So Supernatural - DISAPPEARED: The Roanoke Colony

Episode Date: November 4, 2020

In 1590, an English colony on Roanoke Island disappeared without a trace. The only clue was a message carved on a fence post. While some think the settlers integrated with a local tribe, multiple leads suggest otherwise.

In the late 1500s, an Englishman named John White established a settlement on Roanoke Island off the coast of North Carolina. But while he was away on business, the entire colony vanished. Over 400 years later, we still can't figure out what happened to the Roanoke colony. It is the American mystery. There are plenty of suspicious characters, a message carved into a fence post, and Pocahontas herself makes a cameo. It just does not get more epic than this. But as for what really happened to the colonists, it's possible they were never really lost. Maybe they were hidden.

This is Supernatural. I'm your host, Ashley Flowers. This week, we're talking about the Roanoke Colony. In 1590, this small English community disappeared without a trace. To this day, no one knows what became of them. The only clue left behind was a message carved on a fence post. We'll explore the mystery coming up. Stay with us. The story of the Roanoke colony begins in 1587 with the English explorer Sir Walter Raleigh. And explorer is a very loose term here. Raleigh is a massive flirt and a chronic overdresser,

two things that make him a favorite with Queen Elizabeth I. To the point that she gives him permission to tax all the winemakers in England and presents him with a palace on the River Thames. Elizabeth is great at giving gifts. And when Raleigh's half-brother, the explorer Sir Humphrey Gilbert, dies in 1583, the queen decides Raleigh can inherit Gilbert's royal charter. It gives him permission to colonize America on behalf of the British crown. All the queen wants in return is one-fifth of whatever gold or silver Raleigh finds there. To be clear, Elizabeth has no intention of letting Raleigh go to America himself, so instead, Raleigh picks a watercolor artist named John White to be the colony's governor,

which is as bizarre as it sounds. White has no obvious skills aside from painting. To this day, we don't even know where he was born or who his parents were. All we know is he'd accompanied at least one of Raleigh's other expeditions to America, and he's excited to go again. That enthusiasm is pretty much what gets White the job. White even recruits his pregnant daughter, 19-year-old Eleanor Dare, and her husband, Ananias, to join him, along with over 100 men, women, and children. They're supposed to head to Virginia's Chesapeake Bay, where they'll build the first English settlement in the New World. Governor White and the colonists set sail for Chesapeake on May 8, 1587. They're all on board the lead ship, the Lion, along with the captain of the fleet, an experienced

navigator named Simon Fernandez. Fernandez has gone on plenty of voyages for Sir Walter Raleigh before, so he knows his way around America's East Coast. He's helming the Lion, followed by one smaller ship and one unnamed flyboat that carries all of the supplies the colony needs to build a settlement at Chesapeake. Now, Governor White writes in his diary about their first day at sea, and it sounds like everything is normal. And then he just doesn't record anything else until May 16th, eight days later. Now, to be fair, every time I've started a journal, it goes about the same. But in this entry, White mentions that Fernandez allowed their fleet to disperse, causing them to lose track of the flyboat, which is a huge problem. Fernandez just made a mistake that cost them all their supplies.

But it seems like this is just part of an overall problem with Fernandez. In White's diary, he writes about how anxious the navigator seems to get rid of colonists so he can start privateering, which is basically crown-sanctioned pirating against Spanish ships. And while I'm sure that sounded like fun to him, Fernandez has a job to do. Also, White is in charge of this entire expedition. He should be chewing Fernandez out for letting this happen. But instead, he does nothing. He writes a few passive-aggressive diary entries, but apparently he's too much of a coward to actually challenge Fernandez. Everyone just sort of hopes that the flyboat will meet up with them in America. Now, to clarify, the colonists aren't taking a direct shot to Chesapeake Bay. First, they're

supposed to visit a place called Roanoke Island off the coast of modern-day North Carolina. White has specific orders from Sir Walter Raleigh to check in on 15 English soldiers who were left in charge of the fort there. The lion arrives in the shallow waters near Roanoke around July 22nd. White and 40 of his men hop into the smaller ship to go ashore. But just as they're about to sail off, one of Fernandez's men yells over to them from the lion. He basically says, this is our last stop. When you guys are done with your little field trip, we're sending the rest of the colonists ashore with you. In other words, Fernandez is staging a mutiny, one that leaves Governor White and his colonists

