Formerly a leading tribe of South Carolina, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, and Ohio. By reason of the indefinite character of their name, their wandering habits, their connection with other tribes, and because of their interior position away from the traveled routes of early days, the Shawnee were long a stumbling block in the way of investigators.
Powhatan Indians: A confederacy of Virginian Algonquian tribes. Their territory included the tidewaters of Virginia, as well as possibly parts of Maryland.
The tribes, in the order of their location on Smith’s map, were as follows: Tauxenent, Fairfax county Potomac, Stafford and King George counties Cuttatawomen, King George county Pissasec, King George and Richmond counties Onawmanieut, Westmoreland counties Rappahannock, Richmond counties Moraughtacund, Lancaster and Richmond counties Secacawoni, Northumberland counties Wicocomoco, Northumberland counties Nantaughtacund, Essex and Caroline counties
The following were Powhatan villages: Accohanoc, Accomac, Acconoc, Accoqueck, Accossuwinck, Acquack, Anaskenoans, Appocant, Appomattoc, Arrohattoe, Askakep, Assaomeck, Assuweska, Attamtuck, Aubornesk, Aureuapeugh, Cantaunkack, Capahowasic, Cattachiptico, Cawwontoll, Chawopo, Checopissowo, Chesakawon, Chesapeak, Chiconessex, Chincoteague, Chiskiac, Cinquack, Cinquoteck, Cuttatawomen (1), Cuttatawomen (2), Gangasco, Kapawnich, Kerahocak, Kiequotank, Kupkipcock, Machapunga (1), Machapunga (2), Mamanahunt, Mamanassy, Mangoraca, Mantoughquemec, Martoughquaunk, Massawoteck, Matchopick, Matchut,
Powhatan Indians (Southern Renape pawd’tan, ‘falls in a current’ of water.-Gerard). A confederacy of Virginian Algonquian tribes. Their territory included the tidewater section of Virginia from the Potomac south to the divide between James River and Albemarle sound, and extended into the interior as far as the falls of the principal rivers about Fredericksburg and
Appomattoc. A tribe of the Powhatan confederacy formerly living on lower Appomattox River, Virginia. They had 60 warriors in 1608, and were of some importance as late as 1671, but were extinct by 1722. Their principal village, which bore the same name was on the site of Bermuda Hundred, Prince George County, was burned by
Meherrin Indians. An Iroquoian tribe formerly residing on the river of the same name on the Virginia-North Carolina border. Jefferson confounded them with the Tutelo. according to the official colonial documents they were a remnant of the Conestoga or Susquehanna of upper Maryland, dispersed by the Iroquois about 1675, but this also is incorrect, as
Nottoway Indians. A Iroquoian tribe formerly residing on the river of the same name in south east Virginia. They call themselves Cheroenhaka, and were known to the neighboring Algonquian tribes as Mangoac (Mengwe) and Nottoway, i.e., Nadowa, ‘adders,’ a common Algonquian name for the tribes of alien stock. Although never prominent in history they kept
Cherokee Indians. A powerful detached tribe of the Iroquoian family, formerly holding the whole mountain region of the south Alleghenies, in southwest Virginia, western North Carolina and South Carolina, north Georgia, east Tennessee, and northeast Alabama, and claiming even to the Ohio River.
Monacan Indians (possibly from an Algonquian word signifying a digging stick or spade). A tribe and confederacy of Virginia in the 17th century. The confederacy occupied the upper waters of James river above the falls at Richmond. Their chief village was Rasawek. They were allies of the Manahoac and enemies of the Powhatan, and spoke
Manahoac Indians (Algonquian: ‘they are very merry.’ – Tooker). A confederacy or group of small tribes or bands possibly Siouan, in north Virginia, in 1608, occupying the country from the falls of the rivers to the mountains and from the Potomac to North Anna river. They were at war with the Powhatan and Iroquois, and
Accohanoc Indians. A tribe of the Powhatan confederacy that formerly lived on the river of the same name, in Accomac and Northampton counties, Virginia. They had 40 warriors in 1608. Their principal village bore the name of the tribe. They became mixed with Negroes in later times, and the remnant was driven off at the
While we know nothing positively as to the linguistic affinity of the Sara, all the evidence goes to show that, like most of the tribes of the central region of Virginia and Carolina, they were of Siouan stock. Their name is probably from the Catawba word sara, signifying a place of “tall grass or weeds”
When the French and English established their first permanent settlement in America they found the whole country in possession of numerous aboriginal tribes, some large and powerful, others restricted to a single village and its environs. The variety of languages and dialects at first appeared to be well-nigh infinite; but on further acquaintance it was
The Tutelo and Saponi tribes must be considered together. Their history under either name begins in 1670. As already stated, Monahassanugh and Nahyssan are other forms of Yesan, the name given to themselves by the last surviving Tutelo, and which seems to have been the generic term used by all the tribes of this connection
The history of the Monacan tribes of Virginia belongs to two distinct periods, the colonization period and the colonial period. By the former we may understand the time of exploration and settlement from the first landing of the English in Virginia to the expeditions of Lederer and Batts, in 1670 and 1671, which supplied the
The history of the Occaneechi is so closely interwoven with that of the Saponi and Tutelo that little remains to be said of them as a distinct tribe. Their history begins with Lederer’s journey in 1670. After leaving the Saponi, who lived then, as has been stated, on a tributary of the Staunton, he went,
