Traditions of De-coo-dah, and Antiquarian Researches: comprising extensive explorations ... of the ... earthen remains of the Mound Builders in America; the traditions of the last Prophet of the Elk Nation relative to their origin and use: and the evidences of an ancient population more numerous...

Front matter

ANCIENT AMERICAN BATTLE-MOUND- TRADITIONS OF DE-COO-DAH, AND ANTIQUARIAN RESEARCHES: COMPRISING EXTENSIVE EXPLORATIONS, SURVEYS, AND EXCAVATIONS OF THE WONDERFUL AND MYSTERIOUS EARTHEN REMAINS OF THE MOUND-BUILDERS IN AMERICA ; THE TRADITIONS OF THE LAST PROPHET OF THE ELK NATION RELATIVE TO THEIR ORIGIN AND USE ; AND THE EVIDENCES OF AN ANCIENT POPULATION MORE NUMEROUS THAN THE PRESENT ABORIGINES. BY WILLIAM PIDGEON. Æmbrllisjiri. nritji Irarnttj dJtrgnmings, DESCEIPTIVE OF ONE HUNDBED AND TWENTY VARYING RELATIVE ARRANGEMENTS— FORMS OF EARTHEN EFFIGIES, ANTIQUE SCULPTURE, ETC. PUBLISHED BY SAMPSON LOW, SON, AND CO. 47, Ludgate Hill, London ; HORACE THAYER AND CO., ANN STREET, NEW YORK. 1853. [The proprietors of this work notify that they reserve the right of translating it] Published in London aud New York. Entered at Stationers' Hall, and the District Court of the Southern District of New York.

Introduction

. IF not already arrived, the time is not far distant when the reproach so often flung at this country, that we have no antiquities, will lose even the appearance of truth, and the world will look with interest and awe on some of the mightiest monuments of antiquity which stand above the surface of the earth, as they are opened to view in the western country. The grandeur of Egyptian ruins, and pyramidal tombs will cease to attract the undivided attention of those who look after records of the earliest times. The ruins of Nineveh and her neighboring cities will not be the only memorials of the men who lived in the age of Semiramis and her immediate successors. It can not be any longer doubted that there has been a day when this con tinent swarmed with millions of inhabitants, when the arts and sciences flourished, when men lived, and labored, and reigned, and fought, and were in turn conquerors and conquered, subjects and kings, where now the deep silence of the forest has overcome all such evidences of life and civilization.

Nineveh, and Egypt, and Greece, have left, in almost imperishable stone, the relics of their magnificence. The Ameri can nations have left their record in the soil, and have written their history in legible and ineffaceable characters on the hills and valleys of their beautiful land, from Labrador to Patagonia. From looking at these relics with silent wonderment, and regard ing them as entirely inexplicable, antiquarians have begun to investi gate more closely the plans of their formation, and gradually find evidences that indicate their design, and explain their origin. But as in the Egyytian hieroglyphics, a keystone and a Champollion were needed to open to the eyes of the world the stories of the Rameses, so there is yet needed in this country a key to the history which the mound-builders have left recorded in their works. And from the very nature of the subject, it does not appear probable than any better key can be obtained than that aflbrded by tradi-

INTRODUCTION.

. tion. The successors of the mound-builders, either more or less re motely, were the North American Indians. Through them should it be possible to recover any traditionary history, there might be a dim and uncertain, but still a welcome light thrown into the dark ness of that oblivion which has hitherto enveloped the men who built the great works of the Scioto, Miami, and Mississippi valleys. And such traditions do exist. It is the object of this volume to present them in a form that may make them valuable for antiquarian purposes. The author has had opportunities for examining the mounds of North and South America possessed probably by no other person, and, as will appear in the course of the volume, has devoted many years to the examination of them. In the course of these examinations, I became acquainted with the remarkable man, whose name appears on the titlepage of this volume.

