Cofitachequi & DeSoto

 

DeSoto meets the Lady of Cofitachequi

Following Hernando deSoto and his crew of Portuguese, Spanish, Genoans and Slaves and starting at the orange spot on the right the COFITACHEQUI  was one of the first Carolina Tribes they came in contact with.  The next town in the orange still is Ilasi [see below] which Charles Hudson says is the same as Juan Pardo's Ylapi in 1570.

Leaving Ilasi it appears the next Carolina Tribe would be the Cherokee, keep in mind they are taking the Native women from the towns they visit.  Next they borrowed some Native women from Joara. 


"Joara was a large Native American settlement, a regional chiefdom of the Mississippian culture, located in what is now Burke County, North Carolina about 300 miles from the Atlantic coast in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains.[1] Joara is notable as a significant archaeological and historic site, where Mississippian culture-era and European artifacts have been found, in addition to an earthwork platform mound and remains of a 16th-century Spanish fort." Wikipedia

"The first European encounters came in the mid-16th century. In 1540 the party of Spanish conquistador Hernando De Soto recorded visiting this place.[2] A later expedition in 1567 under Juan Pardo, another Spanish explorer, founded the first European settlement in the interior of the continent, establishing Fort San Juan at this site, followed by other forts to the west.[

Members of Hernando DeSoto’s expedition became the first recorded Europeans to encounter the Mississippian culture people, in the towns of Chalaque, Guaqili, Xuala (Joara), and Guasili.^[1] Joara was a regional chiefdom established around the year 1000 near the present day town of Morganton, North Carolina.^[2] These villages are believed to have been developed by Catawba ancestors (specifically the Cheraw).

Next to towns he visited would be Chisca and Chiaha in East Tennesee, Southwest Virginia and Southern Kentucky.  The Chisca were brothers to the Choctaw. 

Before the tribes of Chickasaw and Choctaw were two different tribes, they were one entity. The tribe was split into two groups, each with their own leader. Chiksa' and Chahta were brothers and led the two groups.   HERE

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Ylasi on the Pee Dee River

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This is just one leg of the journey of these explorers with their European and African DNA mixing with the Native Women. 

They mixed with the Tribes in Georgia, Mississippi, and Alabama.  Documented, a three year journey across the Southwest.  How many descendants did they leave?  How many of deAyllon's men's descendants?  How many of Juan Pardo's mens in 1670 left descendants with the Native Women?  

It's called Pre-Contact.  Roberta Estes, Jack Goins, Penny Ferguson and Janet Crain were all well aware of these Spanish, Portuguese, and Africans and their DNA before they wrote that 2012 paper when they wrote the Melungeons there was 'no evidence of Native American DNA.  

Robert Estes:  

Scientists know today that there are only two primary haplogroups indicating deep ancestry that are found among Native American males who were here prior to contact with Indo-Europeans, and those haplogroups are C and Q3. It is not accurate to say that all C and Q3 individuals exist only in the American Native population, but the American Native population is part of the larger group worldwide that comprises C and Q3. We find little to no C or Q3 in European or African populations, although we do learn more every single day in this infant science.

This sometimes becomes confusing, because the single most common male haplogroup among current Cherokee tribal members who have tested is R1b. How can this be, you ask?

Clearly, one of three possibilities exists:

1. The Cherokee (or those tribes who were assimilated into the Cherokee) adopted a European male into the tribe or a European male fathered a child that was subsequently raised as Cherokee.
2. The R1b ancestor was not adopted into the tribe, maintained their European/American identity but married a Cherokee individual. This might be the case where one of the 8 great-grandparents in our example was white, and the other 7 were not.
3. There is some level of R1b admixture in the Native Population that preceded contact with Europeans that we have not yet identified. Proving Your Native American Heritage  2007

Ms Estes was a member of the Rootsweb Melungeon List when I posted this information, she asked me for a source, I sent her the linke to the DESOTO JOURNALS Published in 1587.  Goins, Ferguson, and Crain were all members of this list as well as private email chain I was involved in, they were all aware of PRE-CONTACT.  

The Lady and The Slave

As they were on their journey, the Lady of Cofitachiqui "left the road, with the excuse of going in the thicket, where, deceiving them, she so concealed herself that for all their search she could not be found." De Soto, frustrated in his quest to find her, moved on to Guaxule (Jameson, 1907, p. 176).

