Welsh Indians Madoc

george catlin thought mandan bull boat similar welsh coracle.

on 26 november 1608, peter wynne, member of captain christopher newport s exploration party villages of monacan people, virginia siouan speakers above falls of james river in virginia, wrote letter john egerton, informing him members of newport s party believed pronunciation of monacans language resembled welch , wynne spoke, , asked wynne act interpreter. monacan among non-algonquian tribes collectively referred algonquians mandoag .

another settler claim encounter welsh-speaking indian reverend morgan jones, told thomas lloyd, william penn s deputy, had been captured in 1669 in north carolina tribe of tuscarora people called doeg. according jones, chief spared life when heard jones speak welsh, tongue understood. jones report says lived doeg several months preaching gospel in welsh , returned british colonies recorded adventure in 1686. historian gwyn a. williams comments, complete farrago , may have been intended hoax . there no evidence there having been doeg among tuscarora.

madoc s proponents believe earthen fort mounds @ devil s backbone along ohio river work of welsh colonists.

folk tradition has long claimed site called devil s backbone @ rose island, fourteen miles upstream louisville, kentucky, once home colony of welsh-speaking indians. eighteenth-century missouri river explorer john evans of waunfawr in wales took journey in part find welsh-descended padoucas or madogwys tribes.

early visitors referred rock formation on fort mountain in georgia fort, speculating built hernando de soto defend against muscogee around 1540. theory contradicted 1917, historian pointed out de soto in area less 2 weeks. archaeologists believe stones placed there indigenous peoples. there theory welsh caves in desoto state park, northeastern alabama, built madoc s party, since local native tribes not known have ever practised such stonework or excavation found on site.

in 1810, john sevier, first governor of tennessee, wrote friend major amos stoddard conversation had in 1782 old cherokee chief oconostota concerning ancient fortifications built along alabama river. chief allegedly told him forts built white people called welsh , protection against ancestors of cherokee, drove them region. sevier had written in 1799 of alleged discovery of 6 skeletons in brass armour bearing welsh coat-of-arms. claims madoc , welsh first in alabama.

in 1824, thomas s. hinde wrote letter john s. williams, editor of american pioneer, regarding madoc tradition. in letter, hinde claimed have gathered testimony numerous sources stated welsh people under owen ap zuinch had come america in twelfth century, on 3 hundred years before christopher columbus. hinde claimed in 1799, 6 soldiers had been dug near jeffersonville, indiana, on ohio river breastplates contained welsh coat-of-arms.

encounters welsh indians

thomas jefferson had heard of welsh speaking indian tribes. in letter written meriwether lewis jefferson on 22 january 1804, speaks of searching welsh indians said missouri . historian stephen e. ambrose writes in history book undaunted courage thomas jefferson believed madoc story true , instructed lewis , clark expedition find descendants of madoc welsh indians.

mandans

in all, @ least thirteen real tribes, 5 unidentified tribes, , 3 unnamed tribes have been suggested welsh indians. eventually, legend settled on identifying welsh indians mandan people, said differ neighbours in culture, language, , appearance. painter george catlin suggested mandans descendants of madoc , fellow voyagers in north american indians (1841); found round mandan bull boat similar welsh coracle, , thought advanced architecture of mandan villages must have been learned europeans (advanced north american societies such mississippian , hopewell traditions not known in catlin s time). supporters of claim have drawn links between madoc , mandan mythological figure lone man , who, according 1 tale, protected villagers flooding river wooden corral.