The comet. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1877-1882, 1880-02-14
ROAMING, PAP.
He Penetrates Chasms, and DeIyes
Among Antiquarian Relics.
FORT ADAMS, MISS,


of | left Woodville and when the su
~ hid himself behind o scarlet cloud
st bank in the western horizon, ! wa
&c only half way on my journey, or abou
I'd ten miles from this place. The contr
ID through which 1 had passed in m
'e lonely ride up to this point, was desc
,e late in the extreme. Past large uncul
n tiyated plantations" abandoned 70
d want of men or means, OF perhap
e. both, they had grown up in briars ant
n bushes, fences rotted down, and TIN
, hill-sides-which only few years ag,
It produced cotton and corn in abund
l. ance-were now covered with broom
d sedge, and washed into gullies almos
e past recognition.
e The shades of night deepened as ]
# entered the hills, ravines. and canons,
a approaching this place. The moon
had just risen, and now and then
threw her friendly light across my
6 path, to leave me in darkness a mo-
ment afterwards, as / plunged into
some deep gorge through the hills.
The road in many places is too mar
row for two teams to pass, and worn,
washed or dug out, presents the, ap-
pearance of tunnel, were it not for
the opening at the top, high up among
the trees-which grow on the very
brink of these artificial chasms, threat
ening at every moment to tumble
down upon you-where through their
overlapping branches twinkles an oc-
sional star to cheer one onward. Now
and then huge oak has fallen across
this dugway, presenting the appear
ance of natural bridge. This is u
wild, rugged section of country, and at
this time of night-to lone traveller
suggestive of weird iniagnings. At
length the cool breeze from the river
and a low horizon before me, informed |
me l was not far from my destination,
and presently emerged from between .
the hills, and turning to my left, found
myself in the suburbs Of this ancient
town. Repairing'to the only hotel in
the place. put up my horse and hast
ened to my own little bed. At day
light next morning, was early astir,
and taking small boy from the hotel
as a guide, commenced to inspect the
place and surroundings.
Fort Adams is one of the oldest
places in the State, and its visitation /
by white men is cotemporaneous with
Biloxi and Natchez, though it's settle {
ment dates subsequent to them. In f
February 1899 Iberville planted his t
colony at Biloxi, and in June following t
returned to Europe for reinforcements. c
Soon after, during the month of July, |
two missionaries, Fathers Davion and S
visited the colony, having L
come down the river. Leaving Cam e
ada, they followed up the great lakes, s
and descending the Illinois river en- C
tered the Mississippi, wandering "
among the various tribes Of Indians b
)n their way. Father Davion spent il
some time among the Yazoo and a
Tunica Indians, having his head p
quarters at this point. How long he 81
here, history does not inform W
Is, but in all probability he resided W
lere before Iberville landed at Biloxi. IL
At any rate, this was long known by il
he name of "La Roche a'Davion" d.
Davion's Rock, and the fact of his b,
eaving here and visiting Biloxi within di
i've months after their landing, would OF
ubstantiate the probability. Sixty W
i've years afterward, or in February 81,
764, after the treaty between France al
nd Great Britain, in which the foE- til
ner ceded her possession here to the fiji
0 the latter, Maj LOTUS, of the Brit
sh army, with three hundred soldiers, all
nd number of women and children, at
mbarGed at New Orleans totake pos "I
ession of the. newly acquired terri on
Dry. On the 10Th of March the boats alb
cached this point, Which was then .wi
nown as 'La Roche a, Davion.p They or
yere fired upon by Il small party of alb
indians, belonging to the, ,Yazoo and in
unica tribes, when six men were go
illed and seven wounded. Suspect an
lg French treachery, and not know wa
lg the number of their foes, they ma
lowed their boats to drop below fra
ithout firing a gun, und retreated to m,
ew Orleans. After, that this place tb,
as know as "Loftus Heights.n osl
years pass away, when thi
ell. Wilkinson, of tue United States tur
rmy, lands at Natchez with for wa
idable force. 1t was August 26th, do,
80, soon after, he removed his troops mi
a point not far from Washington, for
iss.. when he removed to this place, oo,
tablished a post and built a fort, do
hich he named in honor of John ont
dams. then President Of the United w,
ates, and the county is called Will for
nson. in honnr of the General. At moo
at time these heights proved quite T
ky; and leaving small detatch- con
ent to garrison the fort, Gen. Wilkin- mil
n established camp at Columbian sect
rings, some four or five miles to the in +
stward, and on the plantation now
med by Gen. Brandon. The fort &
IS occupied until 1907, when it was Nc,
andOned. act,
such, then, is the early history Of APP
rt Adams. Expressing a wish to &
it the old fort, my young guide led oK
e way along the foot of the rocky S
lff at the lower end of the town, pla.
d ascending at a point about mid "'. s
" from the town, aud where the '
er once laved the foot of the cliff, p
came upon a broad plateau of per- Gra
ps two acres of level ground, and was
$ was the site of the old fort. ~ IN r.
This plateau terminates toward the lat,