The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1872-12-20
PAINTED ROCK.


The 4.Rock" alluded to IL tremendous precipics
on the TESsEsEx river which Rises Perpendicular,
from The water to :. heashs Of three hundred feet
II Is probably four hundred yards in length, and h
land which appears to have been broken in twain q
that point TO allow the river to pass Along the tor
. Of the prscpics thsss are a.ny places .hsrs tn.
other coloring substances, which, running down the
face Of the Rock" give 1t the appearance Of having
been radely painted. From this circumstance Il
takes its name. Old Indian traditiops, however,
assign another and very different cause for the
coloring, believing that Il was the blood OF their
noted "braves" slain In bsttie. upon ,the summit
which 80 deeply dyed the river front Of the famous
| "Painted Rock.J
Long years rustic by, like the time-tinted leaves
That low on the waters are shed,
Whea the wind through the frostsmitten foliage
And the birds Of the summer have aed.
Yet leave they an echo-those swift-giding years,
OF races that fearless aud flee
Here dwelt, (ere had settled the stout Poneers,1
On the banks Of the bright Tennessee.
1t rises from river, from valley and glen,
That echo,-it steals from the glade,
And it whispers its stories of dark-visaged men
In the depths Of the old forest shade
And here, whers the craggy, and wsasher-stained
Hangs over the murmuring tide.
II tells Of the night battles terrible shock, ~
And the valiant who met tt-end died
True, tourists may tell us that over the face
OF that rrecipice hoary and dread,
ude marks Of the graver and paint we may trace
But the colors by Noftyewere spread. y
But they know not the tale of that night-shado~sd
When down to the brink of the wave, 70 Z
Both summit and side Of that perilous height
We're dyed with the blood Of the brave. =
49, 49,
Twss the season when the first chilis OF autumn
- around
Had fallen, and blossoms al pale,
Lay dying away ON the frost-covered ground
In the delis of that beautiful vale;
Far down on the lowlands the buffalo herds
Sought out the green pa2urage still, til-- 90,
And hues Ike the pumage Of Psr.diss birds as =
Lay bright DER the suh-crested hill. 80 .f ;
osr the chestnut tree shaking their hardy brown
The wild-grape lay trailing across;
And ripe cones freel, fallen from cedar and frs
Haf-covered the emerald neae. -.
Blue mountains nom under tie fich amber haze
Whose softening spiendor and ng,slsnting ra.s,
Declared that the summer had gone.
A flame onths necipiee! Boldly its sleam -
Shoots mp from The TOP of the Rock; - ~. n
'Tis the trunk of pins-tree tha. hangs DER The
stream, f- ~
And breasted the hurrieaneS shock.
And there on the summit q warrior band
Lies, gathered to silent repose,-
lis the brave Tuscarora-ths pride Of the land
On the track Of his treacherous foes. III
He scorns In the lowland 10 make him iatr-i
He scorns in the forest to hide; te -
When the foeman comes on, ruscarora is there,
With his warriors, -trusty and tried.
He loves on the crsg-rifted mountain alone -
To sleep on some tenantless peak, fII
Where the cry Of the vulture can answer his own
With a hungered and. death-telling shrek
And here where the night wind in rapid career
SWEEPS over the rOck-cradled nest
or the sun loving eagle, the dark mountaineer,
And his followers, laid them to rest;
While on the night magnificent blaze
As the pine beacons quivering glow
Cast down its huge fire fakes and deep-tin.ed rays
= Where the water-tones tinkle below!
Like red eye In heaven the blood cireled moon
Looked out with q wondering stare,
And cloud-clifY and river, and precpice soon
Were Lit with its wilder16g glare.
And the mis-. rolling up from the face of the
Hung heavily over the height, 1 .ir-
Yet shining beneath it, the bright billows sleam
In the wizard and wandering Light.
Az down the deep gorges the winter wind launches.
His voice through the caverns re-echoing hosrse;
His fury abroad mid the bare forest branches,
Uprooting the rocks in his terrible course;
So dread to the sleepers, the sudden up-breaking
OF pleasantest dreaming and peaceful repose,
The sentinels shout brought fearful awaking
That saw them environed by murde.o.-- foes.
Close gathered the +" "Brayes'-4ike thunder-bot
rung 81 -..t.
The Chisftain's defiance on high:
Abroad to the wind-gust his signal was nung
And his warriors echoed the cry;
His eye in its socket, fountain Of hame- = Il
Rolled redly as gushing his cheek --
Dovn-hashing the blade Of q battle-axe came,
n And was died with the blood-gushing reek.
To vithering hatred theee spirits were given,
They fought not for victory then
And souls that knew naught Of The mercy of
Heaven -nHet
Disdained now TO ssk il CT men: s
The red stream of carnage q cataract runs
Far over the precipice side; ~
With the blood Of thousand-the wilderness
The sward on the summit was dyed!
The conflict was Overland out the brow
OF the Rock where the beacon had shope,
All wounded, and bleeding, and desolate now,
Stood the brave TuscarCra--alone. Il
Biz falcon-eye measured the perilous steep .,
Deep-dyed with its strealnlets Of gore III
Quick ere the foes reach him-one tigar-ike hap.
And fhey saw the young Sschem no more! |
swif. waters closed DER him-the gallant and
And the pride Of his nation and land lr -i
Sank, whelIned in the rushing and fetteriess
The last of his warrior hand. .s.
And red with hts nfe-blood xas usillied the foam
or the blue bilipws wanhekfng free, - ..a
When the battle Was Lose and he sought his last
home
In the depths of the dark TESSEssEB!
- Pirgi,id French.