Wayland; #4

FINDING OUR INDIAN BLOOD PART TWO

CHAPTER 3 THE WAYLAND’S

Now that we have the background material, we can delve more deeply into the more distant, documents concerning our family. We know we have both Richey’s and Wayland’s who had served in the military at Fort Gibson in Indian Territory. The Wayland’s had arrived in Arkansas about 1815 while the Richey’s came to Arkansas in 1844 and the Brown’s in 1848.

I am indebted to Frances Davies, a New Zealander who had researched the Wayland family, and discovered a “Nevil Wayland” born in Ireland in the 1700s. Also I am indebted to many others, including Don Sticher, who knocked down my every effort to find our Gist connection, that is, all but one.

A. The Wayland Files per Frances Davey

Frances Davies wrote a very comprehensive book entitled the “Wayland Files” [19]. Since I am writing this down to show my Indian blood, I will go over this information quickly, perhaps be more thorough at some later time. According to Ms. Davies, Robert Wayland bought Pinner House about 1611. This was in London, England. His son, Henry, had a son named Henry. This younger Henry was also born at Pinner in 1695. He married Ann Rea/Rhea. By 1724 they had moved to Co. Tipperary, Ireland.

Her book has the following about this family, p 21:

Wayland, Henry (3), son of Henry and Ann Keeble. Chr. 1695, Pinner, England, Married (1) ______ (2) Anne Rea abt 1723 (see R Austin-Cooper’s book) Emigrated to Co. Cavan, Ireland by 1724, and to Co. Tipperary by 1728, buried 9 May 1785, St. John’s (on the Rock?) Cashel.

Father of . . .

Anne, b. 1725

Henry (4), b. 1726

Francis, b. 1727

Jane, b. May 1728

Elizabeth, b. 25 July 1731

John, b. 17 Dec. 1732

Alice, b. 17 Jan. 1733

William, b. 2 Jun 1735 – went abroad

Elinor, b. 24 Sep. 1738

Rebecca, b. 1742, d. 1742

Dorothea, b. 17 Mar, 1744

Neville/Nevil, b. 13 Oct. 1745 – went abroad, probably Virginia, U. S. A.

Records of all these children whose exact date of birth are recorded, were from records of St. John’s Church of birth christenings, in Cashel, Co. Tipperary, Ireland. St. John’s was affiliated with the Church of Ireland, which is the Irish equivalent to the same denomination as the Church of England. Notice they say two of these children went abroad but only one has been found – Nevil. And when she found Nevil in Virginia she didn’t know about his service in the American Revolution, where he served in the South Carolina Militia.

B. Nevil Wayland Sr.’s Revolutionary War File

I wrote to South Carolina Archives about Nevil, and they sent me about thirty pages, Xeroxed copies of old documents. I transcribed all of them that I could, but some of it well, I had no idea what they were saying. It just looked like nonsense. And I have no desire to put the transcriptions of all 30 pages here. But I will put a little part of it here, below:

South Carolina

Pursuant to an act of the General Assembly passes the 16th of March, 1783. We the Commissioners of the Treasury, have this day delivered to Mr. Navil Wayland this our indented certificate, for the sum of five pounds, fourteen shillings and three pence farthing Sterling duty done in Roebucks Regiment [note: looks like “fs af dudites” -- from henceforth I will place words I can‘t make out in brackets, with what it looks like inside those brackets]

The said Navil Wayland, his Executors, Administrators or Assigns, will be entitled to receive from this office the sum of eight shillings on demand for one year’s interest on the principle sum of five pounds, fourteen shillings and three pence farthing and the like interest annually.

The said Navil Wayland,, his executors, Administrators, or Assigns, will be entitled also to receive and shall be paid, if demanded, the sum of five pounds, fourteen shillings, and three pence shilling on the [too faint] September 1788. And the said Navil Wayland, his executioners, administrators, or assigns may make any purchases at any public sales of confiscated property (except such as shall be ordered by the Legislature for special purposes) and this indent shall be received in payment.

For the true performance of the several payments in manner above mentioned, the public treasury is made liable, and the faith of the state pledged by the aforesaid act.

Given under our hands at the treasury office in Charlestown, the twenty second day of September, one thousand seven hundred and eighty six.

Peter Bocquet,

Commisioners of the Treasury

No. 3770 book X. Issued the 22nd September 1786 to Mr. Nevil Wayland for five pounds fourteen Shillings for duty done in Roebucks Regiment. Account audited. Principle L 5..14..3 ¼. Interest 0.. 8.0.

The above mentions pay for service in Roebuck’s Regiment.

No. 1274 Lib. Y. Issued 5 June 86 to Nevil Wayland L 14..17.. 1 ½ stg for waggoning provs. for the troops at the Indian Line from the commrs. interest 20 / 9.

And . . .

I do humbly verify that Nevil Wayland was appointed by one commissary for the troops stationed on the Indian line and that the above wagoning was done for the services of the said troops. Wofford. These documents infer he brought food to the troops. It mentions District 96 and “the troops on the Indian line”. Wofford must have been his commanding officer.

Next we have a letter written by Nevil himself:

Pd. Tyger River the 19th Sept. 1785.

