Roanoke Island: Solving The Mystery Of The Lost Colony Roanoke, Lee Miller, c. 2000

Solving The Mystery of the Lost Colony Roanake

Lee Miller

c. 2000

I have this book in storage. I assume I have read it but I don't recall it. I found it again in the library. I am ready to read it again.

Preface

• three mysteries in one
• evidence indicates that the truth about the colonists' fate was known, although misleading statements were passed off in its place
• the story as it is generally told:
• Sir Walter Raleigh obtained a royal patent from Queen Elizabeth I for rights to settle North America
• spring of 1584: SWR launches an exploratory expedition; discover Roanake Island; return that autumn
• 1585: military expedition financed by SWR; a fort is built; soldiers remain there until spring of 1586
• 1587: SWR sends a colony of men, women, and children to Chesapeake Bay; to visit Roanoke Island in passing
• governor: John White
• for some reason, John White lands at Roanoke Island and remains; does not go to Chesapeake Bay as instructed; colony move into the abandoned fort
• short of supplies, Governor John White returns to England with the transport ships
• his return coincides with the coming of the Spanish Armada
• due to that war, Governor John White unable to relieve the colonists until 1590
• when he does return; the colonists have vanished
• conclusion: colonists murdered by the Powhatan Indians of Virginia
• loss of 116 people
• the author doesn't believe the story as told
• the story of the Lost Colony is America's oldest mystery story
• the single most important question according to the author: why were the colonists left at Roanoke Island? It will be interesting to see why that is so important a question: the fort was already there; the colonists were exhausted after the long trip; would Chesapeake be any better?

A side note: this was all happening during the height of Shakespeare's theater career; the real Shakespeare (Sir Henry Neville) was investing, and may have invested in this adventure.

A side note: it would be interesting to see Nathaniel Philbrick weigh in on this mystery.

Roanoke Island: a wisp of an island; too remote for us to have visited when we lived on Langley AFB, Hampton Roads, Virginia (to the north) or many years later when we lived in Summerville/Charleston, South Caroline (to the south).

The island is off the coast of North Carolina. It is near the North Carolina - Virginia state line.

There is an incredibly long natural sea barrier to the east of Roanoke Island: Croatoan Peninsula.

The nearest bay -- a huge bay -- to Roanoke Island is fed by the Chowan River which has headwaters in Virginia, all the way up to the land of the Powahatan, on west side of the bay from Jamestown, Virginia. 

Part One: A Case of Missing Persons

Chapter 1: The Disappearance

• July 1587: the chapter opens with 117 people. 116 people are lost according to the preface. I assume the missing person was Governor John White
• first English colonists in America
• according to the author, John White was well-versed in this part of America, and knew the colonists could not have survived on Roanoke Island (but he was going to return with supplies, wasn't he? and then move on up to Chesapeake Bay?)
• first English child born in America: Virginia Dane to John White's daughter Eleanor and her husband
• Ananias Dane
• that was 1587; due to English war with Spain (Spanish Armada), John White did not return until 1590, three years later
• autumn of 1590: John White lets SWR know about the lost colonists
• 1593: John White composes letter to geographer and historian Richard Hakluyt with his side of the story; appears to be a farewell letter; after the letter, John White vanishes
• 1600: the letter is finally published, seven years after it was written; ten years after SWR knew

Then the letter than John White wrote in 1593 about events starting in 1590 when he returned to Roanoke Island (page 5)
three ships and two little shallops which sink; replaced en route; the three ships:

• Hopewell, flagship, Captain Abraham Cocke
• Little John, Captain Christopher Newport
• John Evangelist, the consort (a ship of any size that accompanies another vessel)
• "chartered" by Master John Watts, known by the Spaniards as the greatest pirate on the high seas
• John White is frantic; in 1588, the Spaniards came close to locating Brits (the Roanoke Colony) but never found them; White knows it's a race between John Watts pirate ships and the Spaniards, but the British pirates are in no hurry to leave the Caribbean, plundering
• the Spaniards getting closer to learning about Roanoke; now the hurricane season 

Finally, up to North Carolina, first the southern banks, then the NE end of Croatan Island (August 10, 1590)