Alimamos, a horseman of de Soto who "got lost," somehow wandered upon the refugee slaves. He "labored with the slaves to make leave of their evil designs" but only two of the refugees returned to de Soto. When Alimamos arrived back at the camp with the refugees who had decided to return, "the Governor wished to hang them" (Jameson, p. 177). [paragraph 6]However, the horseman also made another report. He stated that "The Cacica remained in Xualla, with a slave of Andre de Vasconcelas,(the Portuguese jp) who would not come with him (Alimamos), and that it was very sure that they lived together as man and wife, and were to go together to Cutafichiqui" (Jameson, p. 177).            THE DESOTO JOURNALS  1587

 List of sites and peoples visited by the Hernando de Soto Expedition  HERE

 To Be Continued

Next Up Juan Pardo

 

 

 

The Portuguese Spanish Italians & Africans

 

          

Imagine if you will 600 Portuguese, Spanish, Genoans and Slaves

taking Native Women from each town they made a foray in for deSoto

and his planned settlement at Mobile. From the Carolinas, Tennesee,

Kentucky, Georgia, Mississippi and Alabama. How many Native

children were born to those Native Women from 1527 deAyllon,

1540 deSoto, and Pardo 1570. All with African and European DNA.

Enlarged Map   Here 

 

In May 1539,  Hernando de Soto left Havana, Cuba, with *nine ships, over *620 men and 220 surviving horses and landed at Charlotte Harbor, Florida. This began his three-year odyssey through the Southeastern North American continent, from which de Soto and a large portion of his men would not return.

In his travels Pardo took a side trip to Ylasi, which appears

to have been the same as the Ilapi of the De Soto expedition''

Charles Hudson - 'Forgotten Centuries""

"In the month of April, of the year 1538, the adelantado (deSoto) delivered the ships over to the captains who were to go in them. He took a new and good sailing ship for himself and gave one to Andre de Vasconcelos, in which the Portuguese went"  

At the time of his departure, because of the importunity of some who wished more than was proper, he asked the cacique for thirty Indian women as slaves.....The Indians gave the governor thirty Indian women and the necessary tamemes [for DeSoto's men to wed then populate his planned settlement at Mobile Bay].

They captured a hundred head, among Indian men and women. Of the latter, there, as well as in any other part where forays were made, the captain selected one or two for the governor and the others were divided among themselves and those who went with them.

At the time of his departure, because of the importunity of some who wished more than was proper, he asked the cacique for thirty Indian women as slaves.....The Indians gave the governor thirty Indian women and the necessary tamemes [for DeSoto's men to wed then populate his planned settlement at Mobile Bay].

On the third day, the Queen disappeared; de Soto sent his guards to find her but she was not to be found (Bourne, 1904, p. 110). Taking advantage of her absence, he entered one of the ancient temple mounds that were scattered about the town of Talemico, the religious and political center of the people of Cofitachiqui. The temple mound was one hundred feet long and forty feet wide with massive doors. As he entered through the doors, he encountered paired rows of massive wooden statues with diamond-shaped heads bearing first batons, then broadswords, and then bows and arrows (Hudson, 1976, p. 111).

Like the ancient pyramids of Egypt, these temple mounds contained statues of notable persons of antiquity and chests filled with the remains of the elders. Scattered about the temples were bundles of fur, breastplates, and weapons -- tools for the next life -- covered with pearls, colored leather, and "something green like an emerald" (Bourne, p. 100). [paragraph 3]De Soto and his men plundered the ancient temple. Among the booty were items of a European make, "Biscayan axes or iron and rosaries with their crosses" (Bourne, 1904, p. 100).

De Soto and his men determined that these materials were the remnants of an earlier expedition led by Lucas Vazquez de Ayllon. He and his men had settled on the coast of the Carolinas near on the Peedee River in 1526. African slaves were members of Ayllon's colony; when there was a crisis over leadership, the colony fell into disarray. In this crisis, there was a slave revolt**. When the colony crumbled, many of the African slaves fled to live among the nearby Native Americans (Wright, 1902, pp. 217-228).

As they were on their journey, the Lady of Cofitachiqui "left the road, with the excuse of going in the thicket, where, deceiving them, she so concealed herself that for all their search she could not be found." De Soto, frustrated in his quest to find her, moved on to Guaxule (Jameson, 1907, p. 176).

Alimamos, a horseman of de Soto who "got lost," somehow wandered upon the refugee slaves. He "labored with the slaves to make leave of their evil designs" but only two of the refugees returned to de Soto. When Alimamos arrived back at the camp with the refugees who had decided to return, "the Governor wished to hang them" (Jameson, p. 177). [paragraph 6]However, the horseman also made another report. He stated that "The Cacica remained in Xualla, with a slave of Andre de Vasconcelas,(the Portuguese jp) who would not come with him (Alimamos), and that it was very sure that they lived together as man and wife, and were to go together to Cutafichiqui" (Jameson, p. 177).

**Lucas Vazques de Ayllon expendition consisted of 600-700 men, women and children including 100 enslaved Africans 1527 on Winyah Bay, South Carolina.  Of these only 150 returned, leaving behind 450-550 men, women, children and slaves. 

To Be Continued 

Gowen Part I

 

The path from John Graweere to John Geaween to John Gowen who allegedly stepped off the White Lion in 1619, part of the '20 and odd'  is a long, twisting, turning, and in my opinion, misleading way to find ancestors of the Goins/Gowen etc. 

