The Tiffin weekly tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1859-1868, 1861-08-09

THAT il was destined to becomea modern
Palmyra on the prairie. A town was
regularly inaugra,ed there, lots sold
and the indications were not unfayorablo !
for its being selected as tho Western ter |
minus Of tho Dubuque and Sioux City r.
r. ..
About thirty frame dwellings Of re-
spectacle size were constructed aud a
newspaper establishment located there. |
But the Western terminus of the above
R. r. at Sioux City, and its pregress and
aggregation Uf wealth and concentration .
Of business, ruined and prostfotod Ser
goauts Bluff city.
Tho printing press is now at Sioux city
and most of the dwellings have been de-
serted. The local comparative status Of
the places may be readily understood by
reference TO that Of Toledo and Maumee
city with the difference that scrgoant's
Bluff city is not only without any late
progress whatever, but il presents every
Indication of ultimate desolation. Floyd's
Bluff city is town on paper only, two
miles below Sioux city. Its situation is
high, commanding an extensive view Of
the river and surrounding country, but Il
is wholly without improvement. Indeed
it has nothing excepting its imposing lo-
cality and the associations clustering a.
round IL, to give il prominent considers
ton.
/ presume, that memory, elastic Rnd
always slcopless, will readily revive the
"reminiscences which provoke these
associations and the painful incl
dents Of the impressive event to which !
am about to allude as they will undoubt-
edly rccur TO every one convcrsant with
the early history Of our country. In the
Spring of 1904, (if l rccollect aright)
Thomas Jefferson, then President Of the
! United States, an pdmircr Of the grand
aud beautiful in nature and always ar
dent in scientific pursuits, instituted an
exploring expedition up the Missouri and
down the Columbia rivers 10 the Pacific
Ocean. The route from st. Louis
throughout was almost entirely an unex-
plored wilderness. This expedition was
conducted by Lewis and Clarke, and they
reached the bluffon the East side of the
Missouri river, and about two miles be-
low the present site of Sioux city, where
late in August, they had the misfortune
to lose one of their number, Sergeant,
Charles Floyd, hence the spot was called
and is indicated on the map by the name
Of Floyd's Bluff, aud the town, TO which
have already referred, nine miles below
Sioux city, was called Sergeant's Bluff
city from his official designation. lie
died quite suddenly with bilious collie
and was buried at Floyd's Bluff. A red
cedar post, cut in tho vicinity and plant
ed at that time, now nearly 60 years ago
at his grave, stood there until 1866, sound
and undcc yed when the river being u
4 bout to undermine the Bluff, the remains
were removed by the citizens of Sioux
city, few rods from the river. This
post, until 1856 indicated to the inquisi-
tive stranger the lonely retreat where,
far from home and kindred and friends,
the prairie breeze had, for more than half
a ccntury, chanted its requiem of condol-
enco over the mortal remains Of Charles
Floyd. His talents, amiablc department
and dignifed bearing had peculiarly en-
deared him TO his comrads, and IL is no
wonder that his loss should have been
chronicled as ineXpressibly painful to
them, Just fairly started upon tedious
and dangerous exploring expedition. Al
though minds long exercised with active
employment, in business, seldom con-
/ tract habits of cOnversing freely with
themselves, yet 1t cannot be doubted that
under these peculiar circumstances, the
shock must have been terribly poignant
aud the reflections it would naturally in.
duce, full Of iTepressible intensity To
these adventurous explorers. Their dis
tanoe from home and still greater distance
of trackless wilderness before them, their
absent families and friends, their depriva-
| tion of the comforts of civilized life, their
peril from savage foes, their discomforts
and exposure to the elements and conse-
quent danger Of sickness and perhaps
| death, and final rest in some mountain
nook or unfrequented recess of the vast
West, these and ten thousand similar re-
hs sctions must have made up the socia
converse Of the tented circle at eve, anC
not improbably disturbed the slumbers o
night 30 needful and inviting after each
wearied day Of toll. For even now, Al
the distance Of more than half century
il is impossible TO revisit that locality will
cold indifference. In silently we ndinl
ones way along the narrow, we'll heater
path that leads from the main road through
the prairie grass, to the grave Of Charlie
Floyd, the heart pulsates tremulously
the spirits flag; the thoughts gush, will
I varied "reminiscences through the mind
and we seem 20 realize the presence oI
some indefnable influence pefvading the
soul. .. f...E
We stand at the grave, removed only
a few rods from the place of its original
deposit to avoid an impending avalanche
of the bluff into the Missouri. The ce-
dar post remained more than fifty years
as perfect 10 when planted, both above
aud below the ground, but upon the ap-
proach ofwhat the world calls civilization
Il gradually and rapidly disappeared in so
much that on the removal Of the remains
in 1856, the whole had been frittered
away as mementoes TO crafty idle euriOs-
! ity, TO within ten or twelve inches OF
the earth. The wild beasts OF the prai-
rie had long and often sported around il;
the feathered wRrblers had perched and
sang pluintiVe drges upon II; the storms
had beaten against Il; the pealing thun-
der had reVeTbeFated up and down the
broad valley fthe Missouri by il, and the
forked lightning had played around it,
and still this monumental index pointing
towards the winged spirits of the sleep
ing dead, remained without harm or
Slemish or decay until man, alike rebel
lious against his maker and his fellow
man, came and wantonly marred II, and
sliyered il, desecrated and, by piecemeal,
removed all Of it save so much, only as
mother earth had received into her bo-
som and protected with maternal care,
from his yandal rapacity.
Memory will, on such occasions, recall
historical incidents which are suggestive