The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1870-09-15
A GIANT RACE.
The Indian NJ and Chicf<as2wssa-EEr:-
man Skeletons Eight and Fen Feet
I'm Height-ReIics of a Former Age.
From the Memphis Anneal

From the Memphis Appeal
Two miles west of Bar6eid Point, in
Arkansas County, Ark, on the east bank
of the lovely stream called Pemiscott
River, stands an Indian mound, some
twenty five feet high and about an acre
In area at the top. This mound is called
Chickasawba, and from it the high and
beautiful country surrounding it, some
twelve square miles in area, derives its
-Chickasawba. The mound de-
riyes Its name from Chickasawba. a chief
Of the Shawnee tribe, who lived. died,
and was buried there This chief was
one of the last of the race Of hunters who
lived in that beautiful region, and who
once peopled it quite thickly-for In
dians We mean. From 1920 to 1881 he
and his hunters assembled annually at
Barfield Point, then as now, the princi-
pal shipping place of the surrounding
country, and bartered off their furs, pei
tries, buffalo robes and honey to the
white settlers and the trading boats on
the river, receiving in return powder,
shot, lead, blankets, money, etc. Aunt
Katy Williams, who now resides there,
relates that Chickasawba would frequent
'ly bring for sale at one time as much as
twenty gallons Of pure honey in deerskin
bags slung to his back. lie was always
a firm friend of the whites, a man OF 81
gantic stature and herculean strength.
In his nineteenth year he took young
wife and by her had two children In
1881 she died. and the old chief did not
long survive her, dying in the same year.
aged 93 or 81 years. Mr.. W. fitzgerald
who moved in that country in 1922, says
that up to the time Of his death, Chicka
sawba supplied him With game. He was
buried at the foot Of the mound on which
he had lived, by his tribe, most of whom
departed for the Nation Immediately
after performing his funeral rites. A few
however, fingered there up to a late
date, the last Of them, I'VE believe, being
John East, who, in 1860, at The breaking
out of the war, ioised Captain Charley
Bowen's company of the late ''so-caled"
and fought the war through, as gallant
''reb' as any OF them, coming back
home IN 1865 to return to the arts Of
peace. Chickasawba was perfectly hon
est, and the best informed chief OF his
tribe. His cOtemporary chiefs were
Long Knife, Sunshine, Corn Meal,
Moonshine Mike BreDnan). etc. Mike
Brennan and Quill buried him. He lett
son named John Pemescott. A num-
Der of years ago, in making an excursion
into or near the foot Of Chickasawba' 5
mound portion Of a
GIGANTIC HUMAN SKELETON
was found. The men who were digging
becoming interested, unearthed the en-
tire skeleton, and from measurements
given US by reliable parties the frame Of
the man to whom it belonged could not
have been less than eight or nine feet IN
height. Under the skull which easily
slipped over the head Of our informant.
twho, we will here state is one OF our
best citizens), was found a peculiarly
shaped earthen jar, resembling nothing
in the way of Indian pottery which had
before been seen by them. 1t was ex-
actly the shape Of the round bodied.
long-necked caraffes or water decanters.
a specimen of which may be seen on
Castor S dining-table. The material of
which the vase was made was a peculiar
kind of clay, and the Workmanship was
very fine. The belly or body Of it was
Ornamented with figures or hieroelyDhics
consisting OF correct delineation Of hu-
man hands, parallel to each other, open.
palms outward, and running I'D and
down the vase, the wrists TO the base and
the fingers towards the neck. On either
side OF the hands were tiba or thigh
bones, also correctly dehueated, running
around the vase. There were other
things found with the skeleton, but this
Is all that our informant remembers.
Since that time, wherever an excavation
has been made in the Chickasawba coun-
try In The nelghborhood OF the mound,
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
n
every one were found similar funeral
vases. almost exactly ike the one de-
scribe9. There are now in this city sew
eral of the vases and portions of the huge
skeletons. One Of the editors OF the
Appeal yesterday measured thigh
bone. which Is fully three feet long. The
thigh and shin bones, together with
bones Of the foot, stood up in proper
position in physicians Office in this
city, measure Eve feet I'M height and
show the body 20 which the leg belonged
to have been from nine to ten feet ia
hight. At Beaufort landing. near
Barfield, in digging deep ditch skele-
ton was dug up the leg Of which meas
ured between FIVE and six feet In length.
and other bones in proportion. La
very few days We hope to be able to lay
before our readers accurate measurements
and descriptions of the portions of skele-
tons now In the city, aud Of the articles
found in the graves, Ii is not matter
of doubt that these are
HUMAN REMAINS,
but of a long extinct race-a race which
houIl6hed, lived, and died many centu-
RES ago, In those days told of in scrip
ture.