Native Heritage Project

George Washington Letter to Tuscarora

Posted on February 9, 2013 by Roberta Estes

The French and Indian War took place from 1754 to 1763. During this time, a significant amount of land was disputed, and fighting took place primarily in these regions and in borderlands. The Native American tribes were key players, often because they already lived in these regions, understood the lay of the land, and had been recruited through promises of their lands being returned if the French won. Ironically, that’s the same promise the British made to recruit the Native people as warriors during the Revolutionary War.

We often don’t think of George Washington as a player in the French and Indian War, more often in conjunction with the Revolutionary War, but he was clearly involved. In the letter below, he wrote to the Tuscarora Indians of North Carolina asking for their support. I transcribed this letter, below the document itself. An underscored word means I couldn’t read it clearly, or at all in some cases.

George Washington Papers, 1741-1799

To King Blount, Capt Jack and the rest of the Tuscarora Chiefs.

Brothers and Friends. This will be delivered you by our brother Tom, a warrior of the Nottoways who with others of that nation have distinguished themselves in our service this summer against our great and perfidious enemies.

The intent of this is to assure you of our real friendship and love and to confirm and strengthen that chain of friendship which has subsisted between us for so many years past….a chain like ours founded on sincere love and friendship must be strong and lasting and will I hope endure while the sun and stars give light.

Brothers you can be no strangers to the many murders and cruelties committed on our countrymen and friends by that false and faithless people the French who are constantly endeavoring to corrupt the minds of our friendly Indians and Lord have stirred up the Shawnee and Delaware with several other nations to take up the hatchet against us and at the head of many of their Indians have invaded our country, laid waste our lands, plundered our plantations, murdered defenseless women and children, burnt and destroyed wherever they came….which has enraged friends the Six Nations, Cherokees, Nottoways, Cattawbas, and all our Indian allies and prompted them to take up the hatchet in our defense against these disturbances of the common peace.

I hope Brothers you will likewise take up the hatchet against the French and their Indians as our other friends have done and send us some of your young men to protect our frontiers and go to war with us against our notiss and ambitious Frenchmen and to encourage your warriors, I promise to furnish them with arms, ammunition, clothes, provision and ever necessary for war…and the sooner you send them to our assistance the greater ___ will give us of your friendship and the better shall we be enabled to take just revenge on the cruelties.

May you live a happy prosperous people and may we act with sincere love and friendship and while rivers run and trees grow is the sincere wish of your friend and Brother.

Signed with George Washington’s signature

In confirmation of the above and in hopes of your compliance with my request…I give you this string of wampum.

http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage?collId=mgw4&fileName=gwpage030.db&recNum=411

Hat tip to Chris for this document.

Posted in Catawba, Cherokee, Delaware, Military, Nottoway, Shawnee, Six Nations, Tuscarora | Leave a comment

The Autosomal Me – Unraveling Minority Admixture

Posted on February 7, 2013 by Roberta Estes

You’re invited to come along with me on a journey. It’s an epic event, a journey into the deepest recesses of our cells, into the smallest pieces of our DNA, into the part previously thought to be useless because it’s so tiny. It’s the journey to find minority admixture. Minority in this case means small amounts of admixture. In my personal situation, this means both Native American and African.

People who have larger amounts of admixture don’t necessarily have to do this, although it can still provide useful information. If your autosomal percentages are uniformly recognized and reported by most or all of the testing companies, meaning over 1%, you probably know which of your relatives contributed your minority heritage and you don’t need to look for that proverbial needle in a haystack. Not everyone is that fortunate. I’m not. I know of Native heritage through my mother’s Acadian ancestors, but the ones in my father’s side have consistently eluded identification. It’s there, but where? It’s haystack time for me!

This past year or two, genetic genealogy has been hallmarked by advances in autosomal DNA and the supporting technologies using tools like 23andMe and Family Tree DNA’s Family Finder tests. In order to figure out how people are related to you, what level of cousins they are, and which genealogical line they come from, we’ve been using independent tools like phasing, where you compare your DNA to that of your parents or other close known relatives to see who gave you which pieces, or segments, of DNA. Then, when someone matches you on that segment, you can tell which side of yoru family it came from, and sometimes which genealogical line it came from. This sets the stage for one day being able to have this conversation with someone:

“Hi John, I see that we are 117^th cousins and we have a match at location 17,387,426 on chromosome 3.” Beth

“Hi Beth, why yes, we are indeed cousins, but we’re actually 115^th cousins, 11 times removed instead of 117^th cousins. Our match is through Attilla the Hun’s 37^th concubine.” John

Ok, so maybe I’m dreaming a bit…but this conversation is not just a possibility, it’s a certainty 10 years from now, but perhaps with less dramatic cousinships:)

To date, the rule of thumb for finding ancestors has been that small matches should be disregarded because they are probably identical by state (IBS), not identical by descent (IBD), meaning not useful genealogically.

What’s IBS you ask? It’s a segment that is typically too small to be counted as an IBD, or identical by descent, segment. This means that you and the person you match on this small segment descend from a common population, not necessarily that you share a common ancestor within the past several generations. Genealgoically relevant segments are recognizable because they are larger. To understand why and how this works, refer to my article, “Autosomal Results, the Basics.”

There is no absolute line in the sand, but generally segments smaller than 7cM (centimorgans) or 700 SNPs (some say 5cM and 500 SNPs) fall into this category. Dr. Tim Janzen, the genealogical “father of phasing” discards all matches in his spreadsheets less than 3.5cM. That’s because he’s looking for positive genealogical matches and does not want the data to be cluttered up by possible IBS matches.

However, when you have small amounts of minority ancestry, it stands to reason that these small tidbits could be very useful in identifying which of your genealogical lines produced these small amounts of admixture. If you can identify which lines provided this minority admixture, then you’re well on the way to identifying which ancestor contributed the minority admixture.

