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Does anyone have any info on the Catawba Indians other than the stuff on the web? I’m searching for info about my gr. gr. gr. grandfather, Hawkins Bowman, who was listed in the 1850 Lee Co.VA census as a Catawba Indian. Some places list him as being born in North Carolina, others as Virginia. I have a feeling he was born in NC but can’t verify this. I’ve checked the Catawba Nation site but there’s no listing of any Bowman’s from the Nation. And they don’t have an email, only a snail mail and I haven’t contacted them yet. If anyone has any info I’d be very appreciative. Thank you in advance!
Sincerely,
Jim
Hello there is a very good book called “Catawba Indians”, People along the River “,, I think, it has a very good paper for history and peoples names etc.
Also search this site by going to the search page and search on just the word catawba, aswell try Bowman and other family names, in your history.
All The best Tom
Where did you see this? It is unusual to see the ‘indian’ designation on the census during that time frame and especially unusual to see a tribal designation. I am a member of Ancestry.com, if you’d like me to take a look, also Bill Childs is an excellent resource.
Saponi1
The “Catawba Indian” designator for my gr.gr.gr. grandfather Hawkins Bowman is in the Lee County VA 1850 Census. It’s listed as a note under his name. Also saying that some sources say he was born in VA and others in NC. There is also an article from Harlan County, KY, where Hawk also lived, which talks about him and his daughter, Eliza Bowman, my gr.gr. grandmother, being “Indian”. but I can’t find the article right now and can’t remember if it states that they were Catawba. My grandmother had told me that the family was Cherokee, but that was wrong. John Cole married my gr.gr. grandmother, Eliza Bowman but was not the father of her children. So the Cherokee blood is not there. It’s rumored that Hawk Bowman and John Cole met and became friends during the “Trail of Tears” times while both hiding from the removal forces. The Coles believe that John Cole wasn’t the father of any of Eliza’s children. They are still family friends!
Thank you for the info on the Catawba book! I’ll check it out. Sorry for the delay in following up on this thread. But I really appreciate the info and so does greywolf! Thanks again.
Jim
I used to be a member of Ancestry also but never could find anything on Hawkins Bowman there, but you’re welcome to try. Maybe I wasn’t “asking the right questions”! I do know that Hawkins was in the War of 1812 and in the East Tenn. Volunteers under Col. Samuel Wear, in Capt. Jesse Cole’s Company. His wife filed for pension benefits after his death for his service. Hawkins Bowman was born in 1790 and died in 1870 in Harlan County, KY. But Hawk seems to have parachuted in from another planet or something. I’ve intended to go search the library at Cherokee NC but haven’t made that trip yet. Gatlinburg seems to be as far as I ever get! Thanks in Advance for any luck you may have! I don’t want the info for enrolling any the tribe, I just want to know my ancestors and their history, although others may need this info for just that purpose. I’m not much of a “club joiner” type of person. And I definitely don’t like “jumping through hoops” for any reason. But I’m a fairly good genealogical researcher and if I can ever help you with anything, please ask!
Sincerely,
Jim
Tom,
The book is “out of print” and Amazon says that it sells fr about $100.00 used if it can be found! That’s a lot for one book but I guess it’d be worth it. I’ll try the library and see if they can get a copy through their “share program”. Thanks again.
Sincerely,
Jim
tarcarion, if you saend me a private message, and let me know waht it is that you are looking for, I’ll be happy to do a search in the Catawba book for you.
I saw that you could look for certain Indians in the book you have on the Catawba. I am researching the Scott family from North Carolina who are said to be Catawba. I have an Ishom Scott born @1775 Va who lived in Sumter and Marlboro County of SC. He is said to be Indian.
Thanks
Sandra
my e-mail is slwoods@excite.com
tarcarion,
Info on Hawkins Bowman service record is as follows, Rank Pvt., Joined on 18Oct1813 Discharged on 17Jan1814, He is listed on Muster Roll of a Company of Volunteer Militia 1st Regiment of East Tennessee Commanded by Col Samuel Wear. served under Capt. Jessee Cole.
I noticed you stated that there was no Cherokee Indian conection, , on the Dawson Rolls register there is a Rebecca Brittain Cole listed,(this info I found on a thread dated may 7 2001, listed by Tamara Hogshead whom I have been unable to contact , the thread # is 812 ) stated she obtained the application from the Cherokee Nation in Oklahoma , the application is in her (rebecca’s) own hand writing. Would be interesting to read that application , right?
Also on Eliza Cole there are 2 Eliza Cole’s listed in the Harlan Co Ky Census reports, I believe 1900 or 1910. E=mail me your snail mail address and I will send you a Picture of both. One of the Eliza cole’s was daughter of John Jack Cole and Margaret Mallet Cole , the other is daughter of Hawkins and Nancy Barbour Cole, I also have a copy of an affidavit of 1919 or what could be transcribed and I believe this may tie in with Rebecca’s application to the 5 tribes.
as always Greywolf
tarcarion ;
Forgot to list where I found the thread I referred to , It was on Genealogy. com under cole or brittain
sorry about that
Greywolf
You are lucky, Jim, to have that much info on your Bowman ancestor. Saponi1 is right, it is very rare for anyone to be so identified. The Catawba name may indicate Saponi origins. The Occaneechi Band of the Saponi cited a connection to a John Jeffries of Ohio who reported he was Catawba in a newspaper article in Greene County, Ohio. It’s come up a few other times, I believe. Apparently, the Siouan of NC and VA merged in with the Catawba during that 50 year dead zone between historical references to the tribal communities and civil records of descendants. There is historical records of the Saponi attempting to move in with the Catawba ca. 1710, but it didn’t last long.
Anyway, it’s something to keep in mind.
Linda …. thanks for the info. My grandmother had always told me that we had Cherokee blood, and I’m assuming this was from her grandmother’s husband, John Jack Cole. But John Cole was not the father of Eliza Bowman’s children, at least not my gr. grandmother, Mary Elizabeth Brittian Cole. Her father was James Brittian, Hawkins Bowman’s employer. I know this gets complicated! In other words, my gr. gr. grandmother, Eliza Bowman, had an affair with her father’s boss and got pregnant, then at some point married John Cole. My gr. grandmother took the Cole name but wasn’t a Cole by blood. so the Cherokee connection seems incorrect. But the Catawba comes from Eliza’s father, Hawkins Bowman, my gr. gr. gr. grandfather. We also have a connection to the Benges and the famous Bob Benge through another gr. gr. grandmother Sara Jane (Mark) Thompson of Lee Co. VA.
Here is something
http://docsouth.unc.edu/nc/mcpherson/illustr.html
I am looking for someone with a copy of “The History of the Old Cheraws”. It looks like it has Catawba information in it as well.
I found Hawkins Bowman on Ancestry.com I viewd copy of the originial census. I did not see any reference to Catawba Inidan heritage.
1850 Census Lee Co VA
1790 Year of birth (VA)
Mulatto
Hawkins Bowman- Head – 60 – M M
Nancy – wife – 36
Elizabeth – daug- 14- F M
Abraham – son – 12- M M
Eliza – daug – 8 – F M
George – son – 6 – M M
Mary – daug – 4 – F M
Tabitha – daug – 3- F M
Robert – son- 1- M M
I hope this will be helpful
Haliwagirl
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