The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1900-05-29


went to Croatan voluntarily, or
whether the men were massacred
and the women taken for wives, or
whether both men and women inter
married with the Hatteras Indians
is only a matter of conjecture. But
one fact is known, and that is that
Lawson in his history Of Carolina,
written in the year 1714, imparts to
us that
"sThe Hatteras Indians, who lived
on Roanoke Island or much fire.
uuented it, tell US that several of
their ancestors were white people
and could talk in a book as we do {;
the truth of which is confirmed by
gray eyes being found frequently
among those Indians and no others.
They value themselves extremely for
their affinity to the English, and are
ready to do them all friendly offices.
It is probable that the settlement
miscarried for want of timely sup
plies from England or through the
treachery of the natives, for we
may reasonably suppose that the
English we're forced to combat with
them for relief and conversation, and
that in process Of time they confined
themselves to the manners of their
Indian relations, and thus we see
how apt human nature is to degener-
ate
"Long prior to the Revolutionary
war there was found settled near
Lumber River, in Robson county,
N. c., a tribe of Indians. Many Of
them had blue eyes, and while pos
sessing all other traits and charac-
~teristics of Indians-the copper color,
the high cheek bone, the erect form
yet they lacked the nOmadic habit.
They were settled in a neighborhOOd
where they still remain, then, as
now, cultivating maize and potatoes
and fruits. Their traditions then,
as now, were that their ancestors,
Indian men, married white women !;
that they came from Roanoke Gin Vir-
ginia, they say; that they were
driven away by bad Indians, and,
one now about 80 years of age told
your speaker that they were driven
across the river. Most of them own
their own land, which they either
bought from the early settlers-whO,
on account of the Indians being al
ready in possession, quitclaimed it
for a nominal consideration or OBJ
tanned it by an entry and grant from
the Commonwealth. The names of
the III lost colonists are still pre-
served in Hakluyt, Volume III,
wherein is given an account of The
fourth voyage made to Virginia with
three ships in the year4587, wherein
was transported the second col
ony.'
From the list of names are many
now, and from the earliest times,
borne by men of this tribe, such as
John Sampson, Robert Wilkinson,
Henry Berry, Richard Berry, John
Burden, Henry Dorrell (DiaD, John
Cheven, William Borden, and many
others. Thus it seems that their
blue eyes, the tradition of the white
mothers, the locality from which
they came, the lack of the nomadic
habit derived from the infusion of
English blood, the similarity Of
names, the tradition of being driven
by the bad Indians across the river,
doubtless by the warlike and hostile
Tuscaroras, who inhabited also the
neighboring coast country, prove con-
clusively to the student of the ques-
ton that the lost colony of Raleigh
has been found. They are a remark
able people. 1t is said by old resi-
dents that some Of these Indians
were volunteers in the Revolution
airy war. That they sent two COM
panies to the wal of 1912 is we'll au-
thenticated.
''They made gallant soldiers, as a
number Of our oldest inhabitants
can testify. From the earliest times
up to the year 1885 they went to
school with the whites, voted and
shared in the privileges of citizen
ship. But in that year the constitu-
ton of North Carolina was amended
and thereafter for a period of thirty
years they were deprived, not only
of the right to vote, but even of the
privileges of education, until the
constitution of 1868 was passed,
whereby they became restored to