When looking for minority admixture in two related people, finding these small segments in the same location should provide meaningful information and confirm minority heritage. Said another way, if you both have less than 1% Native heritage, both share a common ancestor, and both carry your less than 1% on the same segment….one might say it’s not likely to be coincidence, especially if there is a pattern across multiple chromosomes/segments. Identifying the common segments of your common ancestor can lead to identifying the specific family line, especially if you match others as well. In essence, this is the genetic equivalent of “surround and conquer.”

Let me give a very short example here.

Let’s say I match my mother on part of chromosome 1 that is Native.

Then let’s say I match her cousin (my second cousin) on mother’s mother’s side on a smaller piece of that same segment. This immediately tells me that this particular bit of Native heritage is not from mother’s father’s side.

Another match to a more distant Hill cousin further defines the path of Native ancestry, showing that the Native heritage came through mother’s grandfather’s mother’s line. You can see how we track this ancestry and whittle down the possible sources.

So, I’ve set out to test this minority ancestry tracking theory. Because we are dealing with such small segments of DNA, “rooting around in the weeds,” as Bennett Greenspan so aptly put it, and have no mechanized tools, this journey is long, tiresome and tedious. It’s also thrilling.

As with all experiments, I have wondered many times if I was wasting my time. I’ve completed steps and then redone them a different way when I realized there was a better or more revealing method. More than once. That comes with the territory.

I debated about how to share this new technique. In the past, I would have published this as an academic paper, but with the delays surrounding the publication of JoGG, and the fact that the last paper through JoGG took 18 months to get out the door, much of this information would be stale by then. I thought about publishing as an e-book as well, but I finally settled on my blog. I feel that I can reach more people in a much more timely fashion this way. I also really like the blog because I can write in a more relaxed fashion than I could in any other venue and it gives you the opportunity to interact as well.

I also don’t know what to call this new methodology. I have just been referring to it as the weeds method, but that’s not very scientific. I considered the APM technique – Ancestry Population Mapping. Sounds too nonspecific. The PTM – Personal Torture Method – nah – puts people off even if it is true. MAT – Minority Ancestry Tracking – that’s a possibility but isn’t very specific. Fragmented Chromosome Mapping, FCM, has possibilities. So, I’m open to suggestions. If at the end of this series, it’s still the weeds method….well, then weeds it is.

Over the next few weeks, I’ll be writing about this journey, my discoveries, and sharing techniques with step by step instructions so that you can use the same tools. Join me for the multi-part series, “The Autosomal Me.”

If you’d like to take a DNA test, click here.

Posted in DNA, Education | 7 Comments

Tuscarora Chief James Blount 1757 Petition

Posted on February 6, 2013 by Roberta Estes

Colonial and State Records of North Carolina

Petition by James Blount for the Tuscarora Nation concerning a land patent

James Blount, Tuscarora chief

September 25, 1757

Volume 05, Pages 785-786

[From MSS. Records in Office of Secretary of State.]

We the Tuskarora Indians Petition Your Excely and Counsel to Grant a Pattent or some Better Title for Our Land for the White folks tells this is good for Nothing and they Come and Settle Without leave fall Our Timber and Drive Stocks of all sorts: We hope Care will be Taken

——————– page 786 ——————–

to protect us in Quiet Possession of Our Lands and from the White People Abusing us

By order

JAMES BLOUNT

For the Tuskarora Nation

Sept. 25th 1757.

http://docsouth.unc.edu/csr/index.html/document/csr05-0301

Posted in Tuscarora | Leave a comment

Visit to the Cherokee, 1756

Posted on February 5, 2013 by Roberta Estes

This visit occurred in the midst of the French and Indian War. The Cherokee sided with the British until suspicions and differences between the two spawned the Anglo-Cherokee War, also known as the Cherokee Uprising, in 1758 in which the Cherokee fought directly against the British.

Colonial and State Records of North Carolina

Report by Andrew Lewis concerning his visit to the Cherokee Nation, including a letter to William Henry Lyttelton, Baron Lyttelton

Lewis, Andrew, 1720-1781

September 30, 1756

Volume 05, Pages 612-614

——————– page 612 ——————–

[B. P. R. O. North Carolina. B. T. Vol. 12. C. 116.]

Letter from Major Lewis to Mr. Lytleton, Govr of South Carolina.

Rowan, No Carolina, Septr 30th 1756.

Sir,

By Order of His Honr the Governor of Virginia, I was sent last summer with a number of Workmen to construct a Fort amongst the Cherokees Indians, thō unacquainted with your Excellency I thought it might not be amiss to inform your Excellency of the Disposition of the Cherokees as far as I was capable of observing which your Excellency has enclosed a Copy of which I have sent to His Excellency Governor Littleton, I am now on my return to Virginia.

I expect some of the Cherokee Indians to overtake me in a day or two, when I left their Towns they were not quite ready to march, I left an Officer and two men with them, and at their desire I marched here, in order to provide Provisions for them against their arrival how many of them may come is uncertain until the Indians have a more Friendly Disposition they will be of no service to the English Interest, I expect by this time Captain Demerce, who commands the South Carolina Troops is arrived at Chota. I am your Excellencys most, &c.,

ANDw LEWIS.

On my arrival at Chota, I met with the most kindest Usage from old hop the Little Carpenter, and all the Indians in general, and expressed themselves to be very willing to comply with the late Treaty held by them with Col. Byrd and Col. Randolph, they continued in this friendly Disposition till I had almost finished the Fort, but when I demanded them to fulfill their promise of sending their Warriors with me to the assistance of Virginia, they then made use of all possible Equivocating Arguments to avoid sending any, the French as well as the Savanahs have a constant correspondence with them more especially the great Town of Tellies and I am convinced that there is some scheme on foot between them and the French to distress us, and that they are greater Friends to the French than to the English, during the time of my stay at Chota there was a Message sent from the Nuntewes to the Little Carpenter, and also another from the Savannahs, and also from the French at Alaboma Fort, ever since these Messages have arrived, there has been the greatest change imaginable, and the Contents of their Messages have been kept a secret from me notwithstanding their many