There is no original record pertaining to this John, it is a transcription of Conroe Robinson from the original book around the Civil War Time, and we all know what happened to court houses, they were burned, including this original record.  Robinson transcribed it as Graweere, then some time later McIlwaine transcribed Robinsons transcription as Graweere.  A gentleman in England then transcribed McIlwaine's transcription for the Virginia Genealogist as Geaween. 

As far as I was able to trace this back Paul Heinegg then used the Virginia Genealogist transcription rather than the 'Graweere' and changed the Geaween to Gowen. 

And the 'ancestor of the Gowen family was born' from Paul Heinegg whose research 

"A transcription is an exact word-for-word copy of the full document with all the spelling and grammar meticulously replicated." Julie Miller CG, CGL

We don't have the original document but we do have the original transcription. Graweere 

Are either of the transcriptions worth the paper they are written on? Furthermore there is no proof, at all, whoever he was, he did not step off the White Lion.  Is John Gowen a  real person, yes, but he is not John Gowen formerly known as John Geaween, who never exitsted. Perhaps John Gowen will fit in this story later on.  

Another twist was added in the 2012 paper on the Melungeon DNA Study by Roberta Estes, Jack Goins, Janet Crain and Penny Ferguson.  They wrote; 

" Goins Goins or similar names are found in early colonial records. John Gowen, "Gowen the Indian" was born about 1615 and by 1640, described as a "negro", had been freed by William Evans in York County, Virginia. He had a son by an African woman named Margaret Cornish about 1635 and in 1641 he purchased the son, Michael's (Mihill) freedom. Mihill had a son William born of a negro Prossa who patented land in James City County in 1668." [2}

How is John Gowen "Gowen the Indian" if Gawin the Indian is  found in the court record of Thomas Bushrod in 1670 to have his freedom in 1676, this court record below clearly shows in 1670 Gawin the Indian was with Mr. Thomas Bushrod in York County.

GAWIN THE INDIAN

Gawin, Indina & Mr. Thomas Bushrod (3)

Thomas Bushrod first went to Massachusetts, then settled in York County, VA, and from York County he was a Burgess in the Assemblies of 1658-1659 and 1659-1660. [Journals of the House of Burgesses 1619-1659, and Colonial Virginia Register by Stanard]. He was a Puritan [a Quaker] and was at various times embroiled in difficulties with authorities in Virginia. He was twice married, one of his wives being the widow of Captain Thomas Hill, Mary [Piersey] Hill, mother of five Hill children, but he died without male issue. Mary was a Quaker. Thomas Bushrod lived at Essex Lodge, York County, VA. His will was probated in York County, VA in 1677 [Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, vol. 23].

1682, April 20 – Gawen Gawin 1000a s side of Totopottomoys Cr in New Kent Co, Va.   – New Kent Co VA Land Grant 1682 

1682, April 20 – Gawen Gawin 1000a s side of Totopottomoys Cr in New Kent Co, Va.   Gawen Gawin – New Kent Co VA Land Grant 1682 
Transcribed by: Regena Cogar
Surnames: GAWIN, DABNEY, DAVIS, BRYOR, PONGER, PENGER, TAYLOR, BARROW, HILL, DEGAR, HUBBERD, POPE, THOMAS, LEMON, RAVENEL, WALTON, CHENEY, SHALTON, WALLINGTON, JACKSON, LINDSEY, DENHAM
VA Patents 7, p. 160
Library of Virginia Digital Collection: Land Office Patents and Grants.  Gawin 1000
To all &c. Whereas &c. Now Know yee that I S[i]r Henry [Ch—eley?] K[nigh]t deputy [governor?] [do] give and grannt unto Gawen Gawin One tho[w?]sand acres of land lying in the County of New Kent upon the South side of [Totopottomoys?] Creeke & bounded as followeth begining upon the upper line of Cornelius Dabneys land runing South South East along the said line three hundred twenty five pole to a markt red oake from thence West five hundred & twoe pole to a marked hiccory from thence North North West three hundred twenty five pole to a marked red oake [—?] the said Creeke from thence downe the said Creeke to the first Station the said land being formerly grannted to John [Davis?] by Pattent bearing date the [27?]th February [1660?] and by him [deserted?] and now grannted to the said Gawin [by order?] of the Gener[al] Court and [further?] due by and for the transportacon of twenty p[er]sons into this Colony whose names [—?] under this pattent menconed To have & to hold &c. To be held &c. Yeilding & paying &c. Provided &c. Dated the twentieth of Aprill [1682?] ~
John Bryor, Tho: [Ponger?/Penger?], Geo: Taylor, [Tho:?] Barrow, And: Hill, Corne: Degar, Cathe: Hubberd, John [Pope?], [Bess?], Sam[?] Thomas, Mary Lemon, John [Ravenel?], Sam:ll Walton, Margaret [Cheney?], Dan:ld [Shalton?], Jon: Wallington,
Jon: Jackson, [Ja-?] Lindsey, Mary Denham, Mariah.
NOTE: Transcriber’s comments are in brackets [ ].

