The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1879-12-25
THE MOUND BUILDERS IN
DfANS.
Memphis Appeal.

originated GO much OF speculation as
the Indian mounds. They are met
With in ovefy part Of the west and
iSouthwest, and have puzzled and
amazed the ignorant and the credu-
lous. In view of the few eyidenceso of
industry and originality Of conception
evidenced by the Indians who have
survived the rapacity of the white
race, the conclusion has very general.
" obtained that it was impossible to
reconcile the mounds with any faculty
fer building or for military defense
that they everexhibited. Every time
a water jar is found or mound open
ed the question of the mOund-builders
As race differing from and superior
to our indians is called up for discus
sion, ut last to be relegated to the
mists Of an obscure time, Recently
frora a mound, on the Bateman place
in this county, an Indian water jar
was taken in perfect state Of preser-
walton: Il is in the form of woman
sitting with her legs cOiled up under
her, after The fashion usual to the
Indians of the present day. Fire
marks were visible upon it here and
there, and it seemed IN every respect
as if it had just come from the skillful
potter who had fashioned it. The face
of the image and the bosom were more
strongly marked thaa is usual, and
it struck US as in every respect 4 supe-
rior work of the kind. The finding
Of this excellent specimen of Indian
pottery revived the discussion as to
the mound builders, an esteemed corr,
respondent insisting upon the idea
long held in this part of the country,
that they were race apart from the
Indians known toius and our ancestors,
were closely alliel to the Aztecs, and
were in all respects people superior
to any other that we have any record
Of as inhabiting this continent. For
this view there is no other foundation
but that OF fancy. There is every
reason t. believe that the moundS
builders and the tribal Indians of
North America are one and the same
race. Dir Squier, of New York, the
very best authority on Indian matters,
after thorough Investigation, pro-
nounced The acknowledgements of
the western part of that State 10 be
the work of the Six Nations, and not
very ancient. The Chicago Tribune,
in well considered article, sustains
This position, and says that David Gu.
rec, son of the former chief of the Tus-
caroras, and uncle Of Lieutenant Cusic,
of the United States Army, was a
civilized mah, and, what is more, was
one whose absolute integrity and truth
fulness WAS vouched for by white men
of the highest character. David Gu
sic, in writing the traditions of the |
Six Nations; speaks of their modern
history, and also Of, the manner in
which they constructed their forts, as
thing well known among them.
They first set up stockade of logs
and then erected a parapet of earth
outside, piling it up against the stock
AIDE. When.the logs rotted out there
remained only "fortiication mound"
The war history of many of these
forts was modern, and was perfectly
well-known to the Six Nations. The
history and traditinns Of the Six Ma
tions were carefully kept, for these
tribes had very regular and formal
organization, and held certain great
assemblies, in which the elder men
publicly recited the national history
for the education of the young. Where
a custom of this sort prevails, oral his
tory obtains some portions Of the per-
manency of written documents, and
the main points in the national annals
may be preserved for many centuries.
The Six Nations, and also the Wyan-
dottes, all agree in the outlines of the
history Of the ancient war that expell-
ed The mound-builders from Ohio.
Cusic says the war was long, and last
ed ''pcl haTs a hundred years" Both
Cusic and the Wyandottes speak of a
hero named latatan, who was on the
victorious side. They also speak, as
of perfectly well>known fact, of
fragment Of the mound-building ma
lion being driven eastward, and TAX
ing refugee in the mountains near
Oswego," and of their subsequent
growth and development into the Six
Nations. Now, this latter piece Of
tradition may not be perfectly accur-
ate, but the tact that they preserved Z
their mound building habits down to
modern times lends probability to their
own account of their descent from
The expelled Ohio nation This old
assertion that the modern Indians
know nothing of the origin of the
mounds is growing stale. The Six
Nations claimed to know, and to fix
the date of the war; the Wyandottes
agreed with them. The Indians near
Romeo and KalamaEuO, Michigan, /
,yave accounts of the use of the forts