• August 15, 1590: reach Hatorask Island (Hatteras); ahead lies Port Ferdinando; a break in the barrier island chain; through the break, in the distance, John White glimpses Roanoke Island; [Kitty Hawk in this very area; on Croatan barrier island, just a bit northeast of Roanoke Island]; his daughter Virginia wold be 3 years old; but John White was 3 years later in returning; a ship overturns; drownings; pirates don't want to try to get to Roanoke again; 
• August 18, 1590: finally reach Roanoke -- nothing (p. 12)
• White finds CRO carved into a tree (White had told colonists to use this cryptic ticker)
• CRO but no sign of the maltese cross: his symbol for distress; no indication of distress at time CRO was carved
• then sees CROATAN carved on a tree
• finds his buried chest; but nothing more
• pirates don't dare try to land at Croatan
• White convinces one ship, the Hopewell, to winter over at Trinidad, and then next summer return to Croatan before returning to England (pirates probably figure a winter of plunder)
• August 28, 1590: hurricane
• White loses; Hopewell heads home; arrives at Azores

that was the letter; John White says that was his fifth and last voyage to America; and then disappears; letter dated February 4, 1593 (three years after his return) -- p. 18 

Other:

John Watts.

In Volume 2  of Memorials of Affairs of State in the Reigns of Q. Elizabeth and K. James I, two letters next to each other:

• the first letter, dated August 13, 1605, from The Lords of the Privy Council to Mr Winwood, written on behalf of Sir John Watts, Alderman of the city of London, with regard to some "suit." 
• the next letter, dated August 19, 1604, is from Sir Henry Neville to Mr Winwood, in which the treaties between France and Scotland have apparently just been signed is note by Sir Henry Neville.

Shakespeare lodged at Mountjoy from 1602 - 1604, and then near the end of his life, left London in 1611.

The Tempest – his last substantial play, 1610 or 1611.

References the famous shipwreck of the Sea-Venture, 1609, on way to Jamestown (second London Virginia Company) – wrecked on Bermuda – manuscript event circulated among the council (Neville was a member) but it was not published for general/wide release until 1625.

Chapter 2: A Case of Missing Persons

• the author wonders if some crime has been/had been committed which was the reason Governor John White hastily left his colony --

Chapter 3: John White, Governor

• the author will now explore the background of John White
• nothing is known about John White: that alone is very, very weird -- he was the governor and nothing is known about him

John White: artist

• first Roanoke expedition as an artist: 1584

• second Roanoke expedition to accompany 15 soldiers to set up camp; again, as an artist: 1585

• third Roanoke expedition: 1857; this time as Governor of the City of Raleigh in Virginia (not Roanoke, note); when they arrive, find dead soldier, George Howe (Secotan arrow); Mateo, a native to Croatoan Island accompanies the third voyage, back to his home; three ships: Ferdinando/Fernandez, master of "our Admiral (page 64), the Lion; a pinnace (Captain Edward Stafford); and, a flyboat (Captain Edward Spicer), captained by Captain Spicer; the flyboat and Spicer abandoned in the Bay of Portugal but later makes it to Roanoke (August 25 -- page 73); White and colonists had arrived at Roanoke on July 22; first to Caribbean before up to Roanoke; first stop, Santa Cruz in the Virgin Islands, reached it June 22 after a month at see (page 64); see page 63 for boats, captains; August 22 decision to return to England; depart August 27 on the Lion and the flyboat (see pate 76); September: John White and Edward Spicer get back to Ireland; Hakluyt (page 78) historian reports that Roanoke is a tremendous success;

• 1590: fourth expedition to Roanoke; to find out what happened to the colonists; Captain Edward Spicer on this voyage also, but will die on beach at Hatorask; death observed by John White

Part Two: A Case of Murder

Author argues there was murder or sabotage. Suspects:

• John White himself
• James  Lasie and John Wright; were on second voyage, 1585; fateful winter of 1585 - 1586; author rules these two out; John Wright later subscribed to the Jamestown venture some years later
• Darby Glande (p. 62): unlikely
• Denice Carrell (Irishman) and Darby Glande (aka Darbie Glaven; David Glavid): left behind in Puerto Rico; Carrell never heard of again; Glande ends up reporting to Puerto Rico governor de Valdes (p. 67): Glande tips off Valdes that English are on their way to Roanoke (Jacan); Glande had been captured twice; escaped; escape seems suspicious; set up by third party; author says Glande never returned to Roanoke, so is not the suspect
• Alanson: a friend of the Lion's captain (Fernandez)
• Fernandez: in the midst of everything; it looks like he sabotaged the colonists in 1587; it turns out that he was also the captain on the second voyage, the voyage in 1585 that took the military soldiers to Roanoake.

