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A CAROLINA MYSTERY.COLONISTS OF ROANOKE ISLAND LOST IN 1587.Their Descendants Believed to be the Croatan Indians of 1887—-The Facts In » Very Romantic History—Condition of the Croatan* of the Present Day.F. A. Ob!*, of R-iUiuK in Auburn, AV*r Y»rkA drrrtiur.PAHT II.Very careful inquiries were made to ascertain the past history of this tribe. The Croatanscame to Robeson county ( then Bladen) between 1715 and 1732. An investigation of land grants in their possession was made. The oldest grant that could be discovered is dated in 1732, and by it King George II granted a large tract totwo chief men of the tribe, named Henry Berry and James Lowry or Lowrie, who came from Virginia/' as tradition has it, for the Croatans yet sjeak of eastern North Carolina as “Virginia.” There is said to be afrant by George III to John White, ut it cannot Ik? found. The name of John White is very suggestive. Over twenty names of Whites lust colonists are today among them.* * * ”3 *Many inquiries were made as to tribal traditions. The tradition is -common that the trile formerly inhabited the country around Pamlico Sound, including portions of what are now Carteret and Hyde counties and all of Tyrrell and Dare. Among the Low-rv family there is a tradition that their “feythers” (fathers) lived on the shores of Lake Matamuskeet, in Hyde county, before they came to Robeson county. The best informed men say that Croatan was the name of a place, and that the name was later given to the tribe by the English. An intelligent Croatan clergyman says that the true tribal name is Hatteras (or Hat-torask,as the Croatans call it.) Now here is another link. The Hattorask Indians are the ones who were on Roanoke Islaud when White’s colony landed. No Indians lived habitually on the islaud ; they only went there from the main land to fish or hunt, or perhaps for greater coolness in summer.Another tradition, well preserved, gives another link in the chain of evi dence. It is that Lake Mattaiuus-keet, before alluded to, was a “burnt lake” or “lake burnt out of the ground. And so it was, wonderful as it may seem. The soil of Hyde is' all peat, and in dry season, it occasionally catches on fire. In such a case the very land itself is consumed and pita or depressions are formed, which presently fill with water. The best evidenceh that in a vast lire, perhaps centuries ago, Lake Mattamuskeot was thus formed. It is thirty miles long, and at no place over eight feet deep, and not a fish of any kind has ever been seen in its waters.But vet strange facts were discovered. The language of the Croatans is peculiar in tone. They use but two sounds of the letter a—a broad souud of a as in father and the sound of a as in date. Dare is pronounced Darr.The name of Virginia Dare is familiar to their chroniclers. The Darr family name has disappeared in Robeson county, but is found among a branch of the tribe in Lincoln county. lt;ne of the Darrs served as a soldier in the l/uited States army in the war of 1812. Their language is peculiar in that it is strictly Anglo-Saxon. It contains many words in common use which have been obsolete for a long period in most of England. For instance, “housen” is the plural of house ; “crone” is to push down ; for “ask they say “aks (Old English) ; for “father” they say “feyther.” Knowledge is spoken of as “wit.”Of family names, over twenty of these hold names of those held by the long lost colonists. James (pronounced in the old English way, Jeams). Lowery is a very common name among them. The name of Locklear is also found, and Cuzzie Locklear is one of the oldest living members. The name Dial was formerly Doyle. The name Goins was once O’Gwinn. Priscilla and Rhoda are the most common names of women, and Henry that of men. One' of the oldest men is Aaron Revels, who is more than 100 years of age. He is an uncle of Senator Revels, of Mississippi.The prevalance of the name Lowry has been referred to. According to tradition a man named Sanies Lowry came from “Chesapeke” and married in the tribe, and became the progenitor of a large and influential family. That family, at the time the tribe broke up, moved away from the Roanoke section, went to western North Carolina, perhaps to Buncombe. Lowry’s descendants, they say were “leaders among men.” Governor James Lowry Swain, who after serving as chief magistrate of North Carolina was for over a quarter of a century president of the State University, was a dcscendent, as was Lieutenant Governor James Lowry Robinson, of this State.They have always, their traditions say, been warm friends of the white people. It is said that long ago they fought under Bonnel ( Barnwell) in the wars against the Indian tribes. Many of them were in the continental army in the war of the revolution, and a company was sent to fight the British in the war of 1812. The English names of men in these companies are remarkable as those ofWINSTON-SALEM, N. C., THURSDAY, AUGUSWhite's