The farmer and mechanic., 1913-03-04
THE CROATANS OF
PERSON COUNTY
Their Resemblance to the Rols--ou
County Indians, and Their Gonsi
Qualities
tI.cxboro Courier.


hEing IN North Carolina and some ~
Virginia They have al the character
istics of the Indian race. prominent
nose, high cheek bones. small hands
and small feet. and high inStcp. They
are OF a lighter color than the C-hero
kee Indians
The Oldest people about here say
their parents told them that thes. In
dians had been living there : long
time. and that some OF them served
in the American army during the
Revolutionary War Colonel William
Byrd. in his history Of the dividing
line between Virginia and North caro-
lima run IN 1927. speaks OF this Indian
settlement. and tells OF the surveying
party camping among them one night.
/ They are good citizens being indus
| tTious and sober
I have never heard Of pne OF them
! hetnG convicted ~ any crime. They
look exactly like the Robson county
] Indians, Who art Acknowledged to be
the descendants Of the early Croatan
Indians. They are as anxious t. keep
! themselves separated from the ooiorrc
race as white people are.
There are several other settlements
of this race in North Carolina Their
name III the North Carolina code IS
"Croatan Indians They are forbid
den 10 marry colored people. just ts
white people are (see Revised Cod. of
North Carolina Of l4o5, section 2oa3p.
and were registered for voting. just
as white people were under the
''grandfather clause.
They have large school. with two
teac hers and a flourishing church AMI
, Sunday school, with a white minister
as pastor.
, In the school election last January
ali Of them except one voted for tho
tax to support the Bethel Hill high
: school
, l have known them eighteen wears,
s have examined their history ana am
I fully persuaded that they arc the de
scendants Of the croatan Indians, with
whom the English settlers Of Roanoke
| island lived.
" The following is the history Of these
settlers, as given in First Steps in
North Carolina History" by Cornelia
l.. spencer. pages i ana ~. IN 1919
an English colony sent by Sir Walter
Raleigh settled on Roanoke Island. III
1 Albenarle Sound. BY harsh treatment
they made enemies of the Indians near
them except those who lived on the
north side Of the sound called troa-
e tan Indians These remained friendly
o to the English all the time. In 1886
e all the coloniSts returned TO England
Y except fifteen men, who We're willing
l. to remain until other Englishmen
1t should come over and join them
IS IN 1857 John White, with large
e number Of settlers. was sent by Sir
il Walter Raleigh TO Roanoke Island.
They found that the fifteen men left
there had been killed by the hostile
indians.
After building houses and fort
John White went back TO England To
get more help and more men.
About one hundred men, women
y and children remained on Roanoke Is
3 land These told White that II the
hostile Indians should attack them II
, his absence they would 20 across the
u sound TO Croatan and take shelter
y among the friendly Indians. and i
y they should go. they would carve on Z
"a tree the word Croatan. II they hhc
III to 20 in any great straits Of disaster
e they would cut a cross over the ie'
H. ter.
n White did not return for three years
n When he arrived all the white settler.
D had disappeared. There was tre'
iy with "Croatan" cut deep in II, bu
ID no cross was there. There were M
s. Indians to he seen, no one or whom
g. to ask questions. 1t seems very strans
that White did not at once sail Il
g t,roatau TO learn something OF the set
m tiers He said. in excuse for not do
IN ing so. that he started TO sail 10 Croa
t tan. but was caught in a very sever
ne storm which injured his ship 50 nuc
c. he had 10 hurry back TO England .
iy have them repaired.
r No doubt the silence and desolauo
fe of the island appalled, the hearts Q
~ all. and they sailed back 10 England
p It is believed that the coloniNs 100
EN- refuge with the Croatan Indians an
w living among them for years, hopeiea
ne Of ever seeing white people agar