The Missing Colony of Roanoke

 This morning we crossed the water to Roanoke Marshes Lighthouse & the town of Manteo.

Fort Raleigh was next on the Agenda. All that is left are the earthen mounds.

The Fort Raleigh visitor center told the story of the Lost Colony of Roanoke. In 1584 the first expedition set out to see if the islands would make a good settlement.

The 1585 expedition was mostly soldiers. The Indians were friendly & helped them with food. When winter got rough the soldiers expected the Indians to supply them still. Things became bad between them, & the Chief was killed by a soldier.

In 1587, the Colonists were sent, really not knowing what they were getting into. 

They were short on supplies, & when the leader went back to England to get help, the English would not send a ship & provisions because they were involved in war with the Spaniards. It took 3 years for him to be able to come back.

During that time the settlers had their own trouble with the indians.

Where did they go?? This question is still not answered. The houses were smashed up but it wasn't a hurricane. The palisade wall was still standing

They found the word CRO. There was a tribe of Indians called the Croaton. It could have been the Spaniards who were coming up from the south & skirmishes.

Some say maybe they made it to the Chesapeake Bay 50 miles away. Yet there is no record of anyone saying they were a survivor of Roanoke.

This Monument to Virginia Dare honored her as the first English child born in America.

More than 280  years later The Civil War was quickly won in the Outer Banks by the Union. They made the island a sanctuary for the slaves.

Then it was off to Winston Salem to see one of my very few cousins.