The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-09-03
NlCOoCHEE AND ITS SURROUND
INGS.

.. tpsox AN 6ooAeIoTAL coRRxsronpHAT.]
NAooocnks VALLEY Ga, August, 1869. Sew
epty years ago my father, Major Edward Viii
liams. was q rea,dont Of Charleston, s. @. An
attack of ''sirsngcrs' foyer" aud .mallpox lod
him 10 seek homo in q moro salubr'ous oli-
malo. This ho found in the mountains OF
North Carolina, whore no also found spright-
ly mountain girl. tha daughter of successful
merchant, whom no married AS usual in ouch
discoveries, his home wos filled in few years
with hnlf n ecore OF boys and girls. Theae now
responsibilities mSae 1t necessary that he
should havo cheap and productive land, on
which to make broad 10 feod tbem.
When my father visited this portion OF
9eofpin, thon almost n wilderness country, it
was. .aeftled maiDly by Ind'ana-soattered here
and there wero o fcw whites. IN civilization not
much IN advance OF The eayaRes; only their Bu-
peIivrs in cunning AID khs sverS. al father
was so much pleascd with ihe rich lands, puro
air aud iwator, and magnificent mountain
eoknety.;ho uhdo m extensive purchase, em-
bracng tho cenire OF NRooooheet Valley. A
portion OF this purchaselwas 10 be paid tor in
corn Snd wheat. .Ehis vas easily done, as
tho fnfuhs Mefo rented TO industrous ton
Carolina. AS the valley Was very productive.
three years. rent was sufficient 70 discharge
the debt. Land that sold Mt that time for ono
d6llar per aero, now commands twenty to
thirty.
Al ono limo Nncoochcc wae the e.laigest town
in the Cherokee Nation, and was strongly de-
Tended BY Qualifications which, extended acroes
SAlop2 Inc hnSs Of these fottific tfonsn ounds
wara raised. o1 whiGh Indian chiefs securely
resided. in their mud thatched ,palac'a. II is
believed tho daring Spanards visited this ooun-
goldrahdI diamonds and wore permitted to en-
ter the Notifications Of i.'tHaoooehee old
Town" 4 Whom the savogo curiosity was 'sa-
tiefed. the Spapiards wore e1termlnsted. -,n
What A:clangoF Not o vestlee OF that an-
oient town remains; tho Indians who possess
cd this beautiful country have been driven from
their cherished hunting grounds to the lar
West. The once strong. walls Of Naoe9ohee are pr,
cost SO much toll and labor, nre sharing the
game fate, No proud monument stands 70
point ont tho res ing place OF tho old chiefs
and their brave warrlofs ~ .-I', III, ~. -,
Tho iofty pipc which withstood the peltine
storms oftoenturies. tho tree that marks the
grave OF Nacoooheo and bore ainft the Uonfed-
doraio aa$ during tho late bloody war, died
with our lost cause. Itisnow q blighted treer
f1t emblem Of the tempest ttoPt Copfcderacy.
The white man as he drlyos his plough NOR
rily over the bones OF iis red brother, with
Pilgrim piety thinks no came honestly IN pos
wolf drinks the blood OF tho lamb IL has over
como by brute force aud imsgines he is its
riGh.iul Swas5, any MfonS IS W9s Yer s9P@i!tfS6
n6S u nOt Dt5u dInpiy hpOuou hm nnr0 New
PRODUCTION among the missionaries? At the
England rum and rr;ahriai sounds his tIum-
pet to awake. the, .sIumber, ,ng, dead, -. and
the great book is opened. nations and governs
ments as we'll ;as Individuals. will call upon
tho mountains to fall upon them. that they and
their sins may be- hid from the Judge that ait
teth on the throne ! .; 'so'ui ~ -. T,I1-i.
