While we know our northern friends may not feel it, in the South, Spring is
here. So we thought we'd share a few of our gardening sites appropriate
for this time of the year. Along with gardening, there's grilling, and getting
ready to diet so that you can fit back into that bathing suit this summer!
"An act
concerning the lands formerly occupied by
the Tuscarora tribe of Indians lying in
Bertie County, on the north side of Roanoke
river.
"Whereas the Tuscarora Indians have for more than a
century been the firm and un-dividing friends of the white
people of this country, insomuch that the people of North
Carolina not only render to them full and complete Justice, but
also to exercise towards them that spirit of generosity which
their conduct has merited: Therefore, Article I. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the
State of North Carolina, and is hereby enacted by the authority
of the same, that William R. Smith of Halifax, Simon J. Barker,
of Martin and William Brittin of Bertie, be, and they are hereby
appointed commissioners for the purpose of advertising and
selling in manner hereinafter directed, the above named tract of
land bounded as follows, to wit: beginning at the mouth of
Quitsnoy swamp; running up the swamp 430 poles to a scrubby oak,
near the head of said swamp by a great spring; thence north 10
degrees east 850 poles, to a persimmon tree, on Raquis Swamp;
thence along the swamp and Pocasin main course north 57 degrees
west 2,640 poles, to a hickory on the east side of Falling Run
on Deep Creek, and down the various courses of said Run to
Roanoke River; then down the river to the first station. Article II. And be it further enacted, That the title so to
be sold by said commissioners shall be understood to extend only
to the reversion of the State in said lands after the expiration
of the lease from the Indians, under which they are now held,
and after the ratification of this act, and notice thereof to
the commissioners, it shall be their duty to proceed forthwith
to advertise in the newspapers most convenient to the premises,
and also in five of the most public places in the counties of
Bertie, Halifax and Martin, including the court houses in said
counties, that a sale of said lands, according to the provisions
of this act, will take place on Tuesday of the ensuing March
term of the Superior Court of Birtie county, that is, on the
17th day of March next; and it shall be the duty of the said
commissioners to attend to the aforesaid time and place, and
offer in the court house yard, at public sale to the highest
bidder, the said lands, according to advertisement, subject
however to the lease aforesaid, and the commissioners shall have
power to continue or postpone the sale from day to day until the
end of the week, and should they, by unavoidable accident or
otherwise be prevented from selling all or any part of the lands
during the same week, it shall be their duty to advertise in
like manner, for two months next preceding the following
September term of the Bertie court, and to sell at said term, as
is heretofore directed, at the March term, and said
commissioners shall be empowered to put up said lands in such
parcels as they may deem most advantageous for selling, and that
they shall give the purchasers a credit of twelve months on
one-half the purchase money, and a credit of twelve months on
the other half; Provided always, that the purchaser shall
deliver to the commissioners bonds with good and sufficient
security for the same, payable to the Governor of the State. Article III. And be it further enacted, That should the
commissioners upon offering said lands as aforesaid perceive
that they were likely to be sacrificed, or to sell for an amount
greatly below their value, it shall be their duty forthwith to
discontinue the sale, and it shall be the duty of the
commissioners after making sale, or if no sale be made,
immediately after September next to make report to the public
Treasurer of the State of all such proceedings that they may
have had under this act and also to hand over to him all such
bonds as they may have taken from purchasers; and it shall be
the duty of the Secretary of State, upon a certificate from the
Treasurer of payment of the purchase money and a certificate
from the commissioners of the boundaries of the land so
purchased, to grant a title of release from the State of North
Carolina to such persons as may be reported purchasers by said
commissioners under the act of Assembly. Article IV. And be it further enacted, That it shall be the
duty of the public Treasurer to collect the money on said lands
when they shall become due and hold the same subject to the
order of the Tuscarora tribe of Indians; and whenever such order
shall be presented, properly and duly authenticated, by said
tribe or nation of Indians, it shall be his duty to pay the same
over accordingly; Provided always that upon paying such monies,
the Public Treasurer shall take from said Indians or agents, a
full and complete release of all such claim, pretence of title,
as they now make or ever may have to the aforesaid tract of
lands. Article V. And be it further enacted, That the commissioners
shall be allowed each the sum of three dollars for every day
that they shall necessarily be employed in examining said lands,
or in attending the sale of same, to be paid out of the funds
arising from the sale. Article VI. Be it further enacted, That if it should appear
at any time thereafter that the said Indians have parted with
their claims, or contracted for the same, so that in fact the
benefit of the sale shall, agreeable to the provisions of this
act, revert to the State."
Governor John Owen, Esq., appointed as commissioners, William R.
Smith, of Halifax; Simon J. Baker, of Martin; and William
Brittain, of Birtie; to sell the Tuscarora lands in pursuance to
the lease effected by the help of the General Assembly, Nov. 17,
1823, of which they reported to William Roberts, Public
Treasurer in bonds the sum of $2977.87, payable in installments
of one and two years from the 17th day of March, 1829, which are
on file in the Public Treasurer's Office. And on Nov. 21, 1831,
William S. Mahon, the Public Treasarer, re-reported cash in
bonds for sale of Tuscarora lands
Another report of the same man January, 1832, that all has been
collected, and remains in the treasury, subject to the order of
the Indians.
$3,220.71-1/4.
Paid on May 3ist, 1831, and found on file.
"For this amount paid Bates Cooke, being their agent to
receive the same under the Act of Assembly of 1828,
$3,220.71-1/4."
In about the year 1818, the New York Indians, (which includes
the Tuscarora), were engaged in a stipulation, to buy a tract of
land from the Menomonee and Winnebago, which was questioned in
Congress about the validity of a contract on purchases of lands
between Indian nations. But Congress did concur in the
stipulation made between the New York Indians of the first part,
and the Menomonees and Winnebago of the second part, for lands
lying in Green Bay, Wisconsin, bought and paid for by the former
according to the stipulation concluded in the year 1822.
For the payment of the said land above, I can only
speak for the Tuscarora. The precise amount paid I am unable to
state. But a tax was made on the nation; children paid
twenty-five cents each, adults paid more according to their
ability; the amount obtained in this way I am unable to state.
They also gave their annuities of two years, which they drew
from the government, and also two hundred dollars in money which
they loaned from the Oneida Indians (which they afterwards
refunded).
All those goods and moneys were paid to the Menomonee
and Winnebago, as their part of the Green Bay lands. These facts
I obtained of the widow of Jonathan Print up, an honorable chief
of the Tuscarora nation, by whom was entrusted with the goods
and money for the payment of said lands, which he faithfully
performed, and was accompanied as delegates by Dr. John
Patterson and James Cusick, who were appointed to the honorable
office of purchasing a tract of land for a future home of their
people. I am indebted to the widow of Dr. John Patterson, and
also his brother Harry, for information which corroborates with
that of the widow above mentioned, and also of other old people.
In a short time afterwards, the Menomonee denied the
contract in various ways, they denied the efficiency of the
Chiefs who signed the treaty, and also denied of having received
any payment, and also denied the boundary of the land ceded.
This naturally created difficulty and discord between them, and
kept growing worse from year to year. But the Winnebago never
denied any of the denials of the Menomonee.
In a treaty of the United States and the Menomonee and
Winnebago, of Feb. 6th, 1826, in Article 8th, it was
acknowledged that there existed some uncertainty in consequence
of the cession made by the tribes upon Fox River and Green Bay,
to the New York Indians. Finally the Menomonee made their
complaint before the President, concerning the New York Indians,
which has reference to the case, in the treaty by the United
States, with the several tribes of Green Bay on Feb. 23rd, 1829,
in Article 2nd, which read as follows, viz:
"Much difficulty having arising from the negotiations between
the Menomonee and Winnebago tribes and the various tribes and
portions of tribes of Indian of the State of New York, and the
claims of the respective parties being much contested, as well
with relation to the tenure and boundaries of the two tracts
claimed by the New York Indians, west of Lake Michigan, as to
the authority of the persons who signed the agreement on the
part of the Menomonee, and the whole subject having been fully
examined at the council this day concluded, and the allegations,
proofs, and statements of the respective parties having been
entered upon the Journal of the commissioners, so that the same
can be decided by the President of the United States, it is
agreed by the Menomonee and Winnebago, that so far as respects
their interests in the premises, the whole matter shall be
referred to the President of the United States, whose decision
shall be final. And the President is authorized, on the parts,
to establish such boundaries between them and the New York
Indians as he may consider equitable and just."
This site
includes some historical materials that may imply negative stereotypes
reflecting the culture or language of a particular period or place. These
items are presented as part of the historical record and should not be
interpreted to mean that the WebMasters in any way endorse the stereotypes
implied .
Legends, Traditions, and Laws of the Iroquois, or Six Nations and History of the Tuscarora Indians
