{"id":103019,"date":"2025-06-04T11:06:36","date_gmt":"2025-06-04T15:06:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.genealogybank.com\/?p=103019"},"modified":"2025-06-06T11:44:10","modified_gmt":"2025-06-06T15:44:10","slug":"mayflower-descendants-the-mashpee-wampanoag-tribe-part-6","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/mayflower-descendants-the-mashpee-wampanoag-tribe-part-6.html","title":{"rendered":"Mayflower Descendants & the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe (part 6)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Introduction:<\/em><\/strong> In this article, Melissa Davenport Berry continues her series on the genealogy of the Wampanoag Tribe, the Indians who were in first contact with the Mayflower Pilgrims, focusing on the Amos and allied family lines. Melissa is a genealogist who has a website, americana-archives.com<\/a>, and a Facebook group, New England Family Genealogy and History<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

Here is a photo from the Plymouth Tercentenary celebration, with reenactors in a scene showing Tisquantum and the Mayflower<\/em>, August 1921. Tisquantum, aka \u201cSquanto,\u201d was a member of the Patuxet Tribe, a band of the Wampanoag tribal confederation, who worked to broker peaceable relations between the Pilgrims and the local Pokanokets.<\/p>\n

\"Photo:
Photo: Tisquantum and the Mayflower, August 1921. Credit: Edward P. MacLaughlin; Plymouth Public Library.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Today I resume my \u201cMayflower Descendants & the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe\u201d series featuring generations of the Mashpee Wampanoag families.<\/p>\n

To recap: My series on the Mayflower<\/em> lines of Katie Crocker<\/a> of Barnstable, Massachusetts, has featured a rare account book connected to the business of Zenas Crocker<\/a> (1761-1807) and his descendants.<\/p>\n

The Crocker account book<\/a> contains residents of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe. The Cahoon Museum<\/a> in Cotuit, Massachusetts, granted me permission to share the account book\u2019s pages and do further research. For previous stories, see the links listed at the end of this article.<\/p>\n

Amos and Allied Family Lines<\/strong><\/p>\n

In the most recent article in this series, I introduced a photo album housed in the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI) containing four generations of Mashpee Wampanoag families.<\/p>\n

The first generation was Reverend Joseph Babcock Amos (1805-1869), also known as \u201cBlind Joe\u201d or \u201cBlind Joseph\u201d Amos, son of Jeremiah and Ophelia (Babcock) Amos. He married Abigail Wickam\/Wikam (1804-1853), daughter of Thadeus and Elizabeth Betsey (Isaac) Wickam\/Wikam.<\/p>\n

Below is a photo of the Mashpee Old Indian Meeting House (church) today, located at 410 Meetinghouse Road, Mashpee, Massachusetts. Established in 1684, the current building was built in 1758. Rev. Amos was one of the pastors of Mashpee from 1810-1835. His name is listed on the historic marker placed between the church doors. Also listed are Simon Popmonet, Solomon Briant, and William Apess<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"Photos:
Photos: Mashpee Old Indian Meeting House, 410 Meetinghouse Road, Mashpee, Massachusetts. Credit: Mashpee Wampanoag Museum.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The great-grandson of Blind Joe Amos, Alfred Leslie DeGrasse (1890-1978), was born to Charles Henry and Ellen W. (Hammond) DeGrasse. His mother Ellen is the daughter of Representative Watson F. Hammond<\/a> and Rebecca C. (Amos) Hammond.<\/p>\n

Alfred, dressed in his school uniform, was photographed in 1904 while attending the Carlisle Indian Industrial School located in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. It was the first boarding school for Native American children in the United States, founded by Brig. General Richard Henry Pratt.<\/p>\n

\"Photo:
Photo: Alfred L. DeGrasse, 1904. Credit: National Museum of the American Indian.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Waidner-Spahr Library at Dickinson College has digitized the records of the Carlisle School<\/a>. In Alfred\u2019s file I found the following statement written by him.<\/p>\n

\"Photo:
Photo: Alfred L. DeGrasse statement. Credit: National Archives and Records Administration.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Alfred\u2019s statement reads:<\/p>\n

