Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1899-02-14
SENATOR OF A LOST RACE
ReveIs is a Discendantof RaIeigh's
Missing Colony.
Secret or she Croasan Tribe The Fc
NOUS Setticrs were Not massacreu.
but Affiliated With Friendly ana
Powerful Nation of Indians.

ing to the Philadelphia Record, recites
some interesting colonial history, in
discussing the ancestry of Hiram
Revels. Former United States Senator
Hiram r. Revels, OF Mississippi, says
the correspondent, has always been
classed as q negro. He was a tall, well
built man, with the chocolate skin and
curly hair Of an African and the de-
vout bearing of his profession-the min
isterial. He served during the recon
struction period, never being known as
prominent, but always as a representa-
tive, colored man. Revels was not a
negro. DR.. C. A. Peterson, of ST. Louis.
who has made study OF the lost
Roanoke Va) colony, says that Rev.
els is n descendant of that mystery
shrouded band that Sir Walter Raleigh
sent to Roanoke Island in 1857.
THE historian has usually contented
himself with dropping his investiga-
tions when he reached the point where
Governor John White returned from
England and found his colony had dis
appeared from Roanoke Island" said
DR.. Peterson, land you will find in
about every history you pick up the
statement that the colonists were prob
ably killed by the Indians.
THE COLONY AND VIRGINIA
1.-THE Roanoke colony" said Mr.. Pc
terson. consisted of lis unmarried men
and twenty who had families. They
were sent out by Sir Walter Raleigh
in 1857. in charge of John White. who
was appointed governor. Ananias Dare,
his son-in-law, was vice governor, and
during 1887 his wife gave birth to
daughter the first white child born in
America, and she was called Virginia
Dare.
During the summer q tribe of Croa-
tan Indians, who lived some fifty miles
away. on the east shore of what is now
North Carolna-the whole country was
then called Virginia-visited the colony
on Roanoke Island, and proposed to the
settlers that they remove to the home
of the Indian. intermarry and become
members of their tribes. The 115 I'M
married men were very willing to ac-
cept the proposition, and 1t was only
with difficulty that Governor White in
duced them to remain.
Wnen everything was completed
White returned to England and got
provisions and reinforcements. Before
going he instructed the colonists to
leave some testimony If for any reason
they should conclude to move during
his absence.
MUTINEERS HELP CHANGE HIS
TORY.
1.-THE next year. 1858, was the year Of
the Spanish Armada, and Whites boat
and every other sea-going vessel was
impressed into service. So 1t was i'm
possible for Governor White to set sail
Tor America again until 1859. When he
arrived at Roanoke he found the stock
ade and the houses there, but every
body had gone. On one tree he found
the word 'Croatan' carved, and on one
stockade post merely the beginning
'Crot. He was about to proceed In
search OF the Croatans, when a Halter
as storm came up. and after beating
about for some time, the crew mutinied
and insisted on going down to the Span
1sh main and engaging in privateerng
so they captured n couple OF richly-la-
den Spanish vessels and returned to
England comparatively wealthy.
The next year Governor White took
another crew and landed at Roanoke
Island. This time he found the fresh
track of boats keel on the island, and
found that a chest had been dug up and
the contents ransacked. Again he start
ed down the coast, and again his crew
mutinied. and went pirating on the
Spanish main.
SEARCH OF POCAHONTAS' LOVER.
TN 1907 Captain John Smith. who
had been saved by Pocahontas, started
an expedition from jamestown to see IL
he couldn't discover the whereabouts
OF the missing colonists. Instead of
going by boat, they started overland.
f~OSSNNCA
tired. went back and this was the last
effort to find them, and here history, as
IL Is generally recorded, ceases.
NOW for the facts which the histo-
rians have generally SO sngularly over
looked. In 1710, when the HuEuenots
and cavaliers started to penetrate the
interior of North Carolina they found
some seventy-five miles from the coast,
In what is now Robson county, N. c.,
colony OF English-speakIng people.
many OF whom had blue eyes and light
naif. They inquired where they came
from, and they replied, From Croatan'
How does it come that you speak Eng
nshE Our fathers were English
They wrote one letter back about
their discovery, a letter which. by the
way. IS In the archives OF the Board OF
Trade OF London.
TRACING THE LOST COLONY.
ut Is evident that number of the
Huguenots remained in the colony and
1ntermarried, as there are q great many
names of undoubted French origin to
be found among the Croatan names OF
the present day.
These people have always been
called Croatans. There are some 1000
OF them living in Robeson county N
c.. at the present time, but they have
scattered all over the South and West
nave found Croatan names among ali
the five civilized tribes living in the
Indian Territory.
The Croatans have distinct racial
characteristics. They are as black as
Portuguese and are different In appear
ance from either Indians, negroes or
Caucasians. In some instances there
mas evidently been n mixture with
negro blood, and on this account when.
In 1885, North Carolina and Tennessee
dlsfranchised the negroes. they includ-
ed the Croatans.
LOWRY FEUD OF CRoATANs.