Deed  (4) 

.....in the summer of 1678 Cockacoeske directed her interpreter Cornelius Dabney to compile a list of grievances, which she sent to the governor. She also had him dispatch to England a letter in which she professed her loyalty to the Crown and complained about the tribes that disobeyed her orders. The letter, signed “Cockacoeske Queen of Pamunkey,” 

Hanover County, Virginia  was created in November 20, 1720 from New Kent County. 

New Kent County, Virginia  was created in 1654 from York County

Christopher Gowen Sr appears to have been born about 1649.  He was married to Anne (unknown maiden name).

In  1673 Christopher Gowin is an indentured servant.  His indenture is in York Co, Virginia.  The source indicates his date of birth is about 1649. Source Citations: Benjamin B. Weisiger, York County, Virginia Records 1672-1676 (n.p.: n.p., 1991), 60, quoting York County, Virginia Record Book 5:49

1673 June 24 – Deposition of Christopher Gowin, age 24, saith that several times after John Williams, who drove away his mater’s mares out of the hundred, came to his mater’s house and came to deponent in the field, where he was at work, and told him he had brought home the old mare; whereupon deponent went to his mistress, his master not being at home, and she bid deponent go along with John Williams and see her, which he did; and went to Goodman Gill’s fence, where said Williams told him he had left her, but deponent saw none of her. Since, said Williams told deponent several times he would find her. Sworn at Ct. 24 June 1673. Christopher Gowin (CC)-mark.  (6)

 Christopher Gowen was married about 1678, wife’s name, Anne.  Christopher Gowen and Anne Gowen were living in Abingdon Parish in January 1679 when their son, Michael Gowen was born, according to “Abingdon Parish, Gloucester County, Virginia Register.” 1679 January – Michael Gowen, son of Christopher Gowen and Anne Gowen, was born – 1679 January – Michael Gowen is born in January 1679, according to “Abingdon Parish, Gloucester County, Virginia Register, 1678-1761,” page 275. Glaucester Co, Va  

1702 July 4 – “Michael Gowin” and “Phillip Gowin” were serving in the militia in nearby New Kent* County. They were serving under Col. John Lightfoot. Created in 1654, New Kent County then encompassed territory included in the present counties of King William, King and Queen, Hanover, and New Kent. Va Miltia – New Kent County. Virginia’s Colonial Soldiers, By Lloyd DeWitt Bockstruck pg. 218.  *New Kent was created from York. (1)

1734 June 7 –John Gowin leased 170 acres of land from Shurley Whatley in St. Martins Parish in adjoining Hanover County, Virginia … between Shurley Whatley of the Parish of Saint Martin in the County of Hanover of the one part and John Gowin of the afsd Parish & County of the other part. in consideration of the sum of 3000 pounds of sweet scented tobacco and caske … paid by the said John Gowin.   … confirm unto the said John Gowin … land containing 170acres … on branches of Beverdam Swamp … at William Hix’s corner … in John Wright’s line … in Capt. Winslows line …Signed: Shurley Whatley, Rebecca Whatley
Wit: Samuel Saxon, Abra Cook, Richard Write
… Rebecca the wife of the said Whatley … relinquished all her right of dower … (7) 

So to Recap

We have Gawin the Indian, Indentured Servant to Thomas Bushrod in York County, to get his freedom in 1676.  

We have Christopher Gowin in 1673 and Indentured Servant in York County. Married by 1678 and Michael Gowen, son of Christopher Gowen and Anne Gowen, was born – 1679 January. 

Gawen Gawin?  is granted a thousand acres on Totopotomoy Creek in New Kent, later Hanover County, in 1682 on the land of the Queen of the Pamunkey, adjacent to her interpreter.  

York County is parent county of New Kent and Hanover County

HANOVER COUNTY VIRGINIA

Gawin Gawin 1682
Michael Gowen 1702
Phillip Gowen 1702
John Gowen 1734
Michael Gowen Sr 1743-44
Michael Gowen Jr 1743-44
David Gowen  1743-44

Edward Gowen  1743-44

    Modern map of Totopotomoy Creek in Hanover County 

Totopotomoy Creek is a physical feature (stream) in Hanover County.