When a small boy, I often heard my mother tell the story about my grandfather Watson F. Hammond, a native Indian of Cape Code, who was in the year of 1885 elected Representative to the Massachusetts State Legislature, being delegated to go on business pertaining to affairs connected with the Indian School at Carlisle. And I often wished after hearing the story that I could be a loyal son of Carlisle and to my surprise my time came, and I enrolled in the year 1904 and from then until 1911 I worked to attain the honor of being a graduate of one of the greatest institutions of its kind in the country. Last fall while in Boston I visited the State House and I realized that it was within those walls that my Carlisle started from. Although I have not had [the] chance to show that Carlisle has made me what I am, but as soon as I get my health back, I expect to do my part in showing to the world the kind of men that Carlisle turns out.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Here is a photo of Alfred\u2019s grandfather, Hon. Watson F. Hammond (1837-1916), son of John and Catherine (Auprey) Hammond and a descendant of the Montauk Indian Tribe. He married Rebecca Cecorson Amos (1834-1922), one of the six children born to Rev. Amos and his wife Abigail.<\/p>\n

\"Photo:
Photo: Hon. Watson F. Hammond. Credit: Pocknett family.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Below is Alfred L. DeGrasse with his graduating class in 1911. In this photo we see (as identified in the attached label): 1) Mazie Skye; 2) Estelle W. Ellis; 3) Elizabeth Keshena; 4) Emma La Vatta; 5) Minnie White; 6) Ellen Lundquist; 7) Nan Saunooke; 8) Edison Mt. Pleasant; 9) Louis Dupuis; 10) James Mumblehead; 11) Louis H. Runnels; 12) Leroy Redeagle; 13) Spencer Patterson; 14) Jefferson Smith; 15) Moses Friday; 16) Francis Coleman; 17) Charles Fish; 18) Alvin W. Kennedy; 19) Robert Tahamont; 20) Fred Leicher; 21) William J. Owl; 22) William J. Ettawageshik; and 23) Alfred DeGrasse.<\/p>\n

\"Photo:
Photo: Alfred L. DeGrasse and the rest of the Carlisle Industrial Indian School, Class of 1911. Credit: Cumberland County Historical Society.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

When Alfred graduated, he was the class salutatorian. The message from his salutatory was published in the newspaper.<\/p>\n

\"An<\/a>
Patriot (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania), 31 March 1911, page 8<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Another newsclip on Alfred many years later reveals a successful career man, entering retirement, recalling his years at the Carlisle Indian Industrial School and knowing Jim Thorpe<\/a>. It also explains the health issue he mentioned in his statement above.<\/p>\n

\"Detroit<\/a>
Detroit News (Detroit, Michigan), 29 October 1958, page 5<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This article reports:<\/p>\n

Ending a career of 41 years as a post office employee this week, Alfred L. DeGrasse recalled his years in the Carlisle School for Indians at the same time the great Jim Thorpe was a football and track star there.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"Photo:
Photo: James \u201cJim\u201d Thorpe, Retiring Captain of the Carlisle Indian School Football Team. Credit: National Archives and Records Administration.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cBut when Thorpe was leading the football team to glory for Coach \u2018Pop\u2019 Warner,\u201d DeGrasse said. \u201cI was a member of the Carlisle B team, and in 1911 a ruptured appendix ended my days as a halfback.<\/p>\n

\u201cEveryone knows how Jim excelled at everything in athletics, but occasionally I could take him in a game of marbles.\u201d<\/p>\n

DeGrasse was born 68 years ago in the Mashpee Tribe in Cape Cod which, he boasts, was the first Indian tribe to greet the Pilgrims. His maternal grandfather served in the Massachusetts legislature.<\/p>\n

DeGrasse and his wife live at 6335 Ironwood.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

More on this line coming\u2026<\/p>\n

Explore over 330 years of newspapers and historical records in GenealogyBank. Discover your family story! Start a 7-Day Free Trial<\/a><\/p>\n

Note on the header image:<\/em><\/strong> Ousamequin, or \u201cMassasoit\u201d (Wampanoag term for \u201cGreat Sachem\u201d) and Governor John Carver smoking a ceremonial pipe at Plymouth Colony in 1621. Credit: Sutro Library; Wikimedia Commons.<\/p>\n

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