Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1879-02-13
LIMOrE DE- M%OHTEBREUSE
A Romantic Chapter in Our Local
History.
How the Bluff on Which Nashville Now
Stands was First Discovered by
White Men---ThrlHlng Expert
enoes Of the French Traders
Over a Century Ago.
Cor. Nashville American. 1lth.

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AT Faller's watch-shop, on Deader
lex street, hangs an old watch, which
If it could talk, would be able to set
tie many a dispute relative to the frs.
settlement of Nashville. This watcl
heard the thunders of the cannon a
the battle of Quebec, where Wolf
found Immortality and the grave. L
tucked on as uncOncerned as if time
was all and eternity a myth, though il
marked the last hours of the intrepiC
Montcalm and his heroic compatriots
Even when the mar upon whose bosom
1t rested fell badly shot, it paid no at.
tention, but worked diligently on it:
task, for, mayhap, it foresaw the work
in store for its master how he was tC
be sent, with a stiffoned arm out tC
subdue the wilderness, and, mid won.
derful 'scapes by food and field, estab-
lish the site of a great city. Yet il
was thus that Limote de Monochrome.
a captain Of his Catholic Majesty,
Louis XVI Of France, fell in that
great battle that gave Canada to Eng
land, with a ball from an old blunder-
buss in his elbow. Unlike the cap
tains of the present day, Captain de
Montebreune, or Timothy of the
Brown Mountain, carried a carbine in
his hands with which he assisted to
harass the enemy, and that old imple-
ment of warfare is still in the hands
of his grandson, in Kdgefeld, as eapa-
bic as ever of firing into the ranks of
an enemy, provided the enemy was
thirty PAGES from its muzzle, but no
further.
Soon after the battle the captain was
sent by his king as governor of the ter
ritory Of the then Southwest, and held
his court in Kaskaskia. His province
included all of that country now com
posing Ohio, Indiana and Illinois.
Here he remained until his health was
fully restored, when the spirit of trade
began to infuse its restiveness in him.
He then organized a party of about
twenty men, and, embarking on the
Ohio river, in a feet Of pirogues, he
set out for the wilderness, seeking a
mart for his goods. When he had
reached the mouth of what was then
called the Shananau, or Cumberland
river, they turned their prows up that
stream and rOwed into a terra i~ncognita,
for no white man had ever passed up
its dark and turbid waters.
Day after day passed and still they
padded on or pushed their frail boats
up the stream. One day they all,
tired and worn out, we're slowly driv-
ing against the current when they saw
before them a huge bluff rising up
from the waters edge, crowned with a
huge tuft of cedars. Below the bluff
appeared a good landing, and, while
consulting as to the best point to land.
they detected. the smell of sulphur.
AS soon as they landed, while some
were making preparations for the even
ing meal, others followed the branch"
to find the spring whence the sulphur
water came. They did not have far
to go before they came to the famous
French Lick" To their astonish-
ment they found the surface trod with
innumerable tracks, beating down all
underground for many yards around.
While they were debating these won
derful "cigns,' forth from the cane
that surrounded the space flashed a
shower Of arrows which, however. fell
harmless around them. One of them.
well acquainted with Indian habits
immediately fired his gun into the air.
which informed the savages they were
friendly. AT this indication of peace
the Indians showed themselves. but at
a safe distance. Though the French.
men had no knowledge of these In
dams, yet they had sufficient knowl-
edge of the dialect to make known
they were friends and allies. The red
men had heard of the friendly French
men. and, in fact, some of them had
received pay from the willy Gaul. So
soon as friendly relations were estab-
lished, the exploring party made
known their intentions and invited the
Indians to trade, making some pres
ents to them. They determined, on
consultation, to establish at this point
a trading post, and certainly no better
point could have been chosen. The
lick was a great attraction to
game, coming from away off as far
as the Tennessee river, so no difficulty
vas met with as to food.
1t was in the spring Of l760, and ma
ture "unadorned" had on her loveliest
garments. The russell cliffs stood out
with a bold front, and on its face trail
ing vines hung in festoons to the waters
edge. Each crevice gave life to lux
uriant plants, and bright-hued flowers.
while its top was crowned with a ever
living foliage of grand old cedars.
Birds of sweet voices sung strange
songs, while others of bright plumage
gracefully swept from bough to Dough
watching the singular beings who had
interrupted their solitude. The
Judges spring, on one side of the
bluff, and Wilson's on the other, gave
cool, refreshing draughts to the thirsty
emigrants. The soil was of unsur.
passed fertility, and enough had been
left of its growth by the foot of wild
animals to give them bread. Salt was
in abundance in the waters of the
lick" Huge cane, such as is un-
known TO u generation, conceald
the face Of the country everywhere.
Our friends felt al the spies did who
went into the land Of promise, and
gladly said, " Here we will make our
abode" They erected a log house
just above the work house, where they
stored their goods, and soon a brisk
trade sprang up with the Indians, who
resorted to their quarters in large
numbers when their arrival was made
known. The settlers remained here
until the frosts began to make their
rude abode uncomfortable, and their
goods were all disposed of, when they
loaded up their canoes with the
accumulated furs and prepared for
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