Mr. Joel Palmer - Left (for those who don't know him) & Joel & Jean Palmer - Right
They make quite a handsome pair, don't you think!
RootsWeb: PALMER-L [PALMER-L] Palmers and Indian story.
A STORY TOLD BY RUSSELL PORTER PALMER
This story was passed down from Russell
Palmer born 1818 to his son John (Dock) Palmer 1858 to my father James (Jim )
Palmer born 1906 and on to me, They said "Russell" my great grandfather always
laughed when he told this story, Russell, spent his young boy years living on
the east bank of the Oconee river in the state of Ga. Hancock Co. and
Sholderbone creek joined their farm with his Father Hezekiah and mother
Elizabeth (Roberts) Palmer, several more brothers and sisters.
Their neighbor's were Indians, (a village of them), lived on the west bank of
the river (The river was the land line between the whites and the Indians at
that time) and from the palmers window they could watch the everday life of
their neighbors, and could see what went on from day to day in their life. And
they the Indians had children too. Russell enjoyed fishing, swimming and all the
things boys do and so did the boys that lived across the river, They had some
good years together as friends. Some language problem at first but as time went
by they began to understand each other. It was time for the green corn dance and
(Lazydog) the neighbor across the river was excited, (so much fun to be had),
ball games and prizes to be give away was a grand prize (A young girl they
called Pretty Kitten) to the best player. So off went ole lazydog for he loved
Indian ball games and about all other Indian sports., it was going to be good to
get away from the wife (Strong-arm) for a day as she had been cranky lately.
days end at the big ball game the Judges made their decision and ole Lazydog was
officially declared the winner of the new wife (pretty Kitten) It was a man's
right have all the wifes he could put up with in those days.
The next thing that happened was all the fault of the white people (the Palmers)
for strong-arm had been keeping an eye on how the palmers lived and seen who was
boss. She said it is about time to change the Indian custom.
Lazy dog arrives home with his prize. she is wearing her topless outfit made of
one mole skin. Lazydog was about to present his prize to strong-arm but
strong-arm went on the warpath and like a windmill in a windstorm she started
doing all kinds of body harm to poor lazydog. All Indians and white know it is
not fair to bite hit or kick below the belt. But Strong-arm said to hell with
the rules. In lazydogs, hast to get more distance between him and Strong-arm
poor Lazydog jumped in the river. Under he went, bubbles came up, more bubbles,
Strong arm standing on the bank, pretty kitten is making her getaway (for it
seemed she was not welcome). Ole Lazydog finally comes up for air and goes back
under, comes up again as he drifts down stream to some brush in a drift and
hangs up. Strong-arm goes back looking for pretty kitten but she is no where to
be found. Night comes on and our hero is still in the drink.
The palmers rise early the next day and at Early morning light finds ole lazydog
at the same place (in the drift). From the Palmer window strong-arm is seen
coming down to the river, she eases slowly into the water and makes her way to
poor lazydog, she pulls him to the shoal. she holds his head in her lap for some
time. It seems the right words were chosen for they rubbed noses and made their
way back up the river bank arm in arm. And lived happy ever after. (I hope)
could this be the beginning of the woman's lib?
Some one asked what became of poor Pretty Kitten? I don't know for sure but
could she have made her way to Marion County Alabama and changed her name to
MORNING DOVE?
just a thought.
In the year of 1979 I made a visit to Sholderbone creek where it runs into the
Oconee river, in my mind I could see where the Indian Village was once, and so I
tried to paint what I thought it looked like on a good day so many years ago, in
their ever day life. and the action that went on. To see the painting you can
check 49 news.
