The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-08-01
LETTER FROM THE UP-COUNTRY
JONES' GAP-CEsAR's HEAD.

JONES GAP-CEsAR's HEAD.
To The Edttor Of the Daily Nens:
A recent visit to Grecnville District afforded the
opportunity to view some Of the most picturesque
scenery of which our State can boast. Thinking
that a description Of our trip through portion OF
tho 'Helvetia OF South Carolina may not be with
out interest to some of your readers, we have ven
tured to send you this hurried and imperfect
sketch.
The region, though mentioned in most OF the
published descriptions of tho State is still almost
unknown to the majority Of the dwcllers in the low
country, and is pictured in their imagination as
little moro than wild bowling wilderness.
A pleasant ride of eighteen miles from Green
vile Courthouse, easily accomplished in fore
noon through country for the most part thickly
wooded brought us to our destination for the
night-a farmers cabin, situated at ne head OF
one OF the coves, formed by ON angle in tho hills
constituting the first Of q series Of low ranges
which at this point run parallel to tho mountains.
Next morning VIC were carly under way, and
soon struck into what is called tho Jones' Gap
Road. This celebrated highway was opened only
few years previous to tho war. It is named after
superintended its construction. This man, by the
way, is quite character in his noighborhood.
Reared without the advantages of carly education,
he acquired knowledge Of reading and writing
after he had reached the age OF manhood. 1t is
said that his wife was his teacher. His natural
ability, however, triumphed over tho Deficiencies
Of his early opportunities and his force of charac-
ter secured for him considerable reputation in
his neighborhood. Tho idea of constructing q
road across the mountains at o point which would
communicate directly with the rich region Of the
Broad River Valley of North Carolina, took strong
possession Of his mind and ho incessantly agitat-
cd the subject until finally he succeeded in form
ing an association among tho residents on
both sides Of the mountains, who took the
matter in hard, provided the means, and
set JONES to work. The result is one
of the finest mountain roads in the country. SOL
ONION JONES took decisive part during the war.
He was Union manor Tory, rs was the COM
mon term then-and his example and influence
was 90 powerful amongst his rustic neighbors
that the whole section became notorious, and the
wild glens and caves of these mountains wero
the resort of numerous deserters from tho Con-
federate armies and Of disaffected spirits gener-
ally. In ono of these wild recesses is pointed out
the site of what was an cntrenchcd Tory camp.
Some desperate deeds arc also said to have been
committed here, and their history bids fair to be
perpetuated amongst the traditions of the Dark
Corner of Greenville District.
The road follows the meandering course of tho
South Fork OF the Saluda River to it's source at
the very head Of the Gap. Winding our way at the
foot OF the hills, round the head Of narrow re-
ceding coves, and past the rocky spurs OF noun
tain ridges, through narrow glens and broad
spreading bottom lands over whose we'll culti-
vated acres waves tho luxurious corn. BY solitary
hamlet and woodman's cabin, nestled under frown-
Ing cliff, or buried amid outrageous foliage,
we hold our course until turning the
high spur Of Ellcn's Pinnacle, We pass sud-
denly round into the great Gap itself. Here,
on either hand, the precipitous sides of this i'm
mcnse chasm rear their rocky fronts over one
thousand feet in height covered from summit to
bottom in grecn foliage, except where here and
there the bare face of some immense slab OF rock
shows itself glstenirG in the sun, or a white
streak Of spray dashes in impotuous haste down
~"
rocky course until it joins its waters with those
of the limpid river in the valley. AS VIC advance
tho Gap gradually narrows, until the preclpltous
sides seem almost within stones throw OF each
other, and the bottom of the immense chasm has
only room for the passage Of the rushing stream.
The road now begins to climb tho mountain side,
doubling and zig Tagging upon itselfas itsradualy
feels its way upwards towards the blue sky above.
Here the skill of the engineer displays t;elf in the
deep grading of the rocky sSelf on which VIC find
ourselves gradually ascending higher and higher
above the sullen rush of tho waters now left deep
down the vale A stone thrown over this abyss goes
laundering down the deciivity, indicating OH each
OCCASION by its protracted descent, the increased
height to which we have attained. Surveying our
position, we behold behind US the narrow dcGlo
stretching away towards Potts Cove; on our left
tho rocky front of ':2ald Rock" frowning over us,
and in front the Gap head, now visible pass
through the rocky gorge In due course We reach
the summit of the ridge, and leaving the load we
turn to the left and pass on to the chain, Oh the
southwestern verge of which rises the glddy
height of Caesars Head.
A stretch of three miles along the ridge brings
us toward the summit, and rs We approach,
glimpscs through the thick forest growth show u.s.
across the intervening valley, the towering front oil
Table Rock.
At length We reach the open summit OF the
mountain, and stand upon the fiat lodge that
overhangs the precipico. Here sight breaks
upon the view which must beggar all
description. The first impression is one OF
solemn awe. The spectator breads to trust HIM
self to the fascination which tcmpts him to ap-
proach the brink and look down that fearful height.
More than thousand feet beneath us spreads
the whole State OF South Carolina like vast plain.
We stand as it We're upon an immense wall en-
closing smooth tract of level land, which extends
before us as far as the eye can reach. Seemingly
one grand landscape garden of waving vordure.