Each one of us, no matter whether we live now or 300 years ago, is a product of our society. We reflect the ideas that are/were prevalent at the time. Anyone looking back, and any one in the future looking back even at us today, should realize that. Kitty Paul Drake wrote: > > >Subject: Re: W. A. Plecker's Letter, > > > > > My Dear Friend ____; Thanks for sending along this material, > though you surely were not the author. My reaction is an immediate > one: I have NO patience whatever with those who would > suggest/demand that we somehow are responsible to, answerable for, > or should in any way be apologetic over the actions of those who > went before us. Equally, I hold quite in contempt those who, in the > name of free speech, human rights, or color of authority, do now (or > did so in the past) vent their prejudices and biases in the > direction of anyone who had to, would, or just might listen. > > I am firm in my view that our ancestors should be left quietly in > their graves, there to rest in peace - pleased with their > accomplishments and sorry for their failures - and answer to the > Almighty alone for their travesties, injustices and for holding > views and opinions that just happen to not correspond with those > notions held today by us, the would-be "educated," "enlightened" and > "sophisticated." > The freedom to speak our minds applies only to speech affecting or > relating to those with whom we must, do, should, or may in the > future live as fellow tenants on this little planet. Mr. Justice > Holmes said it best; "The thought that we should be judged by our > posterity is absurd." Paul > > > > > >I am forwarding this letter with permission of the Ashley-L list > > > owner. This > > > > > letter which discusses a dark period of Virginia's not so > > > distant history > > > > > should remind us all about just how prejudiced society can > be. > > > Plecker will > > > > > still in office in the early days of my own lifetime and > today > > > it is easy to > > > > > think that he would have been better suited working with > > Hitler > > > than with the > > > > > people of Virginia. He served during a period when Virginia > > > supposedly had > > > > > strong leaders such as Harry F Byrd; A. Willis Roberston > > (father > > > of Pat), > > > > > Colgate Darden, and many others. Living in West Point, VA > > > within 15 miles of > > > > > both the Pamunkey and Mattaponi Indian reservations, I am > > > frequently reminded > > > > > of the pain and shame that this man has caused the > > Commonwealth > > > and its > > > > > citizens. Some try to make excuses for him as "being part > of > > > the time", but > > > > > each man must be responsible for his own actions. > > > > > > > > > > Although I am no longer a member of Sizemore-L, I thought > that > > > this letter > > > > > might be appropriate to share with my many friends and > > relatives > > > on that List. > > > > > > > > > > Ron Blevins of West Point, VA > > > > > > > > > > > ******************************************************************** > > > ********** > > > > > > > > > > ******** > > > > > From: (Ethel) > > > > > To: > > > > > > > > > > Hello List, > > > > > > > > > > Many of us have ancestors that came from VA, and many of us > > also > > > have the > > > > > family legend of Indian blood. When we get back to older > > census > > > there was no > > > > > category for "Indian", so you may see your surnames listed > as > > > "white". > > > > > "black", "mulatto", and "spanish", "french" (in particular, > if > > > they have achieved the "cover" of > > > > > living as "white"), or any other race that would explain > their > > > darker skin. To our new > > > > > members, always check the surnames, regardless of race, as > > > basically there > > > > > were only "2" races, white and "colored". > > > > > > > > > > In case you have been stumped by not finding documents for > > some > > > of your > > > > > family,in particular in VA, because they may have had Indian > > > bloodlines, This letter > > > > > could be the reason. This was on my Five Civilized Tribes > > list. > > > I am sending this > > > > > to perhaps explain *why* some documents can't be found, even > > > though it is dated 1943. > > > > > Check the list of surnames that follow. I found several of > > mine, > > > and also > > > > > recognize several as being Cherokee. > > > > > > > > > This letter is sent to be information only. > > > > > > > > > > Ethel