hose Of the BEAR the black and gray WOLF the painter
the wild cat the fox, tie and dozen other varie
ties He computes the entire number Of deer that he has
killed in his lifetime at four thousand When spring arrives
and he purposes his valley home, he packs his
furs upon his old MULE and seating himself upon the pile Of
plunier makes beeine of the wilderness And, by
those who have him in this homewardhound conditions
told that he presents of the most curious and
mantic pictures imaginable. While among the mountains
bis beast subs upon whatever may happen 10 CLEAN in its
forest rambes and when the first supply Of bis prosi
sions exhausted he usually himself with wild game
which lie is often compelled 10 deyour unaccompaned with
bread sa His mule is the smallest and miserable
looking creature of the kind that saw and gnes in
the singular of " The Derl and Tom Waller" When
yanevel informed me of this fact which he did with self
satisfied air Told him that the first portion Of the mule
was more applicable himself than The dumb beast where
upon be grinned horribly ghas,y smile if had paid
hm-a compliment Old Vandever an liieTate man. and
when asked him give bis opinion Of Pres dent Polk
lie replied 81 seed the Governor Of this State fer
whenhe this country years ago. was Cd oher
side Of The ridge, shooting deer. Iyoed for the General
that's all know about him" Very well and this thought
J. j. one i tie feenen Of and who help elect our
rulers
On questioning my hunter friend with regard 10 Of his
adventures he commenced gmaroe narrative, which would
A.-lV II IL
keep his mouth closed while took portrait OF him IL pencil
His stories al bore strong family likeness, but
IDENTITY relied on aud proved concusvey that the
knew what il fear. As specimens q tie whole,
will outline few. On occasion he up 10 a large
gray wo into whose head he discharged ball. The ami
NAL did drop, bot made It's way into adjoining
and disappeared VahdeveT waited awhile the opening,
and he could not hear bis game, lie concluded that
had ceased BREATHE wheeupon he fell upon his hands
and knees and entered the On reaching the bottom
he found the wolf alive, when cnch fight ensucd and
the hunters knife completely severed the heart Of the animal
On dragging The dead wolf into the sunlight found
that his lower jaw bad been broken, which probably TIE
why be bad succeeded in destroying hunter
A. time when he out Of ammunition, bis dogs
fel upon large bear aud happened that he-l,tie cot
Of The former 10 his power, and about squeeze
death This Sigh, the hunter could not endure,
unshea,hed his huge hunting knife ard assaulted The black
The bear of nearly every rag Of his clothing,
and in making his frs, plunge with The knife completely
of two Of his fingers instead Of injurng bear
He in perfect phrenzy Of pain and rage, and II
making another effort succeeded his satisfaction ganet
The victory That bear weighed three hundred and fir,
pounds.
On another occasion he had fred large buck The
brow 0! Precpce thirty feet high, which hangs
a tie pools the TaluIah river On seeing tie bucI
Drop he took Tor granted that he about to die when h
approached the animal for the purpose Of cutting its throat
10 bis surprise, however, the buck suddenly sprung
hrs fee, and made uenidous rush the hunter with
view Of throwing him off the ledge Bot what
nakaae, The anma succeeded in its effort, ugh not unit
VsIde'er had obtained bold Of the bucks aners, wbe
the twain Performed summersc. into the pool below. III
buck made j. escape and Ysndese seriously njure
IN any particular Ahou, month subsequent to that tim
y kied buck, which had bullet wound in he lower pa
Of t. neck, vhereupon concluded that he had finally III
umPhed the animal which had given him the unexpece
dssking
But The NOS, remarkable escape which old Vandever eve
experienced happened this wise. He ecamped upo
Of the litest mountains in Union county. II
rise twilight hour and he had heard the bowl Of wolf Wit
Of asccrahing The direct on whence came he clint
ed upon immense boulder-rcck (eeighng perhaps eft
tone. which stood the very brow of steep hill side