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UNIVERSITY LIBRARY

AMERICAN ANTIQUITIES:

BKAP BKFOKE \ .lOINT 'M KKTlNtJ Ol-' THK

PIONEER ASSOCIATIONS

OF THK ("iHrN'riKS OF

JranWin, |[tt^limgttm mA | iiihing,

.4t) their

CELEBRATION Of. THE NATIONAL ANNIVER8AKY,

Ptttaskolfl, ®l)io/ InlB 5t, 1870.

BY SAMUEL PAftK^ ESQ.
OF MARSHAI.I,, ILMNOW.

TERRB-HAUTB:
0,,.3f. SMITH a CO., STEAM BOOK AKITf .roB P^llNTEKK.
1870.

AMERK^AN ANTIQUITIES:

J'.K.^I) ]ii;!'l>HU \ .lOIXT :MIOH{'i Nil OF THK

PIONEER ASSOCIATIONS

OF THIi; (JOUNTIE.S OF

AT THI^JH

CELEBRATION OF THE NATION AIv ANNIVERSARY,

Jpotoskaltt, mio, Snlg 4, 1870.

BY SAMUEL PARK, ESQ.,

OF MARSHALL, ILLINOIS.

TERRE-HAUTE :
O. .r. SMITH i ro., STEAM BOOK AND JOB I'Br^TERS
1S70.

AMERICAN ANTIQUITIES.

Weten called upon by Mr. Smucker, Secretary of the "Licking County
P ioneer Association," to treat more fully in my Pioneer Papers on this
mysterious fort and mound question, I said, and thought, that there was
nothing in that on which I could write an article that would be of any in
terest to the public. It was a subject on which I had read and thought but
little, and what little attention I had given to the subject, had impressed
upon my mind the impropriety of any attempt on my part to penetrate the
darkness or solve the mystery with which they are surrounded ; because
men of science, and the most profound antiquarians of our land had ex
hausted their skiU in vain research to solve the mystery of their existence ;
military men had searched in vain, for a system of tactics adapted to their
situation and character. Almost every effort had but tended to increase
the mystery and intensify the gloom with which they were surrounded.
Hence I dreaded to say 'anything about them, further than to merely men
tion the fact of their existence in a portion of Union Township. But this
did not seem to satisfy Mr. Smucker. He thought the subject had not
been exhausted, and "wanted a paper on the mound question." Having
been quite familiar, in early life, with the location of several fine mounts
in the northeast part of Union, as well as a few in Granville Township,
and knowing that some of them afibrded a fine prospect of Licking Valley,
I determined to ascend to the top of one on my old farm, (now the Licking
County Infirmary Farm), and look for something to write about.
When I reached the summit of the mound, I was astonished at the
change that had taken place since I last visited that elevation, some twenty
years ago. Much of the timber had been removed from the surrounding
country, especially to the west, which had greatly extended the view from
this point. While sitting on this elevated tumulus and contemplating the
beauty of the scenery, I began to call to mind the several mounds with
which I had been familiar in other years, within a radius of two to three
miles, and being well acquainted with the topography of the surrounding
country, I was astonished to see that they occupied so nearly a common
level on the hilltops, and that, with a little more timber removed, all were
in plain view from the position I then occupied ; and further, that of some
ten or more that I could then call to mind on a territory of some twenty-
five or thirty square miles, nearly if not quite all of them could be seen
from each and aU the others ; and further, that while there was an extensive
common view to all of them, yet each mound overlooked a valley or plain,
more or less of which could not be seen from any other one. To make
this more clear, let me specify a few cases, to-wit : From the position we
now occupied, we had a delightful prospect of the country for many mUes
around us, extending west into Harrison Township, north into GranvOle,
and to the east and southeast the whole Licking Valley was spread out be-

fore us. Looking over the numerous hiUtops of Hog Run and Upper
Clay Lick, the sight was lost in the hilltops beautifully delineated on the
horizon, extending in a semi-circle from the hills of the Rocky Fork to the
Coal Hilla of Perry county, while the special view from this mound, and
not to be seen from any other, lies to the northwest. Three or four mounds
on a ridge along the line between Union and Granville Townships command
the view, respectively, of deep valleys lying on the north and south sides of
this ridge, whUe one on Stephen Gill's farm, and others on the farms of
Aaron Hillbrant, Mrs. Owens, Mr. Jones and John Haynes, South of
Auter Creek, and others on the lands of F. Dunlevy, Wesley Belt, Henry
Lytle, and others north of the railroad, each and" all have their special
views not to be seen from any other mound, and stiU are all in plain view
from the mound above Union Station on the Infirmary Farm. Those
mounds are aU situated on high hills, but we have found since that there
are many other mounds on the same territory, generally situated on slight
elevations at the head of ravines, on the banks of streams, &c.
The discovery of these peculiarities began to open a new train of thoughts
on the mound question, and begat a desire for further investigation. We
next visited some of th« hills north of the Raccoon VaUey ; among which
was Fort Hill, so called. This is one of the highest elevations belonging to
this range of hills, and overlooks a considerable district to the northeast, as
well as an extensive portion of the Raccoon Valley. On the top of this
hUl we found a fort enclosing some fourteen to sixteen acres of land, and
in the middle of it another with a deep moat inside of the waU, which was
less than one hundred feet in dianieter. The inside of this is considerably
elevated but appears to have been dug down by some person seeking for
treasure or curiosities. We -have often been surprised at the vain hopes
of some persons that they might find a fortune in some of these mounds.
Can any sane person for a moment indulge the thought that there ever
was a people or nation so ignorant as to erect such conspicuous piles to ee.
Crete treasure, with any hope of its safety ! Nor since silver and gold has
been used by man as the representative of wealth, have we any account of
any nation or tribe that buried with their dead any considerable amount of
the precious metals, or anything else of lasting value. It is aU lost labor
to seek in such places for treasure or valuable jewels, for they are not there.
These works were raised for no such purpose. There may be found a few
trinkets, placed there with their dead, a thousand years since the erection
of the mounds, by some of the wandering tribes of our native Indians,
but beyond this you might as well seek for the treasures of Babylon in its
ruins, or for the gold of Solomon's Temple that so dazzled the eyes and as
tonished the rich Queen of Sheba, or that excited the covetousness of the
Assyrian hosts, by a search among tjie rubbish of that ruined pile, as to
seek among these monuments for the treasures of these ancient Americans.
We must find some other use for these works more in harmony with the
human mind, or of its conception of the nature and relation of things
than that of treasu-e tombs or military works, or acknowledge that we
knew nothing about them. We shall r.ssume that they are the monuments
of a civil government, with but little of the military or mortuary char
acter about them, and will try our theory by the works themselves and
leave it to others to judge of its plausibility. '
We next visited "Aligator Hill." Here we found quite a curiosity It

