THE SEARCH FOR PROFESSOR MITCHELL'S BODY. 



From the Asheville Spectator. 



Messrs. Editors — Having spent a week at the scene of this memorable 

 calamity, in eearch of the body of Dr. Mitchell, and assisting in its remrn 

 val after it -"A-as found, I have been requested by sundry citizens to give to 

 the public a sketch of the deplorable event. In accordance with their re- 

 quest, I now take my pen to give you all I know of the accident, which 

 has caused so much sorrowful excitement in this region, and which I 

 doubt, not will unnerve the public feeling to its centre throughout the 

 State when the sad tidings shall be generally known. 



It is known to all who have felt interested in our State Geography, that 

 there lately sprung up a dispute between the Hon. T. L. Clingman and 

 Dr. Mitchell, in regard to one of the high peaks of the Black Mountain 

 put down in Cook's map as Mt. Clingman. The former alledging that he 

 was first to measure and ascertain its superior height to any other point 

 on the range, and the latter gentleman asserting that he was on that same 

 peak and measured it in the year 1844. After several letters, pro and con, 

 through the newspapers, Dr. Mitchell announced last fall his intention 

 of visiting the mountains again for the purpose of re-measuring the peak 

 in dispute, taking the statements of some gentlemen who had acted as his 

 guides on his former visits, &c. Sometime since, about the middle of 

 June, I think, he came up, in company with his son Chas. A Mitchell, his 

 daughter, and a servant boy, established his headquarters at Jesse Stepp's, 

 at the foot of the mountain, and began*the .laborious task of ascertaining 

 the height of the highest peak by an instrumental survey, which as the 

 former ad-measurements were only barometrical, would fix its altitude with 

 perfect accuracy. He had proceeded with his work near two weeks, and 

 had rea^clied to some quarter of a mi>e above Mr. Wm. Patton's Mountain 

 House, by Saturday evening, 2^ o'clock, the 27th of June, at which time 

 he quit work and told his son that he was going to cross the mountain to 

 the settlement on Caney River for the purpose of seeing ]Nlr. Thomas Wil- 

 son, "Wm. Riddle, and I believe another Mr. AVilson, who had guided him 

 up to the top on a former visit. He promised to return to the Mountain 

 House on Monday at noon. There was no one with him. This was the 

 last time he Avas ever seen alive. On Monday his son repaired to the 

 Mountain House-to meet his f\ither, but he did not come. Tuesday the 

 same thing occurred, and though considerable uneasiness was felt for his 

 safety, yet there were so many ways to account for his delay that it was 

 scarcely thought necessary to alarm the neighborhood ; but when Wednes- 