Joel
http://www.rootsweb.com/~alnwmw/JPpaintings.html
HTTP:www.49countynews.net/news.html
Joel Palmer recently sent me this article which was also reprinted on an email I received from AL-Marion, a Marion County, AL genealogy mailing list to which we both subscribe. It is reprinted just as I received it and credit is given to the writer and publication. This is just for information and cannot be authenticated by www.49countynews.net . jmays@49countynews.net
Many people who now live and have
roots in northeast Mississippi, north Alabama, south Tennessee and other parts
of the South are descendants of the “Black Dutch.” Who were and are the Black
Dutch?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Elusive Black Dutch of the South
By Jimmy H. Crane
Many people who now live and have roots in northeast Mississippi, north Alabama,
south Tennessee and other parts of the South are descendants of the “Black
Dutch.” Who were and are the Black Dutch? The term in some areas has become so
antiquated that only a few of the elderly even remember the use of the term. I
first heard the term from my Grandmother Crane, who had the surname of Page. Her
grandparents were Butlers and Mayhalls. She would often refer to their lineage
as Black Dutch. One of my aunts on my maternal side described her grandmother as
Black Dutch. She said, “Poppy said we were Black Dutch and Indian.” Sometimes my
mother would say, “I think we are kin to the Indians….Grandma so and so looked
like an Indian.”
As a very curious youngster I was always asking myself, who are the Black Dutch?
Where did they come from? As time went by, the term lay dormant except when both
sides of the family were together for a reunion or funeral, and conversation
would arise as to who we were and where did we come from. Both sides of my
family’s characteristics range from dark hair, dark eyes and olive skin, to red
hair, blue eyes and fair skin. This is somewhat typical in some families of the
area. With such blending over the past 150 years, it was interesting to try to
determine who was what and what was who.
My cousin from Georgia came up to me one day and in a low voice seriously asked,
“Who is this Black Dutch in our family?” Although I had corresponded in the
early 1990’s with relatives concerning genealogy and would sometimes mention the
Black Dutch, it was not until June 1995 at the Iuka Mississippi Heritage Day
Festival that I really went into high gear and got into a serious search for the
Black Dutch. (The term “Black Irish” is sometimes used, but not as much as Black
Dutch.) When the term Black Dutch was mentioned, many of the people held up
their hand and looked at one another. I knew then I was not alone in wondering
about the Black Dutch.
Surnames with Black Dutch heritage that have been collected to date are all
English names. How interesting! What was recognized was that true Dutch names
would be similar to German spellings and pronunciations. Names like Brown,
Butler, Mayhall, Johnson, Tiffin and Massey for example somehow did not sound
like Dutch or German. But these were names with Black Dutch lineage.
Here’s another notch to the handle: almost every time that Black Dutch was
found, Indian lineage was found, and to date, a high percentage of association
in the Iuka, Tishomingo, Itawamba areas has been established with the Cherokee.
A representative of the Eagle Bear Clan of the Free Cherokees said that her
grandmother told her that her family escaped the Trail of Tears. They were
forced to hide in caves and become known as Black Dutch to hide their identity.
In a telephone conversation, I was told that other tribes besides the Cherokee
also used the Black Dutch term, including the Chickasaws and the Choctaw. I
believe the Creek descendants could have also used the term.
One of my own grandmothers, whom my great aunt told me about, was referred to as
Black Dutch and was often ironical “mistaken” for an Indian when they migrated
to Oklahoma in the late 1800’s.
During the 1996 Burnsville Mississippi Inter-tribal Gathering on the banks of
the Tenn-Tom Waterway, I talked with members of the Four Fires Dance group from
the Florence, Alabama area. One member of the drum group said his people, the
Cherokee, were also known as Black Dutch; that this was just another name used
to cover up the Indian identity. Remember, from the 1830’s on, it was perilous
times for those who braved Andrew Jackson’s greed and political reign of terror
on the Southeastern Indian people. Also, this gentleman mentioned that he had
heard of two types of Dutch, the Highland Dutch and the Black Dutch. He said the
Black Dutch were the Cherokee. Two members of the Four Fires Dance Group, and
who are notably Cherokee, said their people were Black Dutch. I was told that
Black Dutch was simply another name for Cherokee. Census rolls in the Moulton,
Alabama area in the late 1800’s show a family name listed as white; then ten
years latter as Black Dutch; and then ten years latter as Cherokee.
The elusive question is, when did the term Black Dutch arise? A strong
probability is after 1830, when the forced removal of the Cherokees from their
homeland began. Were there, in fact, a Dutch people with similar physical
characteristics, or was the term coined or manufactured to match the occasion?