——————– page 613 ——————–

promises to acquaint me with everything they heard or knew, a frenchman commonly known by the name of french John, who has lived some considerable time amongst the Cherokees together with a Cherokee wench that speaks the Shawance tongue, were sent eight days past from Chota to the Allobama Fort and to the Savannahs residing thereabouts, with a Message from the little Carpenter, and all the principal men of the upper Towns to the French Shawances there, the Indians at great Tellies expect a French Fort in their Towns and the head men in General approves of the same and are well satisfied therewith and I have the greatest reason to believe from many circumstances that French John and the Indian Wench aforesaid are gone on that Errand, the Indians say it would be good to have a French Fort at Great Tellico, the Little Carpenter is the head man in all these schemes, a Nuntewa fellow called the great Elk who has resided amongst the Cherokees a long time is sent off to his Nation with some of the Cherokees, some Northern Indians who have resided in this Nation some time are soon to be sent to the Northward, I believe to Canada, in short Messages sent and are to be sent, to all Nations of Indians in Alliance with the French themselves, on the 2d Instant the head men of all the Upper Towns were assembled in Council at Chota and by accident I happened there they had agreed to write a letter to Captain Demerce to order him to return immediately with all the Troops under his Command, and the little Carpenter said, that as to the few soldiers of Captain Demarce that was there, he would take their Guns, and give them to his young men to hunt with, and as to their clothes they would soon be worn out and then their skins would be tanned, and be of the same colour as theirs, and that they should live among them as Slaves; Upon being informed of their designs I spoke to them and made use of all the prevailing Arguments to persuade them to the contrary, upon which they agreed to have a meeting in Council the next day, Accordingly they met and sent for me, upon which they agreed to write to Captain Demerce to come as soon as he possibly could, that they longed to shake hands with him etc. Accordingly they wrote a kind letter to him to that Effect, the day I left Chota the heads of the Indians on taking leave of me desired me that I might tell the Governor of Virginia that they had taken up the Hatchet against all Nations that were Enemies to the English, but to speak my own sentiments I am convinced that the compliment from them was only to blind me as much as possible from their Designs, and that the letter wrote to Captain Demerce was to no other purpose, for they were much disconcerted when they found that I had some intelligence of their intent, and the letter wrote to Captain Demerce was only

——————– page 614 ——————–

to put a gloss on their knavery as was also the Compliment passed on the Aforesaid.

I have reason to believe from the Behaviour of the Indians and from the many Reports of the Indians and Linguestors that [they] had a design to kill me and my men or to endeavour to make Prisoners of us, and I must believe that this scheme would be put in Execution had the first Letter been sent off to Captain Demerce undiscovered, to march his men away, and I have the promise of some of their Warriors to go to Virginia but what number will go with me is uncertain, what goes with me are mostly from the lower Towns there not being more than seven or eight from the Upper Towns.

The Indians Report that there is a number of white people coming up amongst them and they don’t want too many of them about them; my Opinion is they want only a few men to live in the Forts, that they may Command them and keep them in subjection, if not well used by the English, that is supplied with amunition and other things at no cost.

It is therefore my Opinion that there ought to be several hundred men up to strike terror to them and force a Compliance & Submission.

http://docsouth.unc.edu/csr/index.html/document/csr05-0232

Posted in Cherokee, Nottoway, Savannah, Shawnee | Leave a comment

King Hagler, Catawba Chief, Conference with Peter Henley 1756

Posted on February 4, 2013 by Roberta Estes

Many times the only glimpses we have of the Native people as individuals are through documents like this. I sure wish the names of his warriors had been recorded.

Colonial and State Records of North Carolina

Report by Peter Henley concerning his conference with King Hagler and the Catawba Nation

Henley, Peter, 1725-1758

May 26, 1756 – May 28, 1756

Volume 05, Pages 579-584

[B. P. R. O. North Carolina. B. T. Vol. 12. C. 106.]

Copy of a Conference held with the King and Warriors of the Cataubas by Mr. Chief Justice Henley at Salisbury in North Carolina in May 1756.

Salisbury Thursday 26 May 1756.

At two o’Clock this afternoon King Hagler of the Catawba Nation of Indians with 15 of his principal Warriors and about 30 of his young

——————– page 580 ——————–

Men painted and armed in the manner that they are when going to War and in great Order and regularity marched through this Town, and encamped a small distance from it, about an hour after he waited upon Peter Henley Esqre Chief Justice at the House of Edward Cusick, and by an Interpreter expressed himself as follows.

I and my people are Brothers and fast friends to the English and intend always to be so: Having heard of some Injuries lately done to my Brethren it has given me great concern, and being told that you and many more of them were to be here at this time I am come to talk with you about these Matters, and to endeavour to make all things streight.

To which the Chief Justice answered: King Hagler I have a sensible pleasure in seeing you and my other Brothers the Catawbas here. As I dont know the particular Articles upon which you desire this Conference when you please to communicate yourself upon that subject, I will hear you with the greatest attention.

To which the King replied. I thank you, but as it is now late I will defer doing it to 9 o’Clock to-morrow morning if that time be agreable to you, which being answered by the Chief Justice in the Affirmative on Friday May 27th the Chief Justice and principal Gentlemen in Town with King Hagler 15 of his Warriors and the rest of his people went to the House of Peter Arran and being seated round a Table, the King spoke as follows—

The Cherokees We and the White People have been Brothers, and I desired that the path between us might be kept clear but the Cherokees have been playing the Rogue at which I am extremely concerned.

All the White People from South to North as far as New York nay beyond the great Waters under the great King are our Brothers, should the French come we will stand by our Brethren the English or go down into the Grave with them.

The Cherokees have told me that they would enter into a Friendship with the French but be assured that the White People shall still be my Brothers and I will assist them, these men I have brought here (pointing to his Warriors) are all come freely and voluntarily to acquaint the English that they will stand by them as long as they live, Mine is a small Nation yet they are brave men, and will be fast friends to their Brothers the White people as long as the sun endures.

I always advise my Men to be kind and obliging to the White People, as they are their Brothers and I shall continue to do so and remain their Brother ’till a sharp thing pierces my Breast so that I die, when that happens they must do as they please.

