The Robesonian. [volume] (Lumberton, N.C.) 1870-current, 1908-07-06
THE CROATAN INDIANS.

McMilIan's Researches-Tar-
DIV Justice Given the Indians
Why Henry Berry Lowrie Be-
came an Outlaw Influence OF
English.
Col. F. A. Odds in Charlotte Observer.
Continued from Thursday 5 Rob
esonian.)
It was in 1870 that Scotchmen
arrived in the section of the
State where the Croatans now
are and at the coming of these
their records show that they
found on Lumber river, Robson
county, a large tribe of Indians,
Speaking English, farming, own
ing slaves and showing many
evidences of civilization. These
held their lands in common and
land titles became known only
after the advent of the whites.
The first grant to any of the
Croatans is dated in 1872, being
to Henry Berry and James Lowrie,
two of the leading men, ana
covered large tracts in Robson
county. The Croatans were
found to be hospitable and en-
tirely friendly to their white
neighbors. After the white set
tiers began to come in a part OF
this tribe went north and settled
around the Great Lakes, some OF
their descendants now being in
Canada, west of Lake Ontario,
while a number of these people,
described as whites emigrated in
to the great North Carolina noun
tain region the tribe in Robson
county now claiming certain fami-
lies in western North Carolina to
be, like themselves descendants
of the lost English colOnists.
When the first whites arrived
Indians had built excellent roads
connecting their most distant
settlements with the principle
seat of their government, if so it
can be called, which was on the
Lumbee river, that being the
Indian name OF what is now term
ed the Lumber river. One of
these roads extends for twenty
miles to what is now called Fay
etteville, and their greatest high
way yet bears the name of the
"Lowrie road" and is used to
this day, extending from Fay
etteville through two counties to
an old settlement on the Pee Dee
river.
Many men of this tribe of
Croatans served in the Continen-
tai army duringthewar of therev-
olution and number during
the war of 1912. Until the year
1886 they were allowed to vote
and to perform militia duty,
owned slaves, built churches anC
school houses and lived comfor-
tably, many Of them after the
English manner, but a State con-
vention which met that year de.
MED the right to vote to all free
persons of color" For politica
purposes it was declared by the
dominant party that these people
were free persons of color" ant
they were never allowed to vot'
until the new constitution wa
adopted in 1868, when they Wer,
also allowed the benefits of pub
lie schools, but having been elias
sed for thirty-three years as ne
groes they were compelled to at
tend the negro schools. Thei
prejudice against negroes wa
and is intense, andso but few sen
their children to school unde
these conditions, but preferre
that they should remain ignol
ant rather than submit to force
association with the blacks, whol
they hold in complete contempt &
race. After their disfranchise
ment in 1885 the Indians, VIII
rebelled against being classed {
mulattoes, became suspicious {
the whites and it was very diff
cult to get any information fro
them regarding their history
though of traditions they ha
no end. The first real invest
gator was Hamilton Mcmillan ar
strange to say his investigate
was due to an incident durir
the civil war. One of the grea
est of all the families of the tril
is the LoWries and three your
men of this, instead of beir
sent to the front as soldiers, we
treated as colored persons, drat
ed and sent to work to build Fo
Fisher, the great defense belo
Wilmington. While they we
being taken there by a viii
soldier they were killed by him,
was believed. There was aninque
and when it was ended Georl
Lowry, an aged Indian, made {
address to a cOncourse of h
people in which he said they h;
always been friends of the viii
men; that they were free lol
before the white men ever car
to America and had in fact
ways been free; that they liv,
in Roanoke in Virginia and tn
when the English came the
the tribe treated them kind
that one of the tribe was tax
to England on an English vess
and saw that country; that t
tribe had always been frienc
with the white men and tax
the English to live with the
and that in their veins was t
blood of white men as we'll as
dian, and that in order to
great like the English they h
taken the white mans lanpna