Guion Miller Miscellaneous Testimony, Pages 41-50

No. 19969

MARY CATHERINE MARION, being first duly sworn, deposes and
says:

My name is Mary Catherine Marion; I am 59 years old; my
postoffice is Siloam, Surry Co., N. C. I was born in Surry Co.
I claim Indian blood through my father; John Blevins. He was born
in Cherokee Nation. I did not know my father's father. My mother
told me that my father came from the Cherokee Indians. I don't know
where my father is; he said he was going back to the Cherokees and
went off; he has never been back. He had been living with my mo-
ther about 6 years then. He went off in July, and I was born in
September. John Blevins was his only name. I don't know whether
I have been enrolled by the Government as an Indian. I went to
the white school when I was little, and then I quit. I don't know
whether I received any money from the Government as an Indian; if
I had, I would probably remember it. I received a letter about 9 or
10 years ago, saying that there was a lot of money for the Blevins
and I sent in an application with witnesses, and said that there was
no one but me. I have no brothers or sisters; I had two sisters
and they are dead. I never lived with the Indians myself. I have
always passed as a white woman; they throwed it up to me lots of
times, and I said I did not care, that my father was an Indian, and
that I could not help it. I never heard of the Chickasaws, Choctaws,
or Catawbas; when I was a little child, my mother told me my
father was a Cherokee Indian and wore his hair down on his shoulders,
never would have it cut, and he had dark skin. I do not know in
what state my father was born; he was just “Cherokee”. I don't
know whether my father had any relations in W. Va., or not. Father
lived in Surry Co. about 6 years and said he was going back to the
Cherokees. I don't know anything about my father's father or mo-
ther; he just came in here and claimed to come from Cherokee and to
be a Cherokee Indian. My mother was known as Mary Wall. I can
prove that my father and mother were married up close to the Pine
Hill Church. My mother never heard from my father after he started
away, that time, that I know of. He wasn't over 25 when he married
my mother; he was a powerful man; worked in the forge. I do not know
anyone who knew my father when he was living among the Cherokees. All
I know is that my mother said he was a Cherokee Indian, or he always
claimed to be. I understood that they would not let my father vote.
My mother married Ruel Adkins the second time; my mother is dead
now. She had a son, Luke Adkins; he was in W. Va. I don't know
where he is now. I have a daughter in W. Va., Alice Hunley, and
one here, Melissie E. Doss, who filed a claim (19959), and son, Saml. W.
Blevins (19966). His father is not an Indian, nor was the father
of any of my children Indian; all the Indian they have, they get
from me.

Her
Mary Catherine X Marion
Mark.

SUBSCRIBED and sworn to before me, this 23rd day of March, 1908, at
Pilot Mt., N. C.

[Signed] Guion Miller
Special Commissioner of the Court of Claims.

NOTE: This woman has very strongly marked Indian features.

[Signed] Guion Miller
[Signed] H. C. [illegible]

41.

No. 19951.

WILLIAM COBB DENNIS, being first duly sworn, deposes and
says:

My name is Wm. Cobb Dennis; I live at Pinnacle, N. C.; I
am 50 years of age. I was born in Pitt Co., N. C. My father was
Arthur Dennis; I don't know when he was born; I suppose he was about
60 years old when he died in 1889 (about). I think my father was
born in Pitt Co. I claim my Indian blood through my father, and his
father, who was John Dennis. I left home when I was young; I have
heard my mother say that my father's name was not Dennis, but that he
was raised by a man named Dennis; my grandmother married a man named
Dennis and he raised him, but his right name was Smith, I think. I
was 16 years old when I left Pitt Co. I never heard my father speak
of his family in reference to being an Indian. I never heard my fa-
ther say anything about it, but I have heard my mother say that my
father descended from the Cherokee Indians. I never heard her say
where the Cherokee Indians were living that he belonged to. I never
heard of any Indians being around in that part of the country. I un-
derstood that my people, including my grandfather, always lived in
Pitt Co. I have always been classed as a white man, as well as my
father when I knew him. I think my father died in Pitt Co.; he did
not come here when I did; I was not at home when he died. Both fa-
ther and mother died there. I never heard that my father applied to
be enrolled as an Indian, or to receive any money as an Indian.
I am sure it was Cherokee my mother said, not Chickasaw. I never
was with my father very much. Henrietta Holyfield (19876) is my sis-
ter; she lives near Rockford, Surry Co., N. C.