——————– page 581 ——————–

As I suppose there will soon be a War, I desire the Governour of North Carolina as this Land belongs to him to send us some Ammunition as soon as possible, and that he will build us a fort for securing our old men women and children when we turn out to fight the Enemy on their coming and as we love to wear silver plates on our Breasts and Arms I should be glad he would send us some of them with some Wampum.

Colo Alexander Colo Harris and Capt Berry told me they would make my Warriors a small present for assisting the White People in retaking their Goods Horses &c: from the Cherokees which they had plundered them of.

I go very much among the White people and have often my Belly filled by them and am very sorry they should at any time be distracted.

I return the Governour thanks for his care in purchasing Corn for my people which has saved the lives of many of our old men women and children.

As my people and the White people are Brethren I desire that when they go to their houses they may give them victuals to eat, some of the White People are very bad and quarrelsome and whip my people about the head, beat and abuse them but others are very good.

I desire a stop may be put to the selling strong Liquors by the White people to my people especially near the Indian Nation. If the White people make strong drink let them sell it to one another or drink it in their own Families. This will avoid a great deal of mischief which otherwise will happen from my people getting drunk and quarrelling with the White people. Should any of my people do any mischief to the White people I have no strong prisons like you to confine them for it, Our only way is to put them under ground and all these men (pointing to his Warriors again) will be ready to do that to those who shall deserve it.

I desire to know what is to be done with the White Woman I took from the Cherokees: I hope she will not be put to death, she is but a Woman and can do no great harm and I think she was compelled by the Cherokees to do what she did.

To which the Chief Justice answered, Nothing has hitherto appeared against her that will affect her life. I am informed she is an indented servant to a man in Virginia, if that be the case and she should not be charged with any offence I shall direct her to be conveyed to her proper owner.

To which King Hagler replied, I am glad of it. I am always sorry to lose a Woman. The loss of one Woman may be the loss of many lives because one Woman may be the mother of many children. At

——————– page 582 ——————–

which the audience smiling, he added I believe I have spoke nothing but Truth.

I look upon the English and ourselves as many good things put into one pockett as Brothers that have issued from one Womb.

When the Gentlemen from Virginia were in this Nation they told me to get a house built for myself and they would repay me the expence when they saw me in Virginia but having lately acquainted Colo Alexander and Colo Harris with this they said No they would as I lived in Carolina get it done at their own Expence by workmen that resided near us.

After this the King informed the Chief Justice he had nothing more to say to him but had something to observe to his Warriors and thereupon addressed himself to them and then to his young men and desired them to declare whether in what he had said to his Brethern the English he had expressed their Sentiments as well as his own to which they unanimously answered that he had. Then he added, That should his Brethern of Carolina be engaged in a War as he feared they soon would he would have his Men all ready on the first notice to march to their assistance. He desired them to fight on such an occasion as became Catawbas and do nothing that might lessen the great Character they had obtained by their Military atchievements He added they were under the greatest Obligations to do this for two reasons. First because the English had cloathed them naked and fed them when hungry Secondly because the White people were now seated all round them and by that means had them entirely in their power.

To which the Warriors and young men all answered they would remember what he had given them in charge.

On this the King presented the pipe of Peace to the Chief Justice who as well as the rest of the company accepted it in the usual manner. The King was then informed that the Chief Justice would Answer his Speech the next morning and they met accordingly, as before, when he spoke as follows.

King Hagler, Bretheren and Friends Sachems and Warriors of the brave Catawba Nation.

It can’t help giving me vast satisfaction to see here so many great Indian Warriors who are as remarkable for their conduct and Intrepidity in Battle as their brotherly affection for the English I look upon your coming here upon this occasion as a fresh instance of the inviolable friendship you have for our common Father and Benefactor the King of Great Britain as well as for us his children and your brothers.

——————– page 583 ——————–

Your expressions of concern in regard to the Behaviour of the Cherokees your determined resolution to stand by and assist us against the French or go down into the Grave with us and the Willingness with which your Warriors have embraced the same resolution require the particular acknowledgement of us all.

Let the Cherokees behave as they will I hope We and our Bretheren the brave Catawbas shall stand firm together like a large mountain which cannot be moved.

The Station our Great King has been pleased to place me in will in many Instances enable me to be assisting in the Preservation of that Peace and Harmony which subsists between us and if any Injuries or offences should again be committed against you by the White People I will take care upon a proper Application to me that they shall not go unpunished.

You have our Thanks for the resolution you have taken of punishing such of your young people as shall commit any Injuries upon us your Bretheren, but we hope you will not have occasion to make any Examples of that kind.

Your Observation in respect to the White peoples selling Liquor to the Indians is very just as there is no Law at present to prevent it I will mention to the Governour the necessity of making one to restrain these pernicious practices for the future.

I will also take the first opportunity of representing to him in the strongest manner I can the singular services you have done us in compelling the Cherokees to deliver up the White Woman and in obtaining restitution of the Goods they had unjustly taken from us.

The application of the publick money, belongs to the Governor and Assembly with the advice of the Council, over that I have no power but I will use all the Interest I have to obtain a present from them as a small acknowledgement of the Obligations we think ourselves under to you upon that account.

I shall also faithfully represent the request you have made by me to your Brother the Governor to have a speedy supply of Ammunition to have a fort built as soon as possible for the protection of your old men your wives and children and some silver plates for your Breasts and arms with some Wampum.

In the mean time as a Testimony of the great regard we have for our brave friends and Bretheren the Catawbas we have procured at our own Expence such a supply of powder and lead as we could get to supply your present necessities which we now present you with.

Colo Alexander and Colo Harris assure me they will build the house they promised as soon as conveniently they can.

——————– page 584 ——————–

To which the King answered. I look upon you as my elder Brother and what you told me to day I shall not forget tomorrow but remember as long as I live. If any of the English shall at any time be attacked by the Enemy let me know it as soon as possible by any hand and I and my people will immediately come to your assistance.

The Chief Justice observed to him that their Brethren the White people of Virginia and the Nottoway Indians were now fighting to the Northward against the French and their Indians and had long expected their joining them and were surprised they had not yet done it.

