Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1901-05-24
QUEER FOREIGN RACE.
The Malungeons OF Tennessee and
Their Portuguese Ancestry.


greensboro, Tenn, MAY 24-Wbile
much has been written from time to
tlme about the poor whites" noun.
talueers and the Georgia Crackers. -"
yet there is a still more peculiar clnss
OF southerners who have until lately
escaped notice. These people are
called the m2lungeons. They are COP
per colored, with high cheek bones.
straight noses, black hair, rather
coarse, black eyes, and have more in
telligence than the average noun
taineers.
"A great deal of trouble has come to
them because of their color and GUS
toms. The MGlungeons number he.
tween 400 and 500. They live on
Black Water creek, in Hancock coun-
W which section they have inhabited
for more than 100 years.
The records of Hancock county show
that the Malungeon ancestors came to
PowelIs valley as early as 1889, when
lney look up lands on the Black Water
tradition says that they held aloof
from the white settlers and spoke q
strange language which not one of the
pioneers could fathom. Some of them
could speak broken English, and by
this means communicated with the
white merchants to the extent of buy
ing arms, ammunition and other sup
pies which could not be procured in
the valleys of their mountain homes.
Before the war the Malungeons had
a hard time in obtaining the right TO
vote in the elections. The white citi-
zens declared that they were negroes
and the matter was finally carried into
the courts. 1t developed that the an
cestors of these people immigrated to
this country from Portugal, about 100
years ago, and had spent considerable
time in South Carolina before going to
Tennessee. They proved on the wit
ness stand that there was not drop of
negro blood in their veins, and, after
long and tedious litigation, were al
lowed to vote and exercise the full
privileges of American citizenship.
When the civil war broke out in 1861,
the Malungeons espoused the cause Of
the Union. They fought in the usual
mountain Observation-Disclosures
many Confederate soldier was killed
by the unerring bullets of their rifle
men. Whenever the Confederates cap-
tured one of them he was shot on the
spot without mercy. After the war
terminated and the Malungeons re-
turned to their old pursuits, they found
that the government was interfering
with one of their chief lndustries-mak-
ing whisky.
They had been dist llers back in Seth
Carolina and some of the earliest eti,is
in Tennessee were brought by their
ancestors over the mountains from
their original settlement. They killed
revenue officers just rs the other noun.
taineers did, for disturbing their stills.
OF late years, however. the revenue
men have been so persistent in the
work of destroying the Illicit traffic
that the Malungcons have sold but
small quantities of the whisky openly.
They still make moonshine whisky,
but have adopted the artful. lodging
tactics Of the other moonshiners of the
Tennessee and kentucky mountains
and it is rare that one of the race is
caught SO far as it is known not one
of the MalungeOnS has ever ridden CT
a railroad train.
The deep religious nature of these
southerners is the most striking of all
their characteristics. During their
meetings they will sing and shout until
almost franctic with religious fervor
One of the patriarchs of the Ma
dungeons was Uncle Ward Collins.
Many years ago a noted church bishop
was travelling through the Black Water
district. He accidentally went to Uncle
Wards house and asked to stay over
night with him. a privilege readily
granted.
When the churchman told the old
man he was n bishop. the patriarch
said he would like to hear him preach
The visitor inquired where the congre-
cation would come from. For answer
the host took long dinner horn from
its rack, and, going outdoors, blew
several shrll blasts. Within an hour
100 people had assembled, and showed
great interest in the sermon.
The MdlunGeons were Wings before
the civil war, but since then have had
no direct utilization with any move
ments of a political nature. Their So
cial customs have not changed in 200
years. They still live in one roomed
cabins and use the old fashioned, long
barreled rifle. NEWTON OlIs,