stranded on Roanoke Island, which is just mean and crazy. But again, White hears this information and doesn't even try to argue. He just sort of sails off in a daze towards Roanoke to go look for the 15 soldiers. And things only get more strange as the day goes on. As White pulls up to Roanoke, he fully expects the English soldiers to have seen their ships and be waiting on shore. But when the men splash onto the beach, nothing. No welcoming committee, no pad on the back, just dark, silent forest. And this totally creeps White out. These are English soldiers. They should be here following protocol. Something must be terribly wrong. White isn't sure what to make of this. But at this point, the sun is setting. They have no other

choice than to keep heading north toward where the fort is supposed to be. Then, right as it gets dark, one of the men comes across something terrifying. It's the skeleton of an English soldier, half buried in the dirt. Everyone starts freaking out. Like, has there been a massacre? Why did this guy die? And why was he never given a proper burial? And by this point, it's too dark to reach the fort.

White and his men have to sleep in the open air near this half-buried dead guy, hoping that whatever or whoever killed him will leave them alone. The next day, they press onward until finally they see the fort up ahead. But when they get there, the whole place is deserted. White says it was raised down as though there was some kind of struggle, but the houses themselves are standing unhurt. And melon vines are growing over everything with deer gnawing at the fruit. Like, the entire thing is just surreal. At this point, not only are White and his party creeped out, they're depressed. No one wants to be forced to live on a strange island with a skeleton and an

overgrown fort and 14 missing men. Fortunately, the flyboat that had been lost at sea knew enough to head towards Roanoke for a rendezvous. It arrives on July 25th, so just three days after the lion, and the colonists could weep with relief. They finally have their seeds and other supplies. Like, the situation is still far from ideal, but at least they stand a chance of survival now. For the next couple of weeks, things limp along. The colonists are patching up the fort, and on August 18th, White's daughter Eleanor gives birth to a baby girl named Virginia Dare, the first English person born in America. But as August comes to a close, White and the colonists realize this isn't going to work. It is way too late in the summer to plant a harvest. With winter approaching,

something needs to be done ASAP. Now, I should mention that during this first month, Fernandez just kind of hangs around offshore on the Lion. So apparently, despite all his hurry to go loot Spanish ships, he's content to just sit and watch the colonists squirm. I mean, the whole thing is just very weird. Fortunately, White gets the nerve to talk to him and the two come to an agreement. White can hitch a ride aboard the flyboat which will take him back to England for help. White leaves at the end of August and by the time his ship reaches England, it's November. White is itching to get supplies and get back to Roanoke but just as he's ready to depart in the spring of 1588, he hears the worst possible news. England is at war with Spain. All vessels must be

used to fight the Spanish Armada. Now again, Sir Walter Raleigh commissioned this entire expedition and he's the Queen's favorite. So over the next year, he does manage to secure a couple supply ships to go back to Roanoke with White. But each time, they are met with some sort of bad luck. Whether it's French pirates or nasty weather, they always have to turn back. It's not until March 1590 that White finally leaves England on a successful voyage. When he reaches Roanoke, it's August 18th, Virginia's third birthday. White can't wait to see his granddaughter again,

but he's in for the worst case of deja vu ever. Because as soon as he sets foot on the island, it's clear. No one is there to meet him. The entire colony has vanished. We'll investigate the settlers' disappearance right after this. Let's get back to the story. When Governor John White reaches Roanoke Island, no one is standing on the shore. Not his daughter Eleanor or his granddaughter Virginia or any of the other colonists.

This place is dead. White knows in his gut that something is wrong. There were 117 settlers. Someone should have definitely noticed his ship approaching. He even sounds a trumpet call, but still no answer. So White and the other men make their way inland toward the fort. They're walking along through the overgrowth when suddenly one of them lets out a yell. White runs over to see the other guy pointing at a tree. It has a strange message carved into its trunk in all capital letters.

