Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1860-03-20
TFrsm the Chattanooga Advertiser
w,urwr UEurs

John Ross.
Il win be recouected by our readers that we
published a brief notice of the presence Of this
gentleman in our city, with his family and others,
en- route for Washington. In this notice, furnished
by friend, there were few definitions which
Mr. Ross had kindly furnished, which were correct,
so far as they went But as every item Of informa-
ton, emanatng from that distinguished gentleman,
viii be highly interesting to our readers, we have
been permitted to copy the following letter from
Mr.. Ross written during his brief stay in the city
to his friend Mag. Parham:
CHATTANOOGA, Feb Is 1860
+. A. PARHAN, ESQ Dear Sir: In reference to
your inquiries can only briefly state, that "Chat-
tanoOga' is derived from the Cherokee word Chat
tahookee-it is the name of an old Indian town. and
situated on the Greek near the Bridge, on the road
leading from this place 10 Gen. GIespies residence
there is no certainty as TO the true meaning of the
wOrG il is the opinion Of some however, that 1t as
derived from the word Ah-cha-te-Ah-nOO-kee which
means Fish taken NJ ont Of The gr1teT. Others Of
opinion that it is derived from Observation-Disclosures,
which is interpreted into English. COctGt0 taken Ip
oUt ofSoateri and as to the name of Lookout noun
tain, it originated from the Cherokee word Tah-nah
tah-k-ahne-he, which was applied to the two oppO-
site promontories in the Lookout and RackOon
mountains up the valley to Capt. John Benge's
old place, and the word means blocking at each
other, and the point Of the Lookout mountain is
called by the ChezOl-eos, ChattahnOokee-O o-kah-
tehe, which is interpreted: The face Of Chattanooga.
In great haste, amyours.
very respectfully JOHN IeOnS.
DESTRUCTIVE FIRE AT GANEsBoRo'-We learn
from private letter to a gentleman Of tins city
that a very destructive fire occurred in GaInesbOro'
on the night of Wednesday the 18th inst involving
loss of $4,000 or $4,000. The fire broke out in
the store of JOEL W. SETTLE, Esq, destroying the
house and goods in it, amounting five th0us
and dollars. Besides in the house were all the
notes and accounts Of the firm for the last twenty
five years. business These were all destroyed. In
addition which, the papers notes and accounts of
SAMUEL E STONE. deceased, LEROY B. SETTLE, Of
Lebanon, and Of THos. L. BRANsFORD, and KTSNARD
81 Cooke, Of this city, all Of whom held unsettled
papers against various parties in Jackson county,
for goods sold by EACH retailers during the last
thirty years. The fire was the work Of an incen-
diary. Mr.. SETTLE is a merchant of high standing
in this city and at Louisville Ky, where he usually
buys his goods His loss is heavy, but he has
handsome property left. The loss fell heaviest on
Mr.. SETTLE, Of Gainesboro, Mrs. STONE, of the
same place. and Mr.. SETTLE, of Lebanon, Tenn. The
loss Of the parties in this city is supposed to be
light The fire occurred attwo O'Clock in the morn
ing. The papers could ali have been saved but the
citizens were afraid to approach until after the
plosion Of some gunpowder in the house.
A SINGULAR Casa correspondent Of the Bristol
Nsrs, writing from EIizabethton, gives the follow
ing particulars in regard to a tried at the late
term of the Circuit Court for Carter county:
In the month of June, 1915, negro-trader came to
the town Of Elizabethton, and purchased a negro
girl of one Samuel B. Patterson. The trader called
himself John Thomas, of Bowling Green, by. 1t
appears that he paid Patterson for his slave five one
hundred dollar bills purportng to be money issued
by the Southwestern Railroad and Banking Com
pany, Charleston, S. G. The money was soon found
out to be fraudulent and worthless, but M. Thomas
lad left Immediately with the slave, and not
heard of for ten years.
In 1855, Mn. Patterson thought he had got on the
trail Of Thomas and in Claiborne county, Tenn, he
found a man so fully answering the description Of
the trader that he had him arrested and brought to
trial The name of the accused is George II. Cheek,
and he sOemny averred Mt the arrest trat he never
had been in Carter county. On the trial several
witnesses Of intelligence and responsibility swOre
that George II. Check of 1860, and John Thomas, OF
1915, were one and the same. The defendant
proved an abi-that Is, he proved on the trial by
number of warrants judgments and executions that
he was in Claiborne county, Tenn, nnetytive miles
distant from Eizabethton the very day il alleged
he had bought the slave. An authenticated tran
script from Claiborne county court shows that he
was acting Justice of the peace for that county in
lS45, and these old documents were brought up to
show that he was either possessed Of ubiquity. or
could not have been in Carter county at the time
John Thomas bought the slave But the jury re
turned verdict of guilty aud sentenced him to
three years IN the PenitcRtiarv of the State. HIS
counsel have appealed to the Supreme Court, which
conyenes in Knoxville on the third Monday Of Sep
TENDER.