XIII

"Away! away! and on we dash!

Torrents less rapid and less rash."

_Mazeppa._

"Mark yon old mansion frowning through the trees,

Whose hollow turret woos the whistling breeze."

ROGERS.

It was a pleasant afternoon when, in company with a number of friends,

I left the city for an excursion into its southern suburbs, and a

visit to the military works, a few miles distant. The atmosphere had

that mild, mellowy mistiness which subdues the fierce glare of the

sunbeams, and flings over every object a softened shade. A gentle

breeze from the south was astir balmily and blandly among the leaves;

in fine, it was one of those grateful, genial seasons, when the senses

sympathize with the quietude of external creation, and there is no

reason, earthly or unearthly, why the inward man should not sympathize

with the man without; a season when you are at peace with yourself,

and at peace with every object, animate, inanimate, or vegetable,

about you. Our party consisted of eight precious souls, and "all agog

to dash through thick and thin," if essential to a jovial jaunt. And

now fain would I enumerate those worthy individuals, together with

their several peculiarities and dispositions, good and bad, did not a

certain delicacy forbid. {144} Suffice it to say, the excursion was

devised in honour, and for the especial benefit, of a young and

recently-married couple from "the city of monuments and fountains,"

who were enjoying their honey-moon in a trip to the Far West. Passing

through the narrow streets and among the ancient edifices of the _old_

city, we came to that section called South St. Louis. This is destined

to become the district of manufactures; large quantities of bituminous

coal, little inferior to that of the Alleghanies, is here found; and

railroads to the celebrated Iron Mountain, sixty miles distant, and to

the coal-banks of the Illinois bluffs, as well as to the northern

section of the city, are projected. The landing is good, the shore

being composed of limestone and marble, of two different species, both

of which admit a high degree of polish. There is also quarried in this

vicinity a kind of freestone, which, when fresh from the bed, is soft,

but, on exposure to the atmosphere, becomes dense and hard. We passed

a number of commodious farmhouses as we ambled along; and now and

then, at intervals through the trees, was caught a glimpse of the

flashing sheen of the river gliding along upon our left. At a short

distance from the road were to be seen the ruins of the "Eagle

Powder-works," destroyed by fire in the spring of '36. They had been

in operation only three years previous to their explosion, and their

daily manufacture was three hundred pounds of superior powder. The

report and concussion of the explosion was perceived miles around the

country, and the loss sustained by the proprietors was estimated

{145} at forty thousand dollars. The site of these works was a broad

plain, over which, as our horses were briskly galloping, a

circumstance occurred which could boast quite as much of reality as

romance.

To my own especial gallantry--gallant man--had been intrusted the

precious person of the fair bride, and lightly and gracefully pressed

her fairy form upon the back of a bright-eyed, lithe little animal,

with a spirit buoyant as her own. The steed upon which I was myself

mounted was a powerful creature, with a mouth as unyielding as the

steel bit he was constantly champing. The lady prided herself, not

without reason, upon her boldness and grace in horsemanship and her

skill in the _manège_; and, as we rode somewhat in advance of our

cavalcade, the proposal thoughtlessly dropped from her that we should

elope and leave our companions in the lurch. Hardly had the syllables

left her lip, than the reins were flung loose upon the horses' manes;

they bounded on, and away, away, away the next moment were we skirring

over the plain, like the steed of the Muses on a steeple-chase. A

single shout of warning to my fair companion was returned by an

ejaculation of terror, for her horse had become his own master. The

race of John Gilpin or of Alderman Purdy were, either or both of them,

mere circumstances to ours. For more than a mile our excited steeds

swept onward in their furious course to the admiration of beholders;

and how long the race might have been protracted is impossible to say,

had not certain sons of Erin--worthy souls {146}--in the innocence of

their hearts and the ignorance of their heads, and by way of

perpetrating a notable exploit, thought proper to throw themselves

from the roadside directly before us. The suddenness of the movement

brought both our animals nearly upon their haunches, and the next

minute saw the fair bride quietly seated in the dust beneath their

feet. The shock had flung her from her seat, but she arose uninjured.

To leap from my saddle and place the lady again in hers was the work

of a moment; and when the cortége made its appearance, our runaway

steeds were ambling along in a fashion the most discreet and exemplary

imaginable.

The situation of the Arsenal, upon a swelling bank of the river, is

delightful. It is surrounded by a strong wall of stone, embracing

extensive grounds, through which a green, shady avenue leads from the

highway. The structures are composed chiefly of unhewn limestone,

enclosing a rectangular area, and comprise about a dozen large

buildings, while a number of lesser ones are perceived here and there

among the groves. The principal structure is one of four stories,

looking down upon the Mississippi, with a beautiful esplanade, forming

a kind of natural glacis to the whole armory, sweeping away to the

water. Upon the right and left, in the same line with the rectangle,

are situated the dwellings of the officers; noble edifices of hewn

stone, with cultivated garden-plats and fruit-trees. The view of the

stream is here delightful, and the breeze came up from its surface

fresh and free. A pair of pet deer were frolicking along the shore.

