I previously wrote about the Bishop family legend of Ruth Scaggs being captured by Indians. There is some new evidence that this legend may be based in fact. A Rev. William R. Belcher from Lewis County, Washington submitted an Eastern Cherokee Application #31073 in 1908 claiming his grandfather's grandmother was taken prisoner by a Cherokee chief.
Rev. William Belcher, ECA #31073 from Lewis, Co. Washington. Includes this statement:
"U.S. Court of claims: I will give you a little sketch of my ancestry according to my foreparents as follows. My grandfather Abner H. Lester was a 1/4 Cherokee Indian, his father being a half-breed his grandfather was a Cherokee chief, but there was no record kept that I know of. This came about in this way. My grandfather's grandmother was taken prisioner by the Cherokees and a chief name not known taken her to wife. She had one child. His name was William. After this child was born, she by some means returned to the white people, and her child was brough up among the whites. How she got away from the Indians is not known. My uncles and aunts on the Lester Indian side are all dead except for one aunt. I don't know of her where abouts onlys she is in W. Va somewhere. I give this statement as I have heard my grandfather and others restate it as I cannot tell the Indian except it were Lester. I don't know that I could give any further information. Hoping to hear formally from you. I am truly yours, W. R. Belcher" Mayfield, Wa. 1908
I believe this William Belcher got the basic story right: that his grandfather's (Abner Hulen Lester) grandmother was taken prisoner by the Cherokees and she had one or more children by the Indian before returning back to white society. However, I believe she was Abner Hulen Lester's maternal grandmother, Ruth Scaggs (Bishop) not his paternal grandmother, Martha Arthur. Though there is some evidence that Martha Arthur might have been at least part Indian, there is no indication that she was captured by the Cherokee. This affidavit appears to document the Ruth Scaggs Indian abduction story.
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I come down through Ruth from Rachael(d/o Ruth and this Indian) & William C. Lester. Their daughter Rebecca married Willoughby Deal(my 5 x G Grandparents).
ReplyDeleteThanks, Jim, for posting. Have you taken a DNA test? If so, can you please contact me? I would like to see if we can do a DNA match back to Ruth Skaggs Bishop.
DeleteI also come down from William C. Lester, my 4th great, Abner being my 3rd great. and have heard this story. This story has been passed down. I believe there's some truth to it.
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting. Several of us have come around to believing some version of this story. There is a lot of circumstantial evidence to support it. I hope with DNA testing we can actually prove it.
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