The author says we need to go back to the second voyage; back to 1585 - 1586 to find out more about that expedition and more about Fernandez. First thing I want to know is why is a Spanish-surnamed sailor in charge when the English and Spanish are at war (Spanish Armada, 1587; delayed White from returning to Roanoke for three years); what was Sir Walter Raleigh's involvement; what did he know; when did he know it?

 Chapter 10: the second Roanoke expedition: Grenville and the Secotan (1585) -- this is the expedition to set up a military outpost at Roanoke to thwart the Spanish

• 1585
• Manteo and Wanchese, SWR's Indian guests, brought over from the first Roanoke expedition in 1584, join in New Year's (1585) celebrations
• Spain is gearing for war; they've taken the Low Countries (Netherlands)
• Raleigh is knighted, January 6 (Twelfth Night) as a reward for annexing the land of Virginia for the Queen
• Raleigh's plan is to thwart the Spanish by building a secret military base at Roanoke; Spain cannot fight England without a steady stream of gold from America
• Money welds Spain together; disrupt its supply and Spain's military will grind to a halt
• Again, the riches of the West Indies -- think Alexander Hamilton
• Raleigh assembles 13 ships -- page 81; Raleigh is assigned the warship the Tigeri
• Captain Ralph Lane is recalled to service from Kerry, Ireland; will play a role in the Lost Colony -- page 82
• April 9, 1585: ships assembled at Plymouth; SWR's cousin Richard Grenville is the commanding officer; second-in-command, High Marshl, Thomas Cavendish; Ralph Lane ranks 3rd (Irish ferociousness), sails as Lieutenant; Vice-Admiral of the fleet is Captain Philip Amadas (from Plymouth) -- he led the first expedition to Roanoke in 1584; Simon Fernandez, Pilot Major, is third officer on the maritime side.
• The specialists on board (1585, military expedition): John White, artist; Thomas Hariot, scientist and SWR's tutor; Joachim Ganz, a mineral man from Prague; and Manteo and Wanchese are returning home

Spanish embargo on English shipping, May 1585

Queen Elizabeth grants hundreds of letters allowing privateering (piracy).

English syndicates make money, hand over fist. Huge, huge windfall; plundering as pirates.

The big thing: sugar!

Raleigh's naval fleet underway; difficult beginning. Grenville and Ralph Lane have a falling out with each other. Grenville is both Admiral and General on this expedition. -- page 85

June 23: along the Carolina coast; having departed on/about May 23.

Page 86: the Tiger runs aground on the outer banks. From here on, all ensuing events evolve from this disaster. Lane is furious; he says Grenville blamed Fernandez. Stores destroyed by salt water; too late for planting season.

I just noticed: north half of Roanoke Island named Manteo; southern half of Roanoke Island named Wanchese -- wow.

Inland expedition; deep in Secotan territory.

Hariot scrutinizes corn, unknown in England -- page 92.

Military turns on Grenville; the fleet sets sail. Ralph Lane remains at Roanoke, along with 107 men, less than a third of the entire contingent.

Two men returning with Grenville have secret letters (from Ralph Lane, others) about how awful Grenville is. "Ralph Lane's actions, more than any link in the chain of events forged thus far, will directly seal the fate of the Lost Colonists." -- page 96. Lane's tenure on Roanoke was a downhill spiral ending in enormous tragedy. The author says that to discover what happened at Roanoke we must enter the world of a madman.

Chapter 11: The Second Roanoke Expedition: Lane's Command (1585 - 1586) -- so Ralph Lane is left behind in command of a small contingent of British army personnel on Roanoke.

Lane's Fort, July 29, 1585:

Lane has been told he will get no food/help from the Secotan. The Secotan tell him he can stay at Roanoke but he won't get any help. Lane is a fool. He is adamant about staying. It is obvious they will all starve.