Most of the remaining structures are offices and {147} workshops

devoted to the manufacture of arms. Of these there were but few in the

Arsenal, large quantities having been despatched to the South for the

Florida war. It is designed, I am informed, to mount ordnance at these

works--to no great extent, probably; there were several pieces of

artillery already prepared. The slits and loop-holes in the deep

walls, the pyramids of balls and bombshells, and the heavy carronades

piled in tiers, give the place rather a warlike aspect for a peaceable

inland fortress.

A ride of a few miles brought us to the brow of a considerable

elevation, from which we looked down upon the venerable little hamlet

of Carondelet, or _Vuide Poche_, as it is familiarly termed; a _nom de

nique_ truly indicative of the poverty of pocket and the richness of

fancy of its primitive habitans. The village lies in a sleepy-looking

hollow, scooped out between the bluffs and the water; and from the

summit of the hill the eye glances beyond it over the lengthened vista

of the river-reach, at this place miles in extent. Along the shore a

deeply-laden steamer was toiling against the current on her passage to

the city. Descending the elevation, we were soon thridding the narrow,

tortuous, lane-like avenues of the old village. Every object, the very

soil even, seemed mossgrown and hoary with time departed. More than

seventy years have passed away since its settlement commenced; and

now, as then, its inhabitants consist of hunters, and trappers, and

river-boatmen, absent most of the year on their various excursions.

The rude, crumbling tenements {148} of stone or timber, of peculiar

structure, with their whitewashed walls stained by age; the stoccade

enclosures of the gardens; the venerable aspect of the ancient

fruit-trees, mossed with years, and the unique and singular garb,

manner, and appearance of the swarthy villagers, all betoken an

earlier era and a peculiar people. The little dark-eyed, dark-haired

boys were busy with their games in the streets; and, as we paced

leisurely along, we could perceive in the little _cabarets_ the older

portion of the _habitans_, cosily congregated around the table near

the open door or upon the balcony, apparently discussing the gossip of

the day and the qualities of sundry potations before them. Ascending

the hill in the rear of the village, we entered the rude chapel of

stone reared upon its brow: the inhabitants are all Catholics, and to

this faith is the edifice consecrated. The altar-piece, with its

decorations, was characterized by simplicity and taste. Three ancient

paintings, representing scenes in the mission of the Saviour, were

suspended from the walls; the brass-plated missal reposed upon the

tabernacle; the crucifix rose in the centre of the sanctuary, and

candles were planted on either side. Evergreens were neatly festooned

around the sanctuary, and every object betrayed a degree of taste.

Attached to the church is a small burial-ground, crowded with tenants.

The Sisters of Charity have an asylum for the Deaf and Dumb, in a

prosperous condition. Our tarry was but a brief one, as the distrust

with which our movements were regarded by the villagers was evident;

nor is this {149} suspicion at all to be wondered at when we consider

the numberless impostures of which, by immigrants, they have been made

the victims.

A few miles through groves of oaks brought us in view of that

beautiful spot, Jefferson Barracks. The buildings, constructed of

stone, are romantically situated on a bold bluff, the base of which is

swept by the Mississippi, and were intended to garrison an entire

regiment of cavalry for frontier service. Three sides of the

quadrangle of the parade are bounded by the lines of galleried

barracks, with fine buildings at the extremities for the residence of

the officers; while the fourth opens upon a noble terrace overlooking

the river. The commissary's house, the magazines, and extensive

stables, lie without the parallelogram, beneath the lofty trees. From

the terrace is commanded a fine view of the river, with its alluvial

islands, the extensive woodlands upon the opposite side, and the pale

cliffs of the bluffs stretching away beyond the bottom. In the rear of

the garrison rises a grove of forest-trees, consisting of heavy oaks,

with broad-spreading branches, and a green, smooth sward beneath. The

surface is beautifully undulating, and the spot presents a specimen of

park scenery as perfect as the country can boast. A neat burial-ground

is located in this wood, and the number of its white wooden slabs

gave melancholy evidence of the ravages of the cholera among that

corps of fine fellows which, four years before, garrisoned the

Barracks. Many a one has here laid away his bones to rest far from the

home of his nativity. There is another cemetery {150} on the southern

outskirts of the Barracks, where are the tombs of several officers of

the army.