The King replied that when the Gentlemen of Virginia were in their parts, his Warriors were all willing and desirous to go with them, but when they were gone Governor Glenn sent an express to him and forbad him to let them go unless he should order it, and that he had sent the said Govr for answer that he would wait till he had further considered of the Matter but that he had taken up the Hatchet against the French and could not lay it down without useing it.

N. B. There were two Interpreters sworn Mr. Giles and Mr. Tool.

http://docsouth.unc.edu/csr/index.html/document/csr05-0210

Posted in Catawba, Cherokee, Nottoway | 1 Comment

Tuscarora and Meherrin Complaint, 1758

Posted on February 2, 2013 by Roberta Estes

Minutes of the North Carolina Governor’s Council

North Carolina. Council

November 26, 1758 – November 29, 1758

Volume 05, Pages 994-995

Upon Complaint of King Blunt and the rest of the Tuskarora Indians that Humphry Bate had settled upon their Lands without their consent contrary to an Act of Assembly of this Province made in the year 1748

——————– page 995 ——————–

to prevent any person from settling on their Lands notwithstanding any Patents granted for any part within their district,

Ordered that the Attorney General do Prosecute the said Humphry Bate unless he quits the said Land.

Upon Complaint of the Meherrin Indians being distrubed in their possessions by several persons contrary to an Act of Assembly of this Province passed in the year 1729

Ordered that the Attny General do prosecute all persons who disturb the said Meherrin Indians in their Possessions.

http://docsouth.unc.edu/csr/index.html/document/csr05-0354

Posted in Meherrin, Tuscarora | Leave a comment

Journal of Bishop Spangenberg, 1752

Posted on February 1, 2013 by Roberta Estes

Colonial and State Records of North Carolina

Journal of August Gottlieb Spangenberg’s voyage to North Carolina to establish a Moravian Settlement [Translation]

Spangenberg, August Gottlieb, 1704-1792

September 13, 1752 – January 08, 1753

Volume 05, Pages 1-14

——————– page 1 ——————–

[Translated from the Original in the Archives of the Moravian Church at Salem, N. C., by Rev. R. P. Lineback.]

DIARY OF BISHOP SPANGENBURG—LOCATION OF THE MORAVIAN SETTLEMENT.

Edenton Sept. 13. 1752.

The condition of the Indians in N. C. is rather a deplorable one. The tribe of Chowans is reduced to a few families. Their land has been taken away from them. The Tuscaroras live about 35 miles from here & are still in possession of a fine tract of land. They are a remnant of that tribe that waged war with N. C.; & then took refuge with the 5 Nations, & became incorporated with them. Those that have remained here are treated with great contempt, & will probably soon be entirely exterminated.

The Meherring Indians live farther to the West, & are also reduced to a mere handful. It would seem that a curse were resting upon them and oppressing them. Still farther to the West are the Catawbas. They have been at war with the 5 Nations. Beyond S. C. far to the South-west are the Cherokees, a strong tribe. They keep up connection with S. C. & make annual journeys thither to receive their “Presents.”

http://docsouth.unc.edu/csr/index.html/document/csr05-0001

Posted in Catawba, Cherokee, Chowan, Five Nations, Meherrin, Tuscarora | Leave a comment

Diary of Bishop Spangenberg, 1752

Posted on January 31, 2013 by Roberta Estes

Colonial and State Records of NC

Diary of August Gottlieb Spangenberg during his journey to North Carolina [Translation] [Extracts]

Spangenberg, August Gottlieb, 1704-1792

September 1752

Volume 04, Pages 1311-1314

[Translated from the original in the archives of the Moravian Church,
Salem, N. C.]

Letter from Bishop Spangenburg.

Edenton Sept 12th 1752

Were I to tell you how I found it in N. C. I must say it is all in confusion. The Counties are in conflict with one another, so that not only is the authority of the Legislature weakened, but also that of the magistrates.

The cause of this as well as I can learn from both sides, seems to be the following.

When the colony was still small and weak the older counties were allowed to send five men to the Assembly. This arrangement continued a long time. When the colony had grown much stronger, each county was allowed to send only 2 men apiece to the Assembly. The Counties affected by this law, increased in number until they had a majority in the assembly and then they passed a law bringing the older counties under the same arrangement with themselves, viz, two men only to represent the county. The older counties hereupon much irritated, refused to send any representatives at all, but dispatched an agent to England with a view of haveing their rights restored to them. Meanwhile untill this matter is decided they will not acknowledge any act of the assembly. There is therefore in the older counties a perfect anarchy. As a result, crimes are of frequent occurrence, such as murder robbery &c.

——————– page 1312 ——————–

But the criminals cannot be brought to justice The citizens do not appear as jurors, and if court is held to decide such criminal matters no one is present. If any one is imprisoned the prison is broken open and no justice administered. In short most matters are decided by blows. Still the County Courts are held regularly and what belongs to their jurisdiction receives the customary attention.

The Inhabitants of North Carolina may be divided into two classes. Some are natives of the State, these can endure the climate pretty well, but are naturally indolent and sluggish. Others have come here from England, Scotland, & from the Northern Colonies some have settled here on account of poverty as they wished to own land & were too poor to buy in Pennsylvania or New Jersey Others there are again who are refugees from justice or have fled from debt; or have left a wife & children elsewhere,—or possibly to escape the penalty of some other crime; under the impression that they could remain here unmolested & with impunity.

Bands of horse thieves have been infesting portions of the State & pursuing their nefarious calling a long time.

This is the reason North Carolina has such an unenviable reputation among the neighbouring provinces. Now there are many people coming here because they are informed that stock does not require to be fed in the Winter Season.

Numbers of Irish have therefore moved in, but they will find themselves deceived because if they do not feed their stock in the winter they will find to their cost that they will perish.

We are how ever informed that in other localities people of quite a different character are to be met with—efficient and energetic & industrious in their habits. Of this we shall know more by & by.

