WOKKSOF DEFENCE. 17 



survey by James McBride, Esq., and the description is made up from his notes. 

 The hill, the summit of which it occupies, is about a half mile distant from the 

 present bed of the river, and is not far from two hundred and fifty feet high, being 

 considerably more elevated than any other in the vicinity. It is surrounded at all 

 points, except a narrow space at the north, by deep ravines, presenting steep and 

 almost inaccessible declivities. The descent towards the north is gradual; and 

 from that direction, the hill is easy of access. It is covered with a primitive forest 

 of oak, hickory, and locust, of the same character with the surrounding forests. 



Skirting the brow of the hill, and generally conforming to its outline, is a wall of 

 mingled earth and stone, having an average height of five feet by thirty-five feet 

 base. It has no accompanying ditch ; the earth composing it, which is a stiff clay, 

 having been for the most part taken up from the surface, without leaving any 

 marked excavation. There are a number of " dug holes," however, at various 

 points, from which it is evident a portion of the material was obtained. The wall 

 is interrupted by four gateways or passages, each twenty feet wide ; one opening 

 to the north, on the approach above mentioned, and the others occurring where 

 the spurs of the hill are cut off" by the parapet, and where the declivity is least 

 abrupt. They are all, with one exception, protected by inner lines of embank- 

 ment, of a most singular and intricate description. These are accurately delineated 

 in the plan, which will best explain their character. It will be observed that the 

 northern gateway, in addition to its inner maze of walls, has an exterior work of 

 a crescent shape, the ends of which approach to within a few feet of the brow of 

 the hill. 



The excavations are uniformly near the gateways, or within the lines covering 

 them. None of them are more than sixty feet over, nor have they any considerable 

 depth. Nevertheless, they all, with the exception of the one nearest to gateway S, 

 contain water for the greater portion, if not the whole of the year. A pole may be 

 thrust eight or ten feet into the soft mud, at the bottom of those at E. 



At S and W, terminating the parapet, are two mounds, each eight feet high, 

 composed of stones thrown loosely together. Thirty rods distant from gateway N, 

 and exterior to the work, is a mound ten feet high, on which trees of the largest 

 size are growing. It was partially excavated a number of years ago, and a quantity 

 of stones taken out, all of which seemed to have undergone the action of fire. 



The ground in the interior of this work gradually rises, as indicated in the 

 section, to the height of twenty-six feet above the base of the wall, and overlooks 

 the entire adjacent country. 



In the vicinity of this work, are a number of others occupying the valley ; no 

 less than six of large size occur within a distance of six miles down the river. 

 [See Plate III. No. 2. This work is marked A on the map.] 



The character of this structure is too obvious to admit of doubt. The position 

 which it occupies is naturally strong, and no mean degree of skill is employed in 

 its artificial defences. Every avenue is strongly guarded. The principal approach, 

 the only point easy of access, or capable of successful assault, is rendered doubly 

 secure. A mound, used perhaps as an alarm post, is placed at about one-fourth of 

 the distance down the ascent : a crescent wall crosses the isthmus, leaving but 



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