78. Indian Students at William and Mary College
BY GOVERNOR SPOTSWOOD (1711-1712)
VIRGINIA, NOV. 11, 1711.
To my Lord Dartmouth,
My Lord:
I have given your lordship an account of my intention
to meet and treat with the Tuscarora Indians for securing the
peace of this colony and punishing the Indians who had part in
the recent savage massacre.
My messenger is returned. He brought with him five of the
chief men of that nation to represent the rest. These chiefs came
at a very good time, just as I had brought into view a body of
militia consisting of about sixteen hundred men. So great an
appearance of armed men in such good order very much
surprised them.
It gave them a better opinion of the strength of this government
than they before had. I thought this a good time to let them
know what I expected of their nation if they wished to keep our
friendship.
I told them that either they must themselves carry on a war
with our Indian foes or help us to destroy them. And that we
might be the better assured of their friendship I proposed that
two of the sons of the chief men in each of their towns should
be educated at our college. These sons were to be sent to our
government as hostages.
The king of the Nausemonds has sent his son and cousin. The
Nottaways and Meherrins have each
sent two of their chief men's sons to the college. They have
consented for them to be brought up in the Christian religion.
To encourage them I have taken care to have them
well clothed and kindly treated. The queen of Pamunkey, upon
seeing their good treatment has also promised that her son and
one of the sons of a chief in her nation, shall soon be sent. I
expect one from the Chickahominys.
That they shall no longer pay tribute of skins is one of the
conditions upon which they send their children to the college.
It was as much with an intention to bring the Indians to accept
Christianity, as to secure their friendship to the government,
that I proposed to have their children here.
There are now about twenty-five Indian children at the college.
They have a master to teach them, and are decently clothed and
cared for; so that they seem very well pleased. So also are their
parents, and others of their nations, who come often to see
them.
These Indians express much satisfaction at the treatment which
is given to their children. They often grieve that they were not
so fortunate as to have such advantages in their young days.
Among the Indian children now at the college there are
several that can read and write quite well. They can repeat
the church catechism and know how to take part in the
service at church. Both the boys and the parents show a
great desire that they should receive baptism.
