Rensselaer Union, Volume 7, Number 49, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 August 1875 — A Legend of the Cumberland. [ARTICLE]

A Legend of the Cumberland.

Theworld contains among its common mass of beings a large proportion of credulous people who stand agape to swallow everything as it comes fresh from the lips of the narrator, and no matter how impossible it may be they believe and “ inwardly digest” all they hear and relate it to others as though it was as true as holy writ The incredulous, on the other hand, doubt all they hear, and hardly believe what they see with their own eyes. There are, however, those of another class, a sort of go-between, who believe all they hear that is at all plausible. The story I am about to relate may be believed of not believed—just as the reader chooses; but I am assured by the old lady from whom I heard the narrative that she received it from an old gentleman whose veracitv was never doubted. The story dates back into the early history of Tennessee and Kentucky, when the Indians occupied a large portion of this section of country. Between Clarksville, Tenn., and Eddyville, Ky.,onthe Cumberland River, there is a cavern which can only be entered by diving into the water, and which has no other light than that reflected from the bottom of the river. The exact spot is now unknown, although some of the oldest citizens of the neighborhood have an indistinct recollection of having heard of the cave in their boyhood. It was originally discovered by a young Indian chief while one day diving for his gun, which he had dropped from his canoe into the river opposite the cave. The Indian youth who discovered it for a long time kept the secret to himself, and would often resort to it in his lonely hours, where, by the aid of his flint and a piece of dry wood, he would kindle a fire and enjoy himself looking at the magnificence of the scene ythe light reflected back millions of beams from the numerous stalagmites and stalactites of gigantic size and fantastic forms, and displayed to his vision hundreds of avenues, grottoes and cataracts, unsurpassed far their wonderful appearance. In order to cany dry wood into the place to famish light for his investigations he would carefully sew it up in skins, to keep it from coming in contact with the water as he dived into the cave. The cave Was about fifty feet wide and about the same in height. In the course of time this young •on of the forest became enamored with a ''beautiful daughter of one of the backwoodsmen in the settlement, by the name of Robertson. The girl, contrary, to the wiritM pf her parents, reciprocated the feeling, which of course put the parents on their guard, and the daughter was placed under the strictest surveillance. Mt love “ laughs at locksmiths/’ and on

one Occasion, as the guard was withdrawn, on account of an expected attack from some unfriendly Indians prowling in the neighborhood, the girl was induced by the lover to go with him to his beautiful retreat, which he doubtless described to her in as striking language as did Claude Melnotte his palace by the lake of Como to the fair Pauline. He related to her the dangers surrounding the entrance to the cave, and persuaded her to place implicit confidence in his courage and knowledge of the locality and obey his instructional© the letter. The young chiefs name was Wallahalla and the girl’s name was Agnes Robertson. In those days the daughters of backwoodsmen could swim, ride and handle a gun with all the dexterity andskill of their fathers and brothers. Arriving at the place the lover disappeared beneath the surface of the water and the maiden quickly followed him, to find the cavern surpassing even the magnificence and grandeur so beautifully portrayed to her mind in the native tongue of her Indian lover. Here he informed her she must remain as his prisoner until he gained the consent of her parents to their union. Wallahalla then departed, to return soon after with dried venison, corn, wood, the rough cooking utensils of those aboriginal times, apd bedding and such articles as were necessary- for her comfort He then bade her adieu, threatening Iter with death if she dared to leave the cave during his absence. Returning to the set tlement Wallahalla found that the place had been attacked by the foe and the village burnt to the ground. The parents of Agnes mourned her as dead, or lingering in a captivity to which death would be far preferable. This was providential to the lovers. The young chief was loudest in his lamentations over the lost girl, and at the war-dance of his tribe swore the direst vengeance against her captors. All .the male portion of the settlement, together with tlie friendly tribe to which the young chief Wallahalla belonged, started in pursuit of the foe, to rescue the girl from her certain fate of death or degradation. After a long and tedious inarch they came upon the enemy in the neighborhood of where Metropolis City, 111., now stands. A furious battle was fought, in which the attacking party, headed by young Wallahalla, dealt death and destruction to their foe until their ammunition was exhausted. At this moment the enemy was reinforced, and the attacking party w-as compelled to retire across the Ohio to the spot upon which Paducah now- stands.

The father of Agnes Robertson was almost erased with grief at the loss of his beloved daughter. In his great agony he published to the troops the following announcement: I, Andrew Robertson, will give the rescuer of my daughter from the hands of the lowas her hand in marriage, 1,000 acres of land, 100 head of cattle and horses, 100 pounds of powder and two rifles. Andrew Robertson. This was the largest reward ever before offered in the section of the country to which these men belonged, and twenty men, warriors and riflemen, among them Wallahalla, stepped forward and tendered their services to the heart-broken parent. The girl herself was a fortune to any man. The parent and his trusty friends, with tlie exception of those who were to go in pursuit of the lowas in search of Agnes Robertson, returned to their settlement on Little River, near the place now known as Cadiz, in Trigg County, Ky., to rebuild their huts and the stockade which the Indians had destroyed. Wallahalla sepaarated himself from both parties, and by a circuitous route wended his way to the cavern in search of his beloved Agnes, whom he found in almost a starving condition. One more day would have told the sad tale of death from starvation. Although worn out from a long and rapid march, he “ stood not in the order of his going, but went at once” in search of food for his betrothed.

She was soon restored to her usual strength, when he related to her the news from the outer world. A few’ weeks passed by, during which time the lovers built the usual number of “ castles i’ the air” and allowed sufficient time for the return of the warriors gone in search of the beautiful Agnes, the young chief only going out in the world to supply game and corn for their larder. full moon shone forth in all its splendor on the night of the 25th of May as t ley rose to the surface of the water and entered their canoe to return fcHhe arms of the lovely Agnes’ parents and receive the reward and a blessing. The advent into the settlement the following morning was an occasion of great rejoicing. Feasting and dancing were the order for several weeks, and the young chief Wallahalla, who had rescued (?) the girl from the hands of the bloody lowas, was the toast of tlie country for miles around. He was the recipient of presents of land, horses, cattle, skins, etc., etc. Of the nineteen men who stepped forward to offer their services to Andrew Robertson not one returned to give in his experience, and the general impression existed at that time that they were either all tomahawked or burnt at the stake. Wallahalla married the beautiful and wealthy Agnes Robertson and changed his name to Robertson. Marty of his descendants lived in the neighborhood of what is now known as Crittenden County and Trigg County, Kentucky, till about the year 1818, when they removed to Eastern Georgia.—ClarksviUe (Tenn.) Cor. Louisville Courier-Jour-nal.