EYEWITNESS LAURENCE C. JOHNSON
February 5th of 1889 Swan Burnett read his piece “A Note on the Melungeons” before the Society of American Anthropologists. It was published in newspapers across the country and beyond. Burnett’s article was published in October of 1889, Vol. 11, pp 347-349, "American Anthropologist Magazine."
After appearing in the Atlanta Constitution later that week Mr. Laurence C. Johnson wrote to the editor on March 11, 1889 with the history of the ‘Melungeons’ as he knew it. This appeared prior to Dromgoole. Mr. Johnson was not selling newspapers, writing an article or selling a book. It appears he was simply responding to the article by Swan Burnett, he recognized these people Burnett wrote about, he says their name is a local designation - the Pee Dee? Or Newmans Ridge? Or both? Later documents show the families on the Pee Dee, the Lumbee, were known as Melungeons. Also in Hamilton Co., Tennessee, Dothan, Henry Co., Alabama, Baxter Springs, Arkansas maybe? I believe this story is an important one in the way that it is told. More proof of the connection between the families on the Pee Dee and Newmans Ridge will be in later posts.
Meridian, Miss.,
March 11– Editors Constitution
Near a month ago an article appeared in The CONSTITUTION named Melungeons. I laid it aside in order to correspond with the writer, but the paper got destroyed and the name and address had not been noticed with care, and are forgotten. Excuse me then for addressing him through the same medium.
His name Melungeons is a local designation for this small peculiar race. Their own claim to be Portuguese is more generally known. Their original site is on the Pedee river in South and North Carolina . They were once especially strong in Georgetown and Darlington districts of the latter. Though called Portuguese – this does not indicate their true origin. I have no doubt local traditions, and the records still to be found in the Charleston library will give the true account. As dimly recollected, for I never made search with a purpose in view, it was thus in the primary colonial times of the Carolinas, Winyaw Bay was the best and most frequented harbor on the coast, and Georgetown more accessible, was more of a commercial town than old Charlestown., to that port British cruisers sometimes brought prizes.
Among these once was a Salee Rover, (*See Below) which was sold for the distribution of the proceeds as prize money. The crew consisting mostly of Moors, with a sprinkling of Arabs and negroes, were turned ashore free. Their complexion and religion prevented immediate absorption by the white race, and they found wives among Indians, negroes and cast off white women at a time when many of these last were sold by immigrant ships for their passage money. They became a peculiar people. They were the free people of color of the Pedee region so true to Marion during our revolutionary struggle and no other race in America retained such traditionary hatred of the British.
Your correspondent [whose name I am sorry to have forgotten] having a taste for ethnological studies will confer a favor upon that branch of early post-colonial record and legislative proceedings of South Carolina. He will find it sustained by the appearance of these people if he can find a few pure specimens–their physical structure, their hair, their teeth, and general features, though every trace of their Moslem religion and north African dialect may have long been lost.
Very respectfully,
Laurence C. Johnson
Atlanta Constitution
March 11, 1889
The Melungeons
March 11, 1889
The Melungeons
Meridian, Miss.,
March 11– Editors Constitution
Near a month ago an article appeared in The CONSTITUTION named Melungeons. I laid it aside in order to correspond with the writer, but the paper got destroyed and the name and address had not been noticed with care, and are forgotten. Excuse me then for addressing him through the same medium.
His name Melungeons is a local designation for this small peculiar race. Their own claim to be Portuguese is more generally known. Their original site is on the Pedee river in South and North Carolina . They were once especially strong in Georgetown and Darlington districts of the latter. Though called Portuguese – this does not indicate their true origin. I have no doubt local traditions, and the records still to be found in the Charleston library will give the true account. As dimly recollected, for I never made search with a purpose in view, it was thus in the primary colonial times of the Carolinas, Winyaw Bay was the best and most frequented harbor on the coast, and Georgetown more accessible, was more of a commercial town than old Charlestown., to that port British cruisers sometimes brought prizes.
Among these once was a Salee Rover, (*See Below) which was sold for the distribution of the proceeds as prize money. The crew consisting mostly of Moors, with a sprinkling of Arabs and negroes, were turned ashore free. Their complexion and religion prevented immediate absorption by the white race, and they found wives among Indians, negroes and cast off white women at a time when many of these last were sold by immigrant ships for their passage money. They became a peculiar people. They were the free people of color of the Pedee region so true to Marion during our revolutionary struggle and no other race in America retained such traditionary hatred of the British.
Your correspondent [whose name I am sorry to have forgotten] having a taste for ethnological studies will confer a favor upon that branch of early post-colonial record and legislative proceedings of South Carolina. He will find it sustained by the appearance of these people if he can find a few pure specimens–their physical structure, their hair, their teeth, and general features, though every trace of their Moslem religion and north African dialect may have long been lost.
Very respectfully,
Laurence C. Johnson
About the Author
Lawrence Clement Johnson was born August 21, 1821 in Chester County, South Carolina. He died August 14, 1909 at the Confederate home (Beauvoir) in Gulfport, Mississippi. He was the son of Dr. Benjamin Brown Johnson and Jane Milling Young Johnson. He was the grandson of William Johnson, Revolutionary War soldier of Charleston, South Carolina and was a Lieutenant in Company F. 9th Mississippi Infantry CSA.
Johnson was a pioneer in the discovery and description of the phosphate fields of
He lived in
Johnson married Mattie McLain, daughter of Rev. Robert McLain and Laura Brown McLain in Clarke County , Mississippi Enterprise Cemetery , Clark County , Mississippi
NATIONAL SURVEYS ARTICLE - NEW YORK TIMES June 29, 1885
Information provided by- Peggy Johnson Carey
NATIONAL SURVEYS ARTICLE - NEW YORK TIMES June 29, 1885
Information provided by- Peggy Johnson Carey
THE NEWS AND OBSERVER
Raleigh, NC
Wednesday - March 20, 1889
A writer in the Atlanta Constitution looks for further information with respect to the "Melungeons," the supposed Portuguese colony and its descendants who dwelt chiefly on the Pee Dee river in North and South Carolina. He ways that though called Portuguese, this designation does not correctly indicate their true origin. He maintains, while not pretending to be strictly accurate, that "in the primary colonial times of the Carolinas, Winyaw Bay was the best and most frequented harbor on the coast, and Gerogetown, more accessible, was more of a commercial town than old Charlestown. To that port British cruisers sometimes brought prizes. Among these once was a Salee Rover, which was sold for the distribution of the proceeds as prize money. The crew, consisting mostly of Moors, with a sprinkling of Arabs and negroes, were turned ashore free. Their complexion and religion prevented immediate absorption by the white race, and they found wives among Indians, negroes and cast-off white women sold by immigrant ships for their passage money. They became a peculiar people. These were the free people of color of the Pee Dee region so true to Marion during our revolutionary struggle, and no other race in America retained such traditionary hatred of the British. 'Hamilton McMillan, Esq', in his little work on the identity of the Henry Berry Lowery people of the Pee Dee region with the lost tribe of Croatan Indians, makes the supposed Portuguese, the Lowery tribe and the Croatans one and the same mixed race of people, if we remember rightly. Now here we have them "Moors, with a sprinkling of Arabs and negroes." Who can throw further light on the 'Melungeons?"