Taylor > > > > > List Manager > > > > > ^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^ > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > > > > Sent: Monday, June 25, 2001 11:22 PM > > > > > Subject: Plecker > > > > > > > > > > SMOKIN PLECKER'S LETTER > > > > > > > > > > W.A. Plecker MD, was a State office worker from the Virginia > > > Office of Vital > > > > > Statistics. Plecker regularly referred to Melungeons and > other > > > > > mixed-ancestry people as "mongrels" or "the mongrel races." > > > doing a great > > > > > unjustice to the people of mixed ancestry and leaving > bitter > > > taste in my > > > > > mouth. Thank God there aren't many > > > > > people of his thinking in this world. > > > > > > > > > > Page#1 Commonwealth of Virginia > > > > > Department of Health > > > > > Bureau of Vital Statistics > > > > > Richmond > > > > > > > > > > January 1943 > > > > > > > > > > Local Registrars, Physicians, Health > > > > > Officers, Nurses, School Superintendents > > > > > and Clerks of the Courts > > > > > > > > > > Dear Co-workers: > > > > > > > > > > Our December 1942 letter to local registrars, also mailed to > > the > > > clerks, set > > > > > forth the determined effort to escape from the negro race of > > > groups of > > > > > "free issues," or descendants of the "free mulattoes" of > early > > > days, so > > > > > listed prior to 1865 in the United States census and various > > > types > > > > > of State records, as distinguished from slave negroes. > > > > > > > > > > Now that these people are playing up the advantages gained > by > > > being permitted > > > > > to give "Indian" as the race of the child's parents on birth > > > certificates, > > > > > we see the great mistake made in not stopping earlier the > > > organized > > > > > propagation of this racial falsehood. > > > > > > > > > > They have been using the advantage thus gained as an aid to > > > intermarriage > > > > > into the white race and to attend white schools, and now > for > > > some time, they > > > > > have been > > > > > refusing to register with war draft boards as negroes, as > > > required by the > > > > > boards which are faithfully performing their duties. > > > > > Three of these negroes from Caroline County were sentenced > to > > > prison on > > > > > January 12 in the United States Court at Richmond for > > refusing > > > to obey the > > > > > draft law unless permitted to classify themselves as > > "Indians." > > > > > > > > > > Some of these mongrels, finding that they have been able to > > > sneak in their > > > > > birth certificates unchallenged as Indians are now making a > > rush > > > to register > > > > > as white. Upon investigation we find that a few local > > > registrars have been > > > > > permitting such certificates to pass through their hands > > > unquestioned and > > > > > without warning our office of the fraud. Those attempting > > this > > > fraud should > > > > > be warned that they are liable to > > > > > a penalty of one year in the penitentiary (Section 5099 of > > the > > > Code). > > > > > > > > > > Several clerks have likewise been actually granting them > > > licenses to marry > > > > > whites, or at least to marry amongst themselves as Indian or > > > white. The > > > > > danger of this error always confronts the clerk who does > not > > > inquire > > > > > carefully as to the residence of the > > > > > woman when he does not have positive information. The law > is > > > explicit that > > > > > the license be issued by the clerk of the county or city in > > > which the woman > > > > > resides. > > > > > > > > > > To aid all of you in determining just which are the mixed > > > families, we have > > > > > made > > > > > a list of their surnames by counties and cities, as complete > > as > > > possible at > > > > > this time. > > > > > This list should be preserved by all, even by those in > > counties > > > and cities > > > > > not included, as these people are moving around over the > > State > > > and > > > > > changing race at the new place. A family has just been > > > investigated which > > > > > was always recorded as negro around Glade Springs, > > Washington > > > County, but > > > > > which changed to white and married as such in Roanoke > County. > > > This is going > > > > > on constantly and can be prevented only by care on the part > > of > > > local > > > > > registrars, clerks, doctors, health workers, and school > > > authorities. > > > > > > > > > > Please report all known or suspicious cases to the Bureau of > > > Vital > > > > > Statistics, > > > > > giving names, ages, parents, and as much other information > as > > > possible. All > > > > > certificates of these people showing "Indian" or "white" > are > > > now being > > > > > rejected and returned to the physician or midwife, but local > > > registrars > > > > > hereafter must not permit them to pass their hands > > uncorrected > > > or > > > > > unchallenged and without a note of > > > > > warning to us. One hundred and fifty thousand other > > mulattoes > > > in Virginia > > > > > are > > > > > watching eagerly the attempt of their pseudo-Indian > > brethren, > > > ready to > > > > > follow in a rush when the first have made a break in the > > dike. > > > > > > > > > > Very truly yours, > > > > > (signature) W. A. Plecker, M.D. > > > > > State Registrar of Vital Statistics > > > > > > > > > > Page#2 SURNAMES, BY COUNTIES AND CITIES (illegible) > > > > > VIRGINIA > > > > > FAMILIES STRIVING TO PASS AS "INDIAN" AND/OR WHITE > > > > > > > > > > Albemarle: > > > > > Moon, Powell, Kidd, Pumphrey > > > > > > > > > > Amherst: (Migrants to Allegheney and Campbell) > > > > > Adcock (Adcox), Beverly (this famiy is now trying to evade > > the > > > situation by > > > > > adopting the name of Burch or Birch, which was the name of > > the > > > white > > > > > mother of the present adult generation), Branham, Duff, > > > Floyd, Hamilton, > > > > > Hartless, Hicks, Johns, Lawless, Nuckles (Knuckles), > > Painter, > > > Ramsey, > > > > > Redcross, Roberts, Southwards (Suthards, Southerds, > > > Southers), Sorrells, > > > > > Terry, Tyree, Willis, Clark, Cash, Wood > > > > > > > > > > Bedford: McVey, Maxey, Branham, Burley (See Amherst County) > > > > > > > > > > Rockbridge: (Migrants to Augusta) Cash, Clark, Coleman, > > Duff, > > > Floyd, > > > > > Hartless, Hicks, Mason, Mayse (Mays), Painters, Pults, > > Ramsey, > > > Southerds > > > > > (Southers, Southards, Suthards), Sorrell, Terry,Tyree, > Wood, > > > Johns > > > > > > > > > > Charles City: Collins, Dennis, Bradby, Howell, Langston, > > > Stewart, Wynn, > > > > > Custalow (Custaloo), Dungoe, Holmes, Miles, Page, > > > > > Allmond, Adams, Hawkes, Spurlock, Doggett > > > > > > > > > > New Kent: Collins, Bradby, Stewart, Wynn, Adkins, Langston > > > > > > > > > > Henrico and Richmond City: See Charles City, New > > > > > Kent, and King William > > > > > > > > > > Caroline: Byrd, Fortune, Nelson. (See Essex) > > > > > > > > > > Essex and King and Queen: Nelson, Fortune, Byrd, Cooper, > > Tate, > > > Hammond, > > > > > Brooks, Boughton, Prince, Mitchell, Robinson > > > > > > > > > > Elizabeth City & Newport News: Stewart (descendants of > > Charles > > > City > > > > > families). > > > > > > > > > > Halifax: Epps (Eppes), Stewart (Stuart), Coleman, Johnson, > > > Martin, Talley, > > > > > Sheppard (Shepard), Young. > > > > > > > > > > Norfolk County & Portsmouth: Sawyer, Bass, Weaver, Locklear > > > (Locklair), > > > > > King, > > > > > Bright, Porter > > > > > > > > > > Westmoreland: Sorrells, Worlds (or Worrell), Atwells, > > > Butridge, Okiff. > > > > > > > > > > Greene: Shifflett, Shiflet > > > > > > > > > > Prince William: Tyson, Segar. (See Fauquier) > > > > > > > > > > Fauquier: Hoffman (Huffman), Riley, Colvin, Phillips. (See > > > Prince William) > > > > > > > > > > Lancaster: Dorsey (Dawson) > > > > > > > > > > Washington: Beverly, Barlow, Thomas, Hughes, Lethcoe, > Worley > > > > > > > > > > Roanoke County: Beverly (See Washington) > > > > > > > > > > Lee and Smyth: Collins, Gibson, (Gipson), Moore, Goins, > > Ramsey, > > > Delph, Bunch, > > > > > Freeman, Mise, Barlow, Bolden (Bolin), Mullins, > > awkins. - > > > Chiefly > > > > > Tennessee > > > > > "Melungeons." > > > > > > > > > > Scott: Dingus (See Lee County) > > > > > > > > > > Russell: Keith, Castell, Stillwell, Meade, Proffitt. (See > > Lee > > > and Tazewell) > > > > > > > > > > Tazewell: Hammed, Duncan. (See Russell) > > > > > > > > > > Wise: See Lee, Scott, Smyth, and Russell Counties. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ==== VA-SOUTHSIDE Mailing List ==== > USGW Archives Pension Project > http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/pensions/ > > ============================== > Shop Ancestry - Everything you need to Discover, Preserve & Celebrate > your heritage! > http://shop.myfamily.com/ancestrycatalog