University of Virginia Library

CCXXVII. Council in Virginia. A Letter to the Virginia Company
of London
April (after 20), 1622

Right Honoble͠ &c.

Wee receued Your Letters bearinge Date the 26th of November
and 5th of December 16 * * * the first by the Discoverie which
arived not at James Cyttie vntill the 14th of Aperil[le] last, the other by
the Bono Noua, the 7th of the same, and will doe our best to fullf[ill]

your Comaundℯ, as farr as the necessetie of our prute affayrs will p̱mitt,
But since our last by the George dated in Januarie 1621 h itt hath pleased
God for our manyfo[ld] sinns to laye a most lamentable Afflictione vppon
this Plantacon, by the trecherie of the Indyans, who one the 22th of
march laste, attempted in most places, vnder the Coulor of vnsuspected
amytie, in some by Surprize, to haue cutt us of all and to haue Swept
us away at once through owte the whole lande, had it nott plesed god of
his abundante mercy to prevent them in many places, for wch we can
never sufficyently magnifie his blessed name, Butt yet they p̱vayled soe
farr, yt they haue massacred in all partes aboue three hundred men women
and Children, and haue, since nott only spoyled and slaine Divers
of our Cattell, and some more of our People, and burnte most of
the Howses we haue forsaken, but haue alsoe enforced us to quitt many
of our Plantacons, and to vnite more neerely together in fewer places
the better for to Strengthen and Defende our selue against them, Wee
haue thought most fitt to hol[d] these few places, James Cyttie wth Paspehay
and Certen Plantacons one the oth[er] side of the river over against the
Cyttie, and Kickoghtan and Newports news Southampton hundred,
Flowerdei hundred Sherley hundred & A Plantacione of mr Samuell
Jourdes, all other throughowt the whole Colonie we haue beene fayne to
abanden and to bringe the most of our Cattle to James Cyttie, the Island
beinge the securest place for them, wch we hold in all the River, And these
are more then wee would willinglie haue held, but that it was ympossible
to retire from soe many dispersed and straglinge Plantacions, and bringe
of soe much People. Goods. p̳visions and Cattle to any one place, soe
Sudenlie, as the seasone of the yeere for ymplantinge required, neyther yf
wee would, was there in any one wee held soe much Clered grounde or
Howsinge as was able to receaue halfe the people togeather, now matters
standinge wth us heere in this vnhappie State, there are some few things
of especyall Consequenc wch voluntariely offer them selves both to your
Consideracons and ours, vppon the spedie accomplishment wherof, both
the Honor and safetie of the whole All͠one Dependℯ, and therfore wee
cannott but assure ourselves, you wilbe as sencyble therof as the ympor-
tance of the cause requireth, The first (wch wee did a little touch att in
our laste Letters sent by the George) ys the greate necessetie of findinge
oute aplace soe defensible to seate vppon, as where wee may soe ffortifie
our selves, that neyther the Indyans may infest us (wch they will continu-
allie endeuor to doe) nor forraine enemy subvert us wch wilbe the master
peece of this great woorke, for since this late woefull experience hath
taught us, That our first and princypall care should haue beene for o[ur]
safetie, by the necglect wherof the Plantac̃on, though it hath seemed to
goe one, in [a] hopefull and florishinge course, yett hath all this while,
gone butt soe much owt[e] of the way, And that it Could nott butt bee
subiect to much Damages to bee soe dispersedlie and promiscusely planted
wth our late reconsiled salvage enymies, Yt ys very necessarie for us yett
at last, to laye abetter and surer foundatione for ye tyme to Come And
since the place ys yett to seeke, to make Choyce of such a one, and there
to fortifie our selves, soe as wee may bee able to defend us even against
our most powerfull Enemyes, (and therfore we most humblie desire) that
you would be pleased to give us leave to remai[n] in such A place as wee
shall finde most fitt to seate vppone, for the discovery wh[ich] wee intende
this Summer to vse our best endeavors, And to that ende to graun[t]
Comissione, That the generall assemblie heere may haue full power and
Awthor[itie] to remove to such aplace as they shall resolve one, and becuse
we cannott secu[re] our selves as wee shoulde (vnles wee vnite together in
greate Bodies) wher * * * must be contented for a while wth smale
quanteties of Lande according to ye * * * of theire People; that you
would bee pleased, for A Tyme, yt noe Pattents be graunt[ed] at home
to any p̱ticuler Plantation to seate where they thinke good, but th[at]
both for the place and p̳portione of Lande they bee at the directione &
Appoyntment of the Governor and Counsell heere

