West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1901-02-07
INTERESTING HISTORY
Recalled by the Death Of United
States Hsnator 1svels.
Something About His Aneestry-A Lit.
tie History Of the Early settlers or
svirginia-A Colony thar DISAPPEARED.

The death OF former United
States Senator Hiram X. Revels, of
Mississippi, has revived a curious
story regarding his ancestry. He
was always classed as negro, be-
ing tall. well built man, with the
chocolate skin and curly hair of an
African, and the devout bearing Of
his profession--the ministerial.
Revels, however, was not negro,
or If of mixed blood, he was at
least the defendant of two other
far higher races. According to DR..
c. A. Peterson, of ST.. Louis, he
was undoubtedly a defendant of
that mystery shrouded band of set
tiers that Sir Walter Raleigh plant
ed at Roanoke in 1887, and that
disappeared from white knowledge
a year or two afterwards.
"The historian has usually con
tented himself with dropping his in
vestigations when he reached the
point where Governor John White
returned from England and found
that the colony had disappeared
from Roanoke Island" said DIR.
Peterson. "and you will find in
about every history you pick up the
statement that the colonists were
probably killed by the Indians.
"The Roanoke colony consisted
of us unmarried men and 20 who
had families. They were sent out
by Sir Walter Raleigh in 1887. in
charge of John White, who was APP
pointed 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 cal
led Virginia Dare.
"During the summer tribe of
Croatan Indians, who lived some
SO miles away, on the east shore of
what is now North Carolina-the
whole country was then called Vir-
ginia--visited the colony on Roam
oke Island and proposed to the set
tiers that they remove to the home
of the Indians, intermarry, and be-
come members of their tribe. The
us unmarried men were willing TO
accept the proposition and it was
only with difficulty that Governor
White induced them to remain.
"When everything was com plet-
ed, White returned to England and
got provisions and re endorsements.
Before going he instructed the col
onists to leave some testimony if
for any reason they should conclude
to move during his absence.
"The mex! year, 1888, was the
year of the Spanish Armada, and
Whites boat and every other sea-
going vessel was impressed into SER
vice. So it was impossible for Gov
ernor White to set sail for America
again until 1880. Wien he arrived
at Roanoke he found the stockade
and the houses there, but everybody
had gone. On one tree he found
the word 'Croatan' carved, and on
one stockade post merely the be-
ginning-'Crot.' He was about TO
proceed in search of the Croatans
when Hatteras storm came up,
and, after beating about for some
time the crew mutined and insisted
on going down to the Spanish main
and engaging in privateering.
"In 1910, when the Hugenots
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 hair. They in
CURED where they came from, and
they replied, From Croatan.' How
does it come that you speak Eng
lis p Our fathers were English.
"These people have always been
called Croatans. There are some
4, 900 of them living in Robson
County, N. C., at the present time,
but they have scattered all over the
South and West. have found
Croatan names among all the five
civilized tribes living in the Indian
Territory.
"rhe most eminent of them was
United States Senator Revels who
was elected from Mississippi during
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