The Robesonian. [volume] (Lumberton, N.C.) 1870-current, 1908-07-02
THE CROATAN INDIANS.

OF the Lost Colony
Raleigh's First Expedition
Other Expeditions-The Lost
Colonists.
Col, F. A. Olds in Charlotte Observer.
Continued from Mondays Robe
sonian.)
Justice is but too often spoken
of as tardy, and surely the case
of the Croatan Indians of North
Carolina is one which proves the
accuracy of this general state
ment. 1t required three hundred
years for them to come to their
own again, as the descendants of
the Lost Colony of Roanoke,
and of these Indians on the North
Carolina coast who were de-
scribed by the historians of the
1887 expedition by the English
to these shores as a very noble,
well-favored and splendidly form
ed people, as indeed is shown by
the watercolor drawing made by
John White, the artist of this
noted expedition sent out by
that prince of exploiters, Sir
Walter Raleigh, which landed at
Roanoke Island. 1t is strange,
but true, that the writer made
the first. printed suggestion that
the Croatan Indians of to-day are
the descendants of Governor
Whites Lost Colony" this sug-
gestion having been made July
31st, 1885, though the idea had
been advanced by ". Hamilton
cMillan, of Robson county,
North Carolina, who has spent
much of his life in the country
of the Croatans and who knows
more Of their history and tradi-
ton than any other living man.
1t was in 1887, while a member
of the North Carolina Legisla-
ture, that Mr. Mcmillan advanced
the idea and it was through his
personal influence with that body
that this tribe was given recog-
milton. In 1883 he embodied his
opinions in a brochure which ad-
vanced internal evidence and
tradition with historical evidence
in favor of the survival Of the
Lost Colony" in the persons of
the Croatans of this day.
1t is known that North Carroll
ma shores were for the first time
seen by Sebastian Cabot during
his voyage in 1893, when touching
New Foundland, he skirted the
coast southwark down to the lati
tude of Gibraltar, which is tha
of Roanoke Island, in this State
The next year he renewed his ex
plorations over the same course
and went south until he reached
a point where the Spanish were
colonized. 1t is claimed tina
Giovanni Verrozano, an Italian
landed on the shore of this State
at two points, and that neal
Roanoke Island presents wer
} given by him to the natives VIII
then for the first time saw whit
men. Verrazano was in the ser
vice of the then King of Franc,
and that country claimed the Ne1
World, and nearly forty year
later sent a colony which spen
a year on the coast of what
now South Carolina, in 1864
IL second colony coming over an
, settling in what is now Florida
but these colonies being MAJ
'f sacred by the Spanish becaus
they were not Catholics. Kin
Charles l, of England, granite
all the Atlantic coast to Sir Robe
Heath in 1929, but the Freno
~ still laid claim to the territory ;
N far north as Wilmington N.
re When the first English colonis
II came over in 1884 they were to
N by the Indians that on sever
III other occasions white men hi
been on the coast and their hi
torian guessed that these we
Spaniards who came to trade f
!, "the white pearl" and Barlow
one of the ship captains, sa
children among the natives wi
had very fine auburn and ches
: nut-colored hair. The patent
~ Sir Walter Raleigh to coloni
this country was granted
4 Queen Elizabeth, in 1884, and
gave the settlers every privile
which any free citizen Of En-
land had, as if they were born
the mother country. In the col
ing centuries, when the colonis
were to rise against that mothe
who was then depriving them
S. these English liberties, this g,
= den promise of the long go
A' years was brought to mind, b
to no purpose.
RALEIGH'S FIRST EXPEDITION
There was IN 1884 the first {
pedition, under Raleigh's S auspic,
which landed on the North G.
olina coast, passed through an
2 let and found the isle of Roanol
! the largest in North Carolil
with a fortified village, the peo,
being declared by these first
plorers to be gentle, loving a
! faithful, void of all guile a
], treason and such as live after t
manner of the golden age
These first English explore
since they could not be cal
colonists, remained here only t
500 Reward. SIC
res. M. g 4L;a ~ IN