Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1858-09-15
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Mr.. DAVID H. MCGAvoCK, for the purpose Of ex
aiming ancient graves lately laid open there
1t was beautiful morning, somewhat cloudy,
breeze blowing pleasantly, and altogether such
time as one would choose for such excursion
We bad intended to set out at an early hour but
owing to various delays, we did not get off until
after o'clock, and therefore did reach the place
until about IL o'clock. On arrival we were met
by Mr. MEG, who pointed out to us the ground
known to be occupied by the graves. They cover
extent perhaps twenty-five acres, more or less,
lying in the midst Of what appears to be the prime
val forest 1t is impossible to ascertain the precise
extent of the ancient cemetery since its limits
not well Defined and the landmarks that may once
have been there are now obliterated. There can
still be a faint indication of what an EN-
bankment surrounding the cemetery, or the remains
Of some kind of fence intended TO enclose it, but
Of this there can be no certainty. All we can be
Of is that the twenty-five acres mentioned are
thicky covered with graves in many places close
together as they lie, and that in the neighbOr
hood there are numerous patches Of graves which
may have belonged to the same great burial place.
When we had looked generally over the ground and
seen something of the manner in which the graves
lie, we began operations with the strength Of Her
cuies and the energy of CATO to aid us, kindly lent
by Mr.. MCGAvooK for the purpose amongst those
Immediately upon the bluff. It is a commanding
eminence, six miles from the city by land and IF
teen by the river just below the mouth of stones
River, several hundred feet almost perpendcularly
up from the water higher than the adjancent level
country, and in the days of the people lie buried
there, must have been far grand and beautiful
than it is now.
After scraping off the earth for few inches, we
came to the slab which covered the top and to the
edges of those that form the upright sides. These
slabs of limestone, commonly about half
inch thick, and must have been brought from the
mouth Of Stones River or from the knob about
mile distant, where such stone abounds. The guam
tity of it that has been brought simmense, and the
size of the slabs and their character show con-
siderable degree of care in their selection The first
grave opened-as, indeed, we afterwards found that
al the rest did-contsined earth of the same char
acter and consistency as that in the soil generally,
and the fact that there was depression or other
evidence that the matter once placed there had de-
cayed, favored the opinion that the bones only
buried and not the entire body. The thigh bones
were found lying in natural position, as if the
body had been laid cut at full length, but the rest
promiscuously scattered through the vault as they
would have been if placed in it without regard to
order. Except the thigh bones, they we're all 80
much decayed that they were removed with difhcul~
ty, and the skull had entirely disappeared In the
second grave opened, we succeeded in obtaining
skull almost perfect, but requiring TO be handled
with great care, which presented the remarkable
peculiarly of being fattened the back part. We
venture the opinion that this was not done, as in
the case of the Fathead Indians for ornament, but
was the natural result of the Welknown mode Of
carrying infants. After digging into several graves
on the edge Of the bluff and finding only bones de-
composed, we went a few hundred yards south, to
the side of the road lately made BY Mr.. MCGAvoCK,
directly across the burying ground, and continued
our explorations there during the remainder of the
day. No more discoveries were made, though in
every grave were found bones and in one skull
nearly entire. We observed that the bluff the
graves were not more than three feet long, showing
that the body may have been buried in a Bonded
position, and that sometimes there we're two or
more sets of bones in the same grave, indicating
that they may have been placed there after the flesh
had decayed. On the side of the road the graves
were longer. In one there was perfect skeleton
lying at full length, and in no instance was there
more than one body in grave, though the top bot
tom, and sides were made in the same manner, and
without doubt by the same people. The difference
may possibly be owing to the different positions in
the tribe of the persons buried in the two places.
There were no ornaments, implements, or weapons
found, and therefore nothing to give clue TO the
manners of the people beyond the form of the body
and mode of buryng. Late in the day two of the
party returned to the bluff, opened one grave, and
found in it an earhen vessel very much of the shape
of a Florence flask, and capable Of holding about
three pints but it had evidently not been burned,
and nothing of it could be taken up except few
small pieces.
The labors Of the day were most agreeably light
ened by dinner at Mr. Dawn H. McGAvoCKs, to
which dinner we put adjective, because We
don't know one that adequately describes it. Some
slight estimate of it can be formed from The fact that
when we returned to the cemetery there was a uni
versal complaint of tightness of garments that had
not been felt before and general indisposition to
do anything but lie down on the grass. The thanks
of the company are most cordially returned to Mr..
MCGAvoCK and to Mr.. JOHN HARDING for the kind
and valuable aid furnished in making the explora-
tions, without which We could have dcne nothing
There are yet many parts of this interesting
burial plsce unezamuod, and a careful search will
no doubt disclose relics of powerful and numerous
tribe hitherto unknown. The chances for such a
discovery certainly furnish sufficient nduccment to
tba afteu,pt