The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1906-03-02
THE LOST COLONY Of ROANOKE
Early Authentic Statements in Re-
gard to the Croatansl
First Known Reference I'm Volume
Five OF the Colonial Records-3
Hundred and Fifty Years Ago These
People Were Not Regarded As In
dian-When Did the Tribe Become
Anglo-Saxonixede.


Like many others Of your readers,
| was greatly entertained BY Mr.. Nv
rover's letter in your Sundays issue
for | also knew Mr.. Daugerieid when
he was a curly-headed boy, himself a
study Off a painter.
Likewise, the mysteries OF the lost
colony of the Croatan Indians are of
perennial interest Ny old friend
Hamilton Mcmillan. who, besides his
day work, taught a night school at
Wilmington in 1S67-6S, thinks be has
solved these mysteries by ~consolida-
ton. Perhaps.
Authentic historical statements / IN
regard to the Croatans are so >meager
that beg space TO direct attention 10
the earliest with which I am acQuaint-
ed. Mr.. Mcmillan says in effect that
when b first Scotch settlers located
on the upper Cape Fear they found
these Croatans then in their home on
unbe river-speaking English, till
ing the land; owning slaves" and
presumably they were Christians. The
authority for this information is no
quoted in full. The first reference TO
them that / have met with is in VOL
m 5 of the Colonial records, page
161. When Governor Dobbs arrived,
in North Carolina in the fall of 1854,
the Indians were attacking the English
colonists, and the governor at once
directed the colonies and captains of
the militia to send him an exact lis.
of the men in their several districts
capable of bearing arms; and also ask
ing whether there were any Indians
in their respective counties, their num-.
Der. etc.
The reply for Bladen was. Colonel
Rutherford's regiment of foot in Bla6-
en-, AL; a troop Of horse, So; a new
company to be made at Waggamaw,
James Kerr recommended for captain.
Drowning Creek, on the head of Lit
tie Peedee, so families, a MKT creed, a
lawless people, possess the lands with
out patents Dr. paying quit rents; shot
a surveyor for coming to view vacant
lands, being enclosed in great swamps. |
Quakers to attend muSters, or pay
as in the northern counties; fines not
high enough to oblige the militia to
attend musters. Nc arms, stores or
Indians in the county.
Bladen Troop, William Davis cap |
tain, with officers, So men. The troop |
wants holsters, better blind caps and
housings fringed, pistols. carbincs,
broadswords. or hangers with which
they want to be furnished. No In
dians."
The last paragraph vas probably
the report of Captain Davis; the re-
mainder being appapded to the report
of Colonel Rutherford for the county |
at large. |
Colonel Rutherford was the receiver
general of quit rents, and he was par
ticular to mention that the SO families
Drowning Creek would pay no quit
rents. Had they been recognized as
Indians no quit rents would have been
of them, but a reservation
would have been set apart for them.
Both Colonel Rutherford and Captain
Davis say: mo Indians in Bladen."
That was in 1854. Five years before
that the settlements in the western
portion of Bladen, the people coming |
up from South Carolina, were so con-
siderable that Arson county was Great
ed; there being there about 1000 in
inhabitants settled on the Peede; and
it may be that the Drowning Creek
families came up from South Carroll
1t is to be that me
dividing line between North and South
Carolina along there was not run until
1875.
A hundred and fifty years ago, these
seem not to have been regarded
as Indians; and before that time, II
they were Indians, they could not have
had any great association with the
white settlers of South Carolina. Yet
Mr.. Mcmillan says: "At the coming
of the white settlers there was found
located On the waters of Lumber river.
a large tribe of Indians, speaking Eng
hsh, filling the soil, owning slaves
and practicing many Of the arts of
civilized life" / have always been cur
ious to know when the Indian tribe
became Anglo-Saxonized. II would
seem that the Lost Colony fastened
their language and customs on the
Indian tribe. except this, that the Lost
Colonists did not practise slavery.