colonists in many cases. Some of the Croatans were slave owners, and some kept houses of entertainment for travelers.Their cleanliness is characteristic. Physicians who practice among them speak of this and say they never hesitate about sleepiug or eating in the house of a Croatan. They are a hospitable people also, and very obliging. They are proud oi their qace and have far stronger race prejudices than either whites or negroes. They are the best of friends, but the worst of ene rnies. Indian characteristics are marked. Their fondness for cloth of a red color is remarkable, and in this most of their women aredressed. They march in “Indian file” in their travels. They are reticent unless one gains tneir confidence. They are of all colors, from pure white to black. Many of them can with difficulty be distinguished from white people.Their women are iu in many cases beautiful, with supherh figures, as voluptuous iu some cases as those of thefar-famed Hawaiian maidens. One of their most beautiful women was Iihoda Lowry, who was sometimes spoken of as “Queen Rhoda.” Their movements are grace itself, and the dress is worn in a most beautiful way, th jugh simple in texture and design.* * * *GLIMPSES OF GREAT MEN.The Croatans were recognized as white people, and atteuded the same schools with white pupils. But in 1835, another curious thing in their eventful history occured. They were deprived of the right to vote, and classed “free persons of color” under an ameudment to the State Corstitu-tion, adopted that year, which prohib ited that class from voting or attending school. The Croatans allege that they were deprived of voting to effect a change in the politics of their county. They were not allowed to attend school from 1835 to 1868. Since the latter date some of the poorer class attended the public colored schools.But that is at an end. They are nowa race apart, fully recognized and cared for educationally.Some seventeen years ago a member of the tribe, Henry Berry Lowry, disgraced it by becoming the chiel of a band of outlaws, which for months terrorized that section and caused a national sensation. b inally they were killed and the blot was wiped out.Such is the history of the Croatans from 1587 tol8S7. They were dwell-er in Tyrrell, Dare, etc., who happened to be on Roanoke island. They induced White’s colonists to go to the mainland with them. They intermarried and out of regard for the white race, the hitter’s family names were chosen. After years of life in Eastern Carolina the tribe, after the manner of man}' others, moved to other places and chose Robeson as its main abiding place.He Would Not Take Any Itl.sk.Fnn/rom t/ilt; Wilrou Mirror Jfun.“Oh, Maurice,” said a Wilson girl to her lover, “did you know papa had bought a new dog ?”Maurice started ami looked anxiously, even nervously.“No, darling,” he replied, with a slight two stop Iremulo in his voice.“He has Maurice, and he knows so many tricks, too.”“Your papa or the dog, my darling?” he inquired, in an abstracted manner.“The dog, of course, naughty boy, she auswered, playfully tappiug him on the chin with the middle finger of her lily white hand.“When did he secure this valuable animal“Last Monday moruiug, dear he brought him home. He has leen playiug his tricks every day, and the strangest one is that he will go into the water aud catch fish.Your papa or the Jog, dear?”The dog, of course,” she auswered, pettishly this time.Agniu the young man from Tarboro street looked anxiously, nervously around the room.Did you say lit caught fish, dar-«i *•iliuv»“Yes, love, and he holds to them so we can hardly pull him away.”“Darling,” he whispered, “Oh, darling, I was here last night in the rain. It was a very watery rain, too, but darling be brave now, and tell me if my coat tail looks like a fish?”Ius turn from this sad scene.A Confederal® W«r Relic.Mr. Joseph Wheeler was one of the best of confederates, and he has many valued relics of the war. Among them is a pocket comb that he carried with him froiu the time he left here with the Anson Guards—April 16th, 1S61—to the close of the war. He also has a biscuit and a little sack of salt that he carried with him to the scat of war, but which were returned home because he felt that a biscuit and a bag of salt could not be kept in that army. But the most valuable relic is a star cut from the battle-flag of his regiment. He could not prevent the surrender of the flag, but he was determined that the star representing the State of North Carolina should never be surrendered.When Mr. Wheeler was told that an army biscuit, exhibited in an Alabama political campaign, had elected its possessor to Congress, he said he hoped he would never have 9uch bad luck. It was bad enough to have I been defeated, without having to go to j Congress.