Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, IA [i.e. Ind.]) 1839-1854, 1849-05-23
From the Indiana Christian Herald.
An ancient Wall in Wisconsin.

MR. EDIroR:-The following descrp-
ton accompanies fragment Of brick.
presented to the Cabinet Of Wabash Col
lege. by D. Brier Esq, of Covington. Ind
The facts NAV interest antiquarians among
your readers.-An extended account OF
the earth works and mounds of Wiseon-
sin. by r. c. Taylor. may oe found in the
Saith vol of the Journal Of Science. DIR.
Locke also, in his report Of the mineral
district, gives a particular account of
number of them. with drawings. See
Executive Documents. end Session of 28th
Congress, vol. 4, part second.
Go. HOVEY.
This specimen was taken from the re-
mains Of an ancient wall, about 40 miles
East of Madison, in Jefferson county.
Wisconsin, the area included is nearly
parallelogram, about 20 acres. The East
side is the Crawfish River, a tributary Of
closed by this wall. The wall is of uni
form height, about feet. the base about
12 feet the surface Just wide enough for a
convenient bride path. The lines ofwall
are strait On the long or West line of
the wall, at regular distances of thirty
steps from centre to centre, are the re-
mains Of Bas,ions of the same height with
the wall, forming perfect semi circles;
they are Of great beauty and perfectly uni
form; the other two walls OF this enclosure
have bastions Of the same kind. but about
sixty PAGES apart. Although there is but
a slight mixture Of mould among the re-
mains of the brick with the exception of
a foot on the surface) vet the growth Of
forest timber on the wall differs nothing
from the surrounding timber. Within this
enclosure are found few mounds of earth.
the surface is rough and uneven-but
little appearance Of regular work. with the
exception Of an enormous tumulus in the
South West angle of the enclosure, this Is
entirely of earth; from memory. II must
be five or six rods in diameter at the base,
and rises in the shape OF sugar loaf to
the height Of ten or twelve feet. No very
thorough examination has been made of
this mound or the wall. although both have
been dug into by many curious travellers.
Many vague reports of curious discoveries
there are in circulation, but the only well
authenticated statement could pick up
was that we'll formed earthen pitcher
handle had been found in the wall, and
that from large pieces Of brick taken from
the wall, the bricks must have been about
foot square and four inches thick
This wall is situated in low bottom land,
the river not rising more than five or six
feet. and the bank a few feet above high
water mark. Along the west side Of the
wall is a Hill about thirty feet high, about
fifteen rods from the wall and running
nearly parallel with it. On this hill or
second bluff, and directly west Of and near
the north end of the enclosure, is a long
line of remarkable tumuli, think eight in
number, their bases touch; the most con-
spicuous think is ten feet in height; but
these differ in no respect externally from
our ordinary mounds, except they are tai
Ter in proportion to the breadth of base
than anv have met in this section.
AS to the origin Of this wall. many in
telligent gentlemen'in Wisconsin say that
in South America or Mexico there is Ell
Their tradition or ahyeroglyphical history
Of colony who went North, built city
and fortress and long resisted the power
of the natives until they at length fled, a
worn out few. back to Mexico. The ira
dition has preserved the name of this
ancient defence. catalan" the name OF
the beautiful village near this wall.
D. BRIER