In the spring of 1840, I resolved on making some explorations in the valley of the upper Mississippi with the design of gratifying a curiosity that I had long indulged in the survey and examination of certain tumuli located in that neighborhood. I had recently devoted some time and attention to the interesting valley ofthe Scioto, which never fails to furnish its visiters with matter of surprise and admiration, in view of the vast amount of labor by unknown hands, in the excavation of deep ditches, and in the construction of massive walls and herculean mounds of earth whose origin is hitherto inexplicable. Many of those grand and wonderful works, however, had been previously interrupted, and some almost entirely obliterated in the prog ress of agriculture, and the building up of towns and villages that are continually rising with magic speed on the ruins of an unknown and extinct race.

I, therefore, resolved to seek the evidence of their origin on the broad spread plains of the northwestern prairies, and in the dense, dark shade of the forest, where the track of the plough had not been seen, and the sound of the axe had not yet intruded. Thus prompted solely by a love for the investigation, without any design of publishing to the world a volume on the subject, I proceeded to St. Louis, Galena, and Prairie du Chien, the latter place beinothen a frontier military post within nine miles of the line drawn between civilization and barbarism. Here I commenced my far-western re searches by excavation and survey. I soon discovered that the In dians were displeased with my interruption of the graves of their departed friends, many of whom they had here, in imitation of their

INTRODUCTION.

. white neighbors, deposited in mounds. Some of them tendered their services to guide me to works equally interesting to me, and less sacred to them. I accepted their offers on several occasions, and discovered that I gave no offence to any, in the excavation of such as they pointed out to me. After becoming somewhat familiar with some of them, I resolved to proceed up the river. Having pro vided myself with a small sail-boat and outfit for a tour through their territory, I set sail for the interior. On my arrival at Cappili Bluff, I formed an acquaintance with a young chief of the De-co-ra family, who manifested some interest in my mission, and furnished me with an interpreter, and we proceeded on our way. On our arrival at Prairie la Cross, I learned that an aged Indian acquainted with the history of the mounds, whose name was De-coo-dah, a man of undoubted veracity, revered and respected by those that knew him, had arrived at the lodge of Wah-con De-co-ra, and would tarry some days to participate in the enjoyment of an annual festival.

I resolved to seek an interview, and learning.that the feast was to be held in the vicinity of Prairie la Cross, concluded to wait his arrival. I commenced the survey of some mounds in the neighborhood. De-coo-dah being informed that there was a white man making pictures of the mounds, immediately visited me, accompanied by Wah-con De-co-ra, whose curiosity became somewhat enlisted at seeing me survey, and delineate on paper, the mounds in their relative local position. From my notes, without the presence of the objects, I endeavored to convey to him an idea of the power of figures in giving distance, altitude, and position, but he did not seem to comprehend my meaning. De-coo-dah silently listened with deep and thoughtful interest, and soon realized their use and power. Addressing himself to De-cora, he remarked that those figures were signs that conveyed ideas in their various forms or shapes, designating difference in distance through their change in formation, and that their different significations could only be known by vocal instruction.

He then gathered ten pebbles and laid them in a pile on the ground, and desired me to give the figure denoting 1 . I did so. He laid one down, and called for the figure 2, and continued his line until he had laid all in a row, distant a few inches from each other. He then counted them, and beginning at the first, he pointed at the figure 1, and so continued to count, designating the figure that represented each number up to 10. He thus conveyed the idea ofthe use of figures

INTRODUCTION.

. to De-co-ra, that I had failed to convey by the use of language. Thus I discovered that he was a man of no ordinary talent and in telligence among Indians, and I determined, if possible, to secure his friendship, and in token of mine, presented them some trinkets. They received them with an air of dignity, and De-co-ra, on their de parture, gave me an invitation to visit him the next day, and par take of Indian hospitality. I did so, and was cordially received, and bountifully fed. The conversation soon turned to the subject of the mounds, and De-coo-dah desired to know my object in making pictures of works that were almost everywhere to be seen, adding that white men cared little for them, and were in the habit of destroying them, wherever they came in contact with their con venience, or militated with their imaginary interests, or excited their curiosity.

