Melungeon ( Copied from the Melungeon Blog )
- Brently Johnson
- Oct 12, 2021
- 12 min read
Updated: May 19
None of the material below is my original work. It has been reproduced as noted above from the Melungeon Blogspot. I have included it here for two reasons.
As I have stated on numerous occasions, our family appears to carry what some might describe as "slightly exotic"—or, in less charitable terms, "shameful"—genetic heritage. Since I believe that God created every person in His image, I do not subscribe to the notion of shameful genes or inferior ethnicities. We are simply who we are, and we had no control over the decisions of our ancestors. I would not change a single thing even if I could.
Somewhere along our family line—most likely on my mother's side, through her grandmother Cordia, or Cordelia, Lambert Johnson—there is a heritage that warrants closer examination. I have administered a considerable number of DNA tests on myself and several family members, including one service that claims to conduct a "deep dive" spanning twenty to fifty generations. I have a genuine passion for this research, and the return on investment is nothing more than the satisfaction of quenching a thirst for what many would consider trivial knowledge. In most respects, this information has no bearing on how we live our daily lives. However, as has been clearly demonstrated in our family's experience, it can have meaningful implications for susceptibility to certain diseases.
I have limited formal education in biology, but I was fortunate to receive an education that equipped me to conduct research effectively. In the age of the internet, a great many reliable sources are readily accessible. My opinions are entirely anecdotal and are not grounded in any scientific research of my own; however, I have read extensively on DNA studies related to various population groups.
I may have shared some of this material in a previous post, and if so, I apologize. I have had some time recently to continue my research. In brief, I find the articles toward the end of this post—those suggesting that Phoenician seafarers crossed the Atlantic at some point—to be compelling. It is my belief that, given the Cherokee people's well-documented openness to intermarriage with outsiders, some degree of intermingling with Phoenician travelers may have occurred. I have no definitive evidence for this, but for reasons I cannot fully articulate, I believe that a group of Phoenicians must have settled in relative isolation at some point—because the DNA evidence, in my view, points in that direction. I believe it was De Soto, or perhaps another early Spanish explorer, who first encountered the Cherokee. The Cherokee were, by all historical accounts, a remarkably welcoming people. Their language is considered a linguistic isolate—meaning it bears no clear relationship to any other known language—and their physical characteristics are, in many respects, distinct from those of other Native American peoples. I find it entirely plausible that the Cherokee absorbed a group of Phoenician settlers at some point in the distant past.
I recognize that this is speculative, and I present it as such. I will address this topic more thoroughly in a future post. For now, I simply ask that you read the following material with an open mind.
All of the information below was selected from the Melungeon Blogspot. If you wish to read the full collection of articles, a simple search for "Melungeon Blogspot" will locate it without difficulty. None of the work below is my own.
William Vaughn----1774 (Lord Dunmore's War): William was among those diverted to Capt. Looney's company on the Clinch and did not fight at Point Pleasant. Instead he was with Capt Looney, Lieut. Daniel Boone and Lieut. John Cox guarding the Clinch frontier.....Daniel Boone records meeting him in the wilds of Kentucky on his first visit (Howling Wilderness). William married a Cherokee maiden by the name of Fair-A-Bee-Luna in Tennessee. It was around his wife's tribal fire that he first heard of the old Indian Healing Springs, now known as Eureka Spring, Arkansas. (Don Byrne)........Eddie Davis was unable to prove Fereby's Cherokee ancestry through DNA testing.
The 1755 Orange County, North Carolina, tax list several families who either they, or their forefather once lived on the Pamunkey River in Louisa County, Virginia and who eventually migrated to Hawkins County, TN and became know as the Melungeons.
Gidean Bunch 1 tithe (mulatto)
Micajer Bunch 1 tithe (mulatto)
Moses Ridley (Riddle) 1 tithe and wife Mary (mulattoes)
Thomas Collins 3 tithes (mulatto)
Samuel Collins 3 tithes (mulattoes)
John Collins 1 tithe (mulatto)
Thomas Gibson 3 tithes (mulatto)
Charles Gibson 1 tithe (mulatto)
George Gibson 1 tithe (mulatto)
Mager Gibson 1 tithe (mulatto)
You must know that within ten miles of this owl's nest, there is a watering-place, known hereabouts as 'black-water Springs.' It is situated in a narrow gorge, scarcely half a mile wide, between Powell's Mountain and the Copper Ridge, and is, as you may suppose, almost inaccessible. A hundred men could defend the pass against even a Xerxian army. Now this gorge and the tops and sides of the adjoining mountains are inhabited by a singular species of the human animal called MELUNGENS. The legend of their history, which they carefully preserve, is this. A great many years ago, these mountains were settled by a society of Portuguese Adventurers, men and women.