In respect to my account which I took out of your office in order to get [?certified?] after applying to Colonel Thomas for an [?afsertion?]. I could not get it done for at the time of my acting upon the Line he was in the camps and therefore a stranger to my proceedings, but Colonel Wofford who was then in command and present at the time of my appointment is now living in Nth Carolina and not in any power to go to for a certificate. Therefore for your further satisfaction I send you my orders from under the hand of Robert McWhorter who had his orders from Capt. Moore. Over [?Cittor?] respecting the Beeves there is no person can certify, as Capt. Moore is not in [?living/being?] and none of our officers is acquainted with our connections. I must further acquaint you Sir that the [?assump?] time from under Capt. Moores own hand dated 3rd of December 1779 was [?sontrastes?] within the dates of the waggoning that is from the first of May 1779 to the 21st of August. Therefore I repeat the depreciation to take place at that time, otherwise I shall be a great [?loo---?] and it will be likewise very unjust, [?icing?] my account was not returned to Capt. Moore till the date of the assumption. This is was contracted in a much earlier date, but I expect to have equity done me, as Capt. Moore the only person who could certify for me is dead, therefore it now lies in your breast, so I remain your most obedient and very humble servant, Nevil Wayland. 30 Sept 1785.

Above is taken from a Xeroxed copy of that letter.

According to order to me given from James Moor General Commisary for the [?fonding?] provision for the use of the Frontiers in general, I do hereby appoint Nevile Wayland in my behalf to purchase provision for the said frontier and do engage the pay of debts which he shall contract on that account given under my hand this 19th day of June1779.

The above documents are important for two reasons. ONE – It tells a time frame when and where Nevil served and TWO – one document was written I Nevil’s own handwriting, showing he was well educated, but more importantly, it is a piece of my ancestor that I can see, a sort of a relic, I suppose, a family relic. I can look up battles in the summer of 1779 in South Carolina, near District 96. There are other documents that he signed, that look like receipts for animals he bought (beeves and horses) for the troops dated Nov 1779 and Feb 1780.

His Life in South Carolina and the Melungeons

The 1790 census of Spartanburg, South Carolina has Naval Wayland 2,2,4 - the first number is males under 16, the 2nd is males over 16, and the third is females in the household. So they had 3 daughters about which we know NOTHING at all. As a result of his service in the Revolutionary War he obtained a land grant. In Spartanburg County, South Carolina. Roebuck’s Regiment was also called “The Spartan Regiment” because many members came from the Spartanburg area, I suppose. He sold his lands in South Carolina and next appears in 1797 in lower Russell County, Virginia, which about 1811 or so became Scott County, Virginia.

Much has been written about the Melungeons, a tri-racial people found first in Scott County. In fact they appeared there about the same time Nevil arrived there. Now my autosomal DNA test said I am mostly Caucasian, but we do have some American Indian and sub-Sahara African autosomal DNA as well. A descendant of Francis Wayland also took the same DNA test I took and his came back with a little sub-Sahara African DNA as well, but he is mostly Caucasian. So I have been looking into this Melungeon ancestry. Who was Nevil’s wife? I know the Melungeons were White, Black, and American Indian, with the American Indian component being Catawba or Piedmont Catawba. And the Catawba DID fight with the South Carolina Militias against the Cherokee. They also sold beeves to the militias to be used by the Revolutionary troops.

In “Melungeons: and Other Pioneer Families” by Jack Goins and “Melungeons, Examining an Appalachian Legend” by Pat Spurlock Elder, they say Nevil Wayland Jr. (son of the Revolutionary War Veteran) was the church clerk at Stoney Creek Primitive Baptist Church, which was in Scott County, Virginia. They say that it was in the minutes of that church that the word “Melungin” was first used in 1813. Now an earlier usage of “Lungins” has been found in Arkansas. One surname closely associated with the Melungeons is Gibson. They can be directly traced back to these eastern Siouan peoples – Catawba, Saponi, Cheraw, that have largely disappeared from history.

C. Gibson’s and Wayland’s

In Virginia – Various Documents

LAND ENTRY BOOK 2 [20]

RUSSELL CO. VA

PAGE 101

entry dated Oct 4 1805

Nevil Wayland Jun-r enters fifty acres of land by virtue of part of a Land Office Treasury warrant No 1855 dated March 18th 1796 lying in Russell county on both sides of Copper Creek beginning at a conditional line between John McClelan and James Gibson then running up the Creek on both sides for quantity entry dated Oct 23. He purchased 50 aces in what became Scott County, Virginia, in 1796. Back then it was part of Russell County. James Gibson is his neighbor.

P566 - Deposition of Margaret Lieth & Nevil Wayland, purporting the nocupative Will of Nevil Wayland, decd, ordered to be recorded. Motion of Keziah Wayland, securities: Nevil Wayland & Samuel Ritchie, adm granted on estate of Nevil Wayland, decd

P567 - David Cocke, Henry Cocke, John Berry & Mahal Driskil to appraise the estate of Nevil Wayland, decd.

The last date mentioned in the records before mentioning Nevil’s death is Oct. 7, 1806. So I suspect Nevil Wayland Sr. died shortly before October 7th, 1806.

WILL BOOK 2

RUSSELL CO. VA PAGE 136

Taken 28 Sept. 2001

February Court 1807

"We being first sworn for that purpose do appraise the estate of Nevil Wayland dec'd of which the following is a true Inventory." D. cts

three heifers at 18

one cow and calf 12.50 seventeen head of hogs 28.75 42 25

one roan mare 70 1 black mare 30 100

A parcel of castings 10 58 1/2

A parcel of old hoes 3 8 1/2

Three axes and a sang hoe 3.25 One foot adged 4 25

Five bells 2 Two old bundles (may be sp) and curry comb-50 2 50

Five hackles 2.50 Old ploughs and Clevesas 4 6 50

Horse Geers and an old barrel 1

A parcel of Cooper ware 2 A parcel of Iron tools 5 7

One pair Steel yards 2

A parcel of Pewter Knives and Forks 7 33

One fire shovel and pot rack 1

One lock chain double hoe and fixings 3

One rifle gun 12 Two flax wheels 5 17

A razor a strap and Spectacles 1 50

A bottle jug and Bowls 1 25

A parcel of books a pair of sizzors and 3 tin cups 3

A big wheel and reel 1.50

A grin stone and tomahawk 1.25 2 75 ó [Nevil NEVER lived near the Cherokee – but he DID live near the Catawba. Also when it says “tomahawk” – it IS referring to a tomahawk – not an axe or a hatchet.].