The site of Jefferson Barracks was selected by General Atkinson as the

station of a _corps de reserve_, for defence of the Southern, Western,

and Northern frontiers. For the purpose of its design, experience has

tested its efficiency. The line of frontier, including the advanced

post of Council Bluffs on the Missouri,[123] describes the arch of a

circle, the chord of which passes nearly through this point; and a

reserve post here is consequently available for the entire line of

frontier. From its central position and its proximity to the mouths of

the great rivers leading into the interior, detachments, by means of

steam transports, may be thrown with great rapidity and nearly equal

facility into the garrison upon the Upper Mississippi, the Missouri,

the Arkansas, Red, or Sabine Rivers. This was tested in the Black Hawk

war, and, indeed, in every inroad of the Indian tribes, these troops

have first been summoned to the field. When disengaged, the spot

furnishes a salubrious position for the reserve of the Western army.

By the latest scheme of frontier defence, a garrison of fifteen

hundred troops is deemed necessary for this cantonment.

A few miles below the Barracks, along the river-bank, is situated

quite a remarkable cave.[124] I visited and explored it one fine

afternoon, with a number of friends. With some difficulty, after

repeated inquiry, we succeeded in discovering the object of our

search, and from a neighbouring farmhouse {151} furnished ourselves

with lights and a guide. The latter was a German, who, according to

his own account, had been something of a hero in his way and day; he

was with Napoleon at Moscow, and was subsequently taken prisoner by

Blucher's Prussian Lancers at Waterloo, having been wounded in the

knee by a musket-ball. To our edification he detailed a number of his

"moving accidents by flood and field." A few steps from the farmhouse

brought us to the mouth of the cavern, situated in the face of a

ragged limestone precipice nearly a hundred feet high, and the summit

crowned with trees and shrubbery; it forms the abrupt termination to a

ravine, which, united to another coming in on the right, continues on

to the river, a distance of several hundred yards, through a wood. The

entrance to the cave is exceedingly rough and rugged, piled with huge

fragments of the cliff which have fallen from above, and it can be

approached only with difficulty. It is formed indeed, by the rocky bed

of a stream flowing out from the cave's mouth, inducing the belief

that to this circumstance the ravine owes its origin. The entrance is

formed by a broad arch about twenty feet in altitude, with twice that

breadth between the abutments. As we entered, the damp air of the

cavern swept out around us chill and penetrating. An abrupt angle of

the wall shut out the daylight, and we advanced by the light of our

candles. The floor, and roof, and sides of the cavern became

exceedingly irregular as we proceeded, and, after penetrating to the

depth of several hundred yards, {152} the floor and ceiling approached

each other so nearly that we were forced to pursue our way upon our

hands and knees. In some chambers the roof and walls assumed grotesque

and singular shapes, caused by the water trickling through the porous

limestone. In one apartment was to be seen the exact outline of a

human foot of enormous size; in another, that of an inverted boat;

while the vault in a third assumed the shape of an immense coffin. The

sole proprietors of the cavern seemed the bats, and of these the

number was incredible. In some places the reptiles suspended

themselves like swarms of bees from the roof and walls; and so

compactly one upon the other did they adhere, that scores could have

been crushed at a blow. After a ramble of more than an hour within

these shadowy realms, during which several false passages upon either

side, soon abruptly terminating, were explored, we at length once more

emerged to the light and warmth of the sunbeams, thoroughly drenched

by the dampness of the atmosphere and the water dripping from the

roof.

Ancient Indian tumuli and graves are often found in this

neighbourhood. On the _Rivière des Pères_,[125] which is crossed by

the road leading to the city, and about seven miles distant, there are

a number of graves which, from all appearance, seem not to have been

disturbed for centuries. The cemetery is situated on a high bluff

looking down upon the stream, and is said to have contained skeletons

of a gigantic size. Each grave consisted of a shallow basin, formed by

flat stones {153} planted upon their edges; most of them, however, are

mossed by age, or have sunk beneath the surface, and their tenants

have crumbled to their original dust. Some years since, a Roman coin

of a rare species was found upon the banks of the _Rivière des Pères_

by an Indian. This may, perhaps, be classed among the other

antiquities of European origin which are frequently found. A number of

Roman coins, bearing an early date of the Christian era, are said to

have been discovered in a cave near Nashville, in the State of

Tennessee, which at the time excited no little interest among

antiquaries: they were doubtless deposited by some of the settlers of

the country from Europe. Settlements on the _Rivière des Pères_ are

said to have been commenced at an early period by the Jesuits, and one

of them was drowned near its mouth: from this circumstance it derived

its name. In the bed of this stream, about six miles from the city, is

a sulphur spring, which is powerfully sudorific; and, when taken in

any quantity, throws out an eruption over the whole body. A remarkable

cavern is said to be situated on this river, by some considered

superior to that below the Barracks. A short distance from _Vuide

Poche_ are to be seen the remains of a pile of ruins, said to be those

of a fort erected by La Salle when, on his second visit, he took

possession of the country in the name of the King of France, and in

honour of him called it Louisiana.[126]

_St. Louis_.