C-R-O. Crow. It's been roughly chipped into the tree as though whoever wrote it was in a rush, and it seems like an unfinished word. It feels ominous. So White and his men cautiously make their way forward until eventually they see the fort up ahead. Just like three years ago, the place is abandoned, not a soul in sight. Only this time, White says the fort had been neatly disassembled, like there wasn't a rush in leaving at all. But the houses surrounding the fort, including White's and his daughter Eleanor's, are in shambles. There's broken wood everywhere as if they've been smashed. None of this makes sense, but according to White, he had given clear instructions to the colonists before he left. If they were ever in danger, they were supposed to leave behind the symbol of a Maltese cross, which if you don't know

what that is, just picture four arrows pointing at each other. White and the other men look high and low, but there is no sign of the Maltese cross. There is, however, one message. It's on one of the fence posts surrounding the fort, and it's carved in all capital letters like the tree in the woods. Only this time it's very clean and deliberate. It says C-R-O-A-T-O-A-N. Croatoan. Immediately, White's mind goes to one thing, the Croatoan tribe on the nearby Croatoan island. White has met these natives multiple times before and he knows they're friendly.

So at this point, White's thinking the colonists have gone to live with the Croatoans for survival since they didn't have their own crops to eat in the winter of 1587. But White has been to Croatoan Island himself. He knows that it's not a long-term solution. Like, the soil isn't fertile and the island is bare, which in the days of English and Spanish tension is not a good thing. You don't build a settlement that's exposed to telescopes on the high seas. But there's only one way to find out, right? Just set sail the 50 miles to Croatoan Island.

But White never makes it there. Apparently, his ship was already down to its last anchor. The captain tries to head towards the Caribbean where they can recuperate, but the weather is so awful it literally blows them back to Europe. And when White arrives in England, he just gives up. He's convinced he's been cursed by bad luck. So he literally moves to a farm in Ireland where he spends the rest of his life just reflecting on, quote, the evils and unfortunate events that had happened to him, which I guess is fair, but it's still kind of odd that White just

gives up all hope of ever seeing his family again. Even Sir Walter Raleigh sort of just lets things go. He's in no mood to foot an expensive voyage looking for people who, for all he knows, could be dead. It's not until 1599, nine years since the colonists were reported missing, that Raleigh decides to do something. He realizes he needs to prove that the settlers are still out there somewhere, alive. Otherwise, his charter could expire. He sends out a few voyages, and supposedly most of them fail without ever reaching America. But one of them might have actually made it. The captain, a guy named Samuel Mace,

finally returns to England in 1603 with urgent news for Raleigh. But at this point, Raleigh is imprisoned for plotting against King James I, and Captain Mace can't speak to him. And as far as we know, Mace never talks to anyone else or writes anything down. To me, this is one of the most infuriating parts of the story. Like, it's possible Mace went to Roanoke or Croatoan and he witnessed something crazy there. I mean, he may have even solved the mystery, but there aren't even ship records from the voyage to say where Mace had gone. And that alone is just really suspicious. Like, was Mace on a secret mission for Raleigh? And if so, why?

The whole thing just doesn't make any sense. The next 20 years pass with no answers, but most people in England think the colonists are still out there somewhere. Keep in mind, this is the early 1600s. Things like alien abductions or time travel aren't casually discussed. It's hard to believe 117 settlers could have vanished into thin air. It's not until 1607 that a new theory comes to light, thanks to a guy named John Smith. He's a founder of Jamestown, the first permanent English settlement in America. For the sake of his own colony, Smith really wants to understand what happened at Roanoke. So he meets with an influential chief named Powhatan. Yes, the Powhatan, Pocahontas' father and the leader of more than 30 native tribes.