5

Is a pretty fair artificial representation of the aligator, or great American
crocodile. We did not measure this singular tumulus, but would suppose
it to be about two hundred feet long, and the length of its legs from forty-
five to fifty feet each. Its tail is curled to one side, and its length from the
juncture of the legs is some one hundred feet. It is situated on a high hill,
and afibrds a fine prospect of the surrounding country. This animal-shaped
tumulus has probably been eight or ten feet high, and may have been a
representation of the tribal ensign or coat of arms. Some have thought
that it was an object of worship, but there is nothing in the surroundings
that will justify such a theory. There may have been, and probably was
a small temple of worship on Fort Hill, but not here.
I think that several of the mounds in Union might be -seen from this
position if the timber were removed from the hills south of the Raccoon
Valley. From this point we selected several other distant elevations, on
which, we thought, there ought to be some kind of artificial works to jus
tify the theory we were about to adopt. Some of these we have since vis
ited and found mounds of greater or less magnitude at each point. We
next visited an elevation about a mile south of Union Station, on the old
farm of Henry Hillbrant, deceased.' Here is a double-walled fort, about
seventy-five rods in diameter, with two fine mounds inside of it. The walls,
with the ditch between them, have occupied a base of some fifty feet.
There is some forty rods of the circumvalation that is in the timber and
has not been ploughed, but the balance of it has been in cultivation about
forty years and is in many places nearly effaced so that it is at present dif
ficult to determine how many or where the openings were, but from
appearances I think there have been gates or openings to the north, the
east and the southeast, toward three fine springs that are some thirty or
forty rods distant at the base of the hiU. From the present appearance,
one, if not all of these springs, may have at some former period broken out
of the side hill near to if not within the line of the works, but at present
they are aU at the base of the hill. The prospect from this elevation is
very fine, and embraces nearly the same territory as that from the mound
on the Infirmary Farm, with a fine additional view to the south, and a
view of a portion of Cherry VaUey, that is intercepted hy hiUs from those
mounds north of the railroad. The fine mound near the site of the old
Twining mill on the Raccoon branch of Licking river, the mounds in the
upper part of Cherry Valley, and those in the Auter Creek Valley, near
the old English mill, as well as the works at the Fair Grounds, and others
on the Cherry VaUey, all would come under the view from this elevation,
though from five to seven miles distant. From this point the hills south of
Newark appear to be in a Valley, while those farther east appear to loom
up above them. From this elevation, I selected some seven or eight ob
jective points or elevations, lying to the south and southwest, and ranging
from one to six miles distant from this point of observation, on which I
thought there should be mounds or watchtowers to effect a complete v iew
of the whole face of the country, especially to overloook the great vaUey of
the Pataskala river above Hebron, but on none of which did I know of the
existence of any artificial works. I was sufficiently weU acquainted with
the country to know in what particular neighborhood each of these eleva
tions was situated, and to satisfy myself on this point, I obtained a horse
and started to examine those several locations. On thefirst I found a fort.

6
(so caUed), about two hundred feet in diameter, and a mound in the middle
of it. This is on the farm of Aaron HiUbrant, and has been in cultivation
for many years, but stiU is weU defined. The second point was a ridge on
the old John Rufiher farm, about one and a half mUes northeast from
Licking Church. On the west end of the ridge I found a fine mound
some ten to fifteen feet high, and about forty rods east of it is an oblong,
oval fort one hundred and fifty by two hundred feet in diameter, and on
the east end of the ridge, and about a half mUe from the former, is an
other fine mound, and the remains of an artificial pool near to it. This
pool has been about one hundred feet in diameter, and the bank thrown up
to form the pool weU defined, but has at one point been swept away, so as
to nearly drain the pool. The top of the ridge where this is situated is so
narrow that the water falls off to the north and south from the banks of
the pool. With the broken part restored, this pool would stiU be some
six feet deep. These works are all in the timber, and have not been dis
turbed by the plough. My fourth point was a high hUl, a half mUe west
of Licking Church, on James Black's land. Here, too, is a fine mound that
has recently been opened in search of treasure. My fifth point was on
Thomas Stone's farm. Here too is a mound that can be seen in some di
rections for several miles. My sixth was a ridge Ijing between the residence
of WUUam Moore and that of Joseph Rhodes. On the east end of this
ridge have been two small mounds, that have been nearly blown away by
the winds, and near the west end there is another small mound. The sev
enth was on the lands of Mr. H. Kagy, near to the former residence of
the late Col. W. W. Gault. Here, too, is a mound ; but the last three or
four mounds have the appearance of never haviag been finished. My next
point was on the high lands, in the vicinity of Nelson Buckland's. This
point I did not visit, but was informed by Christopher Winters, Esq., that
there is one on his farm, which joins that of Mr. Buckland. I put up over
night with my old friend and associate of my youth, James WeUs, Esq.,
who with his exceUent wife were pioneer children, and enter fuUy into the
spirit of these pioneer resurrections. May they live to the fuU close of the
century, so much of whose toUs and triumphs they have already shared.
My next point was on the west line of the township, and south of the C. O.
RaUroad, in the vicinity of where Asa Brown lives. This is usuaUy called
a low, wet, beach country, but is in reality an elevated plain or ridge, that
marks itself clearly on the horizon, when viewed from other distant eleva-
vations. I started for Mr. Brown's and traveled up the Pataskala or
south branch of Licking river, to the town line. Near the banks of the
river I found several smaU mounds, but I found my principle observatory,
or signal mound, on the farm of Mr. Clark, a half mile south of Mr.
Brown's. I again called on Mr. Brown, to whom I was already indebted
for many items in my Pioneer Paper, but I did not find Mr. Brown so
well posted on the mound question, and perhaps disposed to be a little
skeptical as to my theory. But after spending an hour very pleasantly,
and partaking of an excellent dinner with a wedding party, I again started
north on the town line till I crossed the railroad. Here we found mounds
on both sides of the township line. From here we traveled west and north
till we reached the old Columbus road from Granville, near to the residence
of Col. John 0. Alward. On this trip I found several mounds, some in
the vicinity of Ezekiel Cunningham, Esq., but the largest is on the farm

of Zephaniah Alward. The summit of this would command the view of
a large scope of country if the timber were removed, and signals could be
easUy exchanged between this and those on the hUls near Hebron, or with
those about Union Station, and perhaps with not more than one repeating,
to Columbus, I put up with Mr. John Deeds, on York street, and spent
one day in this vicinity, and found several mounds. From here I trav
eled south and crossed the South Fork into JEtna Township, and down the
county line, south of the Bloody Run Swamp to the Baltimore Road, thence
to Hebron, and along the East line of the township, back to Union Sta
tion. In this trip, I sometimes laid down fences and rode through farmp,
and sometimes would leave my horse and walk a mUe to examine some ob
jective point, and I have found these mounds everywhere on this territory,
both on the hUls and plains, in sufficient number to overlook the whole
surface of the land, and I do not believe that within thq bounds of my re
search there can be found a single fifty acre lot that can not be viewed from
some one or more of these artificial mounds. I have examined the location
of more than one hundred, and have not found a single exception to
the rule that each one is so situated as to command a view, more or less of
which cannot be seen from any other, except in a few instances where they
were double or in pairs. This rule, however, would not hold good where
they are found on a level plain in clusters, which is sometimes the case.
On this trip I met with Mr. Jesse Thompson, of Hebron, but formerly of
Fairfield county, Ohio, who informed me that when he first settled on Walnut
Creek, in Fairfield county, about the beginning of the present century,
there was a graded road, easUy traced in the timber ; that it was some
thirty or forty feet wide between the ditches, and appeared to be as old as
the forts and mounds, and he always thought it to be a road leading from
the works near Newark to those at CircleviUe, as it was on a line between
those points. But I have met with nothing of the kind, nor do I suppose
that, in the present improved state of the country it could be found.
There are some of these mounds that appear to be in an unfinished state,
and some that must have been intended to answer some other purpose than
that usuaUy assigned them, or of signal points. There are several mounds
on the lands of Mr. Dunlevy, and some of peculiar character. There is
one west of the pubhc road that is by way of eminence caUed "the mound."
because of its being larger than any other in that vicinity, that I wiU try
to describe. It is situated a half mUe north of the creek and nearly a
half mile west of 'the public road, on a gently undulating plain. This
mound is about twenty rods in diameter at the base, and although it has
been in cultivation for many years, and every efibrt made to reduce its
heighth by ploughing around it, (for it is too steep in its ascent for a team
to pass over it), it is stUl some thirty feet high. On the south side of
this mound there appears to have been a land-slide that has considerably
reduced the grade of the ascent on that sido. throwing it a little out of a
regular circle, and giving it rather a serai-oblate form. On the north side,
there has been] a narrow graded road for ascending the mound. This has
been nearly destroyed by cultivation, but still can be seen. _ But the great
curiosity in connection with this'mound, and a peculiarity that I have
net found in any other, is the remains of a massive vault in the southwest
part of the mound, that has extended nearly or quite to its center. From
the prese'nt apipeaa-ance, this vault must have been not less than sixty by