I replied, that it was in consequence of that fact that I gave my time and attention to the investigation of their form and arrangement. That coming generations might know that this great country had once been full of people whom their fathers knew little or nothing about. " But why," said he, " does not the white man leave the record on the earth where it belongs?" — " Most of white men," said I, " care but little about things that are not directly connected with their real or imaginary pecuniary interest ; but there are some white men that delight in promoting the welfare of others." He then, with a scrutinizing air, fixed his eyes steadfastly upon me, and looked me full in the face for a minute, turned to De-co-ra, and exclaimed, " A good man — a good white man !" Again fixing on me his eyes that now beamed with benevolenee, he added, " The red man's friend," and extended his hand.

I received it with a cordial grasp ; he drew from his belt the big pipe of friendship, of antique structure, formed with a double tube for the admission of two stems, and asked for tobacco. I handed him a small plug, which he took, and after mixing it with bark, and rubbing them well together, filled the big pipe, introduced two stems, each about two feet long, sat down in front of me on a mat, and asked me to smoke with him. De-co-ra lit the pipe, and we soon filled the wigwam with the fumes of friendship. This being my first formal Indian introduction, the exercise on my part was rather awkwardly performed, and gave rise to no little mer riment among the females of the De-co-ra family, which was prompt ly rebuked by De-coo-dah. This was a new feature to me in the

INTRODUCTION.

. manners and customs of Indians. I had never before heard a re buke to mirth under any circumstance, and it very much increased my admiration for De-coo-dah. As soon as the ceremony of smoking was dispensed with, the con versation turned to the mounds, and De-coo-dah spoke of many singularly-formed works, some of which I had previously visited, surveyed, and retained the drawings. Of such, I presented the draughts for his inspection, and was delighted with his immediate rec ognition of them from position and relative arrangement. In several ofthe draughts, however, he noted omissons of works that he repre sented as standing in connection with those presented in the drawing. I then informed him that I designed surveying all the mounds on and in the vicinity of Prairie la Cross, and those of Wa-ba-shaw Prairie.

He very kindly tendered his services to aid me in the work, and was of much service to me, not only in directing my attention to works partially obliterated, but also in pointing out others along the second terrace of Black river. The leading topics of conversation in the progress of our survey at Prairie la Cross and Wa-ba-shaw Prairie, turned on the genealogy of the Indian tribes. I was much interested in the detail of the life and adventures of De coo-dah as related by himself ; but the genealogical descent that he claimed for himself, he reserved for future detail. The intimacy which subsequently existed between us, has left au impression on my mind never to be effaced, and I am glad of an op portunity to make as imperishable, as paper and type can make, the stories which the old man had treasured as sacred.

He would be glad himself to know that they were recorded as they are in this volume. <!S3J^ ANTIQUARIAN RESEARCHES. INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER. THE author in presenting this book to the public claims for it at least the merit of novelty and originality. There are but few of the kingdoms or countries of the old world that have not celebrated, in poetry or sober history, the mighty relics of their ancient empires. This is true of Greece, Rome, Babylon, Egypt, Hindostan, Tartary, Africa, China, Persia, Europe, and even of many of the smaller islands of the ocean. But it yet remains for America to awake her story from sleep, to string the lyre and nerve the pen, to tell the tale of her an tiquities, as seen in the relics of nations, coeval, perhaps, with the oldest works of man. This curious subject, although it is obscured beneath the gloom of ages, of which but little record remains, has never theless that record written in the dust, in the form of mighty mounds, aboriginal fortifications, and complicated tumuli, to gether with strange paintings, ancient skeletons, earthen effi gies, and antique sculpture, that we imagine are worthy of rank among the most wonderful antiquities ofthe world.

And the subject is curious, not only on account of their number, magnitude, and complication of arrangement ; but also on account of their obscurity of origin. ANTIQUARIAN EESEAECHES. Place the monuments, and secret repositories of the dead, together with the innumerable groups of complicated tumuli, and monstrous embankments, resembling fortifications, that abound in America, in any part of the Old "World, and how would the virtuosi examine them, and the antiquarian fill volumes with their probable histories ! Their fame would be conveyed through learned bodies, and made imperishable in costly volumes, while the inquiry would never cease until completely answered as to who were their builders, what their age, whence their origin, and whither they have gone. Every gleam of rational light would be welcomed with avid ity, and research would in time be amply rewarded.