A Merchant's Account Book: Hanover County, 1743-1744

May 1998

If John Gowen is father to Milhil/Michael and Philip, then is John Gowen related to Gawin Gawen the Indian, is Gawin Gawen aka Christopher Gowen or a brother since it appears both were found in York/Hanover County Virginia? Are all three Gowen related and therefore all of Native American descent/belong to the Pamunkey Tribe?  If Christopher and Anne are noted as the father of Michael Gowen and Christophen Gowen is an indentured servant in York County, parent county of Hanover, Philip and Michael never moved, the county lines did.   
Occam's Razor - KISS

Questions need Answers

Goins Part II  Tommy Goins
Granville County - Pee Dee River to Tennesse

(1) GOYEN FAMILY TREE 
https://goyengoinggowengoyneandgone.com/john-graweere-or-geaween/

 (2) Melungeons, A Multi-Ethnic Population page 56

(3) A Study of Virginia Indians and Jamestown: The First Centuryt
https://www.nps.gov/parkhistory/online_books/jame1/moretti-langholtz/chap10a.htm

(4)  Library of Virginia  
https://lva.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/01LVA_INST/altrmk/alma990007576080205756

(5) Deed
http://image.lva.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/drawer?retrieve_image=LONN&dir=/LONN/LO-1/007/007&image_number=0163&offset=%2B3&name=Patents+No.7+1679-1689+(VOL.1+%26+VOL.2)&dbl_pgs=no&round=

(6) York County, Virginia. Deeds, orders, wills, No. 5 1657-1694. pg 49.

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C9TZ-C3TR?i=455&cat=367215

(7)  Deeds, wills, inventories, and settlement of estates 1733-1735. p. 71-72. Hanover Co, Va.

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-99P6-3S6B?i=47&cat=365146

(8)  PORTUGUESE INDIANS  

https://the-melungeons.blogspot.com/2022/12/de-soto-portuguese-ship-captain-andre.html

When reading this keep in mind the 20 0dd that stepped off the White Lion in 1619 were not the first African/Slaves in this country.  In 1527, eighty years before Jamestown  a hundred slaves were part of the Lucas DeAyllon settlement on the Pee Dee River.  Not all likely survived the Indian attacks or disease  but surely not all one hundred died, some are said to have joined the Natives in Carolina.  Of the 600 men and women with DeAyllon only 150 returned, leaving 450 unaccounted for.  

Thirteen years later DeSoto came up the Pee Dee River with his Spanish and Portuguese and slaves, it is documented they borrowed Native women from the towns - South Carolina to Louisianna - where DeSoto died two years later.  Again in 1570 Juan Pardo came up the Pee Dee River mixing with the Carolina Natives.   These Natives were carrying Portuguese/Spanish and African DNA long before the White Lion.  Those absorbed by the Native tribes were Indians in 1619. (8)

Portuguese Indians

THE PORTUGUESE INDIANS 

De Soto &  the Portuguese Ship & Captain Andre de Vasconcelos

As Luis de Moscoso passed through Elvas, Andre de Vasconcelos spoke with him, and requested him to speak to Don Hernando de Soto in his behalf, and gave him patents issued by the marques de Vilareal, conferring on him the captaincy of Ceuta, so that he might exhibit them. The adelantado saw these and found out who he [Vasconcelos] was and wrote him promising that he would favor him in every way and would give him men to command in Florida.

HOW THE PORTUGUESE WENT TO SEVILLE AND THENCETO SAN LUCAR; AND HOW THE CAPTAINS WEREAPPOINTED OVER THE SHIPS, AND THE MENWHO WERE TO GO IN THEM DISTRIBUTED. ( The DeSoto Chronicles)

''The Portuguese left Elvas on the 15th of January. They reached Seville on St. Sebastian's eve and went to the governor's lodging. They entered the patio upon which looked some balconies where he was. He looked down and went to meet them at the stairs where they went up to the balconies. When they were up, he ordered chairs to be given them so that they might be seated. Andre de Vasconcelos told him who he and the other Portuguese were and how they had all come to accompany him and to serve him on his voyage. He [i.e. Soto] thanked him and appeared well pleased with their coming and proffer. The table being already laid, he invited them to eat; and while they were eating, he directed his majordomo to find lodgings for them near his inn. From Seville, the adelantado went to San Liicar with all the men that were to go with him. He ordered a muster to be held, to which the Portuguese went armed with very splendid arms, and the Castilians very elegantly, in silk over silk, and many plaits and slashes. As such finery was not pleasing to the governor on such an occasion, he ordered a muster to be held on the next day and for every man to appear with his armor. ''

''To this the Portuguese came as at first, armed with very excellent armor, and the governor set them in order near the standard borne by his alferez. Most of the Castilians wore poor and rusty coats of mail, and all [wore] helmets and carried worthless and poor lances. Some of them managed to get a place among the Portuguese. Thus they passed in review, and those who were to the liking of Soto and whom he wished were counted and enrolled and went with him to Florida. Those who went numbered in all six hundred men. He had already bought seven ships and had placed in them the provisions necessary, appointed captains, and assigned his ship to each captain, giving each one a list of the men he was to take.''

HOW THE ADELANTADO AND HIS MEN LEFT SPAIN ANDARRIVED AT THE CANARY ISLANDS, AND AFTERWARDAT THE ANTILLES.

In the month of April, of the year 1538, the adelantado delivered the ships over to the captains who were to go in them. He took a new and good sailing ship for himself and gave one to Andre de Vasconcelos, in which the Portuguese went.