one hundred feet, and possibly much more than that. By its falling in it
has left the top of the mound in the form of a crescent or semi-circle, and
doubtless has greatly reduced its altitude. I think that the bottom of the
vault has been nearly on a level with the surrounding plain. There also
appears to have been a narrow subterranean passage through the mound,
from the north side of the mound to the vault. This is indicated by a nar
row sink in the waUs of the mound, that extends from the vault to the
northern extremity of the mound. This transverse sink in thewaU is yet
clearly manifest, though the plough has passed over it several times. The
length of this subterranean passage to the main cave or vault, must have
been nearly two hundred feet. How the roof of this great artificial cavern
may have been sustained, whether by an arch of sun-dried brick, or other
wise, is left to conjecture ; but if all other mysteries were solved _ that now
surround some of these works, we could soon find means to sustain the roof
of the caverns. Some thirty or thirty-five rods south of the mound is an
excavation of considerable extent, from which a portion of the material to
erect this pUe was doubtless obtained. The soU of this mound is very fer
tile, while a portion of the surrounding plain is comparatively^ sterUe.
There are other tumuli around this at various distances that are in plain
view from this. Among them are some in an unfinished state, but oth
ers are complete. But none other possessed the threefold character of
watchtower, signal point and magazine for stores. From a half mUe
to a mile and a quarter to the northeast from this singular mound, is a
series of knobs, or tumuli, of not less than fifty on an area of some three
hundred acres of land. Most of these have always been considered by the
citizens natural elevations, though there are among them several weU de
fined artificial mounds, and some things in others that give them the
appearance of a series of artificial works, or perhaps rather, natural eleva
tions with artificial termini. While looking among these hUlocks, which
range from eight to fifty feet in heighth, and of various forms, I
noticed that fiom the side of one of them a tree had fallen, that had turned
up a, root of some six feet in depth, which would reach to the level of the
surrounding plain. This I examined, and found that it had brought up
from the bottom a stratum of rich black soU, apparently of drift formation,
while above it was a mixture of clay loam and gravel. This mound was
not less than a hundred feet above the alluvium or bottoms of Auter Creek,
and nearly a mUe distant from its chamiol. This stratification of earth in
this tree root showed not only that this was an artificial tumulus, but that
it had been erected on the original surface soil. Not more than two hun
dred feet from this is found the largest mound that I have seen in the county,
or that I have ever seen, except Everman's Mound, in Jasper county in the
State of lUinois. But there are in this State some larger mounds. This is
nearly round, between three and four hundred feet in diameter at the base,
and, I should think, fifty feet high. There are two or more other well de
fined artificial mounds on my father's old farm, now owned by Wesley Belt,
but the greater portion of these elevations are on lands that were owned,
when I left this State, by Reuben Linnel, Justin Hillyer and James Cun
ningham, all of which I believe is now owned by Mr. F. Dunlevy.
There are among these knobs some ponds of water which I think arc
artificial pools. Though the land there is generally quite porous, and the
^yater passes away quickly, still, from some cause, some of these pools are

9
Vety retentive, and hold water n6al-ly or quite the year round. As we gd
west from this singular cluster of elevations, along the line of Union nnd
G^¦anville "Townships, we find quite a number of mounds, some of which
are clearly in an unfinished state whUe others are neatly and scientifically
completed. If I now resided among these Works as I did in former years, and felt
the interest in them that I have since the middle of April last, I should
investigate them with as much care as I was capable of. I recoUect to have
seen, while residing in this State, other fine mounds in dififerent parts of
this county, particularly in the townships of St. Albans, Burlington and
McKean; and in Mr. _ Smucker's "Historical Sketches" we are informed
that they are found quite numerous in the townships of Licking, Bowling
Green, Franklin, and Hopewell. Some of these are represented to be on
a grand scale, and of a peculiar and interesting character. Several of
these mounds were composed wholly of stone, and very large. We have
also seen them down the LickingVaUey as far as Zanesville,and on Jonathan's
Creek, also east of Lancaster in the county of Fairfield, and in the vicinity
of Columbus in Franklin county. These all seem to have belonged to the same
series or cluster of works.
I find in a late publication by John C. VanTramp, entitled, "Life in
the West, with a view of the States and Territorial Regions of our West
ern Empire," an elaborate report of "A Party of Literary and Scientific
Gentlemen from Natchez," who examined the works on the Mississippi be
low that city in May 1838 ; and another from a "Tourist," describing the
works on the Great American Bottom, in the State of Illinois, below the
city of St. Louis, that are very, interesting as literary productions, and if
the design of their publication had been none other than to advertise the
literary skill and abUity of ' their authors, they, were commendable and
worthy of perusal, but as to their throwing any new light on the subject, as to
their nature and origin, or of the original design of these works, that will
at all barmoD'ze with the unbiased understanding of thinkiog men that
have ever been familiar with these strange works, — it is not there ; but on
the contrary some of their conclusions are rather laughable.
In nearly or quite all these mounds that have been carefully examined,
more or less broken pottery has been found, and in the smaU mounds clustered
together on level plains, many human bones, sometimes mingled with the
bones of beast?, of birds and of fishes. But in the scattered mounds, or
in those on the hilltops, but few human bones are found. It is often the
case that bones are found near the surface on the sides of the large mounds.
These were doubtless placed there by some of our wandering tribes of In
dians, long since the erection of the mounds, whUe some of those at the bottom
of the mounds were likely placed there at the buUding of the work, or in a
vault that may have been provided when the mound was first erected.
We are informed by Doctor F. H. Jennings, late of Muskingum county,
that he had seen one or two mounds opened that distinctly showed the re
mains of vaults in them, in which bones and other relics were found.
Since we became interested in this mound question, Mr. Isaac Smucker
placed in our hands "The Writings of Caleb Atwater, published by the
author," in 1833, which treats extensively on these mysterious works of
antiquity. This is a work which I never had read tiU now ; and when I
think of the extended investigations of Mr. Atwater, of his abilities as an