This guy literally has thousands of warriors at his beck and call. Powhatan tells Smith he knows what happened to the settlers because he murdered them. Except Powhatan doesn't say when or where this allegedly happened. It's also unclear whether he's referring to the colonists or if he's claiming to have murdered the 15 English soldiers. Speaking of which, I should mention that there have been claims that the 15 soldiers were killed by a totally different tribe. In any case, Powhatan could be bluffing. Besides, Governor White didn't record any signs of struggle

or a battle at the Roanoke Fort. The idea that anyone murdered 117 settlers without a trace just doesn't sit well. So Smith sends his own expedition to Roanoke to poke around. But for some unknown reason, the men turn around before they ever get there. And then disaster strikes. The reason Smith doesn't keep looking for the Roanoke colony is because from 1609 to 1610, nearly half of his own people die from drought and starvation. There's even evidence that they resorted to cannibalism, which, if you think about it, the same thing could have happened to the Roanoke colony.

Recent evidence confirms that there was a terrible drought in the Roanoke region. It began in 1587, the exact year the colonists landed in Roanoke, and it lasted for at least two years. Now, obviously, there weren't graves around the fort, but the drought is further evidence that the settlers could have joined forces with the Croatoans or some other tribe for survival. To this day, when you mention the Roanoke colony, that's what most people will tell you. But there's actually plenty of evidence to suggest otherwise. For 300 years after the colonists go missing, nothing is found on Croatoan Island to indicate that they

were there. Then, in November of 1937, a California grocer named Lewis Hammond is taking a trip with his wife through the South. They're driving down North Carolina's Highway 17, about 50 miles west of Roanoke Island, when Hammond decides to pull to the side of the road. He wants to like poke around and look in the woods for some hickory nuts. Anyways, Hammond is scanning the ground when suddenly he comes across a strange stone. It's round and flat and weighs about 21 pounds. And both sides are engraved in what appears to be early modern English. Most of it is hard to read, but Hammond's eyes are immediately drawn to a set of initials at the bottom. E. W. D. Eleanor White Dare. We'll investigate the dare stones right after this.

Now let's get back to the story. When Lewis Hammond finds an inscribed stone on the side of Highway 17, he has no idea what its significance might be. But the carvings on one side are fairly easy to read. It's signed EWD, and it basically says, Ananias Dare and Virginia went to heaven in 1591. Any Englishman show John White, governor of Virginia. The other side has much smaller letters,

and with all the old English, Hammond isn't sure what it says. But he realizes it could be valuable, so he puts it in his car. As he and his wife drive through Georgia, they make a stop at Emory University. Hammond offers to sell the stone to the college for $1,000, and one of the professors, a guy named Dr. Haywood Pierce Jr., is definitely interested, especially once he deciphers the inscription on the other side. The words are a bit convoluted, but they essentially say, Father, soon after you went to England, we came here. There was only misery and war for two years. Over half of us are dead. The stone goes on to claim that native tribes had murdered everyone, including White's son-in-law Ananias and his granddaughter Virginia.

So you can imagine how Dr. Pierce is freaking out about this message. EWD are clearly the initials for Eleanor White Dare, Governor White's daughter. Like this could be the answer. So Pierce and some other Emory professors drive with Hammond to the spot where it was found. They don't find any other rocks like it, but they're convinced he's telling the truth. Then Dr. Pierce does something pretty stupid. He reportedly advertises a $500 reward for anyone who finds a stone similar to this. I mean, this is 1937, at the height of the Great Depression, so naturally a flood of similar stones comes in. 42 in total, not counting the original. And at first, I mean, it's exciting,

right? Like so much information after centuries of silence. Even Hollywood director Cecil B. DeMille gets wrapped up in the thrill. Allegedly, DeMille considers making a movie about the Roanoke colony and so-called darestones. But as the next few years pass, researchers realize they can't track down Lewis Hammond, the man who turned in the original stone. They also noticed that the other rocks have errors. They mentioned names of settlers who were never on the voyage, and they used certain words that weren't part of the English language in the late 1500s. Then, in 1941, the Saturday Evening Post publishes a damning expose.

