Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-10-05
RELICS IN NaCooCHEE.
a Region Of Homauces and Tradi-
tions-Indian CuriOSities.


maiden sprang into the arms OF death
with her brave sweetheart, belonging to
a rival tribe, would be considered tt
section to send a missionary TO. Well,
this old chestnut-bel romance has been
rehasned for Nacoocbee, but several extra
touches put on. For instance, instead Of
the manQIed carcasses 0t the desperate
lovers being swept away by the current.
or left To the prey of clrri0n crows, the
remains OF the girl were very decently in-
tered ia the valley beneath an lmpos!nS
mound. | was shown the preciplce on
Mount YOnah from which Miss Naco0-
chez and her lover leaped and was firm,
ly convinced that if she was not killed
outright or had limb broken, that she
has died by this time o. old age. 80 IL
that mound was designed as a grave at
all, it is as apt to be Nacoochee's as any
one eise's.
But this section was certainly the IA
vored resort Of a very advanced tribe 81
Indians, and Nacoochee valley their
home and burial ground, as evidenced by
the many curious and well-carVed ret!c5
found here, Capt. Nichols has large
cabinet Of them, all found In this valley,
which is perhaps the hnest collection IN
&c orgia, except the one in possession OF
Coz. &. G. Jones' Some OF them were
found by the miners on Dukes creeF,
while others we're taken from (ndan
graves tnat surround the mOund in frOntot
Capt. Nichols residence. THIS aboriginal
cemetery WAS accidentally discov 9red by
the Captain, and every @rave he opened
added 10 his store OF relics. 1t seems that
the ground around the mound was cover
ed with rock piles, and Capt. n ic1ols set
his hands at work to remove them. Be
meath each pile were found human hone3,
mixed with arrow heads, beads, baLtle-
axes, pipes and other inGestructl0l9 artl
Giles or sport, domestic use and war. But
the most Interesting relies taken from
these graves we're cOnch shells, evidently
brought from the seaSbOr9, and IL tomA-
hawk beaten from pure copper, in rs
natural state. and the nearest and only
point on our continent where such copper
is found is Lake Superior. Capt. Nichols
very reasonably argues that the Indians
had communication and commercial re-
iatlOns with the tribes inhaUltiag hotl
our northern and southern borders.
Among the relics found in this valley was
a bullet mound made OF lead. in a rough
sta'e. There is tradition that the lndi-
ans mere mined their own lead, but the
place where tneY procured it has never
ueen found. even if it exists The only
ahnernl discovered in th9 valley Is gold,
and the richest mines in the South are
here. On Dukes creek was found a
small death head formed Of a hard black
stone, with one eye made of an opal,
b. autitully worked, and the little trinket
shows considerable artistic skill. This
relic, together with others OF a similar
character, must have been imported by
some one from Mexico. Capt. Nichols
exhibited to US and explained the use OF
numerous Indian relics, that threw quite
IA food OF light on the subject. For in
stance, these round and Saucer.shaped
stones, of various sizes, were used 10 play
a game similar to quOits, at which the
Indians gambled. Instead of pitching
the stones they rolled them at pegs. The
wedge-shaped stones were employed to
dress hides, while the small ones
we're used to work sinews with.
Their tomahawks were of sepa-
rate shape, and their axes, instead
OF having the handle pass through them,
were inclosed in split stick, securely
fastened with thongs. There was
separate make OF tOmahawk, used by the
chiefs and worn at the belt for display.
that were sharpened at both sides and
mole partially drilled in the centre. This
was a valuable discovery, as 1t showed
how the Indians worked this hard stone
with only the rudest implements. We
were shown by Capt. Nichols several
very fine specimens of pipes, including a
piece of pipe of peace. One pipe, exca-
waited on Dukes creek, was very valu-
able relic, aud the government
had a cast made of it. as Capt.
Nichols would not part with
his treasure. 1t is carved out of
rock, and the bowl is made to represent
the mouth OF the whippoOrwili. the beak
of an eagle projecting over 1t. The ears
OF a fox and other figures are also chsel-
ed on il. 1t is as fine piece of sculpture
as we have ever seen. But il would take
columns TO describe the many and rare
Indian relics that Capt. Nichols has col
ected in this valley. He has several
large cabinets of them. There are a num-
Der OF graves around the mound not AS
yet opened. Capt. Nichols says the
mound III front Of mis- house, land which ne
has planted in flowers and Ornamentc d
with a summer house, is just "a he found
it. when he bought the place. It's surface
is dat. and from its summit a fine view oil
the upper portion OF the valley can b..
had. No excavation has ever been made
In this mound, as its shape and other
evidences known to et0D0loglsts show
that it was built by race ante dating
the Indians, and who did not make these
mOunds a storage place for their treas
ures. The tumuli in which relies are
found were reared by Indians, and used
as a tribal burying place. They would
strip the tlesh from tue bones OF their
dead and burn 1t, and when sUiticien I
number OF skeletons were collected would
deposit them. together with the property
OF the skeleton when in lite, on suitable,
spot anu erect one of the mounds over
them.
In mis- Historical Collections OF Georgia,
White mentions the unearthing in 1882,
by party OF gold miners, Of 4 buried vii
LACE OF log cabins, on Dukes creek, near
Mount Nonah. These cabins were about
thirty in number, made OF hewn logs,and
in one was found a willow basket, and In
Others earthen vessels. These nous IS
were ten feet or more beneath the surface
OF the ground and the large oaks growing
upon them, and other evidences, showed
that several centuries he'd elapsed since
they were erected. We asked Capt
Nichols about tots discovery, ami he saws
that II il true, and he has talked with old
men who saw the cabins unesrthed HIS
theory of the history OF THIS buried town
is IA very plausible, and we believe the
correct one. The Captain says there is a
story that DeSOto and his soldiers, in
their march to the Mississippi, after
reaching the headwaters Of the Savannah
river, struc6 across into this vAliey.
This section then was occupied bv two
very fierce and wartiko tribes OF Indians.
in cOuilict with each other but when they
heard Ol the white strangers marchin Z
into their country united their armies 10
resist this invasion. They succeeded in