— Wade*boroMessenger.CORCORAN, THE PHILANTHROPIST, AND HIS FRIENDS.Personal Notes of Dr. A. Y. P. Garnett, of Washington—Bob Toombs and Wade Hampton.SptCblltt th« Xttr, ,i,i.f CmurOr.Dr. A. Y. P. Garnett, the physician who has accompanied Mr. W. W. Corcoran to Deer Park, Maryland, is as much of a ceutaal figure in Washington as is the rich banker and much-loved philanthropist himself. He is a Virginian, “to the manor born,” and married a daughter of the late distinguished Governor Wise of that State, and was the family physician of ihe President of the Southern Confederacy iu Richmond during the War of Secession, and au intimate and confidential iriend of Mr. Davis. He was also the popular medical attendant of some of the members of the Cabinet and of the Senators aud Representatives of the Southern Cou-fress, the friend aud companion of oombs, Yancey, Stephens, Lamar, Ochiltree, Memmiuger, Treuholm, Benjamin, Myers, and is full of reminiscences of them all, with an un-quegchable enthusiasm and love for the Lost Cause. Mere he has the largest aud almost the exclusive practice of the prominent Southern element, civil and official, of the stationary as of the floating population. And so large is his clientage that,owing to increasing age. he has been forced to decline of late numberless cases and to refuse to attend any patient after dark.OAK.VKTT’s CHAltMING CHARACTER.Dr. Garnett loves his profession and is fond of attending the medical conventions when he can appropriate the time. But the only recreation he ever really indulges iu is a three weeks’ sojourn each August at the Greenbrier White Sulphur Springs. He is not a rich man, because of his warm hearted aud generous charity. Many a Southern man aud woman here is indebted to his skill and loving kindness for recovery from long illness, lor which he has made no charge when he has known their means to be limited. Music is a passion with him, aud he is rarely absent from a fine opera during the season, accompanied always by his flaxen-haired, blue eyed and only daughter, Annie. Mrs. Garnett seldom appears in public ; the loss of a grown son and daughter within the past few years has caused her to exclude herselffrom all hut her family and a few*chosen friends.w . w. com ORAN.For 54 years Mr. Corcoran has spent every summer at the Greenbriet* White Sulphur Springs, occupying always the same cottage in South Carolina row, next to the one built by Ex-Governor John L. Manning, with the exception ot oue passed at Newport several seasons ago, when he acknowledged himself homesick for his favorite resort, and the several summers that he was absent iu Europe. It was deemed advisable for him not to go theie now, Jas he cau be kept more quiet where he is. At the Whit^ he would realize more his invalidism. It was his habit to spend always au hour or two each day in the spacious parlor aud out su the broad gal lei y of the hotel, where he held court; for he was invariably surrounded by ineu and women, and often children, all of whom delighted to hear him.THE BEAUTIFUL ANTOINETTE ToLK.I met him last there in 1884. His penchant for whist is well known, aud every evening from 8 to 11 o’clock his table in one corner of the grand parlor was with rare exceptions occu-piod by the same party, Mr. Corcorau, and Mrs. Andrew Polk, of Tennessee, Judge Gilbert, of Brooklyn, and a South Carolina lady. Mr. Corcoran told me that Mrs. Polk, as Miss Van Leer, was the most beautiful woman iu her youth he almost ever saw. She was an heiress, too, and highly accomplished. At that time, 1884, she had lived eighteen years in Europe, having returned only a year before. Mrs. Polk has been many years a widow, and is the mother of Antoinette Polk, considered one of the most beautiful women in Europe at the time of her marriage to Col. de Charrette, of the hatde noblc*se of France. His mother was the half sister of the Count de Cha^ibord, the first gentleman of Europe, as the Empress of Russia styled him, in reality Henry V. At the time of Miss Polk’s marriage to him they were living in Rome, and Charrette was the colonel of the Zouaves of the Pope’s household, a moat devout and a.dent Catholic, as his wife is. At the breaking out of the Frauco-Prus-sian war,however, all the foreign legation, and those of French nationality and proclivities, entered the French army, under the command of Col. de Charrete.and covered themselves with glory. I remember one evening, during a game of whist, the South Carolina lady, who happened to be Mr. Corcorau’s partner, made a miaplay, to which he called her attention somewhat sharply, for he is exceedingly tenacious of the strict observance of rules, when she laughed and said : “I could not help it, Mr. Corcoran, for just then I saw, standing at the window outside,facing me, the best beloved man of South Carolina, and it was such a surprise to me, not knowing that he had come.” The next moment Senator Hampton entered the drawing-room, and came up to the table to greet the party. And when he turned away the lady exclaimed: “Now do you blame me for forgetting the cards for a moment at the sight of a man who has done so much