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Original map believed to be sketched by John White, September 1585 Click here for a detailed view. (Image courtesy of British Archives)

Special Feature: The Lost Colony

Introduction by Sara Whitford, Article below by Scott Dawson

Since Paul Green's play first took the stage on Roanoke Island in the 1930s, countless masses have been enthralled with the mystery that is "The Lost Colony." Indeed, before that time, the circumstances surrounding those English colonists who allegedly disappeared into thin air from the face of history never created much cause for concern to England, the public or even the State of North Carolina.

A full 350 years later, however, something magical happened when one playwright's interpretation of the story first made its debut. It was a writer's dream-come-true. Green had formed an emotional bond between the audience and his characters, something every writer of fiction — even historical fiction — strives to do.

From that moment forward, things changed. The public imagination was stoked and a newfound interest in the fate of the colonists took root.

One may argue, "But these weren't mere 'characters,' as Green was writing about real people and real events."

Well... a little bit. After all, how could Green possibly know individuals who lived 350 years before him well enough to flesh out their characters in a script, much less on stage? He had to take creative liberties in order to have a story to tell. The facts were far too bland to stand on their own, so he did what any good writer would do... he dressed things up a bit.

This, in and of itself, is not problematic. The problem comes when the public cannot distinguish between the artistic license that Green took in creating his much-loved play, versus the historical facts available to us. The line between historical facts and artistic fantasy were blurred a long, long time ago.

What if there is no Lost Colony? What if they never were lost to begin with?

What if one day an archaeological excavation demonstrates what, perhaps, should have been common sense all along... that the colonists went exactly where they left their note, "Croatoan", saying they would go, and that they lived there as best as they could until they died out or assimilated into the Indians who had taken them in?

Coastal Carolina Indian Center invited Hatteras native and author, Scott Dawson, to offer his thoughts on the Lost Colony. He brings up some outstanding questions, and offers insight into facts that many may not be aware of as they wonder about what happened to the colonists.

The Lost Colony? Maybe not.

By Scott Dawson       
Author & Hatteras Native
E-mail Scott Dawson

You may have heard the tale of the Lost Colony.

If so, you probably heard that 117 English colonists disappeared in 1587 and left no clues as to where they went and that nothing has ever been found to shed some light on the mystery.

This article is an attempt to educate the public about the Lost Colony of 1587, America’s oldest mystery, and a story so wrapped in myth that many facts as to their whereabouts seemed to have been ignored over the years.

Recent archeological digs on Hatteras Island, together with genealogy, oral history, and the primary sources of the many voyages that took place from 1584 to 1590, give an abundance of clues as to the whereabouts of the missing colony.

The Evidence

The first clue is a message carved on a palisade that was discovered by Governor John White in 1590 on Roanoke Island. The message said CROATOAN in capital letters.

Although this has been cited many times over the years as some sort of "mysterious clue," the reality is, it's perfectly logical that they left the note.

You see, before John White left the colony in 1587 to get supplies from England, he told the colonists to carve the name of the place they were going on a tree if they left Roanoke Island and to put a cross under it if they left for reasons of danger.

No cross was found, and White, in his own records, stated he was relieved to know that the colony was safe in Croatoan with Manteo. Manteo was an Indian from Croatoan who had been to England twice, spoke English and had been used as an interpreter. John White had a daughter and granddaughter among the missing colonists and made an attempt to go to Croatoan to pick them up during his 1590 voyage, but he was turned back by foul weather that drowned seven of his company.

So where is Croatoan and were the English familiar with this place?

Croatoan is modern day Buxton on Hatteras Island, an island the English had visited on all of their voyages. It was where they had originally landed in 1584 and even lived for a time in 1585. The colonists went there again in 1587 and had a feast. It was the hometown of their ally and interpreter Manteo and appears on all of John White’s maps. So yes, the English were familiar with Croatoan and there has never been a mystery as to where that place was.

However, after John White’s failed attempt to reach the island in 1590, no other attempt to reach Croatoan was made for another 80 years!

If anything, the fact that no one went back to Croatoan is a greater mystery than where the colony went. The next European to travel to Hatteras (on purpose and not by shipwreck) was John Lawson in 1701. Lawson published a book called A New Voyage To Carolina that is the definitive work on the North Carolina Indians of the 1700’s. In this book, Lawson recorded that many of the Hatteras Indians, or Croatoans, had grey eyes and said that their ancestors could speak out of a book (read) and that they were, indeed, descendents of the 1587 colony. These Indians even said that a ship, which they called Sir Walter Raleigh’s ship, still appeared among them. Lawson goes on to say that this tribe was very proud of their affinity to the English. (See entry at right to read excerpt from Lawson's book.)

Archaeological Excavation

So we have the message on the palisade, Manteo’s home town, and the oral history of the Hatteras Indians all pointing to Croatoan.

All of this is old news though. What is really interesting is what happened in 1993.

The native families of Hatteras Island can show you arrowheads, pottery and other artifacts that they have found from what all who live there believe to be, the old Croatoan village site. In the 1970’s, locals of the island used to sit by the road and sell arrowheads for a nickel each to tourists. Buckets full of pottery and arrowheads could be found all over the ridges where Croatoan Village once stood. In 1993, however, Hurricane Emily surged 10 feet of sound tide over this village site and ripped out many layers of sand in the process. As a result, an enormous amount of new artifacts were uncovered and found by local residents, Zander Brody, Eddie Oaks and Barbara Midgette.

Eventually, archeologists came to the site. Dr. David Phelps had found some Croatoan artifacts before back in the 1980’s while doing work for the 400th anniversary of the first English voyages to the New World. Phelps returned to the island and with help from a lot of volunteers, struck pay dirt. This time not only were Croatoan artifacts found but European ones as well. Among the European artifacts were the iron ring of a caulking hammer, lead shot, nails, bricks and, most importantly, a gunlock that dates to 1583 and a gold insignia ring that probably belonged to a man named Master Kendall, who was part of the 1585 voyage.

This ring and gunlock found by David Phelps now reside at East Carolina University. More and more artifacts come out of the Croatoan site each time they dig. Even European skeletons have been found, along with Native American bones.

These finds led to a search of the genealogy of the old islander families, along with deed records of the land where the artifacts were discovered. So far, this has been a great success. Due in part to the isolation of the island, many of the families have been living there for over 400 years and bear the surnames and genealogy to prove it. The Indian blood is obvious in the physical features of almost all the old families.

A Plot by King James?

The political situation in England also plays a major role in the fate of the colony. When King James took over he deliberately abandoned the colony for financial reasons.

Sir Walter Raleigh's rights to the profits of the New World could not be killed simply by killing Raleigh, which King James did by beheading. Raleigh's rights to the riches would pass to his heirs unless the colony was never contacted again. This is why the English never returned despite knowing the colony had moved to the Island of Croatoan.

Colony Life on Hatteras

The question now is not where did the colony go, but what happened after they reached Hatteras Island?

To understand the story of the Lost Colony, one must read and understand the voyages that preceded it. The problem for most people is that the primary sources are in Old English, incomplete, and vague— at times on purpose— due to the fact that the colony was a secret. The English were at war with Spain and if the location of their settlement got out, the Spanish would find and kill the colonists. The Spanish had already killed off a French attempt to settle down in Florida back in 1562, killing over 130 men. This massacre heavily shaped the mindset and preparations that went into the English voyages.

There are five 16th century voyages to the New World:

1. The first is the 1584 reconnaissance mission, where Amadas and Barlowe are sent to find a good place for a future, larger settlement. They are looking for a place with three things: a good defensive position to use as a raiding point against return voyages of Spanish ships, natural resources, and friendly native people with profitable items to trade.;

2. The next voyage is the one in 1585, which was a military settlement led by Ralph Lane and Richard Greenville that lasted almost a year and was very poorly managed and started a senseless war with people on the mainland.;

3. Then we have the 1586 supply voyage where only 15 men are left to literally hold the fort;

4. Next, we have the "Lost Colony" of 1587;

5. Finally, John White’s return to search for the colony in 1590.

It would take several essays to cover all of those voyages in detail but it breaks down to this: The colony had no option but to go to Croatoan and many good reasons for going there. Not only was it the home town of Manteo and friendly natives that had fed and lived with the English for almost a year prior to the "lost colonists" arrival but this friendship is noted again in 1587. The Croatoan throw the English a feast and the mainland Roanoke Indians murder George Howe, one of the colonists. The Roanoke also killed two of the English left there in 1586 and chased the other 13 away. We learn this from the Croatoan who tell Edward Stafford in 1587 while feeding him and his men.

What would you do?

Here is an island of people who love you and show great acts of kindness nestled in a world that hates you for vicious crimes carried out by your military the year before.

In a prearranged agreement to indicate where you move to it is agreed that you carve the name of the place on a tree and leave a cross under it if you left for reasons of danger.

You carve "Croatoan" on a palisade and "Cro" on a tree and leave no cross.

You carefully remove all the buildings and small boats.

No one ever goes to Croatoan searching for you.

In addition columns of smoke are spotted when John White passes Hatteras Island on his way to Roanoke to see the Croatoan message. White clearly state that he believes the colony went there in his letter. He attempts to go to Croatoan, but is driven away by a storm.

Doesn't anyone wonder why no one ever went to Croatoan again?

Some have created the ridiculous myth that Croatoan is a poor place to farm.

Quite the contrary, people have lived off the land there for thousands of years. A bridge was not built to the island until 1964 and no power, running water, doctor or police lived there until the 1960's. Nevertheless, thousands of farmers and fishermen called the place home throughout the 1700s, in fact well into the twentieth century.

If you can understand that, and take another look at the facts it is obvious the colony went to Croatoan.

In Summation...

Did they do well? Probably not.

The fact that John Lawson find some blue eyed Indians that wear English clothes and tell him they had White ancestors and mention Sir Walter Raleigh's ship by name is what I would expect to find 100 years later. The 1587 colony only had 16 women, and most likely a lot of them died in the first few years, despite the help of the Croatoans (See Jamestown and Plymouth). To pass on a few seeds, clothes and iron tools is about all one could hope to find — and is exactly what Lawson found.

I, for one, am far more interested in the Croatoan than the "lost colony." The European artifacts found on the Croatoan dig are argued about constantly.

Sadly, what is ignored are tens of thousands of native artifacts that no one seems to give a hoot about. Must there be something from the "lost colony" to warrant another dig? Why is no one focusing on the clear discovery of a major Croatoan village? I would like to learn all I can from what these artifacts can reveal.

You can order Scott Dawson's book Croatoan: Birthplace of America from Buxton Village Books. Send an e-mail to bvb2@mindspring.com and in the body of the message, just request this book by title. Cost is $16.00 + shipping.

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To contact the webmaster, click here. All other site inquiries should be submitted using the "Contact Us" link on the left border of the page.