[Signed] William Cobb Dennis

SUBSCRIBED and sworn to before me, this 23rd day of March, 1908, at
Pilot Mt., N. C.

[Signed] Guion Miller
Special Commissioner of the
Court of Claims.

42.

No. 19899

ANDREW SLATE, being first duly sworn, deposes and says:

My name is Andrew Slate; I will soon be 27 years old. I
live at Pinnacle, R. F. D. No. 2, N. C. My father told me he had
Indian blood; he was born in Stokes Co., N. C. I do not remember
my grandfather. I guess he was born in Stokes Co., and he died in
Stokes Co. My father told me when I was a boy that there was Indian
blood in me. I never heard that my father was ever enrolled by the
Indians, or paid any money, nor did I ever hear that my grandfather
was ever paid any money. My father was recognized as a white man,
went to white schools, and voted. Eliza Slate was my great-grand-
mother, I think, on my father's side; if I have heard where she lived,
I have forgotten. I never heard of any of my relations, other than
Eliza, being named Overly. My grandfather never lived with the In-
dians, so far as I know. My father lives in Patrick Co., Va.

[Signed] Andrew Slate

SUBSCRIBED and sworn to before me, this 23rd day of March, 1908, at
Pilot Mt., N. C.

[Signed] Harold Kiser
Assistant to the Special Com-
missioner of the Court of Claims

PETER E. SLATE, being first duly sworn, deposes and says:

My name is Peter E. Slate; I live in Stokes Co., N. C.; and
am 56 years old. I know Andrew Slate; he is a nephew of mine. His
father is my brother. I do not know of any Cherokee blood in my
family. I have not filed an application. I never heard my father
or mother speak of having Cherokee blood. I did hear an uncle say
once that he would not take a good deal for the Indian blood in him.
He did not say from what tribe of Indians he got his Indian blood.

[Signed] P. E. Slate

SUBSCRIBED and sworn to before me, this 23rd day of March, 1908, at
Pilot Mt., N. C.

[Signed] Guion Miller
Special Commissioner of the
Court of Claims.

43.

No. 34139

DRUCINDA SNOW, being first duly sworn, deposes and says:

My name is Drucinda Snow; I live near Mt. Airy, N. C.; I
am 63 years old. I was born down here on the Ararat River; I always
lived in Surry Co. My grandmother was Indian; that was my father's
mother. My mother was born free. I was free. My grandfather was
stole from Africa. When he became a man, he bought himself. My fa-
ther helped pay for his father. My mother was a colored woman; she
was white on her mother's side; her father was a servant. My fa-
ther's father was stolen from Africa, and he married an Indian, and,
therefore, my father was a free man, and helped buy the freedom of my
grandfather. My grandmother on my father's side was born, I suppose,
in Halifax Co., Va., and they moved down here. I never knew my grand-
mother on my father's side. I have heard my father speak of his fa-
ther; I have heard him speak of his mother, but don't know what her
name was. I have heard father say that she had Indian blood. I ne-
ver heard him say what kind of Indian. I have been known through
the community as a colored woman.

Her
Drucinda X Snow
Mark.

SUBSCRIBED and sworn to before me this 23rd day of March, 1908, at
Pilot Mt., N. C.

[Signed] Guion Miller
Special Commissioner of the
Court of Claims.

44.

No. 38033 (Sarah J. Wolfe).
No. 38026 (Sally Nelson).