August 17, 1585: the fort is completed; Lane assumes command -- he is Governor and General. Philip Amadas, an admiral will be second-in-command. Two other officers identified: Edward Stafford and John Vaughan.

Remember, Lane was from Ireland.

Granganimeo is the leader of the Indians at their palisaded town of Roanoke. His brother, Wingina, "King of the entire Secotan country" moved to Lane's Fort.

Lane assigns Amadas to get information on natives:

• the Weapemeoc confederacy, led by Okisko, is comprised of four small nations: the Yeopim proper, the Perquiman, the Pasquotank, and the Poteskeet, allied to the Secotan
• West of the Weapemeoc Confederacy: the Chowanoc, also a member of the alliance.

Drought.

Soldiers try to convert Indians; the Secotan are shocked, reeling. To convert would destroy their whole way of life.

Autumn, 1585: Secotan begin to die. English microbes start to wipe out the Secotan. Relations deteriorate.

Meanwhile: Grenville has returned home; great fanfare in London. Incredibly huge booty from America brought back in the ships.

But now Spain is preparing to invade England. England abandons Roanoke; too small to make a difference. Winter sets in at Roanoke. Things will not go well. Lane is unaware that he has been abandoned. Secotan "rich" with copper. Ultimately, Lane's obsession with copper will destroy the Lost Colonists.

Chapter 12: Chauni Temoatan and a Murder (1586)

Ralph Lane and military on Roanoke; not doing well
Amadas explores Weapemeoc country; returns
Hariot explores mainland farther in; likes it; Lane wants more information
explorers find evidence of natives able to use copper
White's map identifies name not seen before: Mangoak
Mangoak will be intimately associated with the Lost Colonists; we need to know more about them

Illness kills many Indians, including Wingina and Granganimeo; Wingina recovers; his brother does not; Wingina changes his name to Pemisapan

Lane blames Pemisapan for his problems with Menatonon on the Chowan River in Chowanoc -- it's a lie.

Pemisapan was closely allied with both the Weapemeoc and Chowanoc; could have defeated the Secotan.

Lane still wants to find the copper mines.

Lane has created problems for future colonists by what he did to the Secotan and other native Americans.

After 10 months at Roanoke, he finally departs when Drake drops off supplies.

Part Three: A Case Of Conspiracy

Chapter 13: The Lost Colonists (1587)

After Lane's hurried departure, Raleigh's long-awaited supply ship shows up; finds no men. Two weeks later, another ship under Grenville's commander arrives. Finds no one but leaves 15 soldies in charge of the fort at Roanoke.

July, 1587:

The 15 soldiers are gone.

White is in charge. Twenty colonists are ferried to Croatoan by Captain Stafford, Lane's former officer, along with Manteo.

This book has become impossible to read. Chronology is impossible to follow.

At end of chapter, author suggests that the colonists were collateral damage. The real target was someone else. He implies the real target was Sir Walter Raleigh. Someone wanted to see him fail.

Chapter 14: Raleigh's Rise To Power Page 135

Raleigh born in 1552

Chapter 15: Political Turmoil

Such an incredibly confusing book. Now the author goes back to "political turmoil" starting in 1569.

Chapter 16:  The Players

The author suggests these suspects who may have wanted to removed Sir Walter Raleigh from the court: Leicester, hatton, Burghley, Walsingham, possibly aided by the Earl of Essex. Who stood the most to gain with the removal of SWR?

Chapter 17: The Motive

Raleigh has become Walsingham's worst enemy.

Chapter 18: The Game

Rastell's Conspiracy: "A similar crime had been committed before. Fernandez's stalling; his betrayal of John White (an artist); his claim that the summer was too far spent; his mutiny: very neatly done, but hardly original. Surely Walsingham, as Secretary of State, had access to the records and knew it had happened before. It was an easy matter to replicate John Rastell's voyage of 1517."

Chapter 19: The Fall





Begins with John White's return.




Part Four: Who Are The Mandoag?

Chapter 20: Raleigh's Search

Five years after banishment, SRW returns to the Queen's court in 1597.




Chapter 21: Jamestown

Chapter 22: War on the Powhatan

Chapter 23: Requiem

Chapter 24: Deep In The Interior

Chapter 25: Who Are The Mandoag? START WITH PAGE 251!

Chapter 26: Epilogue