University of Virginia Library

CHAPTER II.

SETTLEMENT AT JAMESTOWN—SUFFERINGS OF THE COLONISTS—ADVENTURES
OF SMITH.

We have now approached the period in which the British were
destined to make a permanent settlement in America. England
already possessed a population considered redundant, in consequence
of the inadequate means of support afforded by her limited
commerce and inefficient agriculture. The pacific and timid
character of James I. threw out of employment many of the brave
spirits who had served under Elizabeth, and left them the choice
of only two means of acquiring wealth or distinction,—and these
were either to draw a mercenary sword in the quarrels of strangers,
or to serve their king and country by transplanting their
energy and enterprise to a new world.

Bartholomew Gosnold chose the latter. He was a person of
rank and intelligence, and had already acquired distinction by his
courage and skill in arms. He solicited his friends for aid for
many years in vain, but at length attracted the attention of the
distinguished adventurer Capt. John Smith, Edward Maria Wingfield,
a merchant, and Robert Hunt, a clergyman, who, after taking
a year for reflection, entered zealously into his projects.

Nothing, however, could be effected until persons of wealth and
distinction could be found to patronise by their favor and aid by

their capital the enthusiasm of the adventurers. Sir Ferdinand
Gorges, a man of wealth, rank, and influence, had been informing
himself, by conversation with several American Indians who had
been carried to England by previous voyages, and by every other
means in his power, of the nature of the country; and from the
information he obtained became exceedingly anxious to possess a
domain on the western side of the Atlantic. He persuaded Sir
John Popham, lord chief-justice of England, to unite in his views.
Richard Hacklyt, the distinguished compiler of narratives of maritime
adventures, and one of the assignees of Raleigh, had not yet
relinquished his hopes of a permanent settlement in America, notwithstanding
the frequent previous discouraging failures, and
cheerfully joined in this new scheme of American colonization.
The exertions of these energetic and distinguished individuals
speedily raised a company, and procured a charter from King
James.

One hundred and nine years from the discovery of the North
American continent by Cabot, three small vessels,

whose joint tonnage amounted to only one hundred
and sixty tons burden, sailed for the coast of Virginia with a
colony of one hundred and five men. They were detained for six
weeks in sight of England by adverse winds. The voyage was
prosecuted under the command of Captain Newport, who sailed
by the old route of the Canaries and the West India islands; thus
consuming the valuable time and provisions of the colonists, in a
voyage unnecessarily long and circuitous. He did not arrive in
the Chesapeake until the 26th of April.

Dissensions had sprung up in the course of the voyage, which
there was no competent authority to quell, as the absurd affectation
of diplomatic mystery on the part of King James had sealed
up his instructions, and the names of those who were to constitute
the council, in a box which was not to be opened until after they
arrived in Virginia.

The southern cape of the Chesapeake received the name of
Henry, and the northern that of Charles, after the names of the
sons of James. After landing on Cape Henry, the box of instructions
was opened, and Smith[43] was found to be named as one of
the council, but he was excluded by the jealous malignity of the
rest. Wingfield was chosen president.

Soon after passing the capes, they reached the mouth of a large
and beautiful river, which they named after their sovereign James,
but which the natives called Powhatan. About fifty miles from
the mouth of this river, they selected a spot for their settlement,
to which they gave the name of James Town. There

