No. 2. Chickasaw Surveys, Lafayette Co. Mississippi.
No. 3. On Clear Creek in Lafayette Co. Mississippi.
No. 4. Prairie Jefferson, Moorhouse Parish, Louisiana.]
An analogous work of some interest, (Fig. 21,) but partially destroyed by the Tennessee river, upon the bank of which it stands, occurs near the town of Florence, in Alabama. “It consists of a large mound, hexagonal in form, truncated, and forty-five feet in height by four hundred and forty feet in circumference at the base. The level area at the summit is one hundred and fifty feet in circumference. It appears to be composed of the ordinary surface loam, and is carried up with great regularity. So far as it has yet been examined, no traces of bones or other foreign substances have been discovered.
“Partly surrounding the mound is a wall two hundred and seventy feet distant from its base, which extends from the main river below, to a branch formed by Cane island above, constituting a segment of a circle, the centre of which would be in the Tennessee river. The wall is about forty feet across the top, and, making allowances for the ravages of time, must have been originally from twelve to fifteen feet high; it is now about eight feet in height. The mound and wall bear the same marks of antiquity, both being covered with large timber of the same age and description with that found growing on the surrounding lands. The wall has what appears to be a ditch on the outside. [p110]
“These works are situated on the river bottom, and are half surrounded by a very high ridge, which runs parallel to the Tennessee river, about four hundred yards distant. This ridge, upon which the principal part of the town of Florence is situated, overlooks and entirely commands the whole. The mound, with its surrounding wall, thus situated and exposed to attack, could hardly have been designed as a place of defence. It must have been appropriated to another purpose.”[77]
These works are specially interesting from the fact that they partake more of the character of the works in the valley of the Ohio, than any other southern structures with which we are acquainted. The accompanying descriptions were furnished by Rev. R. MORRIS, of Mount Sylvan Academy, Lafayette county, Mississippi; the plans are from surveys by the same gentleman.