Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1902-09-22

E so u g
-.-;- 4
Further Investigation to be Made to
Determine the Truth Of the
Speculation.
St. Louis Glcbe-Denaocrat: i, Was
America discovered and colonized BY
Prince Madoc of Wales; I'M the year
117O, and are there living descendants
of his followers among the Indians Of
North Dakota today? II Nsiz9
The subject Of the Welsh discovery is
by no means a new one. In the days
of Queen Elizabeth, before the first
English colony was planted in America;
the belief in the story Of Prince Madoc
was universal in Great Britain, and was
Incorporated into the histories that
were written.
Later, in the time Of the English coll
onies, seemingly reliable accounts of
an Indian tribe THAT spoke Welsh and
possessed Welsh relics began to accum-
'ulate, and a systematic investigation
of them was planned. This was given
up on account Of the revolution. After
that long period of war DIT was declared
that the Welsh Indians had removed
to the Spanish territory beyond the
Mississippi. The trans Mississippi be-
came ours by purchase nearly hun
5dred years ago. but the reign Of the
upper Missouri, where the Welsh In
Hans declared to have gone, was very
remote for inveahga CATION, and expert
investigators were few. 4 The popular
belief remained, however, and only
time seemed awanting for the fullest
demonasst ration of the alleged facts.
southey y poem of 'tMadoc' published
In 1869 added To The public interest in
the subject Catlin, the greatest au-
thority On the American, abodgines,
found the Welsh Indians, and identified
them with the Mandans, to his own
satisfaction and to that Of his readers.
But for an amazing event his investi-
cations would have been followed by
others Of a most exhaustive character.
That event was the destruction of the
tribe, which occurred in the winter OF
1S38739, when an epidemic of smallpox
occurred, and carried off all but thirty
one of the LOCO or more Mandans.
The survivors OF, ,the tribe were mainly
women, They fed in terror from the
scene Of death and intermarried with
the Ricarees and the Sioux, by whom
they were captured. 1T is said that
they seldom spoke after the time of
horror. Between 200 and 300 Of their
descendants remain, and now live with
the Indians Of different tribes on the
Fort Berthold reservation in North
Dakota.
1t is unfortunate that the advocates
of the Welsh theory have been deprived
of an opportunity to sift the matter to
the bottom with the thoroughness of
modern archaeological and pathological
investigation. n Yet enough is known
to carry a very strong conviction OF
the truth Of the Welsh claim. Taken
altogether the story of Prince Madoc
and the Welsh Indians has passed
through the sfrangest vicissitudes,
from the burning of the Welsh records
in ancient days to the destruction Of
the Mandans in the last century. The
vitality OF the Madoc legend and of the
folklore pertaining to the Welsh In
dians is phenomenal. They have per-
sisted through ages, in spite of the
most destructive calamities of various
nature. 1t would seem that only the
truth could survive SO many adverse
influences. The St Louis exposition
will afford an excellent opportunity for
a revival Of the legends Of the Welsh
Indians OF the Louisiana purchase
and an exhibit Of the evidences which
corroborate them.
owain Gwynedd. the father Of the
Madoc, was one Of the greatest sof the
old Welsh monarchs. He reigned
from 1887 to 1869. His capital was
Aberfraw. He had seventeen sons
Hywen succeeded to the throne, but
when he made d visit to ireland Da.
vydd seized the throne ana began tc
slay or 'imprison his brothers, Mados
was in charge OF the fleet. He I'M
proved the opportunity to sail west
ward over the broad Atlantic, and
reached an unknown land, Later he
returned To- Wales and organized an
expedition Of ten ships and about SOC
people. These sailed away from a
point on the Isle of Anglesey. about
flve miles from Holyhead, ii Ii7O. MOI
one OF the company is known to have