The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-10-31
PIONEER DAYS
BY MARY GORDON puFFEE.


 storehouse of the ages the one of chief interest and most sought after among the pioneers was lead. They talked and dreamed of 1t, as did the Spaniards of the silver mines of Mexico. Especially was this the case in Blount and Jefferson counties. It was so plentiful among the Indians they naturally believed there were rich veins of it among these hills. Certain it is that plentiful specimens of galena can be picked up. This theory re- ceived it's first impetus from the narration of legends.
 In the year 1S10 an old Cherokee chief named Black Fox died in Browns valley and was buried in an ancient mound. While digging his grave the Indians found several pieces of lead ore. The news of this discovery was circulated in Madison county and created such ex- eitement that many intelligent persons believed that lead mine really existed at or near the tomb of the old chief. Fin ally Alexander Gilbreath, man of prom thence, who then resided in Huntsville, was induced to visit the mound and in- spect It's vicinity. His search proved un- successful, and he then examined the chalybeate springs which are abundant
 
 left by this kind of water and it's pecu- liar taste was thought at that time to in- dicate the presence of lead ore. After many such vain efforts ending in disap- poiptment MT. Gilbreath sought infor mdtion from some of the old settlers of the valley relative to the localities from whence the Indians procured their abund- ant supplies of lead. Mir. George Fields, at that time 50 or more years of age, told h i'm hat ba mines nearer than those of Missouri and Illinois, and expressed the opinion that the specimens found had been brought from one of those states. John Gunter, another old inhabitant of Browns val ley, who had been brought up among the Chickasaws and spent all his life with the Indians, gave the same opinion as to the pieces of lead which had been found in different parts of the county, namely, that they had all been brought from the northern mines. They both de- clared that as far back as Indian memory extended it was the custom of the Creeks to cross the Tennessee river near De- posit (Baird's BlufD and make long hunting expeditions annually to the north, often as far as the Great Lakes, bringing ample supplies of lead ore on their re- turn That the settling of Tennessee by so many white immigrants was a great obstacle in their way to the mines, par tcuarly to those of Rick river. That the Indians were thus compelled in order to reach the mines, to bear lower down the Tennessee river, and that as the whites of Tennessee continued to extend their settlements westward the difficulties in the way of the Creeks to the mines were continually increasing. This explanation by Mr. Gunter was justified in the course of subsequent events, for soon after wards a company of Greeks, returning from a similar expedition, murdered two or three white families, which led to the Indian war of the year 1872, at the close of which they were finally barred from the lead mines by treaty.
 The mounds referred to in Browns val ley are heaps of earth in the form of pyramids and are supposed to mark the burial places of chiefs. Some of them are very old. having upon their summits growing trees of very large size.
 Mir George s. Gaines who was ap- pointed in the year 1865 as agent for the United States government at St. Stephens, on the Tombigbee river, in manuscript notes, relates an incident Of cruelty on the part of the Creek Indians: Soon after these events General Wilkinson cap tured the Spanish forts at Mobile, and thus added the country south of Ellicott's line to the United States This portion of country was claimed by our govern ment as part of the Louisiana purchase from the French. Rumors of the grow ina bad feeling of the Creek Indians rem dered the settlers on the Mobile and Tombigbee rivers and adjacent new set dement's a good deal uneasy, during the year 1872, checking immigration to great extent
 In the autumn of 1872 Tandy Walker, very worthy white man and the public blacksmith, called at my house and told me that he had just learned from a. Creek Indian that white woman had been brought from Tennessee as prisoner to Tuscaloosa Falls Sometimes called Black Warrior Falls, and now the city of Tus- caloosa) by party of Creek Indians re- turning from visit to the Shawnees on the northern lakes. Mrs. Gaines, who was present. suggested to Walker to go and attempt her rescue. Walker said he could do so, but it would be at the risk of his life. He said he could walk up there on the pretense of paying visit to his old friend -oche-motla, the Creek Indian chief, and whilst there could ob- tain canoe and buy or steal her and bring her down. Mrs. Gaines urged him to undertake the enterprise, and Tandy Walker, being a brave and generous hearted man, consented. He departed on his mission of mercy, returning in about two weeks with the woman In canoe | She was in bad health, her mind some |
 
 a wounded condition, caused by the brush | and briars she was forced to walk through | after her capture by the Indians. Mrs. | Gaines took charge of her, ordered tepid bath, furnished comfortable cloth | ing. etc. After weeks tender nursing | her mind appeared to be restored and she | then related her story. Her name was | CraWley and she resided in a new settle 1 ment near the mouth of the Tennessee l river now near the city of Paducah. Ky.) !! One day, during the absence of her hus- | band party of Creek Indians came to | her house. murdered two of her children who were playing in the yard, and she l had barely time to shut and bolt the door, l hastily raise a puncheon (pioneer name | for plank used in making foors) from | over a small potato cellar and place her two youngest children there before the | Indians broke down the door, dragged | her out of the house and compelled her | to keep up with them In their retreat. | They made her cook for them on the | march, but offered her no other violence. | She thought she would die after reach- 1 ing Black Warrior town, and doubtless | would have died but for MT. Walkers kindness and humanity in rescuing her and bringing her to St. Stephens It was several weeks before she was able to un- dertake the journey home. A party of | gentlemen, friends of mine. were going | through the wilderness to Tennessee and | to take her with them. Colonel | Haynes and MT. Malone aided me in pur- chasing saddle and bridle for her and [ Mrs. Gaines made her comfortable in | suitable clothing for the journey. She | was A very intelligent woman When ] she reached home she was delighted to | find her husband and the two children |