Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1848-09-30
LETTERS FROM THE ALLEGHANY MOUNTAINS.


[coaREsroSDEscE THE NATIONAL IsrELLIeEScEn.l
ELIzABETHros, CARTER COUNTY, TENNESSEE,
JUNE 6, ls4s
The prominent circumstance attending my journey from
the North Cove this place that brought me out Of
the great mountain wilderness Georgia and North Carolina
into we-culvaed and level country For two months
past spent my days horseback and the majority Of
my nights in the rudes Of cabins and am 70
tnue my journey in stage-coach it is meet that should
nde general letter. descriptive Of the region through which
have passed In coming from Dahlonega to this place,
have travelled in zigzag upwards OF four hundred
miles, but the intervening distance in direct line would not
measure than hundred The entire country is
mountainous and for the most part remains its original state
of nature To the boans and the geoog this section Of
the Union is nquestionaby the most interesting eastward of
the Mississippi have here nearly every variety Of forest
known in the land, well plants and flowers in the
greatest abundance while the mountains, which Of pri
mive formation abound in every known variety Of minerals
That the scenery of this region is highly interesting, hope
my readers have already been convinced. More beautiful
streams can nowhere be found the face of the EARTH But
when speak Of lake scenery the South must yield
the palm the North Not asnge sheet Of deserving
the Of lake have yet in this Southern land and
yet every mountain be well supplied with the largest
and the coolest of springs know not but this fact has been
explained by scientific men, but indeed strk
ing peculiarly The Valleys too Of this region remark
ably narrow and the majority of them might with pro-
prety be called immense ravnes The Skies however, which
canopy this alpine land appeared to to be particularly
blue and the clouds which gather around the mountains
at the sunset hour they gorgeous beyond compare
With regard to climate, know Of section of country
that be compared with the highlands of Georgia and North
Carolina. 1t is but seldom that foot Of the
nd he davs of
midsummer very warm they seldom suly, and the
nights invariably sufficiently cool make two
blankets comfortable. Feves and other diseases peculiar
the side of the Aeghanes hardly known among their
inhabitants and heretofore the majority of people have died of
old age. would not intimate that they afflicted with
epidemic the present me but do say that there maay
households this region which have been rendered very desc
late by the Mexican When kingiy President COM
nanded the American people leave the plough the fuow
and invade neghborng republic the mounanee Of Georgia
and the Caronas poured down into the valley almost without
bidding their Mothers and wives, and final adieu
and the Of least onehaf Of these brave
Wondering away the desert sands Of the far South
Generally speaking, the soil Of this country is fertile, yield
ing the best Of corn potatoes and rye but only
quality Of wheat on account Of the late foss In Of the
extensive valleys the apple and the peach arrive at per-
felton, and while the former manufactured into cider, out
Of the latter the mountanee make very palatabe brandy
The principal Of tho people, however, derived from
the business of raising CATTLE which pactised to consider
able extent The mountain ranges afford abundance Of
the grazing food and all that the farmer has to do in
the up his stock, which have become
excessively fat and drive them the Charleston Baltimore
market The only drawback this business consists in the
fact that the cattle in certain sections of the country subject
TO what is called the milk sickness This disease supposed
TO be caused by poisonous dew which gathers the grass
ether years. but frequently caused the death of entire families
who may have partaken Of the unwhoesome milk. Il is
dreaded disease and principally fatal in the From
the foregoing remarks il viii be that mountain farmer
may be agrculurs and yet have abundance Of time
to follow any other employment that he has passion for
and the result Of this fact is that he generally faithful
disciple Of the immortal Nimrod.
All the cabins that have visited have been omamented by
at least gum and than oneha Of the inhabitants
have usually been hounds That the mounlainee poor
i matter Of and the majority Of their cabins
cherries places indeed habor the human frame for life
but the people for their hospitality and al
ways place before the stranger the choicest Of their
Bacon game, and milk their staple articles Of food and
honey is their principal luxury In religion generally speak
ing they Methodists and Bapss and distinguished
for their sobre. They have but few opportunities of
ing good preaching, but have entered than three
Oi caphs see copy OF DlDie. lne
limited knowledge they possess has them directly from
Heaven were, and from the necessity Of the case, their
children growing up in the deplorsbIe ignorance
Whenever Of these poor families happened learn from
my conversation that resident of New York. the in
terest with which they gazed upon and listened my
every word was both agreeable md painful Il made
happy to communicate wha, little happened know, bot
panied think upon their isolated and unculva,ed
Of life. Give the wilderness foi day month, but
for life, be amid the haunts Of refinement and civiza
tion As to the slave population Of the mountain DISTRICTS il
Is SO limited that hardly express opinion with regard
to their condition. Not than white in ten
(perhsps ought say twenty sufficiently wealthy sup
port slave, and those who do possess them in the habit
OF treating them intelligent beings and in the most kindly
manner As have found be the the seaboard,
the slaves residing among the mountains the happe and
most independent portion Of the population and have had
many one pilot me the mountains who would not have
exchanged places even with his master They have
Portable house and no debts pay every thing they need
the way Of clothing and wholesome food Is ever at their
mand and they have free to the churches and the
Sunday schools Of the land What more do the Door Of any
country possess, that add to their temporal happiness
Another and Of the limited portion Of the no
pulaton occupying this mountain country, is what might be
called the arstocracy gentry. Generally speaking thew
descended from the best Of families and moderately