The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1879-08-21
Western New York ANTIQUITIES.

A GENTLEMAN who accompanied Cen
eral Clark on his journey over the line
of General Sullivan's march makes
mention, in the Seneca Falls Cou, ter,
of a series of intrenched Enclosures in
the counties of Schuyler and Tompkins,
and short distance northeast of Neck
lenburg. The first inclosure is describ-
ed as being on the county line between
Schuyler and Tompkins, on q knoll be-
tween two small ravines, on the south
bank of stream emptying into Tag
hanic Creek. The ground plan of the
inclosure is circular. The second in
closure is about half mile south of
Perry City. on rising ground near the
east bank of Taghanic Creek. 1t is es-
timated that the inclosure contains
about six acres. A third inclosure is
in the town of Ulysses, Tompkins Coun-
ty, short distance from the county
line, and about two miles north of in
closure No. 2. This fortiication is on
high ground, between Bolter and Tag
hanic Creeks. Part of this inclosure is
covered by forest, and the line of the
earth-work is very distinct, although
overgrown with immense forest trees.
tits believed that the earth-work pro-
tected but half the inclosure, while the
other part of the circle bristled with
palisades.
The writer, who examined the local
ity with General Clark, is inclined to
the belief that those Notifications were
the work of a race which occupied the
region before the Iroquois. One ground
of his conclusion is the apparent age of
the trees growing upon the earth-work
These trees are estimated to be at least
200 years old, with a probability that
still earlier growths had perished on
the same spot. Trees, however, are
very deceiving. The Enclosures are also
said to correspond with those of the
mound builders in the West, while there
| is a similarity between the implements
and ornaments found in Tompkins
County and those dug from the mounds
of the West. The relics found about
the forts in Schuyler and Tompkins
County will be deposited in the rooms
of the Waterloo Historical Society,
where a more critical examination can
be made. The relics taken from inclo-
sure No. 1 include copper dagger or
spear head, which answers to the de-
scription in Fosters "Prehistoric Races
of the United States" A copper knife
was also found. 1t is urged that when
the Iroquois were first discovered they
had no knowledge of working copper.
| The stone implements are said to COM
pare well with those found in Western
mounds. Among the relics is a sculp-
tured image bearing figures resembling
those of ancient Egypt. All the relics
are said to differ widely from the rude
implements belonging to the Iroquois.
Were it not for the relics found in
the Enclosures in Tompkins and Schuy-
Ter Counties, they might be safely cred
tied to the Iroquois, for the Seneca
country was well fortified in the seven.
teenth century. as Denonville found
when he landed at Irondequoit Bay, in
the year 1857, and beseiged palisaded
fort of the Senecas on hill near Victor
At that time the Iroquois believed in
fortifcation, although they were more
accustomed to bush fighting. Most o1
the Enclosures found on the hills of Cen
trail and Western New York are the
work of the Iroquois, who fortified
against the French under Denonvillt
and Count Frontenac.- Dem
ocrdt.