162 Journal of the Mitchell Society \_March 



Thomas L. Clingman, who claimed that Dr. Mitchell was never 

 on the highest peak of the Black Mountains, but that he Cling- 

 man was the true discoverer. He caused W. D. Cooke to desig- 

 nate on his wall-map the highest peak as Mt. Clingman. On 

 the death of the Doctor he gracefully surrendered his claim. 

 It is now conceded that Dr. Mitchell was right. He is con- 

 firmed bj the United States Geologic Survey of 1881-'2, the 

 highest and final authority. 



The claim of General Clingman, on account of the lapse 

 of time since Dr. Mitchell ascended the High Peak, his ability 

 as a controversalist, and his influence as Senator with the depart- 

 ments at Washington, threatened to be formidable. Dr. Mit- 

 chell determined in June 1857, to revisit the mountain, to make 

 instrumental measurements of its highest peak and to obtain 

 the evidence of those who had accompanied him when he made- 

 his first ascent. With charasteristic self-reliance on the 27th 

 of June, he left his party at the Pa'tton House on the Southern 

 flank of the mountains intending to journey to the top, and then 

 go down to the settlement on Caney river in order to interview 

 Big Tom Wilson and others, who knew about his former visits. 

 A heavy rain detained him on the Peak and alone and in dark- 

 ness the brave but rash old man attempted to descend the slip- 

 pery banks of the Cat-tail fork of Caney river, along whicK 

 there was no path, through thick laurels and over steep and slip- 

 pery rocks. In attempting to pass around a waterfall, he slip- 

 ped down a cliff forty-five feet and then fell over a precipice 

 fifteen feet into the pool below. His watch was stopped at nine- 

 teen minutes past eight on the 27th of June, 1857. The body 

 was found after a lengthened search 8th July, mainly by the 

 woodcraft of Big Tom Wilson. Zebulon B. Vance, afterwards 

 Governor and Senator, was one of the most active of the search- 

 ing party. The body was not bruised and it was evident that 

 being stunned by the fall he died painlessly by drowning. 



At the request of the family he was buried in Asheville on 

 the 10th of July, a touching sermon being preached by Eev. 

 Robert Hett Chapman, D. D., a son of the second President of 

 the University of the same name. 



