110 A N CM E N T M O N U M E N T S . 



" These works are situated on the river bottom, and are hah' 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."* 



PLATE XXXVIII. Nos. 2 and 3. 



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. 



Number 2. — " This work is situated in T. 4 S., R. 7 W., of the Chickasaw 

 surveys, five miles south-east of the Tallahatchie river. It occupies a point of high 

 land, overlooking the valley of a small creek, and consists of a simple embankment 

 of earth, about three feet in height, with an exterior ditch of corresponding dimen- 

 sions. It is a polygon in form, and at first glance appears entirely irregular. It 

 will be observed, however, that the line c d corresponds in length with h i, and 

 also that e f is exactly equal to / h, — coincidences which could not possibly 

 be accidental. The side c s j, fronting on the creek, is not entrenched, being 

 sufficiently protected by the high bluflT bank. There are no interruptions in the 

 embankment, the ends of which terminate within a short distance of the bluft' on 

 the right, leaving passage-ways fifteen or twenty feet wide. A ditch, however, 

 extends from i to j, at the south-east angle ; but it is a question whether it was 

 not formed by the water overflowing the artificial ditch at /. The angles of this 

 work are not rounded, but sharp as if newly dug. There are two points, (indicated 

 by the letter s on the plan,) one on a spur of land within the enclosure, and the 

 other at the extreme point of the headland on which the work is situated, where 

 there are excavations from which the earth is thrown up on the outer side. They 

 resemble short sections of the wall and ditch, and suggest the notion of sentry 

 posts, or signal or alarm stations. 



" Within the work are several low, irregular mounds, all of which are flat on 

 the top, except k, which is basin-shaped, the concavity being about two feet deep 

 by fifteen across. Excavations, at any point around these mounds, disclose ashes, 



* Western Messenger. 



