The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-05-31

AG1s rag CAGEoa4 49, o@A = 4ES ~
18th Of that month. Had he remained
a week longer. the colony. in all proba-
bility, would have been successful; for
Sir Walter Raleigh, much too thought
ful and noble to neglect the men he had
sent % Roanoke the year before, mad
equipped a relief ship loaded with sup
plies, and dispatched II % Roanoke
early in the year.
This ship, laden with provisions and
good cheer for the ~colonists, was COM
ing up the coast Of Florida az the time
Lane embarked for England. Toward
the last OF June the supply ship came
into North Carolina waters and cast
anchor az Roanoke. The commander
was astOnished at nOt receiving a vel
come visit from some Of the cOl0nistS;
and SO dispatched a part Of the crew
ashore 10 learn the whereabouts OF the
colony. After having been gone for
some hours they returned, reporting
that the colony had been abandoned.
Others went ashore n searched in
vain for their cOurtrymen, but only
the forsaken settlement could be found.
Having satisfied themselves that Lane
II his men were not on the island
and having received intimation from
the natives that they had gone away
over the sea, the relief expedition re-
turned to England. Thus it was that
the connection, which, doubtless, would
have made the settlement at ROanOke
a permanent one, failed TO be made;
and a weeks delay caused the miscar-
riage Of the project.
About two weeks after the departure
of the supply ship, Sir Richard Green
vile, who had been cruising among
the West Indies in search Of Spanish
ships of war, stopped at Roanoke on
his way back to England. He had led
the colony to Carolina the year before,
and now came to see how they were
faring in the new world. What was
his establishment to find the island de-
serted, the crops neglected and the fort
going to ruin! For days he searched
diligently for the settlers, but AT last
came reluctantly to the conclusion that
the settlement had been abandoned.
Unwilling to give up the land WhIch
England had possessed, like a true
Englishman he resolved to maintain
by rights of occupancy. Accordingly
he asked for fifteen volunteers from
his crew, who would be willing TO stay
upon the island until another colony
could be SEN out. Fifteen men We're
thus landed with supplies for two
years, instructed to hold possession ia
the name of Elizabeth, queen Of Eng
land.
With these instructions Grenville's
fleet sailed away leaving the fateful lit
tie colony behind, the first sacrifice
upon the altar of Carolina colonization.
Nothing is known of this history af-
ter leaving Grenville's ships further
than the story told by an Indian next
year to John White, who led the next
colony to this state. It will be remem-
bered that the enmity of the natives
1850 G~.+ ,o,,-n nh ~, tho ;Jlau Of
-AuuascogOc was burned 10y the settlers
on account of the theft of a silver cup.
This enmity had been shown several
times during the year, and Governor
Lane had been compelled to resort to
strategy more than once to defeat con-
spiracies against the colony.
This enmity Sir Richard Grenville
was ignorant of, or he would have
hesitated long before leaving the little
company SO poorly protected against
hostile attacks. As it was the devoted
company staid, little dreaming Of the
terrible fate awaiting them.
The following is Governor Whites
| story about them related to him by a
friendly Indian the following year at
Croatoan:
THE next day we had conference
further with them concerning the peo-
pie Of Sicotan, Aquascogoc, and Pomi-
cox, willing them of Croatoan to GER
tify the people of these towns, that If
they would accept our friendship, we
would willingly receive them again,
and hat all unfriendly dealings past
on both parts should be utterly for
given and forgotten. To this the chief
men Of CroatOan answered, that they
would gladly do the best they could,
and within seven days bring the
Weroances and chief governors of
those towns with them, to our g%ove:hor
at Roanoke, or their answer.
eve also understood of the men Of
| Croatoan, that our man, Master Howe,
was slain by the remnant of Wing
mas men dwelling then at Dasamon-
| genenk, with whom W~anchese kept
company: and also we understood by
| them of Croatoan, how with the fifteen
Englishmen left at Roanoke the yea
before, by Sir Richard Grenville, were
| suddenly set upon by thirty of the
men of Sicota, AquascogOc and Dasa-
mongenpenk, in ann following:
"They conveyed themselves secretly
behind the trees, near the houses
where our men carelessly lived, and
having perceived that of those fifteen
they could see but eleven only, two Of
| those sayages appeared to the eleven
Englishmen, calling to them by friend-
ly signs that but two of their chief
men should come unarmed to speak
with these two savages, who seemed
| also to be unarmed. Wherefore, two
of the chiefest of our Englishmen went
| gladly to them; but whilst one Of those
| avage traitorously embraced one Of
our men, the other with his sword Of
wood, which he had secretly hidden
under his mantle, struck him on the
head and slew him, and presently the
other eight and twenty savages show
ed themselves, the other Englishman
perceiving this, fled to his company.
whom the savages pursued with their
bows and arrows, so fast that the En-
glishmen were forced to take the
house, wherein all their yictuals and
weapons were; but the savage forth
with set the same on fire, by means
whereof our men were forced to take
up such as first came to
hand, and without order to run forth
among the savages, with whom they
skirmished above an hour.
In this ckirmish another of our men
was shot into the mouth with an ar
row, when he died: and also one OF the