The fact is it worked very well. It is understandable that the Cherokee,
Chickasaw and others who remained behind had to come up with a cover-up in order
to survive. No choice but to go underground, to become “white” in order to own
land, keep their homes and survive, denying their Indian identity simply because
it was the safest thing to do at the time. This may have led them (especially
the women) to take on the term “Black Dutch” or “Black Irish.” Children, when
they became of age to marry, may have been encouraged to seek out mates who were
white or had more white or European heritage. The first generation of blending
and re-blending may have occurred after the 1840’s and 1850’s.
The northeast Mississippi hills (where I was raised near Alabama) were
considered fairly isolated until well into the 20th century. A few miles away in
north Alabama are the Freedom Hills, which were even more isolated. I believe
that many Chickasaw, Cherokee, as well as Creek descendants took refuge in these
hills. We are known as the Hill People in this area. There is little doubt in my
mind that many of the Hill People who claim the Black Dutch or Black Irish
descent are actually more of Native American descent that they really know. It
always has been most interesting to me to travel the back roads of my home
county (Itawamba) that borders Alabama and notice the people. What is sad to me
is that many of the people don’t know their heritage.
I have heard associations of the term “Black Dutch” with the Black Forest in
Germany. During the summer of 1996, I traveled to Germany on an education trip
and I asked many people about the term but none had ever heard of it.
On May 17, 1997, I visited the Oakville Indian Mounds Park and Museum located on
County Road 187, just off highway 157, eight miles southeast of Moulton,
Alabama. I copied the following quote that was displayed on the museum wall in
large print.
Before the Indian Removal Act in 1830, many of Lawrence County’s Cherokee people
were already mixed with white settlers and stayed in the hill country of the
Warrior Mountains. They denied their ancestry and basically lived much of their
lives in fear of being sent West.
Full bloods claimed to be Black Irish or Black Dutch, thus denying their
rightful Indian blood. After being fully assimilated into the general population
years later, these Irish Cherokee mixed blood descendants began reclaiming their
Indian heritage in the land of the “Warrior Mountains,” Lawrence County,
Alabama.
During the 1880 U.S. Census only 78 people claimed their Indian heritage. In
1990, over 2000 individuals claimed Indian descent. Today over 4000 citizens are
proud to claim their Indian heritage and are members of the Echota Cherokee
Tribe.
In all the many hundred years in which the Indian community has interacted with
the European communities who came to this new and wonderful country, through
intermarriage many of our people are not likely to “look” Indian. But just
because their “blood quantum” has diminished, it does not diminish their ethnic
pride or rights.
The Black Dutch survive today in the hearts of many of the Southern Appalachian
hill people--a proud people with an elusive sprit who had to hide out, go
under-ground and conceal their identity to live another day. They never gave up.
They never surrendered. The drum beats for the elusive “Black Dutch.” My search
continues.
Native Peoples Magazine -
http://www.nativepeoples.com/article
The Elusive Black Dutch of the South
http://www.nativepeoples.com/article/articles/164/1/The-Elusive-Black-Dutch-of-the-South/Page1.html
By Site Editor
Published on 01/10/2006
The Freedom Hills of Franklin County, Alabama
The freedom hills of
Franklin County, Alabama, was once a dangerous place for officers of the law. My
great grandmother (America Cole) who was the wife of William James Cole, And
daughter of Rebecca and Drew Wade, The were the third generation that once lived
there. I have been asked to pass this family history on. so here it goes the way
I understand it.
In or about the year of 1833 soldiers ordered by president Andrew Jackson to
round up all native Americans at gun point in the state of Tennesse, and force
them to be removed by barges and boats down the Tennesse river to Oklahoma,
(Later called the trail of tears.) One such barge run aground at the muscle
shoals, for the Tennessee river was very low at that time, while waiting for the
river to rise the natives run low on food and some of them ran away into the
freedom hills of Franklin county. (I found this information in a history book at
the library in Hamilton, Alabama several years ago I don't remember which book
but there are several books written about the "Freedom Hills".