10
antiquarian, and of the renown of those learned men, whom he has called
to his aid, it looks hke presumption in me to attempt to present a singJe
idea to the world, on a subject so intricate, that would in the least co^ict
with the apparently satisfactory conclusions of these learned writers. _.But,
to my understanding, the mUitary, the mortuary, and the sacrifacial idea-s
seem to have prevailed in the minds of aU these writers, in nearly or quite
aU of their investigations, to such an extent that we think that their pre
possessions of thought have led them in some respects into erroneous con
clusions. And, though I may subject myself to the derision of the learned,
who may esteem themselves more wise on this subject, I will_ venture to
cast my thoughts "upon the waters," and let them sink or swim, as they
may favorably or unfavorably impress the minds of thinking men. I am
satisfied that a great amount of error prevaUs in our country m regard to
those antiquities, and if I shall but suggest a thought that wUl direct the
wise into a channel of investigation that wiU develop light on the subject, I
shall feel that I have rendered a service to my country.
We learn from the writings of Mr. Atwater that these works seem to
have commenced about the head of our northern Lakes, thence down their
southern border into western New York ; from thence in a southwestern
direction along the streams, through the Mississipi Valley, and up the Gulf
to the City of Mexico. He also gives us diagrams of most of the principal
works in Ohio, and some representations of curiosities and sacred images
found elsewhere. In fact, Mr. Atwater, unlike the writers in VanTramp's
work, manifests a stronger desire to arrive at the truth than to captivate
by literary flourishes or by picturesque imagery, I have been both de
lighted and benefitted by the perusal of his writings. His great research
into the ancient history of the old world, both sacred and profane ; his
careful and apt comparisons of the tumuli of the various ages and na
tions of the earth, their origin, nature, general character, location and
use, from which to draw conclusions as to the origin and design of our
own mysterious antiquities, is truly interesting, ingenious and instructive.
But notwithstanding this evidence of great learning, skill and research, I
stUl think that preconceived mUitary and sacrificial ideas and m3-thological
historj' has had too much to do in the conclusions that have been di-awn
from these premises. For I can see in the larger proportion of these works
nothing in the nature of military defence, but little of the sacrificial, and
the mortuary, merely incidental except where they are found in clusters on
level plains. These works are found very numerous in the State of Wis
consin, extending up the west shore of Lake Michigan, from near Chicago,
to Sheboygan, from Lake Winebago, down the Rock River valley to Fulton
on the Mississippi, in the State of Illinois, and from Milwaukie across the
State down the Wisconsin River to the Mississippi, And in vol. Ill, of
the historical collections of Wisconsin, page 178, in a paper by "Alfred
Brunaon, of Prairie Du Chien," we are informed that there are in Craw
ford County alone more than a thousand of these works. Who also says,
" the fact that human bones have been found in some of them, is no evi
dence that they were erected as tombs for the honored dead, because the
Aborigines found here by the whites, have long been in the habit of bury
ing their dead in them, and as many of these tumuli have been opened with
out finding either bones or any thing else in them but soil, the presumption

11
15 very strong that the bones sometimes found in them are from the inter
ments of the Indians, who more recently occupied the country," Mr,
Brunson, presents various arguments to prove that they were not erected
as tumuli for the dead. The mass of the works in Wisconsin, are said to
be representations of animals ; and Mr WiUiam R, Smith " President of
the State Historical Society, of Wisconsin," in the third volumn of the
History of Wisconsin, (page 263,) After coming to a conclusion directly
the opposite of that of Mr, Brunson, and speaking of the total ignorance of
the Indian Tribes as to their origin or design, uses the following language :
" Why should not these animal-shaped mounds be considered as possessing
a .strictly heraldic character ? There would be little diflSculty in assigning
to them such a symbolic meaning ; if they could be considered as the final
resting places of such Indians as bear the names of. Little Turtle, the Bear,
the Buffalo, the Eagle, the Little Crow, the Watchful Fox , the Snake, the
Deer, the Warrior, the Black Hawk, the Wolf, the Panther, and the Ali
gator ; many of the mounds resemble figures to which such nominclatures
may be well applied, 'But these Earth-works belong to a period when a
different race existed ; and yet the names of individuals, and of Tribes or
clans, may have been in like manner conferred and held, in ancient as in
modern times." Here is a theory that I have seen advanced by no other
writer, and although it may have some apparent plausibility when applied
to the works of that particular locality, it could not have any general ap
plication to our American Antiquities, There are some twelve to fifteen
authors represented, or quoted in these works of the Historical Society, of
Wisconsin, stUl no two of them agree, except in the mUitary theory. And
this is taken for granted by nearly all, without attempting to present a
single argument to sustain it. We are further informed by those Wiscon
sin writers, that these works are generally located on high elevations, that
command an extensive view of the surrounding country, just as the circu
lar or pyramidal mounds are found in this state. And I can see no more
to justify the military theory in these animal shaped turmuli of the north
west, than lean in the round, and angular works in the more southern
portions of the Mississippi valley ; let any thinking person, for a moment
reflect on the idea of a fort for military defence, or protection, one, or even
two hundred feet in diameter, of easy approach at every point, or of a
mound erected a quarter of a mile from dry land, in a lake of water, being
erected for a place of retreat, and security from their enemies in time of
war, when it would have required, as many men as could have stood upon
the mound, two generations to have erected the work, to say nothing
about the want of stores to stand a siege in such a place, whUe the enemy
jhad control of the main land, such a theory is siinply preposterous, yet
such was the deliberate conclusion of a " party of Literary and Scientific
Gentlemen from Natchez." I suspect however, that "Cot. Cogncui, or Capt.
Bourbon," had more to do in arriving at this condusion, than either. Na
poleon Scott, or Hardee,
I have sometimes thought that we free American Fathers were too apt,
when we find that we have a boy, that is too laay tO' make his living by
farming,' or any other industrial pursuit, to send him to college with the
view of crowflSng him into some of the learned profesgi ons. But too often
.k> eotars ogJJcigo witlioitt ajDy defcite purpose, ajjd Jqiws it, but a gr84u-

12
ated fool. But feehng his importance with a Diploma in his pocket, te
drives ofi",afterthe first shadow that flits before him, and brings up witft
results simUar to the above, you wUl find a few of them in nearly all tne
Learned Professions, but our political ranks are over run with them, ana
in our military ranks, not a few, but this is not the question at issue,
Neariy aU the writers .on our antiquities, concede to our mound-builders, a
pretty high state of intellectual culture, and who have left us very few re -
ic3, or evidences of Paganism, yet aUthat touch upon that subject at all,
speak of them as a worshiping people, and some think there is satisfactory
evidence of their knowledge of the true God, But our author s ideasof
their mode of worship are governed by their notions as to their orgm.
They usually ascribe to them, the mode of worship practiced by the peo
ple and country, from which they suppose them to have originated, Ihey
also concede the idea that there has been some cities, and possibly some
large cities, and that some of the Tumuli, may have been used as
Watch Towers, in time of war, or insurrection. But that such use was
only incidental, or emergent. But what evidence they have that there
ever was such a state of war, or insurrection as to make such use necessary,
they faU to tell us, and we are left to infer that they admit the watch-tower
theory, because the works so strongly indicate that character, that they
cannot ignore it, yet they are so strongly wedded to the military, and the
mortuary theories, that they cannot give them up. \Vith due difference, to
the great abUity of many of these learned writers, we think that some of
their conclusions are based upon observations too superficial to entitle them
to much credit. To prove this we need but call your attention to some of the
writings on this subject,
Mr. Atwater says that many of the writers on these antiquities, never saw
the works themselves, or if they did, it was only from some public convey
ance, in hasty flight through the country, and consequently they knew
nothing about them, and their representations are not reliable. This no
doubt, in some instances is true. But those newspaper correspondents, and
other persons seeking literary renown, are not the only persons chargable
with having arrived at conclusions, and published opinions, based upon ob
servations quite too superficial, Mr. Atwater himself, with all his care, is
not safe from this charge, for in his report at the antiquities of Licking
County, though he made a personal survey of them, he seems to have but
little knowledge of their extent and diversity of character. He gives us
very correct diagrams of a portion of the works on Cherry Valley, and
speaks of one or two mounds, south of Newark, and some pitts below New
ark, and south of Licking River, These he calls the works in Licking
County, while they constitute but a very small propD. tion of those works.
He also says, these works are situated on an elevated plain ; forty or fifty
feet above the aUuvium, or creek bottoms and geneially forty feet above
the country around it, whUe in fact they are situated on a low plain, not
more than forty or fifty feet above the present worn channels, of the stream
and nearly surrounded by high hUls, and on which are but little, if any
less than one hundred mounds that look down upon that valley, or plain
and its works, none of which does it appear that Mr, Atwater had any
knowledge of; besides this, those works extend nearly or quite all over the
flOunliy, ^d east injp» Magkingum, land. Qjahocton Coflnties, And soutb
i3i'W?^ta(lfe]fetd-Co\mW^itoaV*i^^ CcTuiW. Afid

