Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1870-09-15
A GIANT RACE,
The Indian Mound ChickBsawb;l--
Human skeletons Eight and Ten
Feetin Helght-Reiics of Former
From the Memphis Anpeal

age.
From the Memphis Appeal
Two miles west or Barheld Point, in Ar
kansas 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 ChieKasawba,
and from 1t the high and beautiful country
surrounding it, some twelve square miles
in area, derives its name Jhickasawbia.
The mound derives its name from Chick.
asawba, chief Of the Shawnee tribe, who
lived, died, and was buried there This
chief was one of the last of the race of hun.
ters 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 assem- bled annually at Bar
field Point, then as now, the principal
shipping place Of the surrounding country,
and bartered off their furs, peltries, 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 fire.
quently bring for sale at one time as much
SIS twenty gallons otpure honey III deerskin
bags slung to his back. He was always
firm friend Of the whites man OF gigan-
tic stature and hereulean 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 il the same year, aged 90 or "a years.
Mr.. W. Fitzgerald, who moved in that
country in 1922, says that up to the time
Of his death, Chickasawba supplied him
with game He was buried at the foot OF
tho mound on which he had lived, By his
tribe, most OF whom departed for the Ma
ton Immediately after performing his fu-
neral rites. A few, however, fingered there
up to late date, the last of them, we be.
lieve, being John East, who, in 1850, at
the breaking out OF the war, joined Captain
Charley Bowen's company of the
late socalled," and fought the
war through, as gallant a
"reb" rs any OF them, coming back home
in 1866 to return to the arts Of peace
Chickasawba was perfectly honest, and the
best informed chief of his tribe. His CO.
temporary chiefs were Long Knife, San
shine, Corn Meal, Moonshine Mike Bren-
many, &c. Mike Brennan and Quill bur
ried him. He left son named John Penn
escott. A Number Of years ago, in making
an excursion into or near the foot OF Chick
asagba's mound, portion of a
G1ANTIc HUMAN SKELETON
was found. The men who were digging
becoming interested, unearthed the entire
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 cur informant who, we will here
state, is one of our best oitizens), was
found peculiarly shaped earthen jar, re-
sembling nothing in the way of Indian pot
terry which had before been seen by them.
l. was exactly the shaps Of the round-bodi-
ed, long-necked caraifes or water.
decanters, a specimen of which
table. The material of which the vase was
naado Was peculiar kind of clay, and the
workmanship was very fine The belly or
body OF it was ornamanted with figures OF
hiegoglyphics consisting of a correct de-
| lineatlOn OF human hands, parallel TO each
other, open, palms outward, and running
up and down the vase, the wrists to the
base and the fingers towards the neck. Or
either side of the hands were tibe or thigh
bones, also correctly delinested, running
around the sase There were other things
| found with the skeleton. but this is all thai
our informant remembers. Since thai
| time, wherever al excavation has been
made in the Chickasawbla county in the
neighborhc0d ofthe mound
SIMILAR SKELETONS
have been found, and under the skull O.
every one were found similar funeral vases
almost exactly like the ono described
! There are now in this city al 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, to
! gether with bones of the foot, stood up il
proper position in a physicians offic,
in this city, measure five feet in height an(
show the body to which the leg belonged
to have been from nine to ten feet in hight
At Beaufort's Landing, near Barheld, il
digging deep ditch skeleton was dul
up the leg Of which MEASURED between fy
and six feet in length, and other bones il
proportion In a very few days we hop,
to be able to lay before our readers accu
rate measurement and descriptions OF tn,
portions OF skeletons now in the city, anl
Of the articles found in the graves. II il
not matter of doubt that these are
HUMAN REMAINS,
but Of a long extinct race-a race which
! hourished, lived, and died many centuries
ago, in those days told Of in scripture.
Genera Steinmet2 and the Bakers.