It would seem that no less ought to be expected at this day in America. While the traveller grows weary in Asia with tracing the time-worn trail of the centuries, or breaks the hard lava that encrusts the evidences of volcanic ruin, or sifts the dust in the desecrated catacombs of Egypt ; or while the linguist reviews the history of primeval literature on the broken tablets recovered from long entombment in the vaults of time, why should less interest be manifested in the equally ancient relics of this broad country, which lie scattered in every state, and whose history is legibly written on the sur face of her soil, from the Alleghany to the Pacific, in mighty mounds, strange effigies, and Herculean embankments ? Foreign travellers have not unfrequently complained that America presents nothing like ruins such as are seen in other quarters of the globe: no dilapidated walls, moss-covered turrets, or crumbling abbeys.

But what are moss-clad turrets, or crumbling abbeys, that bear on their bosoms the impress of era and nationality, com pared with our everlasting artificial hills, that have outlived history, tradition, and era — the workmanship of hands un known, the alpha of primeval monumental effort — whose origin in the absence of historical fact, must necessarily rest in conjecture, traditional history, and circumstantial testimony? That those mounds or monuments interspersed over por tions of every continent of the globe, are the work of human hands, we presume can no longer remain a matter of doubt TNTEODUCTOEY CHAPTEE. in any enlightened or well-informed community. Even a superficial examination of their form and relative arrange ment, can not fail to impress the mind of the observer with full conviction of a design in their construction ; and, in taking an extensive view of the various groups, comparison will prove an equally manifest plurality of design.

The first and most important query that presents itself to the mind of the inquirer of the present day, seems to be, at what era, and by whom were the mounds originally constructed ? In answer to this query, aided by the sacred historian, we re mark, that during the lifetime of Cain and Abel, in the days of Adam, sacrifice was offered unto the Lord ; and the offering of sacrifice presupposes a place of offering, or an altar on which sacrifice may be offered. It may scarcely be pre sumed that mechanical knowledge, at so early an era in time, could have extended beyond the construction of the earthen mound. And, again we read, that as soon as the waters of the flood were assuaged, Noah built an altar, upon which to offer sacrifice unto the Lord. And this being the first work of Noah in his advent from the ark, fairly implies the custom to be of antediluvian origin, brought with him from beyond the flood, and not only sustains the idea of the extreme an tiquity of the earthen mounds, but most rationally accounts for their appearance throughout portions of every quarter of the globe ; if we admit that, from the family of Noah, the whole earth was repeopled, as recorded by Moses, who declares that, in the days of Peleg, Noah divided the earth between his three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japhet.

In the examina tion of this geographical division, we find that all Africa was set apart to Ham, the temperate zones to Shem, and the frigid zones to Japhet ; and in all those zones we find, in great variety of form and arrangement, the earthen mounds. We read again, that as recently as in the days of Lot and Abraham, in their migrations, at each place of sojourning, where any circumstance of importance occurred, there they built an altar. And that altars of earth, by divine authority, were built in those days, we learn from the 20th chapter of Exodus, 24th to the 26th verse inclusive : — "An altar of earth shalt thou make unto me; and shall sacrifice thereon thy burnt-offering, and thy peace-offering, thy sheep and thine oxen. In all places where I record my name, I will come unto thee, and I will bless thee."

Here we perceive that the altar of earth was not only recognised as a holy place, but was also used as an abiding record. But even in those days we imagine that the reverential respect originally cherished for the mound had ceased to be general, and their desecration had become common ; for in the 33d chapter of Numbers, and 53d verse, we read that the descendants of Ham, the cursed of Noah, in the days of Moses, were idolaters, that built high places, and worship ped pictures ; that the Israelites were commanded to pluck down and destroy. Now it is in those days that we find evidences of the deposite of statuary in the mounds representing the gods of India, and idols of almost every land ; for it is most evident that in the expansion of the Israelites, the idola ters who have ever been attached to, and more tenacious of their ceremonial rites than Christians, were reduced to the necessity of entombing or hiding their gods in the sacred mounds, that they might there secretly worship them.

