Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-09-04
THE OLD STONE FORT.
A PREHISTORIC DEFENCE

one cf the Mc., n.msrEabie Of icdaas''
MANY Cusioas Relies Of the Mound Baild.
ts~
In former papers, writes a corre-
spondent 20 the indianapolis Necs, |
have described the earthworks in Mad
ison county and the mounds around
vincennes, but the subject has by no
means been exhausted. The mound
builders extended from the copper
regions Of Lake Superior to the
Gulf Of Mexico. As Indiana Is
now almost the centre oil tue
great empire Of freemen, so IN the
dim and misty past 1t was the centre OIL
the great empire Of "iirst settlers
and contains many Of their most curious
and interesting works. The southern
half of the State is dotted all over by
the works Of this mysterious race, and
some of them are truly grand in their
proportions, rivalling in extent the
works Of the ancient Egyptians. The
most curious and interesting study is
the old Notifications. Some one has
said that man was born on battle
field, and that may account for the deep
interest we take in the 'pomp
and circumstance Of war. An old
ruined castle, with its moat, its draw
bridge. and its barbican, will attract
thousand visitors, while a modern
palace will receive but hurried glance.
Wonderful as the mounds are, the ruins
OF the Notifications by which the an
cient inhabitants Of America defended
themselves deserve the first notice.
There are several Of these Notifications
in Indiana, and believe here are to be
foupd the only ones built Of stone.
II the reader will take his map OF
Ohio and Indiana and begin at Charles
ton landing, on the Ohio river, aud
draw a line northwsrd to Anderson,
Madison county, and thence eastward
to Newark. o., and thence south again
10 the Ohio river, he will enclose an
area that was at one time magniticently
protected by Notifications. The de-
fens;ye works were but n few miles
apart and were connected bya series oil
signal mounds. The mounds were
placed near enough together that signal
f,es or smoke might be readily seen
from one TO another.
The most interesting as well as the
most extensive to be found in this State
is found in Clarke county. A visit to
it will satisfy the most skeptical that
those ancient predecessors OF ours pos
sessed a fair share Of military judg-
ment and had an eye to the picturesque
as well. A few miles above Jefferson
Vile is an elevated pear-shaped ridge.
On the east is the Ohio river, which
flows msjestically along. washiny the
base Of the ridge. To the west Is Four
teen. Mile creek, which, at the north
ern point, or neck OF the ridge, almost
touches the river, but turns and makes
4 wide sweep TO the west and SOUTH
and finally emptieS into the Ohio few
rods below the southern extremity OF
the high ground. From the top OF this
elevation is one Of the finest views in
the West, and fully equals many of
those on the Hudson. The extreme
northern point is $50 feet above the
level of the river, and from it the broad
and beautiful river can be seen for many
miles each way. 1t also oyerloOks the
shores of Kentucky far to the south.
At this season Of the year the scene is
peculiarly grand. To the east are the
forests and fields of kentucky, with
the broad river rolling between. To
the west are the fertile acres of In
diana, skirted and fringed by heavy
growth Of timber that has stood the
storms Of half a thousand years.
1t was this beautiful spot, made
by nature almost impregnable, this an
cient people selected to fortify. WhOca
tell the number of sleges it wlthstood
the assaults and repulses, and, per
haps, the famincs? The stories of Troy
may have been duplicated in and around
this western Gibraltar had there only
been Homer to have sung them. Did
the invaders have fiery and impetuous
Achilles and the defenders brave and
gallant Hector: Was there guilty
Paris, beautiful Helen, and a noble
but importunate Priam.
The area enclosed is a space about
1900 feet, with a width Of 500 feet in
its widest part. The top of the ridge
is /, 200 feet long, and at the northern
point is $50 feet above the mainland,
and slopes gradually to the southwark,
and at the lower timber line it is l2O
feet above the river. The bottom-hnd
ut the foot Of the south end is sixty
feet above the road. Along the river
front is an abrupt eScarpment of rock
too steep to be scaled, so that the gar
rison was entirely safe from any attack
on that side. A similar natural
barrier exists on the northwest
side Of the ridge. At the extreme
northwestern end of the ridge, how
ever. that natural wall breaks away
into "shelyes" or benches " that
might be readily scaled. To protect
this angle On artificial stone wall was
built along the slope of the hill to an
elevation Of seyenty-tive or eighty feet
above its base, the last ten feet being
vertical. This wall is $50 feet long,
and connects the natural wall of the
creek side to that of the river. At this
point there is slight break in the cliff,
which affords narrow passageway
TO the river. At point on the
west side and about middleway
OF the ridge the natural wall again
breaks away, and from there around the
south end, until it strikes the river
bluff, is a made wall ten feet high. The
walls are laid up without the use oilim'
or cement, but some Of the stones ar
very large. The inside Of the wall i
protected by a ditch twenty feet Wild
and five feet deep; between the wal
and the ditch are series Of eigh
mounds rising to the height Of the wall
The sides OF the mounds are protecte
by stone shields, made by stones set o
end. At several places along the ditc
channels have been cut and correspond
ing openings made in the walls. Thes
channels were evidently for the purpos
Of carrying off the surplus water.
On the top Of the ridge are severa
distinct mounds, the one at the necl
being the largest and the highest. From
the ton Of this monnd an unohStruc,o,