for us?”THE GREAT GEORGIA TRIBUNE*Robert Toombs was there also that summer with his grandson and daughter, Dudley and Louise DeBose. Mr. Corcoran called on him the morning after bisatrival, and Mr. Toombs was ra-r'e to return the visit for some days. Mr. Corcoran was twelve years his senior, aud Mr. Toombs looked quite fifteen years older. But it was pleasant to mark their friendship and intercourse. The few times that he was able to appear in the parlor, he had au ovation.The life of one has ruu its course and that of the other is drawing to its close. Both men have made an impress on the a« e. The one by his genius as a politician, and of whom it lias been said : “No lordlier life than his can be found in the history of our Republic. He has never moved as I other men, nor worked by ordinary methods. He has been kingly in all | his ways, and lavish in his opinions, [ disdaining all expedients or delibera tions, and moving to his ambitions with a princely assumption that has never been gainsayed by the people, and seldom by cire tinstances.” And j of the othar it will be said : “He was kingly in his ways and kingly in his gifts. Loving his kind with a tender and gentle love, worthy of the great Jehovah, his Mas/er, to whose court he must shortly be called.”Years ago Mr. Corcoran showed me with pride a handsome walking-stick presented to him by some gentlemeu of Charleston. It is the one he has used always siuce then, aud I have often held it in ray hand aud adm ’red its exceeding beauty. ’Tis of palmetto, highly polished, with a gold head, upon which liis name and a palmetto tree are eugraved. Wanda.Tl»«* Earluf Ah«rd«en* llrotlifr.The receut visit of the eail of Aberdeen to New York recalls the story of his lamented elder brother, who once resided in Richmond and was known by the name of George Osborne. His peerage was not then suspected. It 13 said that before leaving his Scottish horrs he had often remarked that it was possible for one to go to sea before the mast and return in command of his own ship, and it is supposed that in order to demonstrate the possibility of this he abandoned rank, wealth, and influence aud became a sailor on hoard an American ship. He found employment in different vocations, sometimes going to sea, again working on the ice, then at rigging vessels. He was recklessly daring iu the latter calling, and often received a kindlyreprimand from liis fellow-riggers for his carelessness wlu-n aloft. In 1870 he was swept overboard from the schooner Hera, bound on a voyage toAustralia. It was then dis covered that he was the earl of Aberdeen. His parents, who had for years sought to find the wauderiug son, filially learned that he had chosen Richmond for his temporary home. Here they found his effects, photograph, etc., in possession of an estimable young lady now living in Vermont. Many substantial presents were made to those giving information concerning the young nobleman’s life iu Richmond The Richmond Library association received from his mother, in consideration of her sou having spent many hours in its rooms, a case of valualde books, hearing appropriate inscriptions to his meuiorv.—New York W or/d.£ ome.hlagr About Street Cant.Street car liues, drawn by dummy steam engines, or “dummy lines,” as they are usually called, are getting to he the rage in the South. Every growing town seems disposed to adopt this method of travel in preference to the old time horse cars. It is one of the signs of the progressive character of the South that such an institution should so quickly be taken up. The value of such lines are unquestioned. The cars move with great rapidity, giving au air of life and enterprise to a town. By running out mto the suburbau districts they greatly enhance the value of land and open it up to settlement. Among the many places now building or preparing to build dummy lines are Tuskaloosa and Bessemer, Ala., Rome, Ga., Kuoxville, and Nasheville Tenn., Foct Worth, Tex., etc. If the business men of the growing tow as of the South want to make a ^ood impression on strangers visiting their towns, they cannot do better than to provide dummy linesManufacturer Record.The Variation of the Neeill®.It is not, perhaps, deemed by many a very important matter, but our Legislature, in 1885, passed ?.n act requiring “the Secretary of the State to cause to be erected in each county two monuments at a distance of five chains from center to center, in a true north and south line, by which compasses may be tested and the variation noted and recorded.” Experiments have shown that there is, at different times, considerable variation, and much trouble might be avoided it instruments were subjected to constant tests.—Fayetteville Observer.
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Winston Salem Western Sentinel
Winston Salem, North Carolina, US
Thu, Aug 18, 1887
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USA 25 Nov 2022
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