The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1870-05-19

Twenty one miles west of here, near
the station of Shellmound on the Nash
vile and Chattanooga railroad, Is one Of
the most remarkable caves in this state.
Tradition says that IL is called Nicka-
lack, because a notorious negro briganl,
named Jack, once used it as q retreat for
himself and a receptacle for his stolen
goods. From Niger Jack s Cave
It gradually melted into one word, and IN
time became what IS now called 'Nicka-
jack"
Whether a negro named Jack eyer
made it his headquarters for the purpose
OF saiiylng out on missions Of murder and
robbery CT not is very uncertain, for in
the history o. pirates, whether by land
or sea, robbers, murderers and brigands,
there are very few instances CT negroes
being engaged in the business, the wick
edness and boldness necessary for such
lives being fcreign 20 the negro charac
ter. It IS from the ranks Of the white
man, the boosted ADglo-Saxon, that the
grandest rascals come. If ''niggar Jack"
really used the cave for the business
which tradition alleges, he must have
taken lessons Of some white man. The
superior race have always been foremost
in works Of the sort, ever since the first
white man born into the world killed the
second.
The passage of Tennessee River
through the Cumberland Mountains
below this city, presents some Of the most
remarkable features Of american topog
raphy. Tt seems as if the mountain had
damned Up the river until it formed
vast lake, and then that it burst through
and created for itself passage. The
course Of the river as iG winds among
these mountains presents to the beholder
scenes that are at once unique, romantic
and picturesque. In its to, tuous wind
iugs along the base Of the mountain it is
often contracted into narrow channel,
and hemmed in by projecting cliffs and
towering p:ecipices of solid stone.
It dashes with tumu,tuous violence
against one side OF It's prison house and
then against the other, and then leaps
forward in It's angry descent, oyer I'M
raense b0ulders and masses Of rock, that
It's seethiDg waters have from time to
/ time swept into the channel. Beautiful
as this scenery is, grand as these cata.
racts and voYteXes are, it is beauty and
grandeur purchased at the expense of
usefulness; for all these attractions rem
/ der 1t almost impossible Of navigation,
and even by the powerful agency Of steam
/ the obstrcu0ns are not entirely over
come.
| While the channel Of the river present
/ ed dangerous impe9imerts, It's eayigons
/ held those Of another character not less
. formidable to the early settlers Along
the ioaming rapids, on either side Of the
river the shores are wild, elevated and
( bold. The mountain gorces afforded a
safe retreat for the perpetrtOrs of dark
( deeds, and for more than quarter Of a
/ century Immediately succeeding the ad-
, vent of the whites into the country. the
( wild region along the river from Lookout
Mountain to Nickaiack Cave was the
/ haunt Of the worst description OF desper-
ADDE'S, and this cave was one Of their
/ most secure retreats.
The cave IS probably the largest IN the
! state, and TO explore 1t Tor even but for
/ a short distance, is enough to satisfy one
that it IS grand, gloomy and peculiar. y
/ It's mouth Is about lg0 feet wide and
near 30 feet high. Tt IS arched overhead
with pnre granite, which presents q
smooth surface some Is feet thick. The
first 200 feet Of the cave IS a large room,
| arched 0uerhead, and q portion of it hav-
/ ing a smooth floor of dirt. 1t is very
popular place for balls, picnics, and
fourth OF July assembiaees, the tempera
tura always being delightful.
Out from the mouth Of the cave runs
/ a large stream Of water, clear as crystal.
At the mouth the stream runs along one
side, bat further in the cave is contract
/ ed to the exact width of the stream.
! This occurs some two or three miles
I from the mouth, and then onward the
/ tourist has to 90 in q canoe, if he goes at
all. Few care 10 go further, and the
most daring has only been six miles. No
man has ever found the end.
Tradition tells Of large number Of IN
( taresting and horrible affairs connected
with this cave. Dead men. and dead
mems bones have been found in its
! gloomy recesses. During the war, and
/ after the fall Of Nashville, Cheatham' S
command cncamped on the bank OF the
river near the cave for few days Short
/ " alterwayd the country was occupied
/ by the federal army, and regiment of
| INDIANA troops encamped at the same
/ place. \ few Of them were one day
( exploring the cave, and when some two
miles from the mouth they stumbled
/ over the bodies Of three dead men. It
1 was a rebel lieutenant and two prWatCs.
/ They were locked IN each others arms,
| and 1t Is supposed they had lost their
I lights and wandered about in the ink
black darkness until exhausted, and then
/ laid down to Gle. ii mistake not, those
/ who found them belonged to the 72d In
/ diana Mounted Infantry.
About year after this six or seven
soldiers equipped themselves to explore
the cave. They went in one morning,
and have never been heard Of since, But
their absence IS now accounted for upon
an hypothesis other than they were lost.
st the time vigorous search was made.
but no traces found, and It was supposed
that they had become bewildered in the
many labyriGth's Of the cavern, and
never been able to End their way out.
But ROW it IS believed that they remain
cd In the cave until night and then slip
ped out and deserted. Such a course
would almost insure their escape, as
their officers would believe them to be
lost in the cave, and, of course, look no
where else for them. At all events the
mystery has never been cleared ND, and
people living about the cave aver that
unless the soldiers had recourse to that
stratacem to desert, they were lost, and
their bodies may yet be found in the
cave.
During the late war Nickiack Cave
was conseripted into service by the Con
federate Nitra Bureau, aud made to dis
gorge its salrpetre dirt for the use Of the
Confederate States. \ large force of
conscripts was kept at work day AMI
night, carting out the dirt from the
depths Of the cave to the hoppers at the
mouth These poor devils were paid 50
cents day in Confederate scrip for their
servioes, and unless they worked like
Troians they were snatched out of the
cave and put into the army Long rows