126 Cincinnati Societij of Natural Hiatory. 



Group D. 



Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, of this Group, are situated in Ar)flerson to^viiship, 

 and on the lands of Mr. Michael Turner. Nos. 6, 7 and 8, of this group, 

 are on the opposite side of the river, in Sections 29, 28, 23, 22, of Colum- 

 bia township. No. 1 is the largest and most interesting work in the 

 Miami Valley. An extract from an article b}^ T. C. Dale, or Day, in 

 The Antiquities of the Miami Valley^ published in the November 

 number of the Monthly Chronicle, in 1839, is as follows : "The site 

 of this stupendous fortification, if we may so call it, is a few rods to the 

 right of the road leading from Newtown to Milford, and about midway 

 between them. It is situated on a ridge of land, that juts out from the 

 third bottom of the Little Miami, and reaches within 300 ^^ards of its 

 bed. From the top of the ridge to low-water mark, is probabl}' 

 100 feet. It terminates with quite a sharp point, and its sides are 

 very abrupt, bearing evident marks of having once been swept by 

 some stream of water, probably the Miami. It forms an extremity of 

 an immense bend, curving into what is now called the third bottom, but 

 which is evidently of alluvial formation. Its probable height is fort^' 

 feet, and its length about a quarter of a mile before it expands out, and 

 forms the third alluvial bottom. About 150 yards from the extreme 

 point of this ridge, the ancient workmen have cut a ditch directh' 

 through it. It is thirty feet in depth, its length, a semi-circular 

 curve, is 500 feet, and its width at the top is eighty feet, having a 

 level base of forty feet. 



At the time of its formation, it was probabl}^ cut to the base of the 

 ridge, but the washing of the rains has filled it up to its present 

 height. Forty feet froni the western side of the ditch is placed the 

 low circular wall of the fort, which describes in its circumference an 

 area of about four acres. The Avail is probably 3 feet in mean height, 

 and is composed of the usual brick cla^y, occasionally intermixed with 

 small fiat river stone. It keeps at an exact distance from the top of 

 the ditch, but approaches nearer to the edge of the ridge. The form of 

 the fort is a perfect circle, and is two hundred yards in diameter. Its 

 western side is defended with a ditcli, cut through the ridge in the same 

 raann^" as the one on the eastern side. Its width and do]:)th is the 

 same, but its length is greater by two hundred feet, as the ridge is that 

 much wider than where the other is cut through. The wall of the 

 fort keeps exactly the same distance from the top of this ditch as of 

 the other, viz., forty feet. Its curve is exactly the opposite of that of 

 the other, so as to form two segments of a circle. At the southeastern 

 side of the fort there is an opening in the wall thirty-six yards wide; 

 and opposite this opening is one of the most marked features of this 

 wonderful monument. A causeway extends out from tlie ridge about 