The spirit of Christianity and the love of idolatry, even at that early era of history, during the personal intercourse of God with man, and from that time to the present day, have never ceased to wage an unceasing war; and, in the dawn of theology, she seems to have enlisted in her train all the trappings of idolatry — such as images and pictures. The sun, the moon, and the stars, have all been objects of adora tion from the earliest ages of the world. In the 17th chap ter of Deuteronomy, we find Moses imposing the penalty of death on those that worshipped the sun, the moon, or any of the heavenly bodies. From the earliest era in time known to history, sacred or profane, there would seem to be something like an innate pre disposition in man to indulge in symbolical worship ; and the symbols of every age savor much of the refined taste or savage passions of those that employ them.

The brazen ser pent, tbe golden calf, the heathen statuary, and the painter's INTEODUCTOEY CHAPTEE. pencil, have, each in their turn, had their admirers and de votees ; and, although the subject of American antiquities is everywhere enveloped in mystery, we indulge the hope that future investigation will yet bring to light much matter, that will not only be interesting to the present age, but vi tally important to coming generations. For if it is pleasing as well as useful to know the history of one's country, to feel a rising interest, as its beginnings are unfolded, its sufferings, its wars, its struggles, and its victories, delineated, why not also, when the story of its antiquities, though of a graver and more majestic nature, is attempted to be unfolded or rehearsed? Traits of ancient nations in the Old World are everywhere seen in the fragments of dilapidated cities, pyramids of Btone, and walls of immense length ; but here, in North America, is found the wreck of empires, whose ending, it would seem, is older than the beginning of pyramids, and whose history may only be read in the imperishable relics of tumuli, and such great records.

We may be permitted, however, to presume that a literal or hieroglyphical record was once used by the Greeks and Romans, more definite than any known to us, that was buried in the flames kindled by the Goths and Vandals, who over ran the Roman empire, destroying their accounts of discov eries, and history of antiquities, and casting over the regions they subdued, the gloom of barbarous ignorance, congenial with the shades of the forest, whence they originated. This presumption is predicated on the fact, that mankind have, from the earliest eras known in history, continued to keep a record of events, either literally, hieroglyphically, or through tradition, in every age of the world ; and we advert to Greece and Rome, not only because they were the most en lightened nations of their age, but because a national amalga mation, calculated to concentrate the knowledge and science of both nations, actually existed.

Alexander the Great was a Grecian, and flourished about three hundred years before Christ. The origin of his nation is said to have been Japetus, who descended from Japhet, the third son of Noah. Now let it be observed that the Macedonian kingdom, of which Alexander was not only the last, but the greatest monarch, commenced about eight hundred and fourteen years before Christ, which was sixty-one years earlier than the Romans ; consequently the annals of this nation must necessarily have run back to the flood, and may have reached beyond ; but revolution after revolution has left the world to discover over again many arts and sciences familiarly known to them ; and we are among those that believe, that North and South Amer ica were not only known to the Romans and Grecians, but were formerly taken possession of, and colonized by them.

Nor is this opinion founded in mere conjecture ; on the con trary, it is sustained by an antiquarian record of literal im port, discovered by a farmer of Monte Yideo, in Brazil, in 1827. In one of his fields he discovered a flat stone, upon which, to him, strange and unknown characters, were en graven ; and beneath this stone he discovered a vault formed by masonry, in which were deposited two ancient swords, a helmet, and shield. This planter caused the flat stone and deposite to be removed to Monte Yideo, where, in spite of the ravages of more than two thousand years, Greek words were easily made out, which, being translated, were as follows : — " During the Dominion of Alexander, the son of Philip, King of Macedon, in the sixty-third Olympiad, Ptolemaios." On account of the ravages of time it was impossible to de cipher the rest ; but on the handle of one of the swords was the portrait of a man, supposed to represent Alexander him self.