Wearing apparel 12 a bedsled bed and furniture 20 32

Five bed sleds 1 bed and furniture 20

One False Cutter A chisel and four chairs 1

An old big coat and live bee gums 2 25

11 Geese 5.50 15 ducks 1.25 6 75

__________________ $ 295------------

DEED BOOK 4 1806-1843

RUSSELL CO. VA PAGE 486

This Indenture made the fifth day of May int the year of our Lord 1812, between Saml Ewing attorney for Hugh McClung of the one part, and Keziah Weland of the other part both of the county of Russell and State of Virginia Witnesseth That the said Saml. Ewing atty for Hugh McClung for and in consideration for the sum of fifteen dollars lawful money of the United States to him in hand paid the receipt whereof is hereby acknowledged hath granted bargained and sold, and by these presents doth grant bargain and sell unto the aforesaid Keziah Weland and her heirs forever, a certain tract or parcel of land lying and being in the county of Russell on the waters of Cooper Creek including a Spring called the Pound Spring and bounded as followed to wit: Beginning on a white oak about ten poles east of the pound spring thence s45degree W. 46 poles to a White oak Nathan Mullets corner, thence s 20 degree W 14 poles to a black gum thence s 5 degree E 16 poles to a large white oak. N. 6 0 degree W 20 poles to a chestnut N. 70 degree W.10 poles to a small poplar N 40 W 20poles to two poplars near the age of a sink hole thence N. 40 degree E 36 poles to a white oak thence with a straight line to the Beginning containing fifteen acres be the same less or more. But it is to be name that there is fifteen acres excluded out of this deed for which I have already made a deed for to John Gibson dated the 7th day of November 1809. [Vance’s note: of the original 50 acres Nevil Sr. bought, 15 acres are turned over to John Gibson]. With all the appretenances to have and to hold the aforesaid trac or parcel of land with all its apprentenances unto the said _______ Weland and her heirs, to the sole use and behoof of her the said Keziah Weland and her heirs forever. And the said Saml. Ewing atty. for Hugh Mcclung and their heirs doth covenant with the said Keziah Weland and her heirs that the said tract or parcel of land with all and singular it appuntenaces unto the said Keziah Weland and her heirs against the claim or claims of all person whatsoever shall and will forever de fend. In witness whereof the said Sam. Ewing atty. for Hugh McClung have hereunto subscribed his name and affixed his seal the day and year first above written

Saml. Ewing (seal)

atty. for Hugh Mcclung

So next door to our family was a James Gibson and a John Gibson owned a 15 acre parcel in the midst of the 50 acres purchased by Keziah Wayland, widow of Nevil Sr.

We suspect Kezziah, Nevil’s wife, was Kezziah Gibson.

SCOTT CO. VA GATE CITY VA

DEED BOOK 2 PAGE 384

July 26, 1817

Received from Francis Wayland $5.62 cents in full for the redemption of a taxed land containing thirty five and a fourth acres lying in the county of Scott on the waters of Clinch river, _______delinquent in the name of John Gibson for this non payment of the ______taxes in the year 1812 twenty nine acres of which was sold to George George of Scott County for the amount of the taxes ____ ______ remaining unpaid as appears from the statement of the there of in the year 1816 recorded in the Clerks Office of our said county court Taxes and Damages $ 0 037 Fee for publishing sheriffs exec 0 25 Executing and recording deed and ____ 2 93 Interest thereon nc 50% per acesson 3 214 93 Taxes for by commissioner 76 taxes charged the purchancer ¾ 4 98 3/4Clerks for and commissioner 5.62 ¾

wit:

Charles (x) More,

Joseph (x) Nicols,

William (x) More.

Francis Wayland paid taxes on 35 acres. All the other Wayland’s had gone to Arkansas. He paid it in the name of John Gibson. John must have been related in some way for him to be willing to do that. Of the other 15 acres, George George was sold 9 acres for the taxes on them.

I was told the following in an email. The person emailing me was a Melungeon Gibson researcher, and first suggested my Kezziah might be the same Keziah/Cusiah mentioned below--

If your Kezziah is a Gibson she is likely the daughter of Thomas and Mary Gibson of Henry County, Virginia. The Champ Gibson [below] moved to Rockingham Co., NC and some of his descendants are

found in Hawkins Co., Tenn.

HENRY COUNTY, VIRGINIA

Will Book ? pp30-31

Dated 3 January 1780

Probated 23 March 1780

To my loving wife Marey Gibson and my daughter Cuzziah Gibson my whole estate.

Thomas (x) Gibson

Zackeriah King, Joel Gibson and Lambert Dotson executors. 23 March 1780. Exhibited by Joel Gibson who gave bond with Lambeth Dodson and Champain Gibson as his securities.