P. S. [1753] After having traversed the length & breadth of N. C. we have ascertained that towards the Western mountains, there are plenty of people who have come from Virginia Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey & Even from New England.

Even in this year more than 400 families with horses wagons, & cattle have migrated to this State & among them are good farmers & very worthy people who will no doubt be of great advantage to the State.

We have had opportunity to see the main streams in that part of N. C. which belongs to Lord Granville. We have not found one which may strictly be termed navigable. The Chowan & Roanoke are large and deep but have no tide water and only “freshets” They are furthermore so winding and have such high banks that sails cannot well be used here. Hence they can only use small craft for navigation and with great toil and labor ascend the stream and in the event of high water and rain they

——————– page 1313 ——————–

must remain where they are until the water subsides. The reason these streams have no tide water is the great Sand Banks which lie east of the State which impede the rivers in their “exit” to the sea and prevent the tide from comeing in. Sometimes too they change the narrow entrances which the ships use for entering the rivers.

These causes operate to make it difficult to reach N. C. by sea. If the Captain is unfamiliar with this coast he may easily strike a sand bank & he may do so even if he is acquainted & experienced as the sands are shifted by wind & sea.

We paid a visit to the Tuscarora Indians who live on the Roanoke. They live upon a tract of very good land secured to them by act of Assembly. I suppose it contains from 20 to 30,000 acres of land. It is 12 miles long, but not broad.

The Interpreter Mr. Thomas Whitemeal [Whitmele] was kind enough to go with us showed us all their land and made us acquainted with them. He has been a trader among them, understands their language and speaks it quite fluently. Now he is one of the wealthiest men about here and has an excellent character among all classes. The Indians have no King but a Captain whom the whites select from their midst. There are also some individuals who live among them as chiefs.

Their number is small; they side with the Six Nations against the Catawbas, but suffer from this relationship very much. They are very poor and are oppressed by the whites. Mr. Whitemeal is their agent and advocate and is much respected by them. No efforts have as yet been made to christianize them.

They gave us a message to the Catawbas (not knowing that they had made peace with the Six Nations) should we see them, “that there were enough young men among them who knew the way to the Catawba Town. They could come and go there in 20 days; that they had remained very quiet and not molested the Catawbas except to hunt a little and they should remain quiet as long as the Catawbas did. Should they however become troublesome the way to the Catawba Town could soon be found.”

Tis worthy of remark that the conduct of the Indians here is quite different from that in Pennsylvania. There the Indians are not feared at all unless they are drunk. Here they conduct themselves in such a way that the whites are afraid of them. If they enter a house & the man is not at home they become insolent & the poor woman must do as they command.

Sometimes they come in such large Companies that even the man is sorely put to it if compelled to deal with them. Sometimes men do

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like Andrew Lambert who found traces of Seneca Indians on his land & in his corn & found they had killed & eaten some of his cattle. He called his dogs which he used for bear hunting some 8 or 10 in number & with his rifle in hand, he drove them out like sheep before him & thus rid himself of the nuisance.

This is difficult when people live alone in the woods about here; they are in danger of getting into unpleasant relations with the Indians. North Carolina waged war with the Indians, in time the latter became worsted & in consequence lost their land. This created a bad feeling not only among those tribes immediately concerned but with all the rest. This feeling of animosity will not speedily die out. This asserts itself on all occasions & it has come so far in N. C. that not only did the Indians rob the people of their stock, but in some cases even killed some of them.

http://docsouth.unc.edu/csr/index.html/document/csr04-0422

Hat tip to Sharron for this document.

Posted in Catawba, Seneca, Six Nations, Tuscarora | 1 Comment

Treaty between North Carolina and the King Hagler of the Catawba Indians

Posted on January 30, 2013 by Roberta Estes

This treaty found in the North Carolina State records is quite interesting for several reasons. First, it places the Catawba living in Anson and perhaps also Rowan County, NC in 1754. This is confirmed by another document, filed on January 4, 1755 as well, showing the number of Native fighting men of various North Carolina tribes. Put together, these two documents make a lot of sense. Based on the text of this treaty, we see that they had lived in South Carolina not long before, and we know would later remove back to South Carolina. They are thought of as a South Carolina tribe, not one from North Carolina. However, having said that, some of the ancestors of the people who would become the Lumbee were also living in Anson County at this time. It is unknown is there is a correlation or connection.

North Carolina was preparing for whatever part they would play in the French and Indian War. They had enlisted the assistance of their settlement Indians, the Indians that lived among the settlers, and in order to know how many men they could count on, they filed the census document. That information was likely taken after this treaty and before the first of 1755. In that document, the Catawba are referenced in Anson County, not Rowan.

I wish we had more of the Indian names. Other than King Hagler, we only have one, James Bullin. We know from the census document that this was not a trivial outpost, but that the village was comprised of 240 warriors, which equates to between 750 and 1200 people in total. Probably closer to the 750 figure given the devastation that smallpox had visited up on the Native people just a few years before.

Colonial and State Records of NC

Treaty between North Carolina and King Hagler and the Catawba Indians

North Carolina; Catawba Indian Nation

August 29, 1754

Volume 05, Pages 141-144b

——————– page 141 ——————–

[From MSS. Records in Office of Secretary of State.]

North Carolina—Rowan & Anson Countys

At a Treaty held on Thursday the Twenty Ninth day of August one Thousand Seven Hundred and Fifty four at the house of Mr. Matthew Tool, Between Alexander Osburn & James Carter Esqrs Commissioners, and the Cataba Indians—

Present

King Hagler and sundry of his headmen and Wariors

James Carter Esqr Commissioner &c.

Alexdr Osburn Esqr Commissioner &c.

