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http://www.itoccoa.com/Articles/ShowArticle.113.html
History and Heritage
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Catawba History
Monday, January 17, 2005 Posted: 4:01 AM EST
Catawba Indians
The Catawba are known to the Cherokee as Ani’ta’gwa, singular Ata’gwa, or Ta’gwa. They were the immediate neighbors of the Cherokee on the east and southeast, having their principal settlements on the Catawba River, just within the limits of South Carolina. On the first settlement of South Carolina there were estimated to be about 7,000 persons in the tribe, but their decline was rapid, and by war and disease their number had been reduced in 1775 to barely 500, including the incorporated remnants of the Cheraw and several smaller tribes. There are now, perhaps, 100 still remaining on a small reservation near the site of their ancient towns.
The Cherokee and Catawba tribes were hereditary enemies, and the feeling between them is nearly as bitter today as it was a hundred years ago. Perhaps the only case on record of their acting together was in the war of 1711-1713, when they cooperated with the colonists against the Tuscarora.
The Catawba assisted the whites against the Cherokee in the war of 1760 and in the later Revolutionary struggle. About 100 warriors, nearly the whole fighting strength of the tribe, took part in the first-mentioned war, several being killed, and a smaller number accompanied Williamson’s force in 1776. In this engagement, which was one of the bloodiest Indian encounters of the Revolution, the Cherokee claim that they had actually defeated the troops and their Catawba allies, when their own ammunition gave out and they were consequently forced to retire. The Cherokee leader was a noted war chief named Tsan-i (John).
About 1840 nearly the whole Catawba tribe moved up from South Carolina and joined the eastern band of Cherokee, but in consequence of tribal jealousies they remained but a short time, and afterward returned to their former home.
Source: Roots Web. “Catawba Native American History – South Carolina”.
http://www.ibiblio.org/rla/dig/html/split/report48b.html
The community is of particular interest, however, since it was mentioned in U.S. Senate Document #144, dated February 1897, and entitled “The Catawba Tribe of Indians” (U.S. Congress, Senate 1897). The report on this settlement says that “Dr. Joseph McDowell, of Fairmont, Ga., under date of October, 1872, stated that the Indians referred to, and asking relief of the Government, were Catawba Indians, and 81 in number.” Dr. McDowell (who had married one of the Guy women and wrote at least two letters to the Indian Office on behalf of her people) also provided a list of the names and ages of the individuals whom he said wished the government to assist them in moving west to Indian Territory. The report further states that “William Guy, of Granville County, Ga. [sic], and Simon Jeffries, of Bellville, Virginia, Catawba Indians, served five years in the Army and were honorably discharged, and these people are their descendants.” The error is that William Guy was from Greensville County, Virginia, although he did die in Granville County, North Carolina. The letters from Dr. McDowell are also interesting. For example, he states in his letter of October 1869, addressed to Eli Parker, U.S. Commissioner of Indian Affairs, that “I take the liberty of addressing to you a few lines on behalf of a remnant of the tribe of Catawba Indians. . . . Some 60 or 70 years since they left their tribe and went to Greenville County, Virginia, and then removed to Orange County, North Carolina. . . . They sold out in Orange and moved to Macon County, N.C. where they purchased land and have remained ever since.”
The identification of these Indians as Catawba presents a dilemma in that anyone familiar with historic Catawba surnames will readily recognize that the names of these families are not traditional Catawba names. It is this fact that led Chapman Milling (1940:260) to note “The petition, in fact, bears all the earmarks of white effort to collect Indian revenue.” Common Catawba surnames such as Blue, Head, Harris, Kegg, or Ayers are conspicuous in the Macon County community by their absence. Why then are these people (as well as the Indians who moved from the Texas community to Ohio) identified as Catawba? The Cherokee name would have been a much better known one, if a name was simply to be chosen out of the air to give credence to claims of Indian ancestry. Witness today the existence of groups of “Cherokees” living from Pennsylvania to Florida, including two groups in North Carolina besides the Eastern Band of the Cherokee.
