> >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. > > > > > > > > >