The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-09-29
OUR OLDEST COLONY.
A Monument in Memory of
Sir Walter Raleigh.
To BE Erected on Roanoke Island in
North Carolina.

There Is now being made In Whining
ton, n. c., monument 10 mark the first
settlement Of English speaking people in
America and IL Is soon to be placed at the
location Of the colony on Roanoke island,
North Carolina, TO perpetuate the memory
of the pioneers who were settled there by
Sir Walter Raleigh In 1855. The monument
Is being made Of granite from Virginia and
North Carolina, the colony being embraced
I'm Virginia at that period. The first base
is to be of Mount Airy granite and the
second base and tablet Of granite from
quarrics near Richmond. The tablet is q
plain piece Of polished granite and is in
scribed as follows:
"On this spot was built In July-August,
1855, by colonsts sent out by Sir Walter
Raleigh under Sir Richard Grenvillc a
fort called by them the new fort In Vir-
ginia. These colonists were the first set
tiers In America of the English speaking
race They remained here but one year
and returned TO England with Sir Francis
Drake in July, 1886.
'Near this place was born on Friday,
Aug. ls, 1857 90. So, Virginia Dare, the
first child Of English parents born in
America. She was a daughter of Ananias
Dare and Eleanor White, his wife, men,
bers Of another band Of colonists sent out
by Sir Walter Raleigh In 1857.
Virginia Dare was baptized Aug. 90,
1857, and Manteo, the friendly chief Of
the Hatter.s Indians, on Aug. 10 preced-
Ing These are the first recorded cclebra-
tions of Christian sacrament Fl the orig
inal United States.
The monument IS being erected by the
Roanoke Colony Memorial association, Of
which Mr.. Graham Dawes Of Newbern, is
president. The following Is copy Of "A cir
cular which he is sending out concerning
the association ard its objects:
This association, company incorporat-
ed under tho laws of North Carolina. is
organized for the purpose of rescuing from
oblivion and marking In fitting way the
site of the first settlement in the United
States of the English speaking race. Two
companies OF colonists sent out by Sir Wal
ter Raleigh--one In 1855, the other in l5S7
settled on Roanoke island, in the eastern
waters of North Carolina. The island was
then within the boundaries of Virginia,
and indeed the word Virginia had its ori-
gin as tho name OF that region, but by the
provisions Of tho charter of 1886 of Charles
III to the lords proprietors Of Carolina 1t
fell within the limits of North Carolina.
On this island the colonists constructed
Fort Raleigh in 1886. There, on Aug. is,
1857 90. So, was born Virginia Dare, the
first child of English parentage born in
America; there, three days later, she was
baptized, as Manteo, the friendly Indian
chief, had beon on Aug 10, 1887, one week
before. These baptisms were the first celc-
brations of Christian sacrament within
the limits of the original United States,
moro than 20 years before Pocahontas.
The sad story Of the abandonment and
disappearance OF the unfortunate colonists
is well known, but there is some reason to
believe that their descendants may still be
found among the tribe Of Croatan-more
properly Hatteras-Indians of Robson
county, n. q. The outlines of the fort
built by tho colonists are still plainly yisi-
BILE. They have been recently run out by
n competent surveyor, and 1t is proposed
to proceed at once TO mark the site with
durable material and when means can be
had to erect within the limits of the fort
AZ appropriate memorial of the interesting
events enacted there and To lay of the
grounds already owned and paid for by the
association, disturbing nature as little as
possible The soil on the spot seems nevs>
to have been cultivated since Tho abandon
iicut, illoIc tiiuii oOb csslo uBo. iht tOSO
oil these improvements will be considera-
BILE, and In order 10 obtain them, in part
at least, they make the following appeal:
The use OF tobacco was first introduced
into Great Britain by Sir Walter Raleigh
after tho return Of the first of his colo
nists from Roanoke island. 70 him and
to his colonists the Anglo-American users
of tobacco are indebted for much comfort
l,,l. In
fayorito weed aud great part of the
world ut large for u vegetable produce val
liable as an article Of commerce. In con-
sderation, therefore, Of what they owe TO
Sir Walter, 1t is asked that all who Use and
deal In tobacco contribute u sum, large or
small--the value at least of two or three
cigars--according to their means to be
devoted To the erection of memorials at
the place in the United States where to-
bacco was first discovered to Sir Walter
Raleigh, who made known its Uses, and
to his coionists vino perished there. VIII
mington IN. Co. Messenger.