could not, perhaps, be a company more unfitted for the
duty which it had to perform, than that which now commenced
the foundation of the British empire in America. The colonists
were in a wilderness, surrounded by savages, without a fortification
to repel their incursions, possessed of a scanty supply of provisions,
without means of planting,—and without a habitation to
protect them from the weather, save such as they might themselves
erect; yet in the whole company there were but four carpenters,
and twelve laborers, to fifty-four gentlemen. At first, however,
this rare collection of pioneers fell to work with spirit, each
to his appropriate duty. The president, who seems to have been
a very weak man, and ill-suited for his station, was too jealous of
his own men to allow exercises at arms, or a fortification to be
erected; and the only protection provided, was a sort of half-moon
formed of the boughs of trees, by the exertions of Kendall.
Newport, Smith, and twenty others were sent to discover the head
of the river. In six days they arrived at a town called Powhatan.
belonging to King Powhatan, situated at the falls of the river,
near the site of the present city of Richmond. They were kindly
treated by the Indians. When the expedition returned, they found
that Jamestown had been attacked by the savages, and seventeen
men wounded, and a boy killed. They were attacked while at
work, and their arms out of order; so that the whole were only
saved from destruction by the timely aid of the vessels. After this
experience of his folly, the president permitted the place to be
fortified; and the labor necessary to effect this, with so small a
force, while it was necessary, at the same time, to guard their
workmen by day, to watch by night, to prepare ground for corn,
and lumber to relade the ships, may be better conceived than described.
After a stay of six weeks, Newport prepared to depart,
and the council affecting a tender regard for the character of Smith,
whom they had falsely accused of a treacherous design to usurp
royal authority in the colony, and kept out of his seat in the council
under these charges, now proposed, that he might not be utterly
ruined by a trial, to send him home to the council, to be disposed of
as they might think proper. But Smith, conscious of innocence of
the absurd charge, boldly defied them, and demanded a trial. His
accusers suborned witnesses, who, instead of answering the expectations
of their employers, only exposed the subornation. The
company were so incensed at the infamous conduct of his accusers,
that they condemned the president to pay him £200, which,
when received, he generously threw into the common stock.
Newport sailed on the 15th of June, leaving one hundred men in
Virginia.

The president and Martin being unpopular men, and very deficient
in judgment and energy, committed the control of affairs
nearly entirely to Smith, who, by his example and his skill in
managing men, speedily reduced affairs to order, induced the men
to work, and provided comfortable habitations. His next object
was to obtain a supply of corn for the immediate necessity of the
people, which he did effectually, by frightening the people of

Kecoughtan, an Indian village, situated near the site of the present
town of Hampton—after first trying every means to purchase
their provision. Smith now constituted the only hope, not only for
the existence of the colony, as such, but for the lives of the individuals
of whom it consisted. Their recent wretchedness was
not a sufficient warning to them to preserve order, and to husband
their resources with prudence, now that plenty was provided; but
they lived as wastefully as if they had boundless magazines at
command. Smith, seeing this, caused the pinnace to be fitted up
for a cruise; and, in the mean time, availed himself of the opportunity
to become acquainted with the country lying on the
Chickahominy.

During one of these temporary absences of Smith, Wingfield
and Kendall, who had lived in disgrace since they were deposed,
laid a plot to carry off the pinnace to England, which the fortunate
return of Smith, before they had time to effect their purpose,
prevented. But not even then were they defeated without firing
on the pinnace, by which means Kendall lost his life.

Smith having gained possession of the pinnace, ascended the
Chickahominy, and procured an abundance of corn. Winter coming
on soon after, afforded an amply supply of game and wild fowl,
so that plenty was once more restored, and thought no longer entertained
of going to England.

Little souls cannot look upon the greatest exploits of nobler
creatures, without suffering a captious and jealous malignity to
detract from their merit. The very beings whom Smith had preserved
by his good conduct, now murmured against him their
absurd complaints—because he had not discovered the head of the
Chickahominy, although he had returned only to supply them with
food. His spirit could not brook reproach, however undeserved,
for any thing which was yet possible to be accomplished. He
again ascended the Chickahominy as far as was practicable in the
pinnace, and leaving it in a position which he supposed to be safe,
he advanced yet higher, with two whites and two Indians, in a
canoe. He left his men with his little boat, and taking only his
Indian guide, advanced into the forest with his gun to procure
them provision. Unfortunately, in disobedience to his orders, the
men in the pinnace went ashore, and one of them was taken by
the Indians, who learned from their prisoner whither the captain
had gone. The savages pursued him, and slew the men left with
the canoe while they slept. They next sought Smith, but found
him no easy prey; for, tying his guide to his arm as a buckler to
keep off their arrows, he defended himself so gallantly that they
dared not approach him, until, falling accidentally into a marsh, he
was at length forced by cold and fatigue to surrender. The savages
conducted him to their chief, Opechankanough, king of
Pamunkee. Smith endeavored to impress the king with a high
idea of his powers, by presenting him with a mariner's compass,
explaining its uses, and instructing him in the rudiments of astronomy,

by explaining the motion of the earth, its shape, and the
motion of the sun, moon, and planets; truths which it is difficult
to believe he could make the savage comprehend, especially as he
had but little knowledge of their language. It is more probable
that the king was pleased with the ivory case of the compass, and
the mysterious play of the needle, which he could see but not
touch, and which moved without an apparent cause. Accordingly,
we find when his men had tied Smith to a tree and were
about to slay him, the king did not attempt to prevent it by
explaining the motion of the earth around the sun, but merely held
up the compass, the sight of which seems to have been sufficient
to disarm their wrath.