The living was very hard in the cliffs and caves but there was lots of good
hiding places and they were tough people, I have been told that they got corn
some way, Cooked it by holding it on the cob over an open flame until it turned
brown, then shelled it and beat it between two rocks until it became a powder
then boiled it in a pot. Eating and drinking the soup. One of my aunts said she
remembered her mother (my grandmother) doing that.) They also cracked hickory
nuts boiled them in a pot and using the oil that came to the top for cooking
food etc. There was wild animals to hunt and fish in the big bear creek so they
made it .
Some years later they made contact with people that would buy wild cat whiskey
and ship it north so most everone went into business. They were already wanted
by the law at that time for just being born who they were so they had nothing of
lose now for the first time they had money and their life style began to change
for the better.
Some times strangers, (lite skined men) began to come around asking questions
about the whiskey making operation going on in the area. The natives began to
feel their freedom and life style was in danger from these fancy talkers, so to
solve this problem would be to shoot them from ambush and that was what they did
from time to time. For several years
(and could be now) it was very dangerous for nosey strangers to come into the
Freedom Hills. I understand the natives were like a band of brothers they worked
together for their common cause "FREEDOM". And would help others that was having
trouble with the law. It was said that my g.g.g.great grand father (Harbard
Cole) was very active helping to hide deserters in the caves when the civil war
was going on. I don't know for sure that the Coles or the Wades (my mothers
ancestors) were part of the native Americans that lived in the hills. But they
did live there in Franklin County from about 1833 until after the civil war. My
grandfather( J.J. Lolley son of America Cole and Henry Lolley) did say his
mother was of the Dutch Race of people. I ask him once if he was part Indian?
His answer." why do you ask me that"? I said you are darker than other men
around here. He said "I am as much a man as the other men". And a Man he was.
J.P.
palm@sonet.net
"From "The Marion County Herald" published at Hamilton, Alabama, in the year of
1887.
News Item dated Dec.15,1887.
Our town was startled on last Saturday night, by the news being brought in that
Mr. Robert Terrell and Mr. Tom Bannister, two Marion County Men, had been
waylaid and shot just over in Franklin County. It appears that Terrell and
Bannister were on hunt of the man-------,for whom a reward is offered and who
was thought to be hiding in the neighborhood. The two men had completed their
search and were on their way back to this country. When night came on, they
halted at the house of one Mr. Johnson, living between little and big bear
creeks in Franklin County, and secured lodging for this night. In a short time,
it was discovered that the bridles of their horses had been cut and the animals
gone. Dark over took their search for the horses ,so they set out early the next
morning to renew their search. They had gone only about one-half mile from the
house when they were fired on by parties concealed in the thick woods near the
road. Bannister was shot in the head and Terrell in in the left side just above
the hip joint. Banister lived only a few minutes. Johnson and neighbors carried
both men to Johnsons house and sent for a doctor.
Both men were well known in county and respected as clever law abiding citizens.
It is thought that they were shot by Franklin county "Moonshiners" who mistook
them for men trying to locate stills.
Do you see what I mean? Joel Palmer
palm@sonet.net
The Lolley Reunion
July 20, 1940
Judy, this is a picture made July 27,1940 of the James Joseph Lolley reunion. The two ladies setting down are my great grandmothers. The one on the left is America (Cole) Lolley, born 1859 in Franklin County Alabama, she married Henry Lolley, family tradition has it that she is of the black Dutch race of people, Her people (the Coles) escaped the Indian removal in the 1830s and lived in the freedom hills of Franklin county Alabama for several years. She is the mother of 9 children one of her sons is James Joseph Lolley (my grandfather the big man standing behind the little girl looking up.) And my grandmother Mary C. Sullins Lolley, she is the is the little lady holding the bible and she is the daughter of the other lady on the right, setting down. Her name is (Sarah Ann (Purser) Sullins, Born 1857 in Marion County Alabama, She is the mother of 3 children and wife of John Benton Sullins). These people in the picture are just part of their children, grandchildren, and in-laws. I wonder how many people over this world can trace their genealogy back to these people. Hundreds I would think. Yes, I am on the picture, the mean boy with his fist aganced the head of a cousin in front of him. Joel Palmer
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