The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1865-02-04
Saturday Morning, Jan. 4, 1866.
Opening of the Mound.

In the Sanitary Garden, on the banks of the
river above town, a curious discovery has just
been made by the gentleman in charge OF the
Sanitary Commissions agency at this place.
At the entrance TO the garden is q large
mound similar to many that are to be found
scattered throughout parts OF Georgia and Al
ALBANIA. These structures are quite numerous
through those sections, as we'll as in Ohio, and
to some extent in Indiana, but are scarce and
uncommon through Tennessee and Kentucky.
There are many different theories as to the
-bHilders OF these mounds and the uses for
which they were intended. Anticuarians
seem unable to decide at what time they were
erected, but tho generally received opinion is
that they are at least three, or perhaps four
thousand years old, and were intended for
burial places for the chiefs or rulers of the
tribes or nations which inhabited the coun-
try at that time. Many of the mounds have
been opened, and In almost every instance
bodies have been found buried in them, thus
giving some basis to the supposition that they
were used for burial places s1s.ts. e.sssf,ff I
This supposition has received confrmatory
proof in the present instance. Mr.. M. G. Reed,
Che agent of the Sanitary Commission, who is
in charge OF the gardens, has kindly furnished
us with the following facts IN regard TO it.
During the past summer the gardener at the
grounds erected a little building for quarters
for himself on the top Of the mouud, which is
regular oval in shape, being eighty-four feet
by forty-six feet, and twenty-five feet high.
Wishing to prepare place in which to secure
his roots and seeds for preservation from the
frost till nextspring, the gardener commenced
digging tunnel into the side Of the mound !;
after proceeding a short distance he found that
the mound was composed OF successive layers
of earth. IS frs e5' IS
Each layer seemed to have been prepated
by burning large fires. on it for some length
of time, thus baking it perfectly hard and
solid. Fifteen feet from the entrance of the
tunnel the working party came upon what
were evidently the remains OF a palasade of
large timbers, which probably had encircled
the whole mound when. it was first erected.
just inside of these palisades they found the
remains of three fal-grown skeletons. A Gu
rious circumstance connected with these skel-
etons is to be found In the fact that all three
of the, skulls bear evidence Of having been
broken before burial. When found, the upper
jaws were In such position that no other in
ference can be adopted. 1t is well known that
among the tribes who built and used these
mounds the custom prevailed of killing and
burying a number of the men of the tribe
with each chief on his demise
+, Proceeding few feet further the operators
dug a tunnel TO the right, but after going few
yards aud making no new discoveries they re-
turned to the main one. They then dug out
twenty further, and reached the center OF the
mound. Here the most interesting and valu-
able discoveries have been made. The lrst
thing observed was row Of holes, twenty in
number, that were probably the cavities in
which row of posts had been placed. These
had wholly decayed, but in the holes were
found pieces OF wood, which crumbled at the
touch From the positions of the posts which
were about four inches in diameter and six
inches apart, they would have inclosed q
square space OF about eight feet across. In
the center of this space, and at what is believ-
ed to be the center of the mound, were found
the skeleton of a woman and the remains OF
the skeletons of three children.
The woman had been buried in sitting
posture, and the body had fallen forward up
on the knees. Under these remains-two feet
below them-were found the remains OF 9
man, evidently those of the chief of the tribe
for whose burial place the mound had been
erected s-H
Ths bones of the skeleton crumbled on be
ing handled, but the teeth remained perfect
and all who have seen them pronounce then
the most beautiful they have ever seen. They
are all in the jaws, and perfectly sound NJ
further discoveries have been made at present
but the search will be prosecuted unit ii tht
mound is thoroughly explored, and we will
lay all the items that may occur during Thu
week before our readers. s,,ss
- On the top and sides OF the mound, larg'
trees have been growing for hundreds of years
In front of and short distance from thu
mound, are marks and remains OF what mus
have been pottery. The ground is strewl
with pieces of burned and wrought clay an'
fragments of pottery, and pieces ofthe SAM
kind of pottery are to be found scattere'
through the mound. A ta
1t Is supposed that the found palisade ex
tends around the entire circumference Of tn
mound and that the bodies of the follower
killed on the death of the chief will be fount
buried all around the base of it. Unless sucl
proves to be the case, the finding OF the three
bodies at the entrance of the tunnel will bI
The more remarkable. Chattanooga Gazette