The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1897-12-29
THE GEORGIA HUM0RIST
VIII LIAMS FINDS IT HARD TO GET AWAY
FROM INDIANS.
Quotes Ethnologist Feterson---The Gen.
tleman From Washington Throws Some
Interesting Sidelights on the Subject"
Other Interesting Talk.

Judge Hall, introduced me to DR.
Peterson, Of St, Louis, very learned
and cultured gentleman, who was con-
nected with the chronological depart
ment of the government and was en-
gagged in examining Indian mound'
and in writing up the history Of the
Indian tribes, especially of the five
tribes known as civilized, viz: the
Cherokees, Creeks, Chickasaws, Chloe.
taws and Seminoles AS these were
our Indians, l became much interested
in his discourse, for he had been care.
full ard diligent in his research, and
what he knew, he knew we'll. We
talked about DeSoto and how, with
handful of brave soldiers, he oyerrar
this country and took captive as many
Indian girls as his men wanted.
''Why did not these Indians over
whelm DeSoto and his handful of fol-
lowers and extinguish them?" asked.
"Because," said the doctor, ''they
were paralyzed with fear of this new
and aggressive race of people-just as
the Peruvians were paralyzed by Fi
zarro, who overran and conquered
Peru with less than hundred men,
The doctor has been to eastern
North Carolina investigating the tribe
of 4, 900 Croatoans over there. They
were originally called Hatteras Indi.
ans, but about three hundred years
ago Sir Walter Raleigh planted a colo
ny of English and Portuguese on Roam
oke island put them in charge of Gov.
ernor John White, a very practical and
accomplished gentleman. A few days
after landing, Governor Whites
daughter, Eleanor, who had married s
Mr.. Dare, gave birth to child and
she was named Virginia, and so Viz
ginia Dare was the first English child
born on American soil. Let the boys
and girls remember that. But no man
knows anything more about her. Gov.
ernor White and Sir Walter went back
to England for supplies and farm.
| ing tools for the colony and or
their return trip got into fight
with some Spanish cruisers and LOST
their cargo and many of their men
and had TO go back to England:
aud it was several years before they
made another venture, and when they
arrived at the island the colony was
nowhere to be found and little Virginia
has never been heard Of. The colony
left some marks on tree pointing tc
an Indian town called Croatoan, but
| the town was deserted. The doctors
investigations have satisfied him that
| the colony did not perish nor were
! they killed, but that the men wanted
| wives and went into the interior and
co-habited with the Croatoans-for il
was found hundred years after thai
these Indians were OF mixed colors
and many OF them spoke broken OF
mixed English and Portuguese
although they had no intercourse wifi
white people until the colony came mo-
for hundred years after. He believe:
that Virginia Dare probably grew III
with those Indians and her descend
ants are now of mixed blood.
It seems that these Creations were
never Americauized until the last civi
war, when many Of them came to the
front with their guns and said they
wanted to fight some. They were ac
cepted and enrolled and did fight fol
the confederacy. During the wal
there was an election held in county
where some of them lived, and they
were persuaded by an ambitious candi
late to go to the polls and vote for him
Their votes were challenged by thu
other fellow upon the ground that the,
had some negro blood i'll their veins
They were very indignant and said
"When you want us to fight for you
we are same as white folks; when w
want to vote, you say we are nagurs.
} And so a committee of four doctor
was appointed to examine them AM
say what they were. The committe
took them out to a sandy place in tn
| road and had them take off their shoe
and make tracks barefooted. Five G
} them made very fair Anglo-Saxo
tracks and were accepted, but of tn
other two the report was that the hollo'
of their feet made holes in the ground
and they were rejected. There ar
some Of these Croatoans on Newman
ridge, in Tennessee I remember that
some years ago, party of us wer
riding in the negro car on the stat
road, and when we reached Kingsto
a colored convention of preachers &C
aboard and claimed the car. Sanfor
Bell ordered us out, and we retired, {
course, but one man did not move
He was dark, cadaverous individual
with black eyes and black hair. "Whs
are you?' said Sanford, ''are you
white man or negro?" He smiled an
said: "NIine fader a Portugee, min
mudder a nagur. Sanford locke
perplexed and turning to one of til
}, colored preachers, said: "What mus
do with him." And he said: ssh
4 him alone, I reckon" I learned afte
wards that he was Croatoan.
9 And now to keep up the Indian sci
d sation, I am receiving papers from Il
= territory that acquaint me with Il
peculiar situation of the tribes owe
there. What shall be done with the
lands is the great question. II
:. Dawes commission appointed by co
- gress wants to divide the lands p
- capita and let the Indians sell them
:, part of them to the white men, if the
o choose. The Choctaws will get Il
- acres each, and family of ten W:
4 therefore have 1000 acres and will
L -