[While this article appeared across the country in 1848, note at the end. "The Dance"
ONLY appears once that I have found, in LITTELS LIVING AGE.
The principal localities visited were Newman's Ridge and Blackwater Valley,
lying just south of Powell's mountain and 14 miles north of Rogersville, Tennessee. the inhabitants there, known by the local name of "Malunjins"
are a mixture of whites, blacks and Indians, Destruction of Illicit Distilleries 1873
A settlement was also made at an early date at Mulberry Gap, where a little village sprang up. Newmans' Ridge, which runs through the county to the north
of Sneedville, and parallel with Clinch river, is said to have taken its name
from one of the first settlers upon it. It has since been occupied mainly
by a people presenting a peculiar admixture of white and Indian blood. Goodspeed's History of Tennessee-1886
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.............................................
'The Croatan tribe lives principally in Robeson county, North Carolina,
though there is quite a number of them settle in counties adjoining in
North and South Carolina. In Sumter county, South Carolina, there is a
branch of the tribe, and also in east Tennessee. In Macon county,
North Carolina, there is another branch, settled there long ago.
Those living in east Tennessee are called "Melungeons", a name also
retained by them here, which is corruption of 'Melange', a name given them
by early settlers (French), which means mixed.''
R. M. Ewing, wrote that when he attended law school at Lebanon Tennessee, in 1851:
" there was a colony of people residing within a few miles of Lebanon who were locally, and so far as I know generally, called Malungeons. They seemed to be a hard working, harmless, inoffensive people, a dark red or copper color, and jet black, straight hair... these people claimed to be of Portuguese descent. Malungeon Town 1890
The owner was a full-blooded Indian, with keen, black eyes, straight black hair, high cheeks, and a hook nose. He played upon his violin with his fingers instead of a bow, and entertained us with a history of his grandfather, who was a Cherokee chief, and by singing some of the songs of his tribe.
Such are the remnants called Indians in some states where a pure-blooded
Indian can hardly longer be found. In Tennessee such a group, popularly
known as Melungeans, in addition to those still known as Cherokee.
Somewhere in the eighteenth century, before the year 1797, there
appeared in the eastern portion of Tennessee, at that time the
Territory of North Carolina, two strange-looking men calling themselves "Collins" and "Gibson". They had a reddish brown complexion, long , straight , black hair,
keen, black eyes, and sharp, clear-cut features. They spoke in broken English,
a dialect distinct from anything ever heard in that section of the country.
There is in Hancock county, Tennessee, a tribe of people known
by the local name of Malungeons or Melungeons. Some say they are
a branch of the Croatan tribe, others that they are of Portuguese stock.
Who are these people?” has been asked thousands of times,
doubtless by some passing traveler, who quickly noted their clean-cut,
distinctive race features, speech and bearing. The answer made invariably is “Melungeons” - Our fathers who settled here along about 1790 to 1800,
found them here, with another small settlement near Nashville’s present site.”
This is all you can obtain in the way of information by casual inquiry. Melungeons at the Worlds' Fair 1894
It is not generally known that in the mountains of eastern Tennessee there is a class of peculiar looking people whose origin is wrapped in mystery and who are called by the whites, Melungeons. They resent this appellation and proudly declare that they are Portuguese. (This is the original 1848 article)
There is a race of people in Hawkins County, Tenn., whose origin is a mystery," said G. L. Babbit. "They are called the Melungeons, and are found no place else. They have been traced back to North Carolina, but further than that nothing is known. They are not Indians, they are not negroes, they are certainly not of any known race of white people.
They have been classed with Negroes but it is easily demonstrated
that they are not of negro origin. I mingled with them a great deal at one time,
and was fortunate enough to obtain their confidence through an act of
kindness to one of their number. A few relics of great age can be found
in the pottery and implements. Some of these marked with rude
imitations of the Maltese cross. They have a tradition that
their ancestors in North Carolina are buried in mounds.
Putting these points together, I believe that they are
descendants of the Aztecs and of Portuguese sailors
who landed upon the North Carolina coast.
As to the Melungeons I know of no book containing any history of them.
They are a peculiar set of people, most of them are very dark, straight hair
and high cheek bones resemble a Cherokee Indian. Since the war they
have become civilized and a great many of them are good citizens
and good livers....................................