On the helmet there was sculptured work, executed with the most exquisite skill, representing Achilles dragging the corpse of Hector around the walls of Troy. From this discovery, it is evident that the soil of Brazil was formerly broken by Ptolemaios, more than a thousand years before the discovery by Columbus. But in North America, with which we are more familiar, we conceive the evidence of a Roman and Grecian population to be equally conclusive. On the bank of the river Desperes, in Missouri, was found by an In dian, and presented to Governor Clark, a genuine Roman INTEODUCTOEY

CHAPTER. 17

coin. A Persian coin was also found on the bank of the Ohio river. We are not, however, of the opinion that the Ro mans or Grecians inhabited, either Bingly or jointly, at any era, this entire continent ; but that Asia, Africa, and Europe, have each contributed to swell the population of the western continent at different eras. Some of our reasons for enter taining this idea, arise out of the great similarity existing be tween the tumulous ruins of those several continents. Many enclosures, similar to the Roman camps described by Jo sephus, may yet be seen in the valley of the Mississippi. He represents those camps as being four square by measure, adorned with towers at equal distances, with gates or places of entrance on every side. At Marietta, in Ohio, may yet be seen the remains of one of those camps, with its elevated squares at each corner, more than one hundred feet square, and nine feet high ; and various other earth-works, similar in construction, may be seen north to the lakes, and west to the Mississippi, west of which, we doubt whether the Ro mans ever held empire.

The same historian also tells us that the Danes and Saxons reared their military works in circular form. This fact admitted, we have at various points along the Ohio and Scioto rivers, the works of both — sometimes isolated, and sometimes in union. Notwithstanding the cir cular and square enclosures chiefly abound, there are, never theless, many large enclosures that are neither round nor square. This fact would seem to be indicative of a still further distinction in nationality, such as is recognised in the earth-work of central Africa — enclosing villages and cities. That those structures have not originated with the present Indian tribes, or their ancestors, is abundantly evident, in the fact, that they never have used them, either as enclosures or places of defence, nor are they recognised as such in their traditions.

Composed as they are of materials imperishable as the base upon which they rest, they continually present to view, in form, magnitude, and structure, so singular an ap pearance, that they could not possibly fail to attract attention, and elicit inquiry from the most thoughtless of human beings. And as it is well-known to all familiar with the North American Indian character, that there are none in the family of man that retain a more sacred reverence for ancient nationality, it is utterly impossible that they ever could, under such circumstances, have lost sight of their use and origin. The circular works of the Danes and Saxons so frequently found in England in connection with the Pentagon or Doom ring of Denmark, stretching in a continuous line from Browns ville, in Pennsylvania, through Wisconsin, Canada, Green land, and Iceland, to Sweden direct, we conceive to be strong evidence of the migration of the Danes, Belgians, or Saxons, at some unknown era in time.

There are other corroborating circumstances that go to prove the correctness of this presumption : first, we find no corresponding earth-works south of Pennsylvania; and, sec ondly, we observe a much greater variety in the physical formation of the aborigines of the north, than is seen in the same race in the south. This we conceive to be indicative of international amalga mation between distinct races, and one quality of that distinc tion carries with it the general outlines ofthe Anglo-Saxon family, while the characteristic form and feature of the Asiatic Tartar is universally preserved in all the tribes of the south. Should we be suddenly transported into the desert of Libya, in Africa, and should we there behold in the dense forest a mas sive temple, with trace of no human existence within a thousand miles of its location, with towering spires bearing a cross, sur rounded by urns ; or, should it even be found among savage nations, that were utterly ignorant of its primitive design, what would be our conclusion as to its origin and use ?

Would we not recognise in such a structure, the crucifixion of Christ, and attribute its origin to the hands of his followers and wor shippers ? we certainly should. And why ? because the cross is the symbolical representation of that crucifixion. Yes • with one accord, without a dissenting voice, we would at tribute the origin of this temple to the Christian church. Then when we find on the shore of the Monongahela, or the highland of the Kickapoo, the identical Doom-ring of Den mark, why should we hesitate to ascribe its origin to the an- INTEODUCTOEY