Sizemore

Leah M. Harris being first duly sworn deposes and says:

My name is Leah M. Harris; I live in Yadkin Co., at Marler: I will be 69 next month. I was born in Yadkinville, and lived here all my life.   My father was Isom Sizemore. He died 23 years ago last January; he was about 92 years old. I claim my Indian blood through him. He was born in Stokes Co. I think I am mistaken; I think he was born in Va. I never heard him say what part of Va. he was born.    His father was Dr. John Sizemore, who lived in Stokes. I knew him. I don't know just when he died; I believe it was before the war. He died in Stokes Co.: he had a home in Stokes Co. He came and lived at my father's and then went back to his home down in Stokes Co. He was born in Cherokee; I don't recollect in which Cherokee he was born. He just said he was born in Cherokee.   I have always passed as a White woman and my father as a White man. I never applied for any money before this; never received any Indian money. I never heard that my father applied for or received any Indian money; I don't think he ever did.   I have heard Dr. John Sizemore say that he was an Indian, when he stayed at my father's house: I was a young girl at that time; I was 22 or 23 when he left my father's house. I never heard him say how old he was. He said he belonged to the white complexioned Indians. I never heard him say any other tribe of Indians than that; I never paid much attention to him. He was a good-looking old man and was light complexioned. I made him a suit of clothes, got him a new hat, and he shaved up and looked like another man. I have heard my father say he was kin to the Indians. I never heard him say to what tribe of Indians he was kin to.   Danl. Sizemore was my father's brother; Mary and Fannie were my father's sisters; those are all that I can recollect. I never heard Dr. John Sizemore say who his father was, but I have heard my father talk about his grandfather. My grandfather had three brothers; Ned was one and I forgot the others -- Jos. And Ned, but I forget the other. It was Geo. George, and Ned, and Joseph, I remember. I never heard of any sisters. I did not know any of Jos. Sizemore's children. I don't know of Missouri Stephenson. When grandfather came to our house, he wore his hair down on his shoulders, his beard down on his chest, and wore a little old green cap.   I never saw Ned Sizemore, unless it was him who came to our house with grandfather once to see father; father called him Uncle Ned. I was pretty near grown at that time, about 14 or 15 years old. I heard that Uncle Ned lived in Cherokee. I don't know what part of Stokes grandfather lived in. Dr. John Sizemore was a doctor and was doctoring around right smart when he stayed at our house. They also called him Johnny Gourd.

Her      
Leah M. Harris
Mark     

Subscribed and sworn to before me at Yadkinville, N. C., this 26th day of March, 1908.

_____________________________
Special Commissioner of the
Court of Claims.