The Blackwater Valley lies between Mulberry and Newman’s Ridges, and is from half a mile to mile wide. Twenty years ago it was still a wilderness, but is now under good cultivation, and divided into small farms upon which are rather poor dwellings and outbuildings. In this valley and along Newman’s Ridge, reaching into Lee County, Virginia, are settled the people called Melungeons. Some have gone into Kentucky, chiefly into Pike County, others are scattered in adjacent territory.The first settlers here were the great grand parents, Varday Collins, Shephard Gibson, and Charley Williams, who came from Virginia it is said, though other say from North Carolina. They have marked Indians resemblances in color, feature, hair, carriage, and disposition.
All along the southern coast there are scattered here and there bands of
curious people, whose appearance, color, and hair seem to indicate a cross or mixture of the Indian, the white, and the negro. Such, for example, are the Pamunkeys of Virginia, the Croatan Indians of the Carolinas, the Malungeons of Tennessee
The Melungeons of East Tennessee are not a mixed race. They are
descendants of some ancient Phoenicians who removed from Carthage to a
place near Camden, South Carolina and from there to Hancock County,
Tennessee. They have no facial resemblance to Indians or Negroes.
They have none of the characteristics of either negroes or Indians.
The fact is there is no negroid or Indian blood, but a pure distinct race. Phoenicians 1928 By J Patton Gibson
There is little authentic knowledge of the Melungeons, a people found
in certain parts of Tennessee and Virginia. They are about the same
color as mulattoes with no other discernible Negro traits. According to their
own tradition they are of Moorish descent, probably descendants of the ancient Phoenicians. They settled in Portugal and later crossed the Atlantic before the Revolutionary war, settling in South Carolina, due to discriminatory taxes and ostracism they emigrated in a body and settled in Hancock County, Tennessee. Answers to Questions 1939
I have read the article headed “Ancestry of Melungeon Ferry Pilot" printed
in the Daily Times of Feb. 10. It was very interesting to me. My
knowledge of the Melungeon race is limited. They did come from
Phoenicia, when Carthage fell to the Romans, and settled in North Carolina.
I once looked up this history when I wrote an article for the Times about
the Melungeons along the Foothills of Walden’s Ridge The Melungeon Race 1941
“I used to regard the stories about Melungeons as a part of mythology,”
Miss Collins, a college graduate who is descended from one of the
oldest families in the region, said. “But my sister said, “No, there is some
truth in it.” Miss Collins rose from her desk and walked thoughtfully
to the vault to withdraw a letter postmarked 1907. It had been written
to her by one of her uncles. Elegant in vocabulary and charming in
sentiment, the letter related some of the family stories about their origin.
Written by J. G. Rhea, the letter told of one of the legends that persists
to explain the presence of the dark-skinned people in the area: they are
descendants of the Spaniards and perhaps Portuguese men in DeSoto’s
party who ventured from Florida into parts of North Carolina and
Tennessee in search of gold in 1540.-
Martha Collins 1963
So this has been a fascinating subject for me and I still feel convinced
that they are a mixture of Moorish, Portuguese, Croatan Indians, and a small portion of Anglo-Saxon blood that was left from the final massacre of the Roanoke Island colony in North Carolina. If not, how can we explain why they use old Elizabethan English expressions and all the older ones said they were "Porty-gee." The Portuguese who were often shipwrecked off the stormy N.C coast and chose to stay there and marry Indian women. The small segment that escaped from the final massacre by the Va., Indians evidently retained the old English words that the Melungeons used, like "Hit" [for it] "ferninst'[?] for opposite, etc. Please excuse my rambling and crooked lines. Bonnie S. Ball - 1990
Atlanta Constitution
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 Florida and in 1886, he wrote a paper entitled "The Structure of Florida" and presented it at a meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in New York.
He lived in Holly Springs, Mississippi (Marshall County) and by 1860 held the position of Clerk of the Circuit Court in Marshall County. In 1882, he was hired as an Assistant Geologist.
Johnson married Mattie McLain, daughter of Rev. Robert McLain and Laura Brown McLain in Clarke County, Mississippi. The following year, Johnson's young wife died within a month of giving birth to their daughter, also named Mattie. Their little girl only lived three years. Johnson never remarried. He is buried in Enterprise Cemetery, Clark County, Mississippi beside his late wife and daugher. NATIONAL SURVEYS ARTICLE - NEW YORK TIMES June 29, 1885 Information provided by- Peggy Johnson Carey
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