The comet. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1877-1882, 1880-03-13
ROAMING PAP.
AMONG THE INDIAN MOUNDS OF
JEFFERSON COUNTY.
FAYETTE, JEFFERSON Co., MISS, |
February -th, 1880.

. Leaving the OLD town of Washing
ton, crossed the classic st. Catherine
which is here small stream, wind
ing its crooked way through broa
bed of sand and gravel, which it ha
left during its former floods, to mari
its volume when sweled by the winte
rains. | call it classic, and well it de
} serves the name in the lore of thi
country. On the banks of this beauti
ful stream the once powerful Natche
tribe of Indians located their capital
and their Villages were numerous
along its valley. The perpetual fires
from their temple flashed upon it,
placid bosom during the dark nights
of their idolatry, and the great Sun
prince and princess, sage and warrior
laved their dusky forms in its limpiC
depths. Subsequently the King o
France granted large tracts of land
and located them in the home of the
Natchez, in the valley of their sacred
stream; history has recorded the stir
ing events which afterwards transpir-
ed. The massacre of the garrison, and
the final determination of the proud
est, most powerful and intelligent
tribe of aborigines in the land, and
near the site of the ancient capital
village, some miles down the stream,
perished the last Of the Suns of the
tribe, when chanting his death-wail,
he sprang into the crystal current of
his beloved st. Catherine, and its
waters were dyed with his blood.
Proceeding on my way, Il arrived
at what was once Selsertown, where
on the 9th of June, 1903, the Board of
Directors of jefferson College met to
establish permanent site for that in
stitution, but now "A dilapidated house
or two, and a tumbledown cotton gin,
mark the spot Here / left the road,
and crossed the fields to the north
ward, to visit the famous Emory In
dian mound, which is said to be the
most extensive monument Of the
mound-builders in the South. a ride
of a quarter Of an hour brought me to
the place, and found it, curiosity in
deed-well worth visit.
Passing around its base to the
South side, L discovered a narrow
path refining my horse into this, and
securing tight hold Of his name, we
commenced our abrupt ascent, which,
thanks to the vigorous climbing, sure
footed animal, soon brought us on a
level plateau, containing, | suppose,
about four acres, and elevated above !
the surrounding country a hundred |
feet or more. Its form is nearly circu-
lar, while at its extreme western side
rises a second mound of a hundred
feet in diameter, by sixty or seventy
feet in height. Following the cotton
rows, (for it is cultivated to the top
riding round and round, gaining few
feet in height each time-which re-
minded me of a picture of the tower
of Babel in the geography of my
days-I finally gained the
which commands Il magni-
ficent view of the surrounding country
for many miles. By whom, or for
what purpose this mound was erected
will ever remain Il mystery, though
conjecture would point to it as forti-
fication. The soil is black, mellow,
and productivc--far more so than any
Of the surrounding country.
1 met an old darkey near by, after l
lad descended, who was raised on the
and knew al about it. He
informed me the mound was built
many years ago by the Indians as
ort of look -out station and fort. That
heir artillery was posted on the les
er mound, while the infantry and
avalry occupied the plateau beneath,
md in case the gunboatS of the whites :,
we're seen ascending the Mississippi /
iver, beacon fires were lighted on the
North side of the small mound, tonOi-
V the Indians of their impending
anger, when they would all flock to
his stronghold and prepare for
eige.
"But," | suggested, "the Mississippi .
iver is not in sight of the mound =
"Dat aint muffin" said he, "dey u
see de smoke of de gun boats, +
f dcy couldn't see de boat his self" +
presumed he was right, and ven q
lred no more suggestions. He also q
lformed me, he and Others often n
loughed up skulls, and other human :
ones and frequently found silver +,
alf dollars. =
"American half dollars. asked?' 1,
"Yes sab, gcn'ine Merican half q
ollars," lac replied. Fl
GLOW do you account for them being II
lere?" | asked, for l was becoming :,
lterested in the old darkey knowl- l.
lge. l,
"Count for dcy being dsr? dat's i
lsy 'nuff | spose dey loose en- when n
py pay Off de troops" q
81 suppose you never found any fl
ade dollars did you? l modestly en- O.
uired. +,
"Yes dey trade any where, jes de "
me like greenback." Was his sprompt II
nd earnest reply. a
/ thanked him for his valuable in ot
rmation and rode away fully inn il
ressed with the vast difference he
yeen the ancient and modern mound u
hlder. Sometime before dark / rode
Ito this place and looked at the town. Y
considerable business is done here n
rough it is mostly confined to one
rect. The Court house and jail u
,cupy a prominent site about the Il
inter Of the place. The Court house a
in a dilapidated condition, and l Il