The Commission which was sent by his Honr the President to the above Commissioners, being Read in the presence of King Hagler and sundry of his headmen and Wariors, after which it was Interpreted by Mr. Matthew Tool, Together with the Letter which was also sent by his Honr to Capt McClenachan Andw Perkins Esqr and Others, as Concerning said Indians

After Each sentence was Distinctly Interpreted by Mr. Tool, who was Sworn for that purpose the King made the following Speech—

Brothers and Wariors

I am Exceeding glad to meet you here this day, and to have the oppertunity of haveing a talk one with an Other in a Brotherly and Loveing manner, and to Brighten, and Strengthen, that Chain of Friendship which has so long remained between us and the people of those three Provinces, and I am Very Sorry to hear those Complaints that are Laid to our People’s Charge, But now will Open our Ears to here those Grievances & Complaints that shall be made by you against our Young men and Others, and we do Heartily Thank our Good Brother the President of North Carolina for his good Talk in his Letter to us, and also for his appointing You to meet us here, to have this Discourse.

Then William Morrison Appeared, to support the Complaint that was by him Made to the Officers at a late Court martial held in Rowan County, Concerning the Indians Insults to him at his own house, some time before, when they Came to him at his mill and Attempted to Frow a pail of water into his Meal Trough, and when he would prevent them they made many attempts to striek him with their guns over his head

To which some of the Indians said what they Intended to do with the water was only to put a handful or Two of the meal into it to make a kind of a Drink which is their way and Custom.

——————– page 142 ——————–

The King also Said that it was well that one of them had killed him, for said he had they killed You or anybody Else we would surely have killed him for they would not let him Live above the ground, but would put him under the ground, as Lately we have Done to one of our Young Fellows who got Drunk and in his Liquor met with a little girl on his way below the Waxhaw Settlement and kill’d her we were Imediately aprized of it by one our own People, and we soon Discovered who, it was that Commited the fact whereupon we Directly Caused an Other young man the fellows own Cousin to kill him, which he readily did in the presence of some of our Brothers, the white people in Order to shew our Willingness to punish such offenders.

Then Came James Armstrong William Young and William McNight who Laid sundry things to the Indians Charge, (to wit) Concerning their taking Bread meat meal and Cloaths and also for attempting to Take away a child, and attempting to stab men and women if opposed by them from Committing those Crimes, To which the King & some of the Headmen, Answered

Brothers as You are Wariors Yourselves, You well know that we oftentimes goe to War against our Enemies and Many Times we are Either makeing our Escape from our Enemies or in pursuit of them, which prevents us from hunting for meat to Eat when we are in Danger, least our Enemy should Discover us; and as this is our Case many times we are forced to go to Your houses when Hungry, and no sooner we do appear but your Dogs bark and as soon as You Discover Our Comeing You Imediately hide Your Bread Meal and Meat or any Other thing that is fit to Eat about your houses, and we being sensible that this is the Case, it is True we serch, and if we finde any Eatables in the house we Take some, and Especially from those who behave so Churlish and ungreatfull to us, as they are very well assured, of our great need many times for the Reasons we now give, If we ask a little Victuals you Refuse us & then we Owne we Take a Loaf of bread a little meal or meat to Eat, and then You Complain and say those are Transgressions, it is True there are many in those Settlements that are very kind and Curtious to us when or as often as we come they give us Bread and milk meat or Butter very freely if they have any ready and never Do refuse whether we do ask or no, and if it should happen that they have nothing we goe away Contented with them, for we well know that if they had any thing ready we would have it freely &c not Refused by them. One of the Captains named James Bullin Owned that not Long agoe he and his men were in pursuit of the Enemy and then on their Track he Came to James Armstrong’s house, the above Complainant, who gave him a small Cake of Bread, and being very hungry he asked more for himself and

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his men, and being Told by sd Armstrong that there was no more ready in the house One of the Indians Lifted up a bag that lay in the house Under which they Discovered Some Bread which they had Suspected was hid from them, and taking some of it the woman struck one of them Over the head, which is the Cause of our Taking, Those things without law that we would not do to those who are kind to us in our Necessity when we apply to them

King—You I Remember Brothers accuse our People with attempting To take away a Child from one of Your People, but I hope you will not harbour this Thought of us so as to Imagine it was done in Earnest, for I am Informed it was Only done by way of a joke by one of our wild Young men in Order to Surprize the People, that were the parents of the Child, to have a Laugh at the Joke

But as to their Takeing other things such as knives Cloaths or Such Things we own it is not right to do but there are some of our young fellows will do those tricks altho’ by us they are oftentimes Cautioned from such ill Doings altho’ to no purpose for we Cannot be present at all times to Look after them, and when they goe to war or hunting Among the Inhabitants we generally warn them from being any ways offencive to any white person upon any Consideration whatever,

King—Brothers here is One thing You Yourselves are to Blame very much in, That is You Rot Your grain in Tubs, out of which you take and make Strong Spirits You sell it to our young men and give it them, many times; they get very Drunk with it this is the Very Cause that they oftentimes Commit those Crimes that is offencive to You and us and all thro’ the Effect of that Drink it is also very bad for our people, for it Rots their guts and Causes our men to get very sick and many of our people has Lately Died by the Effects of that strong Drink, and I heartily wish You would do something to prevent Your People from Dareing to Sell or give them any of that Strong Drink, upon any Consideration whatever for that will be a great means of our being free from being accused of those Crimes that is Committed by our young men and will prevent many of the abuses that is done by them thro’ the Effects of that Strong Drink

Commissrs—King Hagler and Brethren here is one thing more that is Laid to your peoples Charge by many of the white people, that is your Comeing into our woods and among our plantations and Steale our horses mares and Young Creaturs from us and Takes them away and sell them to others under a pretence of their being your property if such Things as these were Done by any of our people agst one an other, our Laws and Customs are to put them to Death, or any offender when Discovered or Catch’d in any such heinous fact, or for smaller facts they are punished

——————– page 144 ——————–

according to the Nature of the Crime; but when your people do any of these things we have no remedy but are obliged to apply our selves to you, that the Offenders may be punished according to the Nature of the Crime and according to your manner and Customs, and if these Offences are by you permitted to be done it will be a great means to Breake that strong Chain of Friendship that has been so Long made Between as: it will also be a means to rise discentions among you and us and make us act and be hard towards one an other as tho’ we were Entire Enemies to one an other, if this should be our Case the Great king your Father and ours would be much Displeased with you and us, as he looks upon us as his own Children and so doth the president who he sent here in his stead as a guardian over us and you, but on the other hand whilst we behave well to Each Other it will Cause them to Rejoice and they will be ready and willing to protect us from the Impositions of Insults of any other nations or that would attempt to take our properties from us or you