I think...but can not prove... that the Humphrey (see below) name came from Moses Humphrey who married to Frances Gibson, daughter of Thomas Gibson d. 1734 in Hanover Co., Va. Francis Gibson Humphrey was the sister of Valentine Gibson:

SURRY CO. NC TAX LISTS 1771 (alpha)

Jacob Gibson

William Gibson

Humphrey Gibson 1 [also 1772]

Valentine Gibson 3

James Shepherd 1

This should read, "Lewis Humphrey married to Francis Gibson". Moses Humphrey is the one that had land on Newman's Ridge Hawkins Co., TN, Deed Book 11, p. 273. James Johnson to Vardeman

Collins, Registered 27 May 1825. 25 February 1825. Each of Hawkins Co., TN. $400. 75 acres situated on Blackwater Creek, part of a 300-acre tract entered by said Johnson & Moses Humphreys, beg. at a white oak and hickory on Vardeman Collins' line. – end of email --

So other researchers brought this possible Melungeon Gibson connection to my attention. Notice above Frances Gibson, wife of Lewis (or Moses?) Humphrey. Also notice Frances was sister to Valentine Gibson. Notice both were son/daughter of Thomas Gibson. Also we see Humphrey Gibson living next to Valentine. This is in the 1770s. This is a known Melungeon family, known to have been descended from a band of the Catawba.

Gibson’s and Wayland’s in Arkansas – Various Documents

1830 census, Lawrence County, Arkansas

#4, 1

James Gibson 10001, 10001 <=> 1 male, 1 female 0-5, 1 male 1 female 20-30.

Next door to James Gibson is William Wayland.

William Wayland, 020001, 30100100001 <=> 2 males 5-10, 1 male 30-40 years old. 3 females 0-5, 1 female 10-15, 1 female 30-40, 1 female 80-90 years old. The elder female would have been born about 1740-1750 – and Nevil Sr. was born in 1745. Is the elder female Keziah? William would have been born between 1790-1800.

#4, 4

Nevil Wayland Sr. 0011101, 0011001 <=> 1 son and one daughter 10-15, 1 son and one daughter 15-20, 1 son 20-30, 1 male and one female 40-50. Nevil (Jr.) would have been born between 1780 and 1790.

12 names later

Henry Wayland 01001001, 0011001 <=> 1 male 5-10, 1 female 10-15, 1 female 15-20, 1 male 20-30, 1 female 40-50, 1 male 50-60 meaning he was born between 1770 and 1780.

#4, 6

Francis Wayland 2010001, 1112001 <=> 2 males and 1 female 0-5, 1 female 5-10, 1 male and 1 female 10-15, 2 females 15-20 years old, 1 male and one female 40-50. Francis and is wife are several years, most likely, older than William.

#4, 9

Nevil Wayland Jr., 200001, 0001 <=> 2 males under 5, 1 female 15-20, one male 20-30. Was he a son of Nevil or Henry?

Nine names down –

Samuel D. Gibson, 0001001, 00101001 <=> 1 female 10-15, 1 male 15-20, 1 female 20-30, 1 male 40-50, 1 female 50-60.

1840 census, Lawrence County, Arkansas

#4, 11

Henry Wayland 201001, 00011

8 names later

Robert Gibson 00001, 20001

2 names later

William Gibson, 00001, 10001

4 names later

Humphrey Gibson 020001, 001001 (Notice this name -- Humphrey Gibson, but in Arkansas living near our Waylands in 1840. Recall a couple of generations earlier, in the 1770s, we have Humphrey Gibson who was related to “Cusiah Gibson”, who also was a daughter of Thomas Gibson.

#4, 16

William Wayland 10010001, 10300010001

4 names later

Sarah Wayland 0001, 00001001

2 names later

James Wayland 00001, 00001

1840 Census, Prairie, Washington County, Arkansas

Francis Wayland 10100001, 0110001 <=> Washington County, Arkansas borders Northeastern Oklahoma. Francis was the last of the four Wayland brothers to move west, the others being Nevil Jr., Henry and William. It is one of his descendants that took the same DNA test that I took, that showed he too, was multi-racial.

D. The Catawba

We have established that there is a good chance that we have Catawba blood, through the people known as “Melungeons”. Let us learn more about them.

The Melungeons [21]

Lewis M. Jarvis was born in 1829 and was raised in Southwestern Virginia near Northeastern Tennessee, and was raised near the known Melungeon settlers. He was interviewed, and that interview was published in the Hancock County Times, dated 17 April 1903.Below are excerpts from that interview.

Much has been said and written about the inhabitants of Newman’s Ridge and Blackwater in Hancock County, Tenn. They have been derisively dubbed with the name “Melungeons”. By the local White People who have lived here with them. It is not a traditional name nor a tribe of Indians. . . .

These people, not any of them were here at the time the first White hunting party came from Virginia and North Carolina in 1761 . . . [names several men] these men above named, who are called Melungeons, obtained . . . titles of the land they settled on . . . and they came here simultaneous with the white people not earlier than 1795. They lost their language and spoke English very well. They were originally the friendly Indians who came here with the Whites as they moved west . . . The White emigrants with the friendly Indians erected a fort on the bank of the river, and called in Fort Blackmore. . . they have married among the Whites until their race has almost become extinct. . . The old pure-blood[s] were finer featured . . .

Today’s researchers know the Melungeons were Eastern Siouan – the Saponi, the Saura/Cheraw, and Catawba seeming to be the main bands, but there were many others. From H. Lewis Scaife [22 ] we hear of Catawba who fought beside Americans in the Revolutionary War:

During the Revolution, the Catawba’s rendered valuable assistance to the Colonists. A company, consisting of 100 warriors of the tribe, under the command of Colonel Thompson, took part in the defense of Fort Moultrie; and besides being in a number of other battles, they were particularly useful throughout the war as guides, scouts, and runners. When Colonel Williamson marched against the hostile Cherokees, whom British emissaries had incited to commence a series of brutal massacres upon the frontiers of Carolina, a large number of Catawba warriors joined him, and in this campaign several of them were killed. Toward the close of the war, the entire tribe, except the members who were in active service in the American Army, were compelled by the British to seek refuge in Virginia, where they remained until after the battle of Guilford Court House, in which some of the tribe took part.