SARAH J. WOLFE, being first duly sworn, deposes and says:

My name is Sarah J. Wolfe; I live at Mt. Airy, N. C.; I am
27 years old. My mother is Nancy Bearden, and Sally Nelson was her
mother. My mother is living, but she was sick and did not file a
claim. I claim my Indian blood on both sides, both father and
mother. My mother is 56 years old; my father is not living. My
mother was not a slave; she was a free woman. She was born in
Patrick Co., Va. Sally Nelson was not a slave; never was a slave.
She said she was born down in Stokes Co. My father was not a slave.
He was born in Mt. Airy, N. C. He was the son of the sister of
Drucinda Snow (34139). I have heard Sally Nelson say that she
is half-Indian, on her father's side. Her mother was a white wo-
man. Sally Nelson said that her father was a Cherokee; I don't
know where he was born. I never heard my mother or grandmother
say that they had drawn money from the Government as Indians. They
lived close by where the Indians were, but never lived with the In-
dians as Indians. I don't know where it was that they lived close
to the Indians. I never knew where they lived outside of Stokes,
Surry Co., and Patrick Co. (Va.), except grandmother Sally Nelson
went over into Tennessee for a while. I never heard my father say
that he was enrolled as an Indian or received any money as an Indian.
I have been hearing that I was a Cherokee Indian for some 10 or
15 years. I don't know whether my neighbors knew it or not. But
grandmother always said that she is half Indian and that we have
Indian blood in us, too. She always said it was Cherokee Indian.
Never claimed any other kind of Indian. I told Drucinda Snow that
I was a Cherokee Indian about a year ago. I never told her that be-
fore; I did not know there was anything in it before. I never told
anyone that I was Cherokee Indian until I knew there was something
in it. We knew we was Indian all right, but never said much about
it. My grandmother passes for a colored woman. My father was a
colored man.

[Signed] Sarah J. Wolfe

SUBSCRIBED and sworn to before me, this 23rd day of March, 1908,
at Pilot Mt., N. C.

[Signed] Guion Miller
Special Commissioner of the
Court of Claims.

45.

No. 38014

LELIA EDWARDS, being first duly sworn, deposes and says:

My name is Lelia Edwards; I live in Mt. Airy, N. C.; I am
34 years old. I was born in Stokes Co., N. C. I claim Indian blood
through my father. My mother was a colored woman. As far as I know,
my father was born in Stokes Co., N. C. He was an Indian on his mo-
ther's side. I don't know where his mother was born. I have heard
my father say this mother was a full-blood Indian. Both my mother
and father were slaves. I have heard my father say his mother was
Cherokee. I have seen her, but I can't remember her; she has been
dead so long.

Her
Lelia X Edwards
Mark

SUBSCRIBED and sworn to before me, this 23rd day of March, 1908, at
Pilot Mt., N. C.

[Signed] Guion Miller
Special Commissioner of the
Court of Claims.

46.

No. 38040
38019

ANNIE E. McClenore, being first duly sworn, deposes and
says:

My name is Annie E. McClenore; I am 28 years old; I live
at Mt. Airy. I was born in Surry Co., and am the daughter of John
Crawford, who was born in Alabama, I think. I do not know what
part of Alabama. I claim my Indian blood through both mother and
father. My mother's father was half Indian; my mother has not filed
a claim. My father was held as a slave, as was my mother. They
belonged to white people. I have heard my father and mother say
that they were related to Cherokee Indians.

[Signed] Annie E. McClenore

SUBSCRIBED and sworn to before me, this 23rd day of March, 1908,
at Pilot Mt., N. C.

[Signed] Guion Miller
Special Commissioner of the
Court of Claims.

47.

No. 32048 (Babe Payne)
No. 38002 (Eler Payne)
No. [deleted]

BABE PAYNE, being first duly sworn, deposes and says:

My name is Babe Payne; I live at Mt. Airy, N. C.; I am 44
years old. Fannie and Thos. Payne are my mother and father. I
claim my Indian blood through my mother. My father was a slave, and
so was my mother. My mother was related to the Cherokee Indians.
She was born in Forsythe Co., N. C., and her Indian blood was on
her mother's side. I do not know where her mother was born. I
am the husband of Eler Payne (38002). I knew her parents. My
wife claims her Indian blood through her mother, who was a slave.
My wife's father was a colored man. My wife's mother claimed to
be Cherokee Indian; I don't know where she was born. I never
heard of my mother or my wife's mother's being enrolled as Indians,
or receiving any money as Indians.