Commissrs—You Remember in the Letter the President wrote to you by Capt McClenachan and the other Gentlemen he told you that he had understood that Mr. Glen the Governor of South Carolina Incouraged you to Drive, all the white people from the Land within thirty miles of Your Nation, if he has told you so you Cannot Expect that this man Loves you or the white people, Because he well knows that the great king your Father & ours gave those Lands to his Children and also he gave it into the Care of the President of North Carolina to Divide according to his Discretion among his people and not to the Governor of South Carolina and it is his desire and pleasure to do Justice Between you and us, for he Looks upon you and us as his own people and would rejoice to here of our Unity and Friendship to Each Other for whilst we behave thus to Each Other and stand by Each other we need not fear any oppressors that should attempt or Come to Dismay us.

King—Brothers and Warriors You Talk very well, and as to your talk about our people takeing your Horses and Mares, it is very True there are a great many of our Creatures that Runs amongst the white peoples and there are also many stole from us by these people for it is not Long ago since we caught a white man with some of our Horses and sent him to Justice, but was not punished as Represented to us while agoe

Commmissrs—Who was that Justice you Carried him before

Indians.—Before Mr. McGirt in South Carolina below the Waxhaw settlement.

——————– page 144a ——————–

Commissrs—This offence was not in our power to punish for we have no authority in an other Government so that we are Excusable in this Case.

King.—As to our Liveing on those Lands we Expect to live on those Lands we now possess During our Time here for when the Great man above made us he also made this Island he also made our forefathers and of this Colour and Hue (Showing his hands & Breast) he also fixed our forefathers and us here and to Inherit this Land and Ever since we Lived after our manner and fashion we in those Days, had no Instruments To support our living but Bows which we Compleated with stones, knives we had none, and as it was our Custom in those days to Cut our hair, which we Did by Burning it of our heads and Bodies with Coals of Fire, our Axes we made of stone we bled our selves with fish Teeth our Cloathing were Skins and Furr, instead of which we Enjoy those Cloaths which we got from the white people and Ever since they first Came among us we have Enjoyed all those things that we were then destitute of for which we thank the white people, and to this Day we have Lived in a Brotherly Love & peace with them and more Especially with these Three Governments and it is our Earnest Desire that Love and Friendship which has so Long remain’d should Ever Continue.

King.—Our Brother the Governor of Virginia sent for us not Long agoe, we gladly answered his Call, and he Entertained us and shook hands with us very kindly, and had he Indulged us we would have Gone with the white people to war against their Enemies the French, but arms and ammunition being not sufficient to supply the white people who were then going out, we were forced to Return Back to our Nation again untill further Instructions from him

We understand that our Brothers and the french has had a battle and that several of our friends were kill’d I am heartily sorry for it

We Never had the pleasure of seeing our Good Brother the President of North Carolina as yet, but this Let our Brother know that we want to be brothers and Friends with him & all his people, and with the great king over the water, and all his Children, and to Confirm the same I shall as soon as get home I will Call all our nation Together and charge the young men and Wariors Not to Misbehave on any Consideration whatever to the white people and as we do Expect an Everlasting Friendship between you and us, we Expect your kinds to us for ever as you may depend upon our Friendship and kindness to you.

And Tell our Brother the President of North Carolina that if this war Continues between the white people and the french that I and my

——————– page 144b ——————–

people are ready and Willing to Obey his Orders in giveing all possible assistance in my power to him when called by him or the Governor of Virginia and as a pledge of the same Take our Brother this letter as a token of Everlasting Friendship and return him Thanks for our good Talk this, Day with Each other.

Then they shook Hands all round.

KING HAGLER

A True Coppy as to me Delivered by Mr. Matthew Toole Interpreter at the above Treaty.

Jno Dunn

http://docsouth.unc.edu/csr/index.html/document/csr05-0061

Hat tip to Sharron for this document.

Posted in Catawba, Treaty | 5 Comments

Indians in North Carolina in 1754

Posted on January 29, 2013 by Roberta Estes

This document is found in the Colonial and State Records of North Carolina. It is undated, but the other document on page 320 is a tax list of taxables by county for 1754 filed on January 4, 1755. The document sharing page 321 is dated January 4, 1755 as well, so I would presume this information is from sometime in late 1754 and was also filed on January 4, 1755.

Report concerning the number of Native Americans in North Carolina

No Author

Volume 05, Pages 320-321

INDIANS IN NORTH CAROLINA

Anson County
The Catawba Nation under King Hagler are of Warriors		240
The Warriors of the Cherokee Nation are 2390 divided into different Settlements vizt The Savana River under the Good Warrior Headman	275
On the waters of the Mississippi under the Raven of Cowee	715
——————– page 321 ——————–
The upper Settlemt of Mississippi under the Round O. Head Man	415
In the Valley under the Raven of Highwasa	545
The lower Settlemt of Mississippi under the Emperor of Tillaw & Old Hop of Chote the two head men of the Cherokee Nation	640	2590
Bertie County
Of the Warriors of the Tuskerora Nations are	100
The Women & Children	201	301
Chowan County
Of the Chowan 2 Men & 3 Women and Children		7
Granville County
The Saponas about 14 Men & 14 Women		28
Children
Northampton County
The Mecharens about 7 or 8 fighting men		8
These are all the Indians except about 8 or 10 Maramusket Indians and as many on the Islands or Banks		20

This is particularly important information for the smaller tribes, such as the Tuscarora, Chowan, Saponi, Meherrin, Mattamuskeet and the Hatteras. The Mattamuskeet and Hatteras had intermarried by this time, as documented in 1756, also in the Colonial Records.

It is of note that in 1754, the Catawba Nation was in North Carolina, in Anson County.

http://docsouth.unc.edu/csr/index.html/document/csr05-0089

Hat tip to Sharron for this document.