If you look at the surname “Williamson” – they are found in York County, South Carolina. That is where the Catawba Reservation is located. I have emailed some Williamson’s who have family stories of being “Indian”. I do not know if they are related to Col. Williamson or not. Col. Williamson was clearly White, but maybe he had a relative that married a Catawba.

Also this shows the Catawba fought side by side with the South Carolina Militias. Is this how, when and where Nevil found his wife, Keziah?

Sizemore’s

There were many people on the rejected Cherokee rolls who probably had Indian blood – it just wasn’t Cherokee. For instance, there were about 200 Sizemore’s on the rejected rolls. Some said that their parents never said to which tribe they belonged. In one instance we have the following:

Sizemore

No. 8584

William H. Blevins, being first duly sworn, deposes and says:

I am 67 years of age. I live in Washington County, Va., I reckon. I have lived in Va. about 15 years. I was born in Ashe County, N. C. and lived there until 15 years ago, with the exception of the time of the war, when I served in the War on the side of the Confederacy. I claim through my father, Armstrong Blevins who lived and died in Ashe County. I think he was born there. He was 66 when he died. He was the son of Lydia Blevins. I do not know whether Lydia Blevins lived and died in Alleghany or Ashe County, N. C. I think it was Alleghany then. I suppose she died before I was born. Lydia Sizemore (Blevins) was a daughter of Ned Sizemore, Sr.

According to proof made before me in 1888 and 1896 as a Justice of the Peace of Ashe County, N. C., he was a full-blood Cherokee Indian. As a boy my father used to tell me that he was an Indian. The object of the the proof referred to was for land and money suppose to be due the Cherokees and Sizemores in the Indian Territory. The proof taken in 1888 was sent to one J. W. Mullens, of Grand View, Ark. He was an attorney employed by us to press these claims in the Indian Territory. I never saw the proof after that. I had it transferred to A. E. Ivey of Tahlequah, I. T., another attorney. I heard that Mr. Ivey died, leaving it in his office, but I do not know this to be so. The proof was to be present[ed] to the Cherokee council for our rights in the Indian Territory, but I do not know whether it was ever acted on or not. The proof taken in 1896 was from a number of old men, and was about the same kind of testimony taken in 1888. John Baldwin, J. W. Perkins, took it to put before the Cherokee counsil, but I do not know whether it was ever acted on or not. I do not know whether it was put before the counsil and the Dawes Commission or not, but I have heard it was. If Mr. Baldwin swore that it was put before the Dawes Commission, I believe that he did.

I never heard, officially from the Dawes Commission that the claims were allowed or rejected. I never received anything from it. I never heard that my father ever received any money from the Government on account of his Indian blood. I never received any money from the Government on account of my Indian blood. I never heard whether Lydia Blevins ever received any money from the Government on account of her Indian blood. Most of my information in regard to my Indian blood came principally from my father until this proof was taken. My father spoke of it often and spoke of his uncles, Owen, George, and Ned, and his aunts Catharine Hart, Sallie Osborne, and his Aunt Sookey Stamper, and one he called Dollie, she may have been the same as Catharine. I saw his Uncle George Sizemore when I was probably ten years old, and heard him preach. This was in Ashe County, N. C. He was a son of Old Ned Sizemore. He went to what was then called the State of Virginia, before I heard him preach, and then came back. I do not know where he died, but have been informed that he died in West Virginia. I remember him well. He was tall, straight, wore his hair cut off around his shoulders, and had some gray streaks in it. He passed as a White man and Indian, and claimed to be part Indian. He was the first man I ever heard make a prayer.

They always told me that he and his brothers and sisters were related to the Cherokee Indians. I do not know if he was an ordained preacher or not. I have never heard that Owen Sizemore was a preacher, although I have heard that Hiram was a preacher.

I have never seen any but George. I never heard that Old Ned Sizemore was a preacher. I heard my father say that Old Ned Sizemore lived in what is now Alleghany County, N. C., but was then Ashe Co. at the time I was born. I think he was dead before I was ten years old, but I do not know where he died.

I have heard of Dr. Johnny Sizemore from others, but not my father. I have heard that old man Ned Sizemore's father was John Sizemore, and he lived in Stokes Co., N. C. and had a son, Dr. Johnny Gourd Sizemore, who was a brother of old Ned. That he also had a daughter by the name of Patricia. John Sizemore should have had eight children and can only name two besides Old Ned. I do not know who Patricia married.

Ned Sizemore Jr. was a son of Old Ned. I do not recollect ever hearing tell of George Sizemore ever having a son Ned. I remember one Elisha Blevins, who said that Old Ned Sizemore came from the Catawba River, or the Catawba Reservation, as he called it. Elisha Blevins has been dead some time. Wesley Blevins also testified in 1896 to the same affect.

Stephen Hart made affidavit before me also, while I was Justice of the Peace, but I do not remember that he said where he came from. If there was any reservation there at all, I do not know anything about it, only from the testimony. I saw the affidavit of William A. Lewis of Fort Gibson, I. T., but he did not swear to where Ned Sizemore came from that I recollect. He said that he was well acquainted with the family and that he knew Catharine and Lydia and Owen, and that Ned Sizemore was a full-blood Indian, and he supposed lived and died in Ashe County. William A. Lewis went from Ashe County to the Indian Territory, as I understand it, in 1851, and died I suppose in the Indian Territory. He claimed to be part Indian

I never heard that any of the Sizemore’s ever received any money from the Government on account of their Indian blood. If they did, I think I should have known it -- that since I was old enough to recollect. I was not enrolled on the census of Eastern Cherokee Indians in 1885, and never heard of it before. I was not enrolled in 1851 by the Government. I did not receive any of the money paid in 1851, and none of the Sizemore family did that I know of. I have heard my father and his brothers talk something about the enrollment of 1851. They were afraid of enrollment; were afraid they would be carried to the Territory and scattered on that account. I do not think my father was enrolled in 1835, or any of the Sizemores that I know anything of. They were afraid of enrollment. I do not know anything about the removal of the Cherokees, only what I have read and heard my father say, but I think it was about 1835. He was afraid that if he was enrolled as late as 1851, he would be forced to go to the Territory. I know that there are a number of Eastern Cherokee Indians in Western North Carolina now who were enrolled in 1835 and 1851, and received money, but were not forced to go west.