DeSoto & Cofitachiqui

Excerpts from Matters of the Heart

...''As she approached the bank of the river, their eyes met for the first time. She, the Queen of Cofitachiqui, was borne on a royal vessel, seated upon pillows and accompanied in other canoes by her beloved men. He, a slave of Andre de Vasconcelos, was a follower of Hernando de Soto and the expedition to explore and exploit the natural resources of the American Southeast.

On the third day, the Queen disappeared; de Soto sent his guards to find her but she was not to be found (Bourne, 1904, p. 110). Taking advantage of her absence, he entered one of the ancient temple mounds that were scattered about the town of Talemico, the religious and political center of the people of Cofitachiqui. The temple mound was one hundred feet long and forty feet wide with massive doors. As he entered through the doors, he encountered paired rows of massive wooden statues with diamond-shaped heads bearing first batons, then broadswords, and then bows and arrows (Hudson, 1976, p. 111).

Like the ancient pyramids of Egypt, these temple mounds contained statues of notable persons of antiquity and chests filled with the remains of the elders. Scattered about the temples were bundles of fur, breastplates, and weapons -- tools for the next life -- covered with pearls, colored leather, and "something green like an emerald" (Bourne, p. 100). [paragraph 3]De Soto and his men plundered the ancient temple. Among the booty were items of a European make, "Biscayan axes or iron and rosaries with their crosses" (Bourne, 1904, p. 100).

De Soto and his men determined that these materials were the remnants of an earlier expedition led by Lucas Vazquez de Ayllon. He and his men had settled on the coast of the Carolinas near on the Peedee River in 1526. African slaves were members of Ayllon's colony; when there was a crisis over leadership, the colony fell into disarray. In this crisis, there was a slave revolt. When the colony crumbled, many of the African slaves fled to live among the nearby Native Americans (Wright, 1902, pp. 217-228).

As they were on their journey, the Lady of Cofitachiqui "left the road, with the excuse of going in the thicket, where, deceiving them, she so concealed herself that for all their search she could not be found." De Soto, frustrated in his quest to find her, moved on to Guaxule (Jameson, 1907, p. 176).

Alimamos, a horseman of de Soto who "got lost," somehow wandered upon the refugee slaves. He "labored with the slaves to make leave of their evil designs" but only two of the refugees returned to de Soto. When Alimamos arrived back at the camp with the refugees who had decided to return, "the Governor wished to hang them" (Jameson, p. 177). [paragraph 6]However, the horseman also made another report. He stated that "The Cacica remained in Xualla, with a slave of Andre de Vasconcelas,(the Portuguese jp) who would not come with him (Alimamos), and that it was very sure that they lived together as man and wife, and were to go together to Cutafichiqui" (Jameson, p. 177).

The Portuguese definitely mixed with the Indians, just as Vardy Collins told the journalis in 1848.  From the de Soto Journals (Found Here)

DeSoto Route

• They captured a hundred head, among Indian men and women. Of the latter, there, as well as in any other part where forays were made, the captain selected one or two for the governor and the others were divided among themselves and those who went with them.
• As soon as the governor had crossed the stream, he found a village called Achese a short distance on. Although the Indians had never heard of Christians they plunged into a river. A few Indians, men and women, were seized,
• At the time of his departure, because of the importunity of some who wished more than was proper, he asked the cacique for thirty Indian women as slaves.....The Indians gave the governor thirty Indian women and the necessary tamemes [for DeSoto's men to wed then populate his planned settlement at Mobile Bay].

The DeSoto Journals - Gentleman of Elvas   1557   

Click Here 

Native Americans & European DNA

A post from a Melungeon page on Facebook was sent to me

Y DNA Studies have been weak in demonstrating the proposed Indian ancestry of the male lines?

I would expect a comment like this from a person new to researching Melungeons and/or DNA but from seasoned researchers it is inexcusable.

Who is determining this 'Native Y DNA' and how are they determining it?  Do they totally ignore history or simply haven't bothered to research early history of the Native tribes?

I won't discuss Lucas deAyllon who landed at Winyah bay, stones throw the Melungeons original homeland on the Pee Dee River in 1527 with 600 men, women, children and slaves. I won't mention of those 600 souls and only 150 who returned.  But let's talk about deSoto and Pardo.

HERNANDEZ DESOTO

From the de Soto Journals

"In the month of April, of the year 1538, the adelantado (deSoto) delivered the ships over to the captains who were to go in them. He took a new and good sailing ship for himself and gave one to Andre de Vasconcelos, in which the Portuguese went" 

 They captured a hundred head, among Indian men and women. Of the latter, there, as well as in any other part where forays were made, the captain selected one or two for the governor and the others were divided among themselves and those who went with them.

As soon as the governor had crossed the stream, he found a village called Achese a short distance on. Although the Indians had never heard of Christians they plunged into a river. A few Indians, men and women, were seized.

