﻿102 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  town 
  of 
  Rutland 
  are 
  vestiges 
  of 
  several 
  ancient 
  works. 
  One 
  

   of 
  these 
  is 
  on 
  land 
  owned 
  by 
  the 
  heirs 
  of 
  the 
  late 
  James 
  Wilson, 
  and 
  

   near 
  the 
  residence 
  of 
  Abner 
  Tomlin. 
  The 
  space 
  is 
  still 
  covered 
  with 
  

   a 
  forest, 
  and 
  trees 
  of 
  several 
  centuries 
  growth 
  are 
  standing 
  upon 
  and 
  

   within 
  the 
  enclosure. 
  Decayed 
  and 
  fallen 
  trunks 
  of 
  others, 
  of 
  which 
  

   but 
  slight 
  traces 
  remain, 
  indicate 
  that 
  the 
  present 
  growth 
  of 
  timber 
  has 
  

   been 
  preceded 
  by 
  another 
  quite 
  as 
  ancient, 
  and 
  carry 
  back 
  the 
  origin 
  

   of 
  these 
  works 
  to 
  a 
  period 
  exceedingly 
  remote. 
  

  

  The 
  little 
  hillocks 
  formed 
  by 
  fallen 
  trees, 
  have 
  in 
  some 
  places 
  so 
  

   confused 
  and 
  obliterated 
  the 
  original 
  work, 
  that 
  it 
  is 
  difficult 
  to 
  deter- 
  

   mine 
  its 
  precise 
  extent. 
  The 
  annexed 
  plan 
  (No. 
  3) 
  conveys 
  a 
  good 
  

   idea 
  of 
  the 
  extent 
  and 
  form 
  of 
  this 
  trench 
  enclosure. 
  Great 
  numbers 
  

   of 
  human 
  skeletons 
  have 
  been 
  found 
  buried 
  in 
  the 
  trench 
  which 
  sur- 
  

   rounds 
  the 
  slight 
  mound 
  yet 
  remaining. 
  Within 
  the 
  area 
  have 
  been 
  

   found 
  graves, 
  and 
  fireplaces 
  ; 
  while 
  in 
  the 
  fields 
  around, 
  which 
  have 
  

   been 
  cultivated, 
  great 
  numbers 
  of 
  flint 
  arrowheads, 
  stone 
  chisels, 
  pipes, 
  

   and 
  fragments 
  of 
  coarse 
  earthen 
  ware, 
  have 
  been 
  found. 
  Among 
  the 
  

   charcoal 
  found 
  within 
  the 
  enclosure, 
  charred 
  corn 
  has 
  been 
  found 
  in 
  

   considerable 
  quantities. 
  The 
  skeletons 
  appeared 
  to 
  have 
  been 
  deposited 
  

   in 
  something 
  like 
  a 
  regular 
  manner, 
  with 
  their 
  heads 
  to 
  the 
  west, 
  and 
  

   the 
  knees 
  drawn 
  up 
  to 
  the 
  body. 
  This 
  place 
  is 
  about 
  one 
  mile 
  from 
  the 
  

   western 
  line 
  of 
  the 
  town 
  of 
  Rutland, 
  and 
  two 
  miles 
  from 
  Black 
  River. 
  

   There 
  is 
  said 
  to 
  have 
  been 
  found 
  in 
  this 
  locality 
  several 
  years 
  since, 
  a 
  

   copper 
  arrowhead. 
  Whether 
  of 
  ancient 
  or 
  recent 
  workmanship, 
  is 
  not 
  

   known. 
  If 
  the 
  former, 
  it 
  would 
  indicate 
  an 
  acquaintance 
  with 
  distant 
  

   localities 
  of 
  that 
  metal, 
  as 
  none 
  has 
  been 
  found, 
  in 
  the 
  metallic 
  state, 
  

   nearer 
  than 
  the 
  great 
  mineral 
  regions 
  of 
  Lake 
  Superior. 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  year 
  1842, 
  a 
  collection 
  of 
  human 
  bones, 
  evidently 
  of 
  ancient 
  

   date, 
  was 
  discovered 
  in 
  Rutland, 
  about 
  three 
  miles 
  east 
  from 
  the 
  vil- 
  

   lage 
  of 
  Watertown, 
  on 
  a 
  commanding 
  height, 
  and 
  in 
  a 
  field 
  owned 
  by 
  

   Mr. 
  E. 
  Huntingdon. 
  

  

  On 
  removing 
  a 
  circular 
  pile 
  of 
  stones, 
  about 
  three 
  feet 
  high 
  and 
  ten 
  

   feet 
  in 
  diameter, 
  there 
  was 
  discovered 
  a 
  fiat 
  stone, 
  which 
  covered 
  a 
  

   hole 
  four 
  feet 
  square 
  and 
  two 
  feet 
  deep, 
  filled 
  with 
  bones, 
  thrown 
  pro- 
  

   miscuously 
  together. 
  They 
  were 
  evidently 
  nothing 
  but 
  bones 
  at 
  the 
  

   time 
  of 
  their 
  burial, 
  as 
  the 
  space 
  was 
  too 
  small 
  to 
  have 
  contained 
  so 
  

   many 
  bodies. 
  Some 
  bones 
  exhibited 
  the 
  marks 
  of 
  teeth, 
  as 
  if 
  they 
  had 
  

   been 
  gnawed 
  by 
  wild 
  animals. 
  

  

  The 
  surrounding 
  fields 
  contain 
  traces 
  of 
  fireplaces, 
  with 
  much 
  char- 
  

   coal 
  and 
  charred 
  corn 
  ; 
  and 
  the 
  whole 
  appears 
  to 
  bear 
  evidence 
  of 
  an- 
  

  

  