Thomas Locust Fuller (USCT), struggled for many years to receive his pension as his health deteriorated.  His ancestors were indentured servants in Jamestown, Surry, and Charles City Counties, Virginia.  Many served in the American Revolution and the War of 1812. Thomas’s Melungeon ancestors are Catawba, Cherokee, and Lumbee Indigenous peoples who were “Free Born” alongside many enslaved neighbors.  Melungeon roots, though proven through DNA, still foster heated discussions, disputes, and claims of Portuguese origins.