The word, "Chief" in my application, means that I am chief of the White Top Band of Cherokee Indians, an organization of the principal Cherokee Indians living about White Top, and was perfected about ten years ago. We organized so as to demand our rights in a body. We thought we had not been getting them before.

In 1896, we wanted to go to Indian Territory, and organized for that purpose. When the band was first organized, there were about 2175, I believe. They were all Sizemore descendants. No one else was allowed to become a member if it was known. I have read the decree of the Supreme Court of the United States referred to in my application, and have it at home. My father, Armstrong Blevins, I do not think was a party to the treaty of 1835 and 1846(or 48?). I am putting my own interpretation on the decree.

Elisha Blevins, who gave testimony in 1888 and 1896 before me, was not a party to the treaty of 1835 and 1836 and did not claim to be Indian at all. I suppose Wells Blevins was living in 1835 and 1836. He lived in Ashe County, N. C. I do not know that he was a party to the Treaty of 1835-36. I do not know that any of the descendants of the Sizemores, or Old Ned himself ever live with the Cherokee Indians. I have had an affidavit before me from Mr. Wagoner that Ned Sizemore visited the Cherokee Indians. The Cherokee Indians never visited them often since I can recollect. I have seen some Cherokee Indians who claimed to be. I saw one regiment in time of War. I have seen very few living here who claimed to be Cherokee Indians except the Sizemores and the descendants of the Sizemores.

I have heard of Ned Hart, who lived in Ashe County, N. C. I did not understand that he was a Cherokee Indian, but he married a Cherokee Indian, and, as I understand it, the Cherokee blood of the Harts came through Catharine Sizemore.

The White Top Band of Cherokee Indians, of which I am Chief, has applied to share in this fund so far as I know.

W. H. Blevins

Subscribed and sworn to before me at Marion, Va., this 11th day of April, 1908.

J. Edward Taylor

Assistant to Special Commissioner Court of Claims

After making claims of having Cherokee blood, all of a sudden in the middle of his statement, Mr. Blevins speak of someone telling him that Ned Sizemore said he came from the Catawba River, or the Catawba Reservation, as he called it. Well, that got my attention. Some on the rejected list were not rejected because they were not Indian, but because they were not Cherokee.

Treaties [23] [24]

It is interesting that he mentions 1846 then says (or 1848?) treaty. There was a 1846 Cherokee treaty for the Cherokee in Oklahoma and some still in Arkansas. That treaty asks the Arkansas Cherokee to return to Oklahoma. But in 1848 some of the Catawba tried to come to Indian Territory per the government supplying money for that purpose at that time. Brown writes in “The Catawba Indians”, p. 323 “On July 29, 1848 the Congress apprppriated $5,000 to defray the expense of the move [to Indian territory].” Chief James Kegg wrote a letter to President James Polk at that time and said there were 42 Catawba families who wanted to use that appropriation to move west. He said (p 324) “We humbly beg his Excellency the President . . .to remove us west of the Miss[issippi] under the act of the late congress.” . Still on page 324, Brown writes, “Whether the President ever saw the letter is problematical.” In the next paragraph Brown writes that the Cheorkee were asked if the Catawba could live amongst them and it says: “The answer from John Ross and the Cherokee counsel was a firm NO. But before the reply was received, the Catawba themselves expressed a preference for living among the Western Chickasaws . . . [who] at one time had invited the Catawba to settle amongst them. Government representatives promptly opened up negotiations with the Chickasaws among whom – the agent was told, some of the Catawba’s descendants were already settled.” It continues to say: “The principal men of the tribe assured the agent that the Catawba would be welcome, but only the council had the right to invite them, officially. But when a Chickasaw Counsel meeting was held in February of 1849, the Catawba proposal was voted down. This change of sentiment was attributed to the sudden death of old Chief Albertson [Vance’s note: should read “Governor Albertson” – their “principal chief” is called a “Governor]”, a strong advocate of the Catawba’s.” So we have a substantial number of Catawba Indians with no land base and no home. I suspect many on the rejected rolls are in reality, Catawba mixed-bloods. Were mine Catawba rather than Cherokee? Maybe both?

But before all of this was the 1840 treaty between the Catawba and the State of South Carolina. In “Catawba Nation, Treasures in History,” by Thomas J. Blumer, (pp 52-53) he writes: “The Treaty of Nations Ford is a simple document. Article One conveyed the 144,000 acre reservation to the state of South Carolina. This article was of course, carried out with the full acquiescence of the Catawba. Article Two provided the Catawba with a new tract of land far removed from White settlements. Article Two, caught in a political vacuum between North and South Carolina, was never fulfilled. Article Three regarded payment for the 144,000 acre reservation. South Carolina never made proper payment and the debt remains unsettled.”

He also talks of many Catawba who left the reservation, some to settle with the Eastern Cherokee, some just left for points unknown. No one knows how many Catawba left, or who many of these people were. People had been leaving the Catawba Reservation, assimilating, for many years, for generations in fact.

