Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1857-1858, 1857-09-28
For the Daily Nashville Patriot.
a Visit to the old stone Fort.
TULLAHoMA, Versndah Hotel.
E--.to- 80. g. zo.t ToE1

% the papers you al broiling st rs degrees,
whilst up here We fnd blankets indispensable, and
ice quite saperHuOus.) to send you line now and
theE; but do assure you have been trying nv
best. and waiting for something, ike Mcawber, "tO
turn up" until began to think it's DO use waiting
any longer and have just stolen away tonight
70 any quiet little room to chat while with Jon
any how.
The young folks are laughing, playing and sing
ing as merrily below as if life were OH sunshine,
Tut without, the rain is pouring down in torrents,
and lis laundering and lightning as if all Macbetbs
witches we're at their lamentations with might and
main, aud tie very Windows of heaven we're open
ed 10 second deluge. Blu. it is the time love
best TO write. The rain soothes and IuIls my shat
tered nerves to repose; the thunder singss glori-
Gus song to my Vild split, and love, too 10 watch
the lghtnng's vivid fash, it ilIumines the dark
angry clouds with grand and terrible b. uty
have often thought how much could enjoy a
storm at sea, and wondered if ever should real
ize that pleasure. Aud what glorious thing
! rainbow IL; doyou not think so? We had most
brilliant one this afternoon, spanning with its mag
nihcent arch, of royal crimson, purple, and gold,
| the entire horizon, until almost fanced could
see the angels descending the shining pathway
once more to earth. But, declare, have strange
ly forgotten myself, aud gone completely up in the
clouds, instead of telling you, intended, about
little excursion made the other day up to Man.
chester the ruins of the old iort the falls
the mills the Copperas cave and other euriosi;ies
in ~hIch the vicinity abounds
! Well then, just fancy merry little party. con
sistng OF the charming Misses q. aud taeir la
dy mother, Mrs, 81, witty, agreeable widow, and
Miss Clara, the writer (qutr urknown) of
beautiful let.r, styled me, that received lat ly;
and last, though not by any means the least, that
magnificent specimen of humanity, Col. Matt NJ,
OF s.. cavalier, all spec ing along in the
8cMnuvile cars for Manchester, where We arriv-
ed before thought we had got fairly started.
We found Dr. H. at the Depot, who marched US
of, to the only hotel the Can boast Of kept by
vrry kind gentleman indeed, Mr.. P. (wbo has a
family of the sweetest, loveliest little daughters
ever slw) Here we had the pleasantest rooms
the house afforded, and the most delicious water
ever tasted. After resting and refreshing our
selves few hours we began to look about US. The
town is a much larger and handsome place. than
had any idea Of, with large courthouse, several
stores, nice private dwellings, aud two very neat
churches nearly completed. Society, am told, is
very good, and have doubt OF it, as we became
acquainted with several very agreeable ladies aud
gentlemen, during short stay, and had we re
NAMED longer presume we should have met ma
ny more
Well as was most impatient to commence my
xporing expedition, We called committee TO de-
wise ways and means of transportation, but we soon
found we could only procure one horse (but you
are not to infer it is a horse town, for all that y
which was unanimously voted to me; but scorned
the idea of being mounted, Whst the Others walk
ed, aud 1 vowed 1 would walk too. So of We
started. the Dr., who to act as our Ciceroue,
Laura and myself leading the van, 1.-The other ladies'
not vcnturing to go) leaving the widow and the
Colonel to bring up the rear and to sober US down
a little whenever got too much excited by the
new and beautiful scenery around u.s. aud here, bye
the-bye, / moy well tell you that the Colonel is
said to have very Interesting case in Court up
here, that requires his presence almost every week
and as he is considered a first rate lawyer. aud
pleads with much eiOquence, tact aud ability, it is
thought he is in fair way of gaining his cause,
more especially bis assistant counsel, is a GER
tain sig little chap, whose arrows rarely miss their
mark.
The Doctor who is familiar with all the local..
ties, carried US along by the country Academy, a
plain old brick house, in the midst OF beautiful
grove, With the quiet dead slumoering on One side
aud beautiful little crystal stream purling along
on the other; glorious place to dream and poetxs
in is it not? Then over this lovely little stream
let on rode bridge made by fallen tree, up the
steep banks again, aud on thro' cool shady, wood
the path bordered by beautiful wild flowers, which
were continually stopping to gather, till my
pockets we're quite full The Doctor found SUI
Perb cluster of the white king lilly, as they are
called here, and which are the most beautiful and
exquisitely fragrant things have ever sern.
Thus We went on and 90, fndipg something to
p ase and interest at every step, anu forgetting
entirely be weary, Until we sch d the ruins of
the old "Fortn-yes, dear sir, have at last
seen this Wondering memento of people, nation
perhaps, long since passed away, leaving this sn-
gular ~Ok Of their hands 10 perplex aud harrass .
succeeding generations with doubts, surmises, and
sp culations, they have, all that have ever seen
them heretofore. These strange and wOn deriul
ruins, cover it i said, from 40 to 90 acres being
narrow point Of land between the two forks OF Duck
river the walls we're of beaten fntstone and earth
aud must have been of immense hsiglt aud thick
ness, Judging from their appearance now, aad the
little alteration observabls since hrsl discovered
by the whites Ths,, the Iodians kaew as little Of
their origin as We do Ro1; the only account they
would give was dim tradition of their being the
work Of great nation; bat nothing definite ever
has been or ever will be known Of their history.
AS their being the wOrk of De Soto as some have
suggested, that cannot be, for various reasons,
which could give. bat think il unnecessary, as
so much has been said and written on the subject
by abl-r pens than mine. The main entrance, or
gate, h is called, is the singular part Of the
rueture; 90 eseh side are large mounds, and just
facing where We would suppose the gate to have
opened three more, with the trace Of bitches
sti painly Visible. In come places the wall is yet
very high, with Immense trees growing on them
and The mOuads, and IN every direction along she
Northwestern wall las suppose il may be ealled)
Is the trace OF ditch, that it is thought the riv
once flowed Into; and this side too are tue most
interesting Of the fais-that the South fork be.
ing spoiled by RoeeFlsOp's mill. aud distllery, "a
distraction Of this wild. romantic and beautiful
scenery, deeply 20 be deploredl The interior Of
the Fort is level area beneath whose surface per-
maps some rehe might yes be found, Calculating
these long buried mysteries OF the past. I aiw4ys
have al irresistible desire % be digging, Ike La.
gard. among those old ruins; and II had been one
o. tie stronger sex, no doRbt should have ben
With him In the Vaulfs II Efaevsk snA n