At the time of his departure, because of the importunity of some who wished more than was proper, he asked the cacique for thirty Indian women as slaves.....The Indians gave the governor thirty Indian women and the necessary tamemes [for DeSoto's men to wed then populate his planned settlement at Mobile Bay].

JUAN PARDO

"In 1566, Pardo was sent with 125 soldiers on his first expedition. His task was to explore the area, to claim its lands for Spain while pacifying local Indians, and to forge an overland road from Santa Elena to the valuable silver mines in Zacatecas, Mexico (p.5) and so he built Fort San Juan at Joara. Fort San Juan was the first European settlement in the interior of what is now the United States (p.2). The relations with the Natives changed after his second expedition, and it eventually led to the complete destruction of the site by May 1568. From the 31 soldiers still garrisoned there, only one survived after escaping and hiding in the woods. Among the several factors that appear to have had a role in the Natives’ decision to destroy the garrisons, two stand out: the Spaniards’ demands for food and their improprieties with Native women" 

So for 40 years there were 3 expeditions with EUROPEANS and EUROPEAN DNA mixing with those Native tribes, producing both MALE AND FEMALE children born into those Native tribes almost 100 years, almost FIVE GENERATIONS of mixed Natives before Jamestown.

Do these researchers who claim the Melungeons DO NOT have MALE Native DNA believe all those men with deAyllon, deSoto and Pardo were sterile? Or do they really believe they never had sex with these Native women? If you are going to write about the Melungeons please, please, do some research!  Not only were these expeditions ALL on the Pee Dee River, and mixed with the Native women -- there was a SHIPLOAD OF PORTUGUESE!

Melungeon Indians

JAMES NICKENS 

Last year my doctor told me I had to quit reading the post on James Nickens page or I was going to have a stroke.  Every once in awhile someone will send me one of his ridiculous post, I laugh and throw it away, however this last one cannot be ignored.

This man is supposed to be some sort of authority on Indians, and for him to make a remark that the Melungeons, especially the Melungeons of East Tennessee "are not Portuguese" and the Melungeons of Middle Tennesee are heavily descended from Indians but East Tennesee 'not so much' -- shows this man has done little or no research into the genealogy and ancestry of these families. 

In the first place the Middle Tennessee counties of Wilson, Sumner, Jackson, and Davidson, Franklin, and Humphries [ also Marion and Hamilton]  are of the same core families of the Melungeons of East Tennessee.  

In the second place the Indians these families 'heavily descend from' mixed with Portuguese explorers, which apparently pre-dates Nickens research.

It is unquestionable there were 450 men and women, Spanish, Africans, South Americans, etc., and who knows what other ethnicity, were left behind on the Pee Dee river in 1526 when the remaining 150 returned to Spain.  Some certainly died, but if even 10-20 Portuguese and/or Africans survived and lived amongst the Natives in Carolina, how many descendants of these Portuguese/African/Spanish, etc., would have left their DNA with the Carolina tribes by mid 1700s?  

"Just as with De Soto's expedition, African slaves had accompanied de Ayllon's settlement colony on the Pee dee River in 1526. When there was a crisis over leadership, the colony fell into disarray. In the midst of this crisis, a slave revolt further ripped the settlement apart. With the colony in shambles, many of the African slaves fled to live among the nearby native people. According to De Soto, these refugees must have lived among the Cofitachiqui and taught them the craftwork of the Europeans."  (Slavery in the Cherokee Nation By Patrick Neal Minges)

It is also unquestionable that  a shipload of Portuguese sailors came with deSoto in 1540. 
  

From the DESOTO JOURNALS; 

"In the month of April, of the year 1538, the adelantado (deSoto) delivered the ships over to the captains who were to go in them. He took a new and good sailing ship for himself and gave one to Andre de Vasconcelos, in which the Portuguese went"  ---->[HERE]

I wonder how many Portuguese sailors were on the sailing ship?  The Portuguese definitely mixed with the Indians, just as Vardy Collins told the journalist in 1848.  

• They captured a hundred head, among Indian men and women. Of the latter, (the women) there, as well as in any other part where forays were made, the captain selected one or two for the governor and the others were divided among themselves and those who went with them.
• As soon as the governor had crossed the stream, he found a village called Achese a short distance on. Although the Indians had never heard of Christians they plunged into a river. A few Indians, men and women, were seized,
• At the time of his departure, because of the importunity of some who wished more than was proper, he asked the cacique for thirty Indian women as slaves.....The Indians gave the governor thirty Indian women and the necessary tamemes [for DeSoto's men to wed then populate his planned settlement at Mobile Bay].

PARDO

"In the months after Pardo’s departure in November 1567, however, relations between Fort San Juan and the people of Joara took a calamitous turn for the worse. By May 1568, news reached Santa Elena that Indians had attacked all of Pardo's forts and that all were destroyed. Several factors may have played a role in the aggressive action, but two stand out: the soldiers' demands for food and their improprieties with native women. At Fort Santiago, for example, Pardo ordered “that no one should dare bring any woman into the fort at night...under pain of being severely punished.”  ---> HERE

 It is a documented fact at least one of deSoto's men ran off and was last seen living as the husband to the "Lady of Cofitachequi."  When deSoto visited this Indian town with one of the gentleman who had accompanied deAyllon some years earlier it was recorded he recognized items from deAyllon's settlement. 