hThe miners hero in 1884 while searching f1r
gold. discovered subterranean village con-
ous street. in length fve hundred feet. These
houses were doubtless buried by ''water
spoute" which cause mountain slides. This
must have occurred many centuries ago, as
tho village was covered when the whites first
settled tho country by q heavy growth OF tiIn-
her. thu. denoting the great Antiquity or tho
catastrophe. A number OF curious specimens
which preclude, ,the,possibiiity OF their having
been fslnoved!for tnhny agesa; . ~. e 2i q
s,isTrsditi1n. has At, that 'Naooochee. tho
"Chetoke5 Evening Star, was the only daugh;
remafkable beauty and grace OF manners. This
lovely maid OF the valley was Wooed by many q
gallant youth, but unfortunately was won by 9
brave yy9ug gss;SI Of the, ,Chootaw y. naS@ISn.a @ a
KEGS. and frequently engaged in fierce warfare
-One dark night. Nacoochee disappeared from
her vinerelad wigwam she bad eloped With
Racooohee summ9ned hundred stout warriors
tS go iI pursplt 81 hls erring daughter; The
Salley1 and mouptdi1B echoed The terribly war:
WhoQp, as they, were searching every hull and
VDsys ana nights passea. but ieel niee end the
baght- -yyed't dudlun girl: COULD nowhere bs
ra4s % fstber refused taa to q, eat or s%esp %
Hebelfeyed the levers had sought rqiugo under
thN HreRt Bear tYonahl Of the Valley. / Ho-
MWed. andi more liligent: search was made.
young princess. (Which was amply supplied
yithD vonlson andiwld turkey, ,)taniid the rocky
fastnesses OF Mouut :Yonai, He 3gardeds tho
Tu9Red ellis rising In their'nhtivo grandeur ae
secure from the intrusion. OF friend Or Zoe.
Nacoooheoa new home must bave been o Soc
mountains. rising one above another until
ther Lofty peaks aa gsIS oa in ths bTe a
Nacoonbee ahd Ishhtee, oovefedsHit Ifdgrant
forest Towering trees, md brilliant rhododon-
dfonSi d.azsieas. From cthe. :oreyicos In her
sns gssS SsS gssosa ossa Ggh St gsf
taio epripgs that COR stitute the head d.waters 0l
the picittresque. ChAttshaoche River, a like
the rivers whiehrnn out Of the GaEdon OF Eden,
abound IN gold. - y
N.Fhe cries OF the wolf and uighthagk disturb
cd not tho slumbers OF tho youthful lovers.
But Nacooohee and SaDtee could no more suc.
oessfully conceal themselves from the revenge
from fhe presenb, OF tho Father or TIC great
human family, after having listened % the
beGuiling serpent and eaten of tho forbidden
irult.. A savage ehopk Of victory annonnced
old chief Of his daaghter. Hasty Judgment
was pronounced-saute was to be thrown, In
tho presGhGe OF Nacooohee. from tho hlghcA,
preoiplce on Mount Yonab. Before the sentence
was executed, the warriors engaged IN death
song and war dance around the strongly guard
ed prisoner. . This was kept up until the GOT
ting sun had dropped! behind: the Western
mountsipsn and the. evening star Twas looking
down upon the tragic sceno, -. q.
-. Ala siEnh1 from tho did CHIEF, fout strdng
W,rfiors Seized sahtsc. thd with ofs 'terrin6
yel hurled hIm headlong INTO tho daeb ohasm
beneath, Quick as thought, Hacoochee sprang
:hom' 'tha si1ng embfaee 81 Il isfS father and
shouting, Seqfeeh slntes L threw! hprself fro n
the overhapRing precipice. Their mangled
remains we're ibund sideD by eide IN tho valley.
The terrific shock wel!.nigh broke tho heart Of
Il aged tather.Ys Hc directed that Nacoochee
and Ssntee should be buried on the banks Of
the Chsttshooohee in one grave, and q m0nRd
raised ovefH them to mark the, ,spot. This
mound fs now the properly OF mr. O. L. Will
liams, tlds1t 6oti OF thet ;fate Major Edward
Williams. Il Il has been planted IL vines end