The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-01-27
A CURIOUS STORY REVIVED.
Ex-senator Hiram r. Kevels of Mississi ppi
Was Not Negro But Croatan.
Especial to the Henderson Herald3


Especial to the Henderson Herald)
Washington, Jan. 22.--The death of
former United States Senator Hiram
II. Revels, of Mississippi, has revived
curious story regarding his ancestry
He was always classed as a negro, being
tall well-built man. with the choco-
late skin and curly hair Of an African,
and the devout bearing of his profess
sion-the min sterial.
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 descend
ant of that mystery shrouded band OF
settlers that Sir Walter Raleigh
planted at Roanoke in 1887, and that
disappeared from white knowledge a
year or two afterwards.
THE historian has usually contented
himself with dropping his investigation
when he reached the point where Gov
ernor John White returned from Eng
land and found that the 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 coionists were prob
ably killed by the Indians"
The Roanoke colony consisted of lis
unmarried men and 20 who had families
They were sent out by Sir Walter Raj
eigh in 1887. in charge of Jno. White
who was appointed Governor. Ananias
Dare, his son-in-lav, was Vice Gov
ernor, and during 1887 his wife gave
birth to daughter, the first white chile
born in America, and she was called
Virginia Dare.
During the summer tribe of Croa-
tan Indians, who lived some fifty miles
away, on the east shore of what is now
North Carolilfa-the Whole country was
then called Nirginia-visited the colony
on Roaoke Island and proposed to the
settlers that they remove to the home
of the indians, internlarry, and become
members of their tribe. The lis un-
married men were willing 10 accent the
proposition ard it IVES only with diff
ficulty that Governor White induced
them to remain.
when CIV rS thing was completed
White returned to England and got
provisions ard reinforcements. Before
going ne Instructed the colonistS to
leave some testimony if for any reason
they should conclude to move during
his absence
THE next year, 1883, was the year OF
the Spanish Armada, and Whites boat
and every other sea going vessel was
impressed into service. So it was i'm
possible for Governor White to set sal
for America. gain until 1889. When he
arrived at Roanoke he found the stock
ade and thu houses there. but every
body had gone. On one tree he found
the word CIoatan' carved, and on one
stockade post merely The beginning
! Croat.' He was about to proceed in
search of She CroataGs when a Hatteras
storm came up, and. after beating about
for some time the crew mutinied and
insisted on going down to the Spanish
/ main and engaging in pFivateering.
In 1710. " hen the Huguenots and
cavaliers STAGED to penetrate the inte-
rior of North Carolina they found, some
seventy-five miles from the coast, in
what is now RobesCl county, n. c., q
colony of English speaking people, many
of whom had blue eyes and light hair
4 They inquired where they came from
and they replied: from Croatan. How
does it come that you speak English?'
our fathers were English
These people have always been call
ed Croatans There are some 1000 o.
them living in Robson county, N. c., al
the present time, but they have scat
tered all over the South and West.
have found Groatan names among al
! the five civilized tribes living in the
| Indian Territory.
THE most eminent of them was
United States Senator Revels. who was
elected from MiSSiSS;Dpi during the re
obstruction days. He was classed as q
negro. but was in reality Croatan."
G.. NJ.