[3a] The next matter of gretest ymportance ys, how in this tyme of
distress vntill ye Plantatione hath a little recovered yt selfe and is some-
whatt settled, wee shalbe p̳vided of a sufficyent p̳portione of Corne,
wherin now the very life of the whole Colony consist, to feede soe many
mouthes as are heere, two third p̱tes wherof are women Children & vnserv-
isable people since there was never more cause to feare the miserable
ruine of ye Plantacone by a relapse into an extreame famine then at this
tyme, vnles our wante be supplide from home, for (besides the seasone of
Plantinge Corne, almost loste before wee could drawe together, many
whose labours might haue beene a great helpe to the encreasinge of our
store, must now of necessaty be ymployde in watchinge and wardinge

night and daye for the safetie of the rest of the Howses, of the Cattlle,
and of the corne wch shalbe planted, and many must be sent owt against
the Indyans, that we may be the more quiett and safe at home, neyther
can wee now plant corne in soe many places as we could wish (especyally
neere our howses, by reasone yt spreadeth all over all the grounde like a
thick groue, that the Indyans may hide themselves therin, who will from
tyme to tyme peeke out many of our people whilst they are about theire
weedinge and dressinge therof, and we haue great reason to doupt, since
they haue hertofore practized the like, that where wee doe plant any
Corne they will eyther Cutt it downe or destroy it in Summer before yt
bee ripe, or by stealth share wth us at Harvest, And as for our last and
beste refuge heere, which ys our gettinge of Corne eyther from our
freends by trade, or from our enemies by force, though wee will to our
vttermost endeuor both, yt is very vncertaine and Hazardous, And therfore
we most humblie desire, that such A Sufficyent p̳portione of Corne, and
that very good and well Chosen, be sent as may be able to Sustaine the
whole Colonie this next yeere, yf neede shall soe require, and that noe man
be suffered to come Hither wth out a yeers p̳vsione of corne at leste,
Another thinge of noe less moment then the former ys, Armes and
munitione of wch there ys heere at this tyme so great wante, that at least
a thirde p̱te of men able to beare Armes are vtterly vnp̳vided therof, and
wthowt wch we cannott only not goe fourth to revenge us vppon our
enemyes, but shalbe even vnable to defend our selves at home, And ther-
fore shall alsoe desire yt some spedie course be taken for the sendinge of A
large quantetie therof, and yt a contynuall supplie may follow from tyme
to Tyme, And since wee are resolved to bestow much paynes in matter
of fortificatione where wee seate our selves, that you would be pleased
wth all speede to sende us some Skillfull Enginers fit[307] for such A woorke,
as alsoe great store of spades, shovells, mattocks, Peekaxes, and other
tooles fitt for that purpose, ffor wch as alsoe for such Corne, Armes
munitione or any thinge else wch you shalbe pleased to send us, yt is not
our desire to be any way Chargeable vnto you, but as we are confident
to be able to doe it, notwthstandinge all these misfortunes wch haue
befalne us, soe shall wee be most willinge to give you full satisfactione
farther for them, wth very good Tobacco, and for the p̱formanc wherof
we doe by these presenc engage our selves vnto you, Thus makinge
noe question but that yf you shalbe pleased to send us these supplies in
our necessities, the speedines wherof will dubble your favor to us therin,
And therfore we cannott but againe wth all ernestnes, ymportune the
same, the Plantatione will suddenly be in a farr more safer happie and
florishinge estate then ever it was before, we most humblie take our
leaves and rest

At yor com̃andℯ