13
I doubt not if_caref\illy examined, would be found in a continuous line to
the Blississippi ; and if their builders did not constitute one great Nation,
or Kingdom, they con^JuUted several large cities, with extensive coun: ry
suiTOundings, and enjoyed such fraternal relaaons with each other, as to
leave us no trace of the lines of division or any marks of discord, or of
bloody wars,_ But on the contrary, they have left us an abundance of mon
umental tesiimony, that there has been a well a-ranged, and thoroughly
organized civil government. For we do not hesitate to express the opinion
that the great mass of those antiquities are the monuments of peace, and
not of war, as is generally supposed, my reasons for this opinion is their
want of adaptation to mUitary purposes.
Nearly all of the circumvalations, or forts, so called, are constructed
with the moat, or ditch inside of the wall, and many of them are very
small, ranging from one to two hundred feet in diameter, and of easy ap
proach at any, and all points on the outside. Now to call such .works mili
tary fortifications, is not only absurd, but supremely ridiculous, I care
not what principle of warfare, you may assign to these mound builders ; or
what weapons they may have used ; whether the primitive Sling, the Bow
and Arrow, the Javelin, the Dar , the Sword, or Cutlass, or any kind of
explosive weapons. For any, and all of those, they were useless, as places
of security, or for defence. Just so, in regard to many of the mounds.
Many writers from whom we might expect rational conclusions, when they
could find nothing to justify calling them monuments for the dead, they
would adopt, and publish the much more absurd theory, that they were
erected, for places of retreat, and security ia time of war, and for batteiies
of defense, while nooe of them gives us the slightest iaiimation as to what
kindof batteries could have been used by these ancient people, that could
have been adapted to such works, still this was the deliberate conclusion
of the "party of Literary and Scieiiafic Geni,lemen from Natchez," But
these men are not alone in adopdng that theory. It is quii,e common all
over the country, but the fact that the uneducated masses have adopted
an absurd theory, is not a sufficient leason that learned men should do the
same thing, and confirm the. unwise in their error, simply because they, the
learaed, cannot find rational use for these works. Let them rather ac
knowledge that they knOw nothing about it. That would set the mass to
thinking, and investigating with more care. I am informed by WUliam
Lockard, Esq,, of Clark County, Ills,, but formerly a cijzenof Ross Coun
ty, in this State, that the la-gest and most noted Tumulus, in that part of
the couutry, is a triangular mound, on the point of land between, and at
the confluence of the point, and Sciota River?, That it is located on the
alluvium, and at the rivers sometimes overflows the plain for a considera
ble distance above and around this singular tumulus. That it contains
an area of about ten acres of land, and is some twenty-five to thirty feet
high, and level on the top, and was covered with ]• rgf^ p'-camore and other
timber, as was the river bottom, on which it was located. And whUe he
resided there a man erecMd a house on the top of it, and sunk a well to a
level of the surrounding plain, and that broken Po.;ery and other evidences
of its artificial construction was found all through it. And further, that
the ascent was very steeoall round it, except at the upper, and most accuta
iwigte, aestljwi' .thie fflagfife? tMicBHJp, uor.* hr^ #JJ?t a.' aiile cast; of # «Airm

14
the Scioto, are noticed in Mr. Atwater's work, or any other that I have
seen. I have introduced the account of this mound here because of its
singular character, and to say that this too, is called a military work. But
can any person conceive of any instrument of war, previous to the discov
ery of Gun Powder, that would have been adapted to the defence of an
extensive plain from such a point ! If not, why should we violate the hu
man understanding by assigning them a use for which they arein no way
adapted, and that too where none of the surroundings wUl justify the
theory, whUe we may assign them a civU use in complete harmony with
their nature and the usages of the age to which they belong. The form of
this mound would indicate that it was sacred ground, or an emblem of du
ty, and may have been the foundation of a great temple. It was a common
custom, among the ancient nations of the earth, to carefully guard the lives
and dignity, of their rulers, by prohibiting the promiscuous approach of their
subjects. This is stiU the case with some nations ; it is done in various
ways; the most common, is by military guards, who were chosen with ref
erence to their good will, and attachment to the .person or thing to be
guarded. But in the great city of the Assyrian Empire, (Babylon,) the
Palace of the ruling Prince, though protected from the approach of enemies
by the great wall of the city, was also protected from the near approach of
his own people, by three additional strong walls, surrounding the Palace
within the city. It was much the same with the Jews ; although^ they
were the chosen people of God, and reputed to be the Righteous Nation of
the Earth, and were entrusted with the secrets of Jehovah, which when
unfolded by the fullness of time, were to become a blessing to the world,
stiU they could not be trusted to govern themselves by their moral sensi
bilities, but were limited in their approaches to their own sacred Tabernacle
and their Great Temple, by the outer courts that surrounded them. But
we need not name isolated cases, for the principle has been common to all
ages. If any of us to-day were to attempt to visit St, Peter's at Rome, the
Mosque of Omar, at Jerusalem, the Palace of Napoleon, in France, or of
Victoria in England, we should find them all strictly guarded. Just so with
the ancient people that erected those American Antiquities, they understood
human nature weU enough, to know that it was better to spend money, and
labor to maintain the peace and dignity of their government, by guarding
against trouble, than to spend it to quell insurrection. Hence these nu
merous monuments of their wisdom and greatness spread all over our lands.
And it is left for us, without the aid of letters, to study the theory of their
government from these mute relics of a pre-historic age. Though we should
fail a thousand times, in our efforts to fully comprehend their nature and
UtUity, let us not give up the research, but dUigently pursue the inquiry, and
encourage the people living among the.se works, to carefuUy observe, and
preserve every thing that may tend to throw light upon the subject, and in
due time report their discoveries to your Pioneer Associations, to belaid up
in your Archives for scientific investigation, one object may throw light
upon another, until light and truth may crown your efforts. My own theo
ry in regard to these strange works has been shadowed forth in what I
have already said, I have told you that I looked upon them as the monu
ments of peace and not of war. The circumvalations, or enclosures of
¦what fmir forai at© <iho tnlter-ooiirte oif 8e»].B of BayaH^* oad o^ Teanplss of