His
BABE X PAYNE
Mark

SUBSCRIBED AND SWORN TO before me, this 23rd day of March, 1908, at
Pilot Mt., N. C.

[Signed] Guion Miller
Special Commissioner of the
Court of Claims.

48.

No. 19898.

JAMES A. SLAWTER, being first duly sworn, deposes and says:

My name is Jas. A. Slawter; my P. O. is Pinnacle, Stokes
Co., N. C.; I am 47 years old. I was born in Stokes Co., and lived
there all my life. My father was Jerry Miles Slawter; he was born
in Stokes Co., and lived there all his life. He died about 13 years
ago; he was 75 years old. Here is a Bible which shows that he was
born July 12, 1818, and my mother was born in 1818. My father's
father was born in Georgia. My father's mother was born in Stokes
Co., N. C. I claim my Indian blood through my father and his father.
I do not know what part of Ga. my father's father was born. My
grandfather moved to Stokes Co. when he was nothing but a boy and I
do not know anything of his people in Ga., except just by name. My
father and I have always been regarded in the community as white
people. My grandfather died before I was born. So far as I know,
my father was never enrolled as an Indian. If he ever lived a-
mong the Indians, I never heard of it. I have heard my father
claim Indian blood ever since I can remember; he said he had Chero-
kee Indian blood, when I was a boy on up until he died. I never
heard him say anything except that they claim his father was close
to two-thirds Indian.

[Signed] J. A. Slawter

SUBSCRIBED and sworn to before me, this 23rd day of March, 1908, at
Pilot Mt., N. C.

[Signed] Guion Miller
Special Commissioner of the
Court of Claims.

49.

No. 19914.

Miscel.

Leander Nelson being first duly sworn deposes and says:

I live near Danbury in Stokes County, N.C. and was born in
Stokes County. I am 73 years of age, and have lived in Stokes
County all of my life. My mother's was Thenia Tilleham before
marriage, and was born in Stokes County also. I claim Indian
blood through my mother only. My mother died about 1880, and
was 84 years of age at the time of her death. She claimed Indian
blood through her mother. I do not know where her mother was
born. Her first place of residence that I remember hearing of
was down in Stokes County. I never heard of her living anywhere
else. I have never lived with any tribe of Indians, nor have
I ever heard of my mother living with any tribe of Indians.
I do not know, personally of any tribe of Indians living in Stokes
County as a tribe, but I have heard of Indians being in Stokes
County and have seen them myself. Some of them, I understood,
had homes in Stokes county, but I cannot mention the names of
any individual Indians who had homes there. As a boy, I always
heard they were Cherokee Indians, and have never heard
them called anything else. I have heard my father and mother
say that they were Cherokee Indians. I am positive of this.
I do not know that I have heard my mother say that any of these
Indians were relatives of her, although I have heard her say
that her grandmother, the wife of William Tilleham was an Indian
squaw. I do not know that I have ever heard her say that she
(my great grandmother) was related to any of these Cherokee
Indians. She said that my great grandmother lived down in Stokes
County. I did not know my grandmother. I do not remember
ever hearing my mother say when her grandmother died. I have
never been enrolled as an Indian; nor have I received any money
as such. I have always passed in the community as a white man.
I attended the White schools. I have voted also. I mustered
before the War. I did not hear that I was enrolled in 1851
as a Cherokee Indian. I have never heard my mother say that she
was enrolled in 1835 as a Cherokee Indian. I do not know that
I ever told my neighbors that I was an Indian; nor do I remember
that I ever told them that I had Cherokee Indian blood. I
have never made any claim as a Cherokee Indian until this
matter came up. I have heard of Dr. Johnny Gourd quite often
as a child, but did not know him myself. I did not know Joseph
Sizemore, but am acquainted with his children. I have never
heard of the Meredith family. I have seen old Ned Sizemore often.
He was a tolerably old man when I first saw him. He lived on the
south side of the Sorrystown Mountains. He must have been younger
than Dr. Johnny Gourd Sizemore.

[Signed] Leander Nelson

Subscribed and sworn to before me at Pilot Mountain this
23d day of March, 1908.

[Signed] Guion Miller
Special Commissioner Court of
Claims.

50.