Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1857-10-03

| bic to mix up and confound the impressions OF one
! ascent with those of another had not another
| day to spare"
Later in this article he refers to his visit to the
mountain in 1888, and says: ..--.--
81 then found myself not far from Yeats Knob
and now, il not sooner, was fully satisfied that was
not upon the highest point in the Black Mountain
/ ridge in 1885. When came out of the cove, in
stead Of returning directly to Asheville / rode
around to the Salamanca end of the mountain, was,
they represented to upon what have since been
called MIS- Gibbes and Mitchell, one or both, and
took an observation there"
These positive assertions of Prof. Mitchell, Perse'
vered in for twenty years, ought to be sufcent u
negative the idea that he in 1885 could have been
| on the highest point. But the does not stop
even here. In the summer of 1885, or last year on
| w. he in company with several PERSONS dd go to
| the highest peak of the Black along the pathway
that was cut out to it Immediately after my meas
urement of 1885, and which many ladies had ridden
| over on horseback. In his communication subse-
qucntly, published in the Ashevile Spec atO7 Of Aug.
o. he does not pretend that he was on this peak
in 1885. On the contrary, he persisted in his form
opinion that he must have been on this point with
| Mr.. VIM. Riddle in 1914, though he admitted that
he found the mountain in many respects to be dit.
ferent from what he supposed it was before this as
| cent.
1t will be recollected that after seeing this state
ment of his !, October Goth, 1856, published Mr..
Riddles statement, with other contirmatory evidence,
showing that in 1874 he was Mt. Gibbes, nearly
far south of the highest peak as the Cat-tai one
| is north of it.
! To this exposition of mine Prof. Mitchell replied
in paper published in the ASheville spectator OF
| Nov. Goth, 1856 In it he does not fall back upon
his ascent with Mr.. Wilson, or even refer to him,
but insists on his former position, as the following
extract will show:
"Eyen Mr.. Riddles statement be taken TO be strictly
true in every minute particular, it makes nothing
for Mr.. Clingman, but against him. l may have
| found and designated truly las did the highest
point in the ridge in 1885, and published it as the
most elevated summit in the United States east of
the Rocky Mountains, though failed to reach its
top either that any following year. The very
paper here given by Mr.. Cngman from the lips of
Mr.. Riddle shows that l understood perfectly we'll
the position Of the highest peak: somewhat be-
tween the head of the Cat-tail and Mt GibbeS and
that was endeavorng to reach it, though The gen
teman who undertook to pilot me to it, as he here
very cooy testifes, led me wrong. | avn not salts
fed with Mr. Riddles account, for reasons that
will presently give but not greatly concerned
either about its fals.hood or its truth "
1t is due to Mr. Riddle that it should be stated
that on this occasion he carried Prof Mitchell to
what they at the time both regarded the highest
peak of the Black nor did he his neighbors,
far as can learn, ever entertain doubt as to ITS
being in fact the highest Until my measurement was
made known in 1855 In confirmation Of this re-
mark it may be stated that Prof Mitchell in his pub
LEGATION OF June, 1856, expresses the OF inon that
the highe>t peak from leat's Knob bears
rs So east thereaboutS" This does well for The
position of Gibbes, but the highest peak is hut little
South of East. seen from IeatcS' Knob. 1t would
seem therefore that Prof Mitchell was what he
| as well as Mr. Riddle regarded at that time the
! highest peak.
The communication of Nov Goth, 1856. above
quoted, is the last thing ever published by Prof
Mitchell on this subject as far as know or believe
Throughout the entire series of his statements it APP
pears that he not only does pretend TO have been
tnnh ,.h.,. l. NJ
but on the contrary with marked emphasis and con-
sistency he asserts the opposite. If he was there in
fact at that time, then he must have labored a
forwards under the most extraordinary deu>ion on
the subject, deuson remarkable as to greatly
impair if not altogether to destroy all confidence in
his opinions and statements as to matters Of this
kind. Ought it to be assumed that he thus
mistaken unless very strong evidence can be adduc
ed against his reiterated statements. Let now
upon what ground it is maintained, in opposition
to his positive opinions and statements for than
twenty years. that he was upon this peak in 1885
After my publication of October last in which it
made to appear that he had in 1914 gone with
Mr.. VIM. Riddle to Mount Gbbes instead of the
highest peak, as previously conended, it seems that
some persons in this vicinity who had been main
tanning his side OF the controversy, changed their
ground and began to assert that Prof. Miiclell had
assembled the highest peak in $50, with Mr.. vii.
son. Accidentally hearing Of this last Spring, /,
when at huntsville in April last. during the Court
there, Mr.. VIM. Wilson, and for the first time in
my life cOnversed with him on the subject He sta
ted he had in 1885, somewhere about that time,
gone up with Prof Mitchell to the top of the Black
at one point. He said that was the first time that
he had ever been on its top along any part of its
ridge, and that he had never been on it since any
where. He also said that as they went up the side
they got into a cloud and when on the top on ac-
count of the mist could not see any of the other
points of the mountain. He then did not know where
Mts Mitchell. Gibbcs, Clingman's Peak, &C., were,
as he had never been the mountain but upon that
one occasion, and at time hen he could see any
point except the one he stood on the first time I'm
der these circumstances did not regard his opinion
as to where he had been as amounting to anything
in the way of evidence. During the week of the
Special Court at this place, in July last heard by
chance that he had been induced by some persons
to make written statement the subject of his
trip to the Black. though had opportunity Of
seeing it. l therefore requested Mr. Washington
Broyes of huntsville, who happened to be here, to
see Mr.. Wilson and get him to repeat his statement
in writing and send it to me. Some time afterwards
it came to me by mail from Mr. Broyes, and pre-
sent it as received it. with correction only of some
of the spelling:
| Mr.. L. L. CLINGMAN:
Sir-About twenty years ago went with Prof
Mitchell, the only trip made to the top of the
Black Mountain. l went up by the Green ponds
and crossed the river, the left hand fork, kept ur
the river about mile above the fork then took
the little pine mountain and kept that ridge to the
top OF the Black Mountain, to a small glade on the
top, and in the gap, then turned the right, loo
yards from the glade to the top. The fog and mis-
was so thick that could not see the other knobs
There seemed to be knob further to the right anG
larger at the top, when we was on Yeates' Knob the
day before, but cannot say for certain that we go
on it. I thought the right hand knob the high
est, but Prof Mitchell said the he was on hi
thought the highest.
(Signed) WILLIAM WILSON.
July 9th, 1857.
Attest: W. BRoYLEs, w. HORIZON