Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-12-11
GEoRGIA,s ARoRIG1NEs.
Interesting Legends of the Early Days
of Jackson County.
From the JEFFERSON (Ga,) Herald.

KEGS, Creeks, and Choctaws, 1t was wide
and extensively known as the Oduroc
Trail, or Pathway.
Leaving the Ifundiga river near old
Petersburg, in Ebert county, the Oduroc
crossed the YallahaW at Hamtramahoo-
chez, the modern Hurrican Shoals, and
from thence led TO Ross Landing on the
Tennessee.
The road leading from Danielsville 10
Harmony Grove covers almost precisely
the same ground as the Oduroc did, and
precisely the same from about HIx post
office, in Madison, to the latter place,
where it DETECTED to the lett and passed
through the most gloomy forest ever
known to the pioneer settlers Of this
country. IL early boyhood, when this
forest was still dark and dreary, the
writer has traced the old trail by follow
ing the occasional s'choppings of the In
dams tomahawk" on the trees. 1t was
glorious times then, but he did not know
it. Recently he has travelled over the
same ground; hut the grand old trees are
gone-everything has changed, oh, so
much! The ac0rns seem smaller, the
hickory nuts are harder, the squirrels and
turkeys are-hut they are gone, tOo--nOth-
ing is the same. The rivulets which rip
pied so gliblv over the rocks, clear as
crystal, now flow sluggishly along. laden
with mud and sawdust and the germs OF
disease, which, rising, pass over the hills
to tell its fearful tale along the line of the
neighboring railroad, and elsewhere as
well.
On the territory OF jackson there were
two Indian towns near the OdurOc trail.
The first. coming from the East, was Gus
satee, place of some importance. situated
two miles to the southeast from Harmony
Grove, and about enc mile distant from
the spot once occupied by Abner Akin's
log cabin.
Oduroc is Choctaw name, and, liter
ally, means Lovers Pathway; but Gus
satee is Greek. and signifies meeting
place. The Choctaws were a tribe of In
dians, who, until their removal to the far
West, by the general government, oceu-
pied portions of Alabama and Mississip-
pi.
tits probable that the Western and East
ern tribes were but little known to each
other until after the appearance of COrtez
and his gaudily attired Spaniards made
their appearance upon the Western Con-
tinent. The advent OF these bloody adj
venturers from the Old World upon the
coast OF the great Gulf to the South was
soon heralded Throughout the West
and Sou hwest by the swiftest runners
ever known to the world. Before the
word cotton had ever reached an Euro
pean's ear, banner of cotton cloth, en-
blaZoned with pictures of terrible mean
ings, was untolded in the splendid palace
of MOntezuma, and sent by these races to
all the inland towns. To the pale, beard
ed strangers, these curious pictures were
incOmprehensible; but to the red man
they meant torture, death, and eXtermi-
nation. How we'll he read them is now
written upon every page OF the country's
history.
This terrible news of great painted
ships, supposed to be monster birds
from the upper regions; Of pale men,
imagined to be inhabitants of the clouds,
and of huge cannon, tearing trees into
splinters, and then belching forth fire,
smoke and thunder, being borne up the
rocky terraces Of the plateau from the
blue edge of the tepid sea to every West
ern wigwam, finally reached the Chero-
KEGS and Greeks in the far of East. They
did not know what to think of this strange
news, coming from the bathing place of
the sun in the West. Their prophets
augured-their wise men pOndered over
their curious incantations-their war
riors made tight their bowstrings and
sharpened the points of their arrows
and their women, turning their ears to
the Western gales as they mOaned
through the trees, listened ana wondered
what it all meant.
Thlucco was a young Indian brave Of
those times, of pure Cherokee blood. he
was the only living representative of a
royal family which had lived at the con-
fuence of Salvage lfundiga rivers, his
parents, brothers aud sisters having been
murdered In cold blood by party of row.
ing Creeks. Though mere boy, Thlucco
made his escape to a b blow tree, in " hich
he remained concealed until driven out by
hunger to roam in his native woods. Ever
after he was moody, silent and exclusive
in his habits. Though entitl d to his
fathers rank and dignity, he utterly re-
fused to become a ruler of his people, and
throughout his boyhood spent his time
alone in the forest.
By the by, however, the gloomy Thluc-
co grew to be a man, both in statue and
in prowess. Various opportunities of
revenge presenting themselves, he died
his hands deep with Creek blood. In
various expeditions against that power
full tribe, he distinguished himself for
bravery and cunning, but always acted
on his own line of policy. Refusing to
command others, he would not himself be
commanded.
OF regular features, tall and symmetri-
cal IN form and of commanding appear
ance, none could send the arrow more
true to its mark, or hurl the tomahawk
with q more deadly aim than ThluccO, the
Silent. Whether in the chase or on the
WhFDdbu ne WAS always IN lIOuk anu
always at his post OF duty. The dusky
Cherokee maidens gave him all their
smiles, but he returned them not. They
offered 10 make his camp fires and prepare
his morning and evening meals, but he
waved them away with his long, tapering
fingers, and spoke to them never a word.
''Thlucco's heart is made OF stone," said
they, and, silently retiring, marVeled in
the distance at his curious conduct.
In a council Of the chief men OF the ma
ton. called for the purpose OF considering
the strange news which had reached
them from the far away Aztec land,
Thlucco was selected as the proper one
10 20 and enquire into its truth or falslty,
and report the result OF his Investigations
10 the council within the space Of two
moons, period OF time equal TO fifty-oight
days.
Fleet as the roe that bounded through
his native woods; of undaunted bravery
and liked purposes; and having been in
ured to danger and bardships from his
early youth, the naughty young warrior
neither said that he would gO nor that be
would not; but Immediately after the
adjournment of the council, at the silent
hour Of midnight, when the half-mOon was
Jus, beginning 20 cast its ghOstly shadows
on all surrounding objects, be dlsap-
peared ia the painless forests which
stretched with unknown boundaries 20
the gold garniBhed palace Of the Monta-
amuu fngardQ the oafffnO ann