The only plausible explanation based on the information at hand is that these Indian people, although not Catawba in the strict sense of the word, were aware of the relationship their people once had with the Catawba, and so used that name to identify themselves. Even as the Occaneechi and others came to identify themselves by the name of Saponi, so too, it appears, did the Saponi come to call themselves Catawba, although they were never absorbed by the Catawba Nation as were other small tribes. It is also likely that some of the Saponi who returned to Virginia from the Catawba Nation took with them Catawba spouses, so William Guy, Simon Jeffries, and others who were identified in the 1880s as Catawba may well have actually possessed some Catawba blood.
posted by Saponi1
These names appear of Guy and Jefferies and are really of great interest here, the Catawba being one branch of an ancient Siouan languge and Saponi a different dialect, but still Siouan, the point of Catawbas and the Cherokee people not getting along sounds like a white version of an old rumor or grudge. During the late 1800’s the two nations inter-married heavily and have knismen on both sides.
I really believe that the “saponi” connexion here should be invesatigated, it hints at several other threads etc.
Thanx fro the post Saponi1!
Tom, perhaps Linda could move this thread…it’s kind of taken on a life of it’s own…however in an attempt to address several different questions. It kind of grew.
Saponi1
I think it’s fine , most threads do change, many posts have valuable topics that support the frame work of the subject and original posts change direction often, in posting replies they move the topic throughout the forums threads etc, if this thread is follwed into other forums it just needs to be referenced to.
Once again thanx for the great post.
Those are interesting posts. Thank you, Saponi 1. Do you know what time frame the first was written in?
There are now, perhaps, 100 still remaining on a small reservation near the site of their ancient towns.
The second one is intriguing. As I understand it, the Little Texas people who moved to Ohio were still referring to themselves as Catawba there.
The second quote is from a piece written by Forest Hazel that’s part of the “Excavating Occaneechi Town” CD and website. The entire piece can be found here:
http://www.ibiblio.org/rla/dig/html/part2/tab2.html
It’s very interesting how many of the names linked to the present day state-recognized Occaneechi Band of the Saponi have come up often times here on the forum. Check it out.
Linda many names from many recognized tribes come up on Saponitown–that’s why Saponitown as a web-site and you as web-master and ALL the contributors here make such an incredible ‘gift’ of their time and efforts to the Eastern Siouan people, their descendants, allies and friends. I’ve seen probable Hali-wa Saponi descendants, Occaneechi, High Plains Sappony, Monacan and others all come here seeking info.
Thanks Cuz.
Saponi1
Originally posted by stacey.23
Originally posted by Saponi 1
what was wandering is, has anyone heard of this “Cherokee Pawatan” group?”
Actually this was an excerpt of a post by Kevin and quoted by me. I apologize, the quotations marks apparently did not show. Again, the Cherokee Pawhatan group are one in the same as the High Plains Saponey of Person County, NC and Halifax County, VA.
Saponi1
Hey Saponi1,
Ahh, gotcha. Sorry about that. I missed the quotes when I first read it. It caught my eye though for the same reason that Techteach mentioned (if it had anything to do with those of us who have the story of Cherokee).
Stacey
The following quotes were taken from the Cedarville History section of FROM “HISTORY of GREENE COUNTY, “CLEANED FROM EARLY AUTHORS, OLD MAPS AND MANUSCRIPTS, PRIVATE AND OFFICIAL CORRESPONDENCE, AND ALL OTHER AUTHENTIC SOURCES.” Written by “R. S. DILLS, Published by Odell and Mayer, Dayton, Ohio, 1881. Grammar and spelling remains as originally printed.
James Jeffreys, furniture .manufacturer, Cedarville, was born in Greenville County, Virginia; January 30, 1821. Is the son of Silas and Susan (Fruit) Jeffreys. Silas was a descendant of the Catawba tribe of Indians. James was married September 7, 1852, to Miss Nancy Wooten, who bore him six children, three of whom are now living,Salathiel A., Elmer, and Emma. His first wife dying he again, January 24,1865, married Elizabeth Crone, daughter of Levi and Margaret Crone, natives of Virginia. Three children were born by the last marriage, U. H., W. O., and Ernest. James is the senior member of the Jeffreys Furniture Manufacturing Company, salesroom, No. 9 Greene Street, Xenia, where can be found the latest patterns in furniture.
Mason Jeffreys, furniture manufacturer, Cedarville, was born in Cedarville, September 8, 1835, and is the son of Uriah and Caroline Jeffreys, who were born in North Carolina, and came to this county about the year 1830. Uriah was a descendant of the tribe of Catawba Indians. Mason, the subject of this sketch, remained at home with his parents until he reached his majority, receiving his education, in the common district schools. In 1860, he married Miss Johanna A. Heithcook, daughter of Decatur and Emeline Heithcook. Three children have been born to them, two of which are now living, John R. and Freddie.