1890s Attempt to form a “Western Catawba Association”

Several years back, I exchanged several emails with Dr. Thomas Blumer , who was a foremost expert on the Catawba. It is my understanding that he has since passed on. I emailed him family photos and stories. He became interested in the fact that my family was Indian but not federally recognized and that we had at one time lived near Fort Smith, Arkansas. The fact that we were “Brown’s” also got his attention, as Brown is one of the few known Catawba surnames. He told me of an effort to form a “Western Catawba Association” in Fort Smith, Arkansas in the 1890s. However by the 1890s we had left and were living in the Chickasaw Nation, Still, he peaked my curiosity. I wondered, was my family part-Catawba, then? I looked for more information.

Chapman Milling said in “Red Carolinians”:

By the Indian appropriation act of 1848, $5,000 was set aside to completely remove the Catawba to the Indian country west of the Mississippi. In November of 1848 the heads of forty-two families sent a petition to the Indian Office requesting to be allowed to be removed to the Chickasaw Nation. Nothing materialized because of this request, however. Eventually a few families went to live in the Choctaw Nation and in 1855 several Catawba were adopted into the Choctaw Nation.

Muriel Hazel Wright wrote “A Guide to the Indian Tribes of Oklahoma” in 1951. In that book, she chronicled a history of all the sixty-nine tribes that either came to Oklahoma, or are indigenous to the state.

She was Choctaw herself (her father was a former Principle Chief). She said of the Catawba -- another group left the nation during the removal period. In 1897 they formed the Western Catawba Association at Fort Smith, Arkansas. She speaks of some who received Choctaw citizenship in 1853. Ms. Wright said of the Catawba who migrated to Arkansas and Oklahoma –

The descendants of some of the Catawba who settled in the Choctaw Nation are now absorbed into the Indian population of Haskell and Le Flore Counties. The descendants of some of those who settled in the Creek and Cherokee Nations have been reported living southeast of Checotah in McIntosh County. The main portion of the tribe live in the Eastern part of York County, South Carolina.

There are few Catawba in Oklahoma, and those are counted in the general Indian population of the state. They were last enumerated as a separate tribe in this region in 1896, and their total population in the Indian Territory being given as 132. The largest portion, or 78 lived in the Choctaw Nation, most of them in the region between the present cities of Stigler and Spiro. Seventeen of them gave Checotah [Vance’s note: remember the Catawba Gentry family of Checotah who were adapted into the Creek Nation? We mentioned them earlier], Creek Nation, as their post office, and 15 lived around Texanna, [Vance’s note: Texanna is also where Captain Dutch settled, as did some of Sequoyah’s family] in the Southwestern part of the Cherokee Nation, now included in McIntosh County. In the same year (1896) there were 145 Catawba living in Arkansas, most of them in and around Greenwood and Barber.

She adds –

In October 1848, William Morrison, chief of a band of Catawba (42 persons) living at Quallahtown,, Haywood County, North Carolina, addressed a letter to the Commissioner of Indian Affairs asking for the appointment of a superintendent to remove his people to the Indian territory . . . These people expressed their preference for settlement among the Chickasaw, but the Chickasaw council took no action on the subject.[Vance’s note: This was the head of 42 families, not individual Catawba -- and we have their signatures in Brown’s book. Also the Chickasaw as we have seen, did take action, and rejected the Catawba proposal in February 1848.]

In “Red Carolinians” Chapman J. Milling wrote the following –

"The Catawba Indian Association of Fort Smith, Arkansas," an organization having a membership of 257 persons, the alleged descendants of Catawba who went West under the act of 1848. The petitioners were distributed as follows in Arkansas and Indian Territory: Arkansas--Greenwood, 44, Barber, 42, Crow, 13, Oak Bower, 6, Fort Smith, 17; Indian Territory and Oklahoma - Checotah, 17, Jackson, 15, Star, 34, Panther, 22, Oak Lodge, 10, Redland, 4, Ramville, 2, Indianola, 3, Center, 4, Ward, 3, Sacred Heart, 1, Steigler, 2.

It will be seen that most of those in the Indian Territory were living in the Creek and Choctaw nations. The petition sets forth that these Catawba families had removed west, some as late as 1854, "journeying at their own expense to the country west of the Mississippi River, hoping and expecting to be there furnished with new homes..." Having never been assigned lands, they were "left stranded in that Territory and the neighboring states." They therefore prayed for relief. The government took the position that the petitioners were white men with a trace of Indian blood, and therefore not entitled to relief. The memorial indicates, however, that descendants of Catawba Indians existed in considerable numbers in the Southwest only 44 years ago. Although no Indians are today recorded as Catawba in the state of Oklahoma, there is little reasonable doubt that an appreciable amount of Catawba blood persists in the eastern section of that commonwealth.

Milling also says in Red Carolinians “Having traced several distinct migrations to North Carolina, Virginia, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Utah, Colorado, we have thus seen that the Catawba Tribe is not so nearly extinct as was supposed and has been frequently asserted. It is true however that the only band having any semblance of tribal status is the remnant in South Carolina . . .” I cannot help but think that had Congress acted, there might be a Catawba Tribe of Oklahoma, too. However, since these families have all scattered today, that is no longer possible. I suspect that, like the Sizemore’s, many of these families have forgotten their tribal origins, and think their ancestors were Cherokee. I did.

I could not help but recall what my great Uncle had written about our family living in Sequoyah or Leflore County. That is where many of these Catawba had been. Also they sought permission to live in the Chickasaw Nation. My family also lived there.

