Hoping to identify origins & family of Civil War veteran CHARLES CARTER who, in 1864, enlisted in an all-Anishnaabek (Odawa / Ojibway / Potawatomi) Company of the First Michigan Sharpshooters and shortly thereafter was killed in the Battle of the Crater, Petersburg VA. Here's what I have : Muster papers make clear CARTER was about age 21, "Indian," fairly tall, dark-complected with black hair. For purposes of the wartime draft, he was credited as a Maryland enlistment, and there is mention in the Michigan Adjutant General's report for the year as being from Walpole Island, a significant Ojibway reserve on the Canadian side of Lake St. Clair, near Detroit. Suspect that CARTER was from Virginia only because it is a common-enough name to the area, and <somewhere ?> ran across some Powhatan names that appeared to be "borrowed," including CARTER. A look through Helen Rountree's historical work on Virginia & DelMarVa Indians and a little help from my friends has produced four research paths to follow, and I'd appreciate any & all information, recommendations, free advice anyone cares to offer me. #1 Rountree's EASTERN SHORE INDIANS OF VIRGINIA AND MARYLAND (1997) indicates Carters living near the tip of the DelMarVa Peninsula (Northampton Co., VA) as 17th century Gingaskins. Could have been a "citizen Indian" enlisting in a unit which had many like-minded men. Can anyone check census data from 1840-1860 for Indian (or, perhaps, "colored") CARTERs? #2 Rountree's POCAHONTAS'S PEOPLE (1990) confirmed that Pamunkey and Chickahominey expatriates made their way into Canadian Ojibway populations (Walpole Island was one of the larger Ojibway communities between Niagara and Detroit). Anyone know where I might look into these expatriates, again in period 1840-60, on chance CARTERs were among these migrants? #3 Same source also noted that local Pamunkey joined federal forces in 1863, and several were expelled from rolls of Colosee Baptist Church. Rountree cites Minute Book of church, which I assume is still in its possession -- can anyone locate the Minutes Book or provide an address of the church? #4 The possibility of a Cumberland Co. North Carolina origin. If anyone has access to the 1850 & 1860 NC (Cumberland Co.) census rolls and cares to check for Carters, I"d appreciate it. I have a "genealogy" question, and two general questions that I'd appreciate advice on as well. *** ? Are there online sources I should investigate ? *** ? How much difficulty would an Anishnaabek have speaking to a Powhatan, vice-versa ? Language stock is the same, but how much difference is there in practice between Great Lakes and the Tidewater ? *** ? In census data of 1840 - 1860, would Indians be enumerated as Indian, or as "colored" or would there be no such designation ? How might data from Maryland and Virginia differ in this regard ? How about in North Carolina ? [All I know of Virginia "racial identity" law & custom is from Rountree, which suggests shifting and uncertain enumeration.] Again, appreciate anyone taking time to help me with this -- I'm located in Lansing, Michigan and able to reciprocate if anyone needs some help with data I can find up here. Regards, R D Winthrop < rdwinthrop@a1access.net >