Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1906-02-01
The Lost Colony Found.

Dare, the first white child born on the
soil of the Western Continent, forms
one of the most pathetic chapters in
American History.
In 1888, nearly a century after the
discovery of the New World, Eliza
beth, queen of England, granted to
Sir Walter Raleigh the right to search
out and settle and hold lands across
the great seas. Two efforts were
made in 15S4-85, but, both having
failed. third expedition under Gov.
ernor John White, comprised of l2O
souls, landed in August, 1887, at
Roanoke Island, then belonging to
Virginia-now part of North Caro-.
lima. Here, on August 19. 1890, the
little Virginia Dare was born. She
was the daughter of Ananias and Ell.
eanor White Dare, her mother being
daughter of Governor White, in
charge of the English settlement.
August 27, same year, the COVER
nor sailed for England, going back in
the interest of the colonists, and none
of those who remained on the island
were ever seen again-dead or alive.
At that time Sir Walter Raleigh
was engaged in defending England
against the attacks of the Spanish
Armada, and could not give his at
tention to the colonists on the other
side of the ocean consequently con-
siderable time elapsed before Cover
nor White returned to Roanoke, with
ships laden with provisions and ma
terial for clothing. But, alas ! in
stead Of the eager greeting he ex-
pected he came back to silent shores
and voiceless island.
Before leaving there had been an
arrangement between him and those
he was leaving that, in case it were
necessary for the colonists to leave
that place before his return, they
should carve the name of the place to
which they were going in the bark OF
some trees near the huts that had
been erected and, furthermore, if they
went as prisoners or unwillingly,
cross was to be cut above the name Of
the place to which they had gone.
When the governor found no trace OF
life on the island he looked for the
sign, as agreed upon, on the trees, and
found cut in the bark of single oak
the one word "Croatan," and that
without the significant cross above it.
Surmising that the colonists had
sought the protection Of the Croatan
Indians, an exhaustive. search was
made for them, but nothing was ever
heard OF them, and no graves being
found on the Island, it was finally ac-
cepted that they had perished, either
through starvation or the treachery
of the Indians, and the search was
abandoned.
After the settlement of Jamestown,
Virginia, in 1907, Captain Smith fol-
lowed up several clews, hoping there
by to trace the fate of his hapless
countrymen, but nothing came of his
attempts, and it was generally con.
ceded that the whole colony had per-
ished in some mysterious way during
Governor White absence in England.
The first hint of the fate that prob
ably overlook them came from eail-
ors wrecked on the coast of North
Carolina about 6fty.6ve years after
the settlement of jamestown was
made. There, among the Croatan In.
dians, they saw children with blue
eyes and auburn hair, and we're sur
prised to hear mixed with their En-
glish, many Anglo-Saxon words.
They found iron tools-implements
OF work-in use, also, and at a time
when iron was wholly unknown
among the Indians
Two or three years later Francis
Yearly, an English gentleman, spent
some weeks on Roanoke Island, and
while there was attracted by the
same Observation-Disclosures and
auburn-haired children, Anglo Saxon
words and iron tools; and one thing
else he observei-their ideas Of God
were more in accord with those Of
Christianized England than with the
legends and fancies of the wild Indian
tribes by which they were surround
ed.
White settlers coming to North
Carolina in l729 found tribe Of In
dians, calling themselves "Crostans.
living along the Lumber river. They
could talk very fair English. were