For six or seven weeks Smith was led about in triumph by
these simple people, and exhibited to the tribes between the James
and Potomac rivers, during the whole of which time he was in
hourly apprehension of being put to death; but was generally
well treated, and provided with most of the luxuries which their
simple state afforded. At length he was brought before their emperor,
Powhatan, who received him with all the formal pomp and
state known to his savage court. A long consultation was held
by the council there assembled, upon the disposition to be made
of him, which terminated unfavorably. He was seized by a number
of the savages, and his head laid upon two great stones which
had been brought there for the purpose. His executioners had
already raised their clubs to dash out his brains, and thus at once
end his toil and difficulties, and cut off the only hope of the colony,
when an advocate appeared, as unexpected as would have been
the appearance of an angel sent immediately from heaven to ask
his release. This was Pocahontas, the emperor's favorite daughter,
who generously stepped forth and entreated, with tears, that
Smith might be spared. And when she found this unavailing with
the inexorable judges, she seized his head, and placed it under her
own, to protect it from the blows. This sight so moved Powhatan,
that he permitted Smith to live, intending to retain him to make
trinkets and utensils for his family and himself. But a few days
afterwards Powhatan told him they would be friends again, and
sent him back to Jamestown, with an offer of a large district of
country in exchange for two great guns and a grindstone; but the
party who were to carry these things found them so heavy, and
were so much terrified by the effect of the guns, when discharged
at a tree, that they were well satisfied to return without them,
having received a few paltry baubles and trinkets. Smith's return
again prevented a party from running off with the pinnace; which
so incensed them that they laid a plot to slay him, by a mock trial
for the death of the two men he had left in the canoe, and who
were slain by the savages; but he was too prompt for the conspirators,
whom he seized and kept close prisoners until he had
an opportunity of sending them to England for trial. The
colony was now only preserved from perishing by the kindness

of Pocahontas, who brought ample supplies every four or
five days.

Smith accompanied the Phœnix, as far as Cape Henry, in a
small open barge with fourteen men, with which

equipment he proposed to accomplish his long cherished
object of exploring the Chesapeake and its tributary waters.
It is not our purpose to follow him through his two wonderful
voyages, undertaken for this purpose, but we will merely present
an outline of his course from the pen of an able modern author,[46]
from whom we have before quoted. "Two voyages, made in an
open boat, with a few companions, over whom his superior courage,
rather than his station as a magistrate, gave him authority,
occupied him about three months of the summer, and embraced a
navigation of nearly three thousand miles. The slenderness of
his means has been contrasted with the dignity and utility of his
discoveries, and his name has been placed in the highest rank with
the distinguished men who have enlarged the bounds of geographical
knowledge, and opened the way by their investigations for
colonies and commerce. He surveyed the bay of the Chesapeake
to the Susquehannah, and left only the borders of that remote
river to remain for some years longer the fabled dwelling-place
of a giant progeny. The Patapsco was discovered and explored,
and Smith probably entered the harbor of Baltimore. The majestic
Potomac, which at its mouth is seven miles broad, especially invited
curiosity; and passing beyond the heights of Mount Vernon
and the City of Washington, he ascended to the falls above Georgetown.
Nor did he merely explore the river and inlets. He penetrated
the territories, established friendly relations with the
native tribes, and laid the foundation for future beneficial intercourse.
The map which he prepared and sent to the company in
London is still extant, and delineates correctly the great outlines
of nature. The expedition was worthy the romantic age of
American history." The map is indeed astonishingly accurate.
We cannot forbear adding the corroborating testimony of the distinguished
Robertson[47] upon this subject, which is also quoted and
approved by Marshall.[48] "He brought with him an account of
that large portion of the American continent now comprehended
in the two provinces of Virginia and Maryland, so full and exact,
that after the progress of information and research for a century
and a half, his map exhibits no inaccurate view of both countries,
and is the original upon which all subsequent descriptