Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1871-01-25
THE LOsT RACEs OF AMERICA.


Gazette, writing from Camp Siam
baugh, Wyoming Territory, says:
have been reading in your paper
the communication of L. d. NJ. +"
concerning Indian antiquities; and
while I cheerfully accord to your vet
eran correspondent great learning and
general correctness in his writings,
must beg leave % differ with him in
what he says about the Indian races.
As you know, / have Travelled pretty
extensively among the Indian tribes
of America, and have carefully stud
led their manners, habits, customs
and early history. II is not my in
tention to enter into any lengthy dis
cussiOn concerning the lost races and
arts of our country; but | will say
that my observations and inquiries
have led me to believe that America
was once inhabited by a race older
than the present tribes Of Indians,
and that these ancient people were
well advanced i'm the arts, sciences
and civilization. They knew how to
make pottery and construct utensils
of almost every kind. They dug gold,
silver, copper, lead, iron, and made
these metals administer to their wants
and cOnvenieRees. They sculptured
in stone, and understood the prin-
ciples of the arch; they cultivated
large tracts Of land, and built cities
and towns; they understood chemi-
Gals, and manufactured salt, bricks
and cloth; they built Notifications
and stone houses; they had regular
forms of government and an estsb-
lished religion their priests were
learned in astronomy and geometry (;
their religion acknowledged the pres
ence of an over-ruling Providence,
and their teachers praeticed the lay
ing on of hands.
Whether the present tribes of Amer
ican Indians are the descendants of
these ancient people, will not pre-
tend to definitely decide; but if they
are they have almost entirely lost
the civilization Of their ancestors. |
think it most probable that the old
race was a separate and distinct peO-
pie, who came from Mexico, and that
the present tribes Of Indians came
frUm Asia, and Overrun their more
civilized predecessors.
Relics Of the old raee are still found
in nearly every part Of the United
States. The most notable are on the
Ohio, at Nashville on the Cumber-
land, along the Cumberland at Ham
burg, Big river, near st. Louis, in
Kentucky, Arkansas, New York,
Florida, California and New Mexico.
These consist of inscriptions, orna-
ments, paintings, weapons, vessels,
arrowheads. forts, monuments, stat
ues and sepulchres.
I have been credibly informed that
on the CahOkis, Illinois, near st.
Louis there are over one hundred
and fifty mounds of great antiquity.
One of these, when opened, was
found to contain earthenWare, arrow
heads, spears, human bones, and stone
plates. This mound was ninety feet
high and two thousand feet in cir
cumference. Near il ara a number of
smaller mounds, which seem to have
been arranged with regard to the
great mound. Mr.. Belden, who is
good authority on Indian matters,
believes that all the chiefs and warri-
Ors were buried in the great mound,
and the common people and women
in the smaller mounds around them.
Be this as it may, il would seem that
the great mound has some distin-
gushing features, for it is terraced
and is most symmetrically and care
fully made.
At Cincinnati there is a mound Of
oval shape, sixty feet broad and six
hundred and twenty long. From it
was taken a sculptured head Of a bird,
plstes Of mica, crystals, carved bones,
jasper, lead, copper, mica aud marine
shells.
At Circleville, Ohio, there were two
enclosures, one an exact cir
Gle, from which the town was named,
and the other a perfect square. The
square mound was laid out with refer
ence to the points Of the compass, and
had eight entrances equi-distant, and
defended by circular mounds within.
There was q wall ten feet high in this
mound, and each side was forty-nine
rods long. On the west side was an
encompassed by two walls,
DR. rather q double wall, twenty feet
high. Between the walls was a ditch, l
and in the center of the semi-circle
! mound covered with a circular
Without the walls was a
lower ninety feet high.
At Marietta there was q eOnical
mound and two Enclosures, contain
ing respectively forty and twenty
acres. They had walls ten feet high
and thirty feet in breadth, supplied
with six gates. There were also two
walls and a covered way leading to
he Muskingum- The walls defend
ng the river were forty feet wide and
.wenty-one high. On the north and
south sides were terraces nine feet
high, and without were parallel walls. /
I'm the center of the fertilization was
! mound, and earthen towers defended I
each gateway. In the corners were
hollow parapets, covered with earth. I
There were many wells within the
iortificatiOns, from which the people I
had probably drawn water for their
use.
In Warren county, Tennessee, in
saltpetre cave, two bodies were found /
that did not seem to belong TO any 1
tribe Of Indians known in history. I
They mostly resembled the Esqui- I
naux race. One was a male and the /
lther a female, and both were wrapped /
10 1COUen cloth and euvelOped in deer 1
SKINS. The lady held a fan in her 1
hand which would open and shut, [
and which was made Of beautiful /.
feathers, tastefuily arranged.
In the Mammoth Cave and at Glas- |
cow, Kentucky, bodies have also been |
found. They were wrapped in cloth |
and skins, and were perfectly pre-
served. The hair on their heads was
brown, yellow and red. None had /
black hair, while it is well known |
that the Indians Of every tribe in the 1
United States have black hair.
/ have never seen a red haired or a I
bad headed Indian in my life, while I
two of the bodies found in Kentucky /
were bald, and a full third of those /
discovered had red hair. In these |
same caves were found pieces of cloth, |
fishing nets, mats, baskets, beads and 4
dishes. There were also mOccasins of /
bark, beads, bones, arrows, spears, /
wooden cups, and, most singular Of ]
al, in one cave was found the bones |
Of a Mexican hog, an animal never |
known to exist in North America. |
Beforedismissing the subject Of caves,
will say that in Gasconade county,
there is a cave from which /
axes Of copper, hammers of stone and I
a covered eagle were taken. The /
walls Of this cave are covered with |
figures and hieroglyphics. On the
west bank Of the Ohio Q beautiful |
pitcher Of clay was found Of very an
cient pattern. It was formed in the
shape Of a gourd, and had on its side
the head Of a woman with dubbed
hair Tgrenf,y feet below the surfarp