Newspaper Articles on the Western Catawba [25]

These three short articles about the Catawba in Arkansas were written between 1889-1895, and are found in the local newspaper, "The Fort Smith Elevator". Some people were trying to organize a group of Catawba in the late 19th century. Also found, late in the day, a few lines in an article in "The Indian Chieftain" of Vinita, Oklahoma, dated 1888, when Vinita was a part of the Cherokee Nation. Remember Oklahoma only became a state in 1907.

August 16, 1889, The Fort Smith Elevator, Catawba Indian Association

The Catawba Indian Association met at Rocky Ridge on the 10th. The meeting was called to order by the President. After the reading of the minutes and the calling of the roll of the officers, transacting other business that came before the order, a call for new members was made and 90 was added to the new list, after which the meeting adjourned to meet at Ault’s’ Mill, three miles south of Fort Smith, the second day of the fair, the 16th day of October, where the delegates and all persons interested will please attend without further notice, as matters of interest will be considered.

J. Bain, President

G. W. Williamson, Secretary

I obtained this material by writing to the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith library. One of their librarians wrote the following:

Hello Mr. Hawkins,

Attached is a copy of the article you requested. The article mentioned another meeting held on October 16th and I found it in the October 25th edition but the film was so dark I could not get a good print to scan. The text of the article follows. Please let me know if I can be of further assistance.

“October 25, 1889 p. 3 col. 5, From Fort Smith Historical Society publication

“Attention Catawba’s

The Western Catawba’s Indian Association met at Ault’s Mill October 16, 1889, at which meeting a number of new members were added to the Association, thus making it nearly 4,000 strong. They appointed an executive committee which is empowered to transact all business and place the matter before congress. The Association adjourned to convene again at a called meeting of the president.”

Taken originally from “The Fort Smith Elevator” (newspaper), date probably early Jan 1895.

All Catawba Indians by blood or otherwise are requested to meet at the County Court House in Fort Smith Arkansas on Thursday, Jan 24th, 1895 at 10 o’clock a. m. for the purpose of perfecting the census roll of the Western Catawba Indian Association and the transaction of other matters that may come before the meeting. All Catawba Indians are expected to be present or by proxy as business of importance will come before the meeting.

James Bain, Preset.,

Geo. E. Williams, Scary,

Western Catawba Indian Association

Please keep the timeframe in mind. The Dawes Act (also called the Allotment Act) had just been passed in Congress meaning the Indians in Oklahoma at least would no longer own all their lands in common -- each Indian family was to receive -- I think it was 160 acres -- I might be wrong about the number of acres. Well many more people were asking for this land than there actually were Indians living on the lands in Oklahoma. So the Indians and whites both grew suspicious some of the applicants.

We hear of all those on the rejected rolls. But we never hear of those who claimed Catawba ancestry -- all we hear of are of the Cherokee rejected rolls. Apparently 4,000 people wanted to claim Catawba ancestry. The final list seems to have had only 257 names, so something happened to the rest, and we have no list of the names of those 257 persons, nor of the 4,000. I will continue to look for these lists.

Also, these 4,000 are not on any accepted or rejected roll, either, as no roll was made for the Catawba. I am hoping to discover the names of those 257 as well as those 4,000.

General opinion at the time was they were individuals who had a little Indian blood and had been living as whites. The idea of giving free land to people who had not gone through the hardships of removal, people who had left them to live as Whites, was a bitter and difficult pill to swallow, for the traditional Indians who had never left the various tribes, and who still had many full bloods. Also it was suspected that many people applying were simply full blood Whites looking to take Indian lands as had happened so many times in the past. This attitude doomed the petitioners such as these claiming a Catawba heritage, to failure. But what became of them? They seem to have vanished in the dust. Was my family a part of this movement in the late 19th century?

I found one more reference; from "The Indian Chieftain", a newspaper from Vinita, Cherokee Nation, Indian Territory dated 1888, located in what is today north eastern Oklahoma.

Indian Chieftain, March 1, 1888, Vinita, Indian Territory (Oklahoma), image 2 of 4 [26]

The Western Catawba Indian Association, with headquarters in Fort Smith, proposes to petition congress to set aside for the use of all persons of Indian blood, not members of any tribe, a portion of the Indian Territory.

I cannot help but remember hearing that dad's grandparents were at one time thinking about signing up for the Dawes Allotments, but "something happened" and they never did. I remember my mother mentioning this, and she had no Indian blood, but her family lived next to my great-grandparents on my Dad’s side – the Richey’s, as well. I wish I knew the right questions to ask back when I was younger, but at the time, I had little interest in these things. Part of my quest in doing research was to find out exactly what happened. Why did they back out, and never even apply for Dawes? This would have been the 1890s. They did live near Fort Smith at one time and we do seem to have some ancestors that "could have been" Catawba. They also lived in the Chickasaw Nation and the Catawba had asked the Chickasaw to accept them, an offer the Chickasaw refused. Did we belong to this organization, the Western Catawba Indian Association -- at one time 4,000 strong? That would explain a lot. The Melungeons too, were Eastern Siouan -- if not Catawba then they descended from their closest, both genetically and linguistically – allies, the Cheraw or Saponi, both of whom were known to have moved in with the Catawba during recorded history. They were the same people.

I also keep thinking of Catawba Chief Haigler's letter to Gov. Glen of SC when he asked him to give wampum to the Pedee Indians and asked the governor to ask the Pedee to live with them (the Catawba) to make them stronger. And in the 1890s some Catawba in Arkansas and Oklahoma descendants were still doing that -- trying to get other Indians to join them in a new land in the west, to maintain a resemblance of a nation, even at that late date. They did not want to go into extinction as a nation, quietly. They did not want their heritage forgotten, utterly. (See Appendices 1 and 2). Up to the present day, no organization has thought to revive these “Western Catawba”. They have been forgotten, utterly.