Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1884-03-08

He had been gone over two weeks,
and strange to say his cabin-mate
and partner had been missing for
about the same time. He was a
man but little liked by any of the
miners in our camp. He had but
little TO say; no one knew his name
or his country. His sudden disap-
pearance created some alarm about
Tennessee's fate.
Three weeks had passed I; still no
news. / ut last got the consent oil
twelve stout, brave men to go with
me TO look for the body of my friend
for / was now satisfied he had met
some sad fate.
They kindly elected me Captain,
and agreed to obey my orders-and
they did to the last. I first put my
partner. who was also a Tennessee
an, from GAINESVILLE, on a fine mule
with instructions to go to Downfe-
vile, and learn all he could about
our mutual friend and meet us as
soon as he could.
He met us on the trail about three
miles from Downieville. He gave
US but little news of our missing
friend.
We had about given up the search
and were returning to our camp,
when one of the men called our at
tention to peculiar-shaped mound
of snow near large Spruce Pine
tree, about fifty yards from the
trail. One of the oldest men in the
crowd remarked:
1Aa H0f - N
that mound"
We all waded through the snow,
and with spade and shovel COM
menced shoveling snow rapidly.
When one tired another took his
place.
Some one of the men cried out :
my God boys it is a man ?"
The body was soon cleaned OF
snow and ice, and Oh I! sad, sad re-
membrance 1t proved TO be Ten
nessee, the friend we were looking
for
After some silence and many
tears, l looked up; the last one Of
the thirteen rough miners, with
hats off and heads bowed in the
presence of death, were standing
around me. At length the Oldest
man in the party-who Was an old
sailor came toward me.
Captain" he said, "what shall
we do with the body OF your
friend ?"
came to myself at once. Throw
ing down my hat, l walked up near
the body.
Gentlemen" said, "you here
see the remains of man that in
this life saw many sorrows-he had
his faults; so have we all-hut his
virtues overbaIanced his faults. Let
us hope that GOd In His mercy has
taken his soul to a better world.
thank you for the kindness you
have shown in our search. / have
one more favor to ask of you."
"Name it :" said they all.
"Help me, friends, to bury Ten
nessee at the foot of this immense
Spruce Pine. Lett alone be his
monument"
All agreed.
The snow was cleared, the grave
soon dug, the fire soon made which
thawed the body so that we could
lay it in the grave.
The grave was dug deep, and at
the bottom was narrow pit, as if
we had a coffin. We lined the pit
with Spruce Pine houghs, wrapped
the remains in his overcoat and
laid it on the bed of boughs, cover
ed the body with puncheons hued
out with our axes then filled the
grave, building around it a pen
with large, strong pine logs to keep
sacred the grave from the claws OF
the big Grey Wolf, or the California
Lion, etc. Again the old sailor
came to the front.
"BOys," said he, "can none of us
say the prayers our mothers learned
US when we were innocent chill
dren ?"
All were as silent as the grave
before us.
AT length he opened his lips and
prayed simple and devout prayer.
Then, after shaking hands with
all, he said
riBoys, we have done all we
could, now let us go to our lonely
cabins and try to live better life"
have said all / could. For years
tried to gain some light, but his
name / never learned; he left no
letters or papers to throw any light
On his history. He no doubt got
lost, became tired and chilled by
extreme cold, sat down by the tree
to rest, and went into the sleep
which means the "Sleep of Death.'
r. A. SPICER.
Bartlett, Tenn, Feb. 25, 1884.