It traces all of the stones, except the original, back to a guy who, big surprise, is a stone cutter by trade. The research community immediately loses faith in the dare stones, which are then stowed in a basement at Brunel College in Georgia. For the next 75 years, they collect dust. It's not until 2016 that the president of Brunel College, a geologist named Dr. Ed Schrader, takes a fresh interest in the original dare stone. Schrader sends the stone out for testing, and sure enough, the top layer of the rock is very weathered compared to the inside, meaning the engraving was likely made hundreds of years ago, quite possibly by Eleanor Dare. day, experts can't agree on whether the original darestone is authentic, and honestly, I don't blame them, especially considering a more recent discovery, one that throws Governor White, Sir Walter Raleigh, and the entire colony into question. In 2011, a professor named Brent Lane was serving on the board of First Colony Foundation, a non-profit organization

dedicated to solving the Roanoke mystery. As part of his research, Lane visits the British Museum in London. He knows they're exhibiting the Virginia Pars map, which is a watercolor painting by Governor White. White painted the map around 1587, the same year he and the colonists landed in Roanoke. And it clearly has two places that have been patched up, which isn't that remarkable. Paper patches were basically like the old-timey version of whiteout. But Lane's curiosity gets the best of him. He asks the museum if they've used modern imaging techniques to look underneath the patches. The museum says, no, we haven't, but they're willing to try. And sure enough, they can see straight through the patches to what's underneath. The first one doesn't hide anything too remarkable, but the second patch conceals a mysterious symbol. Picture a red four-pointed star outlined in blue. It's located

on an area of White's map that's about 50 miles west of Roanoke on the North Carolina mainland. Archaeologists scramble to this location, which they call Site X. Over the next few years, they uncover several native artifacts and a few English objects like a piece of pottery, but that's about it. It's definitely something, but still, it doesn't feel like concrete proof. But to me, the most enticing part of this story isn't even the location of the symbol on White's map. It's what it was painted with. Researchers believe that the mark was originally created with some kind of invisible ink, possibly a mixture of milk and lemon juice or urine. But why? What was White trying to hide?

As they say, there's a conspiracy theory for everything. So remember Queen Elizabeth's deal with Sir Walter Raleigh? She wanted one-fifth of whatever gold or silver he found in America. Well, as far as we know, Raleigh's explorers never brought back precious metals, but they found another valuable commodity, sassafras. Sassafras is a North American herb that was used to treat just about anything from acne to urinary tract infections to syphilis. Native Americans liked it and Europeans loved it. We also know that previous expeditions by Raleigh had reported Sassafras in the New World. So picture this. Raleigh finds out there's Sassafras 50 miles inland from Roanoke, so he officially sends White

and the colonists to Chesapeake Bay when, off the record, the plan is to leave them at Roanoke. White plays along, writing that his colony was mutinied, but when they get to Roanoke, he realizes he needs more supplies from England. He tells the settlers to go ahead and travel to the secret place on his map, and the colonists disassemble the Roanoke fort and split up. Most of them go inland, while a few relocate to the Croatoan island. In other words, the lost colony wasn't actually lost. They actually ran a secret operation transporting Sassafras from the mainland to a secret port at Croatoan where Raleigh's explorers, people like the mysterious Captain Mace, would pick it up.

Then in 1618, Raleigh dies. All information about the colony dies with him, and over time, the settlers go native, blending in with local tribes. Now, the only problem with this theory is that it is sheer hypothesis. It's just as possible that the colonists really were murdered, either at Roanoke or after they left. Or maybe they really did go live with the Croatoan for survival. To this day, there are excavations happening at Croatoan Island, currently known as Hatteras Island. Archaeologists are looking for any trace of the lost colony, and so far they've found a few things like a 16th century writing slate and a rapier. But to me, the best clue is from 1701, about 100 years after the settlers disappeared.

An explorer named John Lawson writes that he visited Croatoan. He says the people there spoke about white ancestors who could talk in a book or write, and he claims to have seen an occasional native with fair hair and gray eyes. Of course, we have to take Lawson at his word, just like we have to take Governor White at his word about the fort being abandoned and the message in the fence post. But maybe the most suspicious part of this entire story, and the reason it's still so intriguing after 400 years, is that we still can't find any trace of the Roanoke Fort, the place where the disappearance actually happened. So just what exactly went on there? Well, that depends which history book you pick up. Thanks for listening. I'll be back next week with another episode. To hear more stories hosted by me,

check out Crime Junkie and all Audiochuck originals.