Ylasi/Ilapi on the Pee Dee River is a mere stones throw from the Portuguese/Indian settlement of Melungeons. 

These are not 'opinions' or 'hypotheticals' of Joanne Pezzullo.  These are real facts, documented hundreds of years ago.  

The Indians had mixed with the Portuguese/Spanish/Africans etc., long before Jamestown was even in a twinkle in someone's eye!

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Here we have two Tennessee Historians with their 'eyewitness to history' account  of the MELUNGEONS of Wilson County, who were known to be PORTUGUESE in 1850. But we are to believe JAMES NICKENS that the Melungeons were NOT Portuguese and he knows that by osmosis. 

In the AMERICAN of Sept. 15, 1890  Dan W. Baird wrote of the Malungeons, in part, as follows:"Several families are still to be found in Smith, Wilson, Rutherford, and Davidson Counties. There is nothing in their family names to give the student of ethnology a clue to their origin. In a locality in Wilson County known forty years ago as 'Malungeon Town', the most common names were Richardson, Nickens, and Collins. In Rutherford County not far from Lavergne, the principal Malungeons were Archers, Lanterns, and Blackmans. One of the latter family has sold fish in the north end of the market house in this city (Nashville) for many years, and some of the same family reside a few miles out on the Nolensville Turnpike. "A pretty fair speciman of the Malungeon tribe is a young fellow named Bernice Richardson, now serving a life sentence in the state prison for self-confessed complicity in the murder of M.T. Bennet of Lebanon.From Saundra Keyes Ivey;''Baird expresses surprise that writers of recent article on the Melungeons had not 'referred to the state records or called on any of the many old citizens still living who are familiar with all that is known of the history of the people called Malungeons......

........... And it is then that Baird writes of the Sevier letter and cites the speech of McKinney:

He goes on to write; "All they seem to know of themselves is that they are 'Malungeons' and of Portuguese descent. These two points have been agreed upon for more than three-fourths of a century, and it appears that any one who undertakes to investigate the matter will be forced to accept them as established facts. "

Dan Baird was founder of the  SOUTHERN LUMBERMAN in 1881 in Lebanon, Tennessee and later moved to Nashville,  in connection with publishing the magazine. 


In a later exchange  written by R. M. Ewing to the Editor;DAILY AMERICAN Sept 21, 1890 p. 4.R. M. Ewing, wrote that when he attended law school at Lebanon Tennessee, in 1851: 
" there was a colony of people residing within a few miles of Lebanon who were locally, and so far as I know generally, called Malungeons. They seemed to be a hard working, harmless, inoffensive people, a dark red or copper color, and jet black, straight hair... these people claimed to be of Portuguese descent.The  1850 census shows R. M. Ewing in the  Ninth Civil District of Williamson County, Tennessee -- Student at Law. The Cumberland University School of Law was located in Lebanon, Tennessee.

---

In 1830 Wilson County census  James and Permelia Nickens, John Brown, George and Elisha  Collins, Gideon Goins,  Jacob and Hezekiah Archy or Achy family appear as  Free Colored Persons.   Shadrack Goins and members of the Gibson family are also residing in Wilson County but their families are listed as white for that census. 

There can be no doubt there were Portuguese people on the the Pee Dee River, as well as Africans and Spaniards in the 1500s.  There is also no doubt the Ivey, Gibsons, etc., and those associated with them were Trappers and Indian Traders 1600-1700s.   There is no doubt in late 1800 early 1900, according to most ethnologist, anthropologists, and historians, the Melungeons were a branch of the Croatan/Lumbee Tribe.  For someone to say the Melungeons were NOT Portuguese OR heavily descended from Indians clearly shows they have not researched these families of Gibson, Bunch, Ivey, Collins, Sweat, Chavis etc., who lived on Chippoakes Creek, Virginia, one branch going  to Bertie Co., North Carolina, to the Pee Dee River, and another branch  to Louisa Co., Virginia, to Orange and Wilkes County, North Carolina to East Tennesee.  

Each of these settlements were either on the Trading Paths, Old Indian Villages, Indian lands, etc... 

Someone please tell James Nickens he need not look far to find court records and historical documents that declare Ivey, Bolton, Perkins, Shoemake, Goins, Ashworth, Collins, Gibson, Mitchell, Chavis, etc., were Portuguese. 

On Newman's Ridge in East Tennessee were Sizemore, Lawson, Freeman, and Hiltons with the Native American Q DNA. The "head'' of the Melungeons, the Gibsons, kinsmen freed from slavery as they proved they descended from an Indian woman, Jane Gibson, born 1640 in Charles City County.