is
Worship, aud enclosures of Magazinesi 01- Public Stored, of' Public Parksj
or Pleasure Grounds, while others were for Athletic exercises and othei*
public games. We find the works varied in their character, and well
adapted to these several uses. Those whose nature indicate the location of
seals of royalty, or of temples of worship, are so constructed that the out
side multitude could easily approach to within a suitable distance to offer
their adulation to the Princes, or their adoration to the Gods, and witness
the sacrificial offerings of the Priests in the Temples, yet the deep moat in
side of the wall, guarded those sacred precincts from the press of an enthu
siastic, or ft sacreligious multitude. The same may be said, as to the adap
tation of those whose nature and location indicate other uses, whether for
pleasure, or for the protection of public stores. In some places these works
are numerous and expensive, and indicate a crowded state of Society, or
rather a large city population. And the works gradually grow more sparse,
as they recede from these apparently central points, but with occasional
minor-c'usters that indicate the location and protection of subordinate Rul
ers, the locations of Magazines, etc., yet we find no signs of discord or of
separate independence. Such a great central City do we think once occu
pied the hilh and valleys of Licking; and which centered on Cherry valley.
To the greater part of the mounds we assign the character of Watch-Tow
ers, and signal stations, from which the watchmen kept a constant look-out
and by concerted signals, could report any incipient move towards Insur
rection, or insubordination to the Laws, as well as to announce the signs
of the times, or the approach of danger from the elements, or from any
other source. The location of these mounds not only indicate such a use,
but is such as to greatly facilitate such a mode of communication with ra
pidity and certainty. The idea of such an attachee to the Government as
a watchman is not novel, for such an office was common among the primi
tive oriental governments; and judging from the writings of Isaiah and
Ezekiel, they were found among the Jews at a later date than that of the
erection of these American Antiquities. And in an age when letters were
unknown, such watchmen, and such a system of signal communications,
were of great importance in the government of a large tribe or nation.
There are in some places, usually on level plains, many small mounds that
were doubtless erected as tumuli for the distinguished dead, while there are
others that seem to combine several uses. But tlie greater portion of the
scattered mounds were, doubtless, for the use we have assigned them, and
constituted a system of communication extending from the center to the
circumference of the Kingdom, equalled only by the modern telegraph.
These watchmen were doubtless among the learned men of the nation or
tribe, and their position an honorable and an honored one in the King
dom, for they must have constituted the principal medium of communica
tion between the different and distant portions of the Kingdom, And hav
ing been educated for this special oflice, it was probably held for life, and I
should not think it incredible to suppose that vaults may have been prepar
ed in the base of their watch-towers to receive their mortal remains, after
having been worn out in the service of their country, that they might, after
death, continue to enjoy a relation to their honored position in life. This
may account for the few humati bones found in some of those scattered tu
muli. The mathematical skUl manifest in the construction of some of these

16
WoriiS, as well as the fine top6gi'aphical engineering shown in the locatidn
of these signal mounds, indicate a pretty high degree of culture, for that age of
the world, and I think conclusive evidence that they were not erected by
the ancestors of our native Indians, as it is not probable that they ever ad
vanced beyond the hunter-grade of civUization in which we found them,
while our mound-buUders must have been much in advance of this. These
signal mounds are not always found on the highest hills, but where they
will command the most complete view of the whole land, whether below
or above their location, and where they can be seen by the greatest number
of other mounds, by views through valleys, or between distant hUl-tops,
This feature is an important one and cannot be the result of accident. On
the contrary, it shows a careful economy in locating them, so as to attain
the object of their erection with the least amount of labor possible. This
would have been needless had their design been other than that we have
assigned them. They would, in many instances, have much better suited
the theory of "worship in high places," or of "monuments for the dead," if
they had been differently situatf d, from that in which we find them. We,
in one instance, found a mound on an offset. or table on the hUl-side, where
it commanded the view of an adjacent vaUey that could not have been seen
from the top of the hUl, while there was none on the hiU-top, seventy-five
feet above the plain or level table on which the mound was situated. And
yet this mound was but little less conspicuously situated in its relation to
other mounds than if it had been on the top of the hill. Again, the size of
these "Tumuli" are to a considerable extent governed by the nature of the
ground on which they are located. On high, narrow pointed, natural ele
vations, they are much less than when the hUl-top presents a broad, level
surface; also, on gently undulating plains they are larger and taUer than
when situated on the hUls or on smooth plains. Another feature that I
have noticed is: that their number is governed by the character of the face
of the country where they are situated. On rough, broken lands they are
numerous, while on smooth plains they are but few. StiU where they are
found at aU, they are found in sufficient numbers to overlook the whole
surface of the land. In our Prairies of Eastern Illinois, there are but few,
except along the banks of the Wabash, but the few found away from the
larger streams are generaUy large and tall, and so situated as to overlook
a large district of country. Now,, we would ask, why aU this kind of dis
crimination, if their primary object had been of a military character, or for
altars for sacrificial, or as monuments for the distinguished dead.
In fact such a theory is irreconcUable with the hr man understanding of
the nature and relation of things. The mind must be educated to such
theories before it can see any thing in these works to justify them, that
these ancient Americans, like the ancient Egytians, Phonicians Assyrians
Chinese and other original Tribes, or Nations, may have been superstitious
m some things, and behind the present age in the arts, and sciences, may
be quite true, but that is no reason why we .should attribute to them, 'intel
lectual inconsistencies, that would sink them below the wUd Tribes that
roved through our Forests when first found by the people of Europe
How many of us can give a rational account of the original design of tlie
Pyramids of Egypt. We may think we know, but with an unbroken chain
of History reaching nearly back to the probable period of their erection we

17
still know but little about them, yet they are there, aud were erected by
the most learned nation of that age. No person pretends that they were
military works though thoy are as well adapted to mUitary purposes, as are
our mounds. AVe have no fault to find with the representations given by
Mr, Atwater and other distinguished men, of what they have seen and ex-
ap'ined. But we do object to their conclusions, when based upon such
limited observations as is manifest in regard to the antiquities of Licking
County. There are at least eight forts or circumvalations in the county
that I know of, that are not noticed by any of those writers, except three
that is mentioned by Mr. Smucker, and there cannot be less than tliree
lumdred mounds that :uo ui>t noticed at all ; yet when they are viewed as
a whole, tliey present a very different feature than when seen in isolated
parts, though these parts may have been the most prominent portion of the
works, They must be examined from the center to the circumference and
the relations of the several parts to the whole as weU as the scientific har
mony of those relations, must be studied to fully comprehend their use.
Let any person that is weU acquainted with the face of the country inform
himself as to the location of fifty or one hundred of these scattered mounds
in Licking county, and then let him ascend a few of them, and imagine the
timber all removed, aud he will be astonished at the hai-mony of tlieir rela
tions. Nearly all wUl seem to be in plain view, from almost every point.
And further that nearly all seem to have been built with reference to
t''e works on Cherry VaUey as a common center. Cherry V.alley, is that
part of the Licking Valley, west of the City of Newark, that lies between
the Pataskala, and the Raccoon branches of Licking River, extending from
their junction up the Pataskala to the mouth of Auter Creek, and up Rac
coon Creek some three miles to the range of hills dividing the Raccoon
and Auter Creek Valleys. It is a beautiful plain, the soil is graveUy, but
very fertile. It embraces about three thousand acres of land, and lies
nearly in the shape of an equilateral tiiangle. On this plain is situated
several of the lai-gest and most singular artificial works to be found in the
country. The principle one of these (so caUed) fortifications, which con
tains about forty acres of land, is owned and occupied, by the "Lickuig
County Agricultural Society," and the place where they hold their annual
Fairs, This part of the valley .«eenis to constitute a central point, in the
extensive cluster of works, lying in this and the adjoining counties. And
after becoming satisfied in my own mind, by observations from variouf^
elevated points, that the arrangement and location of the works of Licking,
would justify the theory that Cheny Valley was the central pouit, whence
radiated the power that controlled aud gave vitality to this great citv, who.so
inhabitants perhaps numbered but little less than the present population of
the whole state. This beautiful valley and its works, began to assume an
importance in thlt^ field of antiquities that I never had thought of before
though famUiar with with its curious works all my life. Now every antique
artificial featui-e about it became an object of iinportance, tliat might have
wrapped up in it volumes of valuable history. Not having found anything
in "Alligator Mound" that I thought would justify the idea of its being con
sidered an object of Idolitrous woi-ship, and having found the triangle hi
several of these artificial works, which is an ancient symbol of tlie True
God, I concluded to again visit the great work owned by the agricultural
sDcietv, and examine "Eaglo Mound," I went there without any doubts nhout

18
finding the representation of an eagle spread out on the surface in the cen
ter of the area enclosed by these great waUs. But when I came to exam-
me its form and proportions, I could not see the "Eagle," nor any thing
that would justify the idea that the moimd was ever intended to repre
sent any Hvmg thing. It could not have been intended to represent a bird
because there is neither Head, Neck, or TaU, and the wings do not taper
towards the points, but on the contrary are even larger towards the ex
treme ends. And the abdominal dimentions are much too large to be in
proportion with the other parts. While the Alligator mound below GranviUe
strUies conviction to the minds of all that see it, even at first sight, that it
was intended to represent the great American CrocodUe. It cannot but
require a great stretch of the imagination, to find any anunal characteris
tics whatever in this so caUed "Eagle Mound." At least, such were my
impressions; my feelings would have harmonized much better with the idea
of caUing it a representation of a man, in the act of swimm.iag without any
legs, which it might be said to represent pretty fairly. But I do not think
that it was intended to represent any thing of the kind. But on the con
trary, that it is the ruins of a massive Temple, or Palace of a ruling Prince,
that has been erected with perishable material, such as unburned brick.
The main part of it appears to have been about fifty by one hundred aud
eighty feet, with vestibule and tower in front, and wings extending to the
rigi^t and left some sixty feet in length from the main building. The
wings fall back some twenty to twenty-five degrees from a right angle
with the main building, and probably had Towers at the extreme ends.
This is indicated by the larger pile of earth at the ends of the wings. My
reasons foi* calling this the ruin of a large buUding is. First- — Its form being
that of a large building, with wings to the right and left and vestibule and
tower in front. Second— It.^ situation, it being a little in the rear of the
center from the great gate of the court that surrounds it, and fronting the
entrance, or gate of the court. Just as I think a skiUfid draughts=man of
any age would place such a building to be in harmony -with it.a surround
ings. In the third place, its materials. All the plain on which these
works on Cherry VaUey are situated, is full of gravel, or public stones, even
to the surface ; and the walls of the court that surrounds it are of the
same character, Avhile the mound or I'uin, is composed of good brick-elay
free from gravel, and foreign to any thing to be found in this vicinity.
There is also another slight elevation of this same kind of clay outside of
the court. It is situated to the right of the road, leading from the gate of
the court towards the Pataskala, or South Fork of Licking River, and in
dicates the former existence as a Block of BuUdings, or Guard Houses,
that extended some three or four hundred feet from the waUs of the court,
to, and beyond the site, ¦^^¦here the Trustees are preparing to eveet a Hotel
Building fbr the use of the Park. This bed of clay is from 12 to 16 inches
deep, resting on gravel, while but a few feet from it, the gravel is found to
come to the surface. This debris lying as it does, by the side of the pass-
way to the only entrance to this Royal Court, and "between the paraUel
walls, that it is generally believed were erected to protect the passway from
th's sacred precinct to the river, is strongly suggestive of the location of a
series of Guard Houses, to prevent the promiscuous entrance of improper
persons, to this well guarded seat of royalt3^ This theory is so adverse to
anything heretofore presented, \n regav(J to this great work, by any writer

19
that has treated upon these antiquities, so far as I have any knowledge of,
and this particular work ha\Tng always been looked upon by the mass of
those that have seen it, or seen Mr, Atwater's Diagram of the,se works,
with such fixed mUitaiy prepossession, I shall not wonder if many and per
haps among them some learned men, should denounce it as fanciful. But
when any of my readers feels tempted to pr.-s such a judgment, let them
first go to work and get up a theory more in harmony with the works, and
their surroundings, and -wdth unbiased convictions of tlie human mind, then
wUl I concede their right to denounce my notions. But in the absence of
any thing better, I honestly beUeve that any common-sense man, that wUl
critically examine these works and their surroundings, divested of aU pre-
posses.=ions wUl find ten times as much to ju.^tify this as he wUl the military
and "Spread Eagle" theory. We cannot review the fields of antiquities
in the Eastern Hemisphere, nor in many parts of our own country, a.< oth
ers have done. But from what we have read, and what we have seen, we
beUeve that the works of Licking county are a fair type of aU the works on
this continent, of a simUar date. But the question wUT naturally arise in
the mind of many:
Who were the people that erected these works ? and what has become
of them, or of their decendants ? These questions are not necessarUy con
nected with the primary object or our paper, and it would seem folly for me
to advance any theory on that subject, when our most able Historians have pre
sented to the world such diverse opinions. Some have attributed them to
Northmen, who they think reached our north-eastern coast about the sev
enth or eighth century of the christian era, others equaUy disposed to catch
at straws think that they have found some Irish reUcs, and some Celtic, or
perhaps rather some Hiberno-Celtic Hieroglyphics engraven on the rocks on
our coast. While others have discovered and translated some old Scandin
avian manuscript records, that points out this country as New Ireland, set
tled by the Irish, about the year 1000 to 1003. WhUe Mi-. CatUn ascribes
them to the Welsh who migrated to this country, under "Madoe, Prince
of Wales," in the fourteenth century, and who he traced by these monu
mental works, from the Gulf of Mexico, up the Mississippi, and Ohio Riv
ers, and a remnant of whose decendants he finds in the Mandan Indians.
In fact they have been ascribed to almost every European, and Asiatic
Nation on the Earth. WhUe Mr, Bancroft nearly scouts the idea of theu-
being artificial works at aU ; some of these notions are preposterous to the
minds of persons that are at aU famiUar with those antiquities, for they do
not at all harmonize with the age and character of the works. Mr. Atwa
ter, Mr. Breckenridge, and many other Scientific Antiquarians, have made
laudable efforts, to discover their design, their age, and their nationality,
from the relics that are found in and about them. But these too are so
diverse in character, as to their age and nationality, that it is difficult to
arrive at any satisfactory conclusion from that source. To show the diffi
culty arrising from this source, I wUl relate a fact given to me recently by
Elder John Smock, of Bremen, in Perry county, but who was fifty one
years a citizen of Muskingum county in Ohio, Elder Smock says, he is
seventy-one years old, and when he was about tAventy years old, whUe en
gaged in burning charcoal, on the iluskmgum near Dresden, for the use
of the Dresden Furnaces, he and seven others, prompted by curiosity
opened a mound that was about eight feet high, situated in the Township

20
of Madison , about one mile north-east of Dresden . On doing so they found
in the middle of the mound, and on a level with the surrounding plain, five
human skeletons, lying in a radiatmg position, with the feet towards the
center. That with the bones, they found a large number of flint arrow
points, some of them seven or eight inches long, and that they appeared to
have been contained in a wooden box, that had entirely decayed. Also, a stone
hammer, in shape like a shoe-hammer, with a groove around the middle of
it by which to bend it to the handle, instead of an eye through it. Then
t^ere was a blue marble pipe ; this he represented as being g. plate of blue
marble, about eight inches long, one and a half inches wide and a half inch
thick, with the bowl in the middle of it. That there was three orfices of
smaU size, drilled through to the bowl from each end, that a person could,
and that he often had smoked through each and aU of the six orfices. He
says the pipe was nicely executed, with some ornamental work on it. The
pipe was claimed and held by Mr. Teeple Yaw, who was the oldest man of
the party, who afterwards moved to Indiana. The fourth article discovered
was a brass kettle, of about three gallons capacity; this was bruised, and
flattened by the weight of the earth on it, but its material not greatly in
jured. Fifth, an ax, rather a long bit and narrow; it was whatis usually caUed
the old Virginia or Enghsh style of ax, and of about four pounds weight.
It was pretty badly rusted, but not so but what in distinctly showed the
iron and steel, when ground to a smooth surface. Here are several articles
found lying in juxtaposition at the bottom of this ancient tumulus, that
evidently belong to ages, not less than three thousand years apart, and
with the mode of burial, representing several nations. From which it may
be seen that it would require close discrimination to determine the matter
from this source. But with all these difficulties, this is probably the best
source from which any definite conclusions can be drawn. If we were fully
assured that those curiosities said to have been taken from the large stone
mound south of Newark, in 1861, by Mr. Wyrick, were really found as
represented, we should not hesitate to express the opinion that they were
placed there by some of the "House of Israel," after the giving of the "Law'
from Sinai," and the erection of the Tabernacle, and possibly after the
building of Solomon's Temple. But we find that some of the best informed
citizens of Licking county, do not think that the antiquity of these relics
have been fully authenticated. But if these were fraudulent, there have
been many relics found in and about these works that w^ere not fraudulent,
and Mr. Atwater, who has taken more pains to coUect and compose the
lessons taught by those relics, than any other writer, of whom I have any
knowledge, thinks that the preponderance of testimony from that source is
in favor of Asia, as several images representing their deities are decidedly
oriental, principally from Hindoostan, and Southern Tartary. And fur
ther that the marks of civilization agrees with the civilization of this part
of the world, at the probable period ot the arrival of the mound-buUders
in this country. Also that their stature and physiology are clearly Asia
tic, judging from their fossU remains, and he thinks clearly mark them as
having sprung from the same division of the human race. Mr. Atwater
also thinks, that they were an agricultural people. This he draws from
the fact of their adherance to the rich alluvial districts of the country. I
will not take it upon myself to criticise tliis theory, (and aU that any person
can give on this subject is but theory.) Still I am inclined to favor a dif-

21
ferent opinion. That is that they were a Nation of Shepherds ; this I conclude
from their uniform adherence to the water courses, secondly, though there
is no evidence that they ever occupied what may reasonably be supposed to
have been at that age of the world, comparatively sterile lands, they were
not confined to the alluvial districts, but were spread out over a wide dis
trict of high rolUng, and what we may suppose to have been good pastural
lands. Thirdly, they have left no remains of substantial dwellings, or of
manufactories, such as belong to an agricultural nation, they were doubtless
a migratory people. Though they may have continued in the same place
for several generations, or even for centuries, stUl we think that like the de
cendants of the Ishmael, the mass of them always dwelt in tents. Hence
we may be allowed to doubt their Chinese or Hindo origin. From Sears'
History of China and India, we have reason to think that they of Asia
were, like the Egyptians, an agricultural people from the start, and if our
mound buUders had emigrated from Eastern Asia after it had become so
thickly populated, as to induce such migrations, we should probably have
had some other evidences of such an origin. While the Pharaohs were
buUding the Pyramids, the people of China were a refined, and highly cul
tivated nation of SUk Manufacturers, and we think that an emigration
from such a sociefy, like the Druids of England, would have left some
more unmistakable evidence of it, than we find in our American Antiquities.
We think that these ancient Americans, like many other primitive nations
had their origin in the general dispersion from the Plains of Shinar, and
that the state of civilization to which they attained, like that of other ancient
nations, was the natural growth, or development of their own system of
mental culture, and not borrowed from any other division of the Earth,
And while the Egyptians, and people of Eastern Asia became Farmers and
manufacturers, some, as the Phonicians, became merchants, while the
Americans, and some other divisions were devoted to a pastoral life.
And others, still less indined to improvement remained in the wild hun
ter State of civUization, a sample of which is found in our native American
Indians, and whose ancestors we think were not Ukely at any age to have
been more civilized than they were when first found by Europeans. From
which you may infer that I do not believe that these wUd tribes of aborig
ines or their ancestors had any thing to do with the erection of these w;orks.
But what has become of them, or their decendants ? This too is a question
that we cannot give a definite answer. Whether they passed away by
Pestilence, or Famine, or as did the inhabitants of the "Cities of the Plain,"
by the Fiat of Jehovah, in consequence of their sins, or from some other
cause must be left to the developments of the future. But in this matter
we are inclined to favor the theory of Mr. Atwater, and some others, who
think their decendants are found in the Astecks who were found in Mexico
when first invaded by the Spaniards, or in the native inhabitants of South
America, and Peru, or in all of them. There seems to be almost as much
uncertainty, as to the origin of these tribes, as there is in regard to the
oriD-in of our antiquities. WhUe these people were found by the Europeans
in a much higher state of civilization than our North American Indians,
they were also found at the Southern terminus of this series of antiquities.
The state of civUization in these tribes, as well as their size and physiology,
are said to justify the opinion that they sprang from the same race that
erected these works, and whose fossU remains are found in these ti^muli-

i3ut whether this theory is correct or not ; this we do know, that at sOm^
pre-historic age of our continent, there has been a people here in vast num
bers, much more cultivated and civUized than those we found here, who
have left their marks in these durable monuments, from whose mute lessons
alone we are left to gather the anciept history of our country, and its mu
tations for a period of several thousand years. And though we may never
fully comprehend their teachings, let us continue to carefully study the
book 'before us, for soon we shall cease to have them to study. They are
rapidly passing away by the sacreUgious hands of civUization. This is all
wrong. It is a species of vandalism that should not be aUowed. They
ought to be protected by State authority, as sacredly as the Pyramids of
Egypt. But as this will not be done, let us as far as possible preserve
them in written records, and faithfuUy transmit each successive ray of light
that may break forth from them, to our successions, and not foigetting that
in the language of Rev, R. Smith, of Wisconsin, "We are setting in the
midst of monuments that are dumb, let us watch, they may hereafter speak."

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