In regards to the William GUY mentioned above, his great-granddaughter, Mary Jane GUY (William –> Vines –> Thomas –> Mary Jane), married my 2GGranduncle, William JONES.
William JONES was listed as “mulatto” in 3 census records (1850, 1860, and 1920). He was listed as “white” in all others, as well as his death record. Mary Jane’s death record states that she is “negro”. The informant on her death record was William JONES, her husband. William JONES and Mary Jane (GUY) JONES both died in Shelby County, Ohio.
Both of Mary Jane’s parents died in Delaware County, Indiana. Her mother’s, Adaline (BURNETT) GUY, race on her death record is “white”. The informant is H.L. JONES, son of William and Mary Jane JONES. Her father’s, Thomas GUY, race on his death record is “Indian”. The informant on his death record is Mrs. GUY.
Stacey
This is interesting when you couple it with the secret society that was in (if I remember correctly) in Dayton. I am not going to get this correct, but it was something like the Improved Redman Society with the Blackfoot group in Dayton.
Techteach
PS: My folks were not far away, near Columbus, and one of my names is Mason.
Hi Techteach,
The website for the Red Men is at: http://www.redmen.org
It says…
Who Are The Red Men?
The fraternity traces its origins back to 1765 and was originally known as the Sons of Liberty. These patriots concealed their identities and worked “underground” to help establish freedom and liberty in the early Colonies. They patterned themselves after the great Iroquois Confederacy and its democratic governing body. Their system, with elected representatives to govern tribal councils, had been in existence for several centuries.
After the War of 1812 the name was changed to the Society of Red Men and later to the Improved Order of Red Men. They kept the customs and terminology of Native Americans as a basic part of the fraternity. Some of the words and terms may sound strange, but they soon become a familiar part of the language for every member. The Improved Order of Red Men is similar in many ways to other major fraternal organizations in the United States….
History of the Red Men
The Improved Order of Red Men traces its origin to certain secret patriotic societies founded before the American Revolution. They were established to promote Liberty and to defy the tyranny of the English Crown. Among the early groups were: The Sons of Liberty, Sons of Tamina, and the Society of Red Men.
On December 16, 1773 a group of men, all members of the Sons of Liberty, met in Boston to protest the tax on tea imposed by England. When their protest went unheeded, they disguised themselves as Mohawk Indians, proceeded to Boston harbor, and dumped overboard 342 chests of English tea.
During the Revolutionary War, members of secret societies quenched their council fires and took up muskets to join with the Continental Army. To the cause of Freedom and Liberty they pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honors. At the end of the hard fought war the American Republic was born and was soon acknowledged among the nations of the world….
There is quite a bit more information on their website. It also lists the cities and names for each one of their organizations. I am listing Ohio here because we mentioned Dayton above.
Ohio Tribes
Athens Mohawk Tribe No. 174
Columbus Sioux Tribe No. 128
Dayton Lone Eagle Tribe No. 98
Delaware Mingo Tribe No. 80
Hilliard Stillwater Tribe No. 195
Martins Ferry Waneta Tribe No. 75
Powell Elk Tribe No. 112
South Bloomingville Wampus Tribe No. 81
Troy Tonquas Tribe No. 222
Whitehall Deerfoot Tribe No. 113
Another interesting one is in Clarksburg, West Virginia. The name they use is “Blackfoot Tribe No. 172”.
Stacey
Does anyone have any information on the Stewarts/Steward that lived in Chester SC. I read were these families migrated from VA. I am trying to figure out if she was Saponi. Do you just go by the surname and the area they were from to determine if our ancestors were Saponi? Any advie would be greatly appreciated.
Ask your grandfather to tell you about all of your ancestors, such as your Great Grandparents and write it down. E-mail the names to the Sappony and they will tell you if there is a connection to the Sappony Tribe http://www.sappony.org/contact.htm
The Cherokee Powhatan can be contacted at http://www.amonsoquathbandofcherokee.com/
Hello ya”ll, Im having the same question also as Kevin here, now Im all confused, as I found a couple of years ago of my connection with Saponi (sappony?)goes back to my 6th great grandaparent”s My grandpa is a Wiggins, and married a Brown, back in the 1700″s granny Brown was born in 1740 I believe in Chowan as her father was born there my Wiggins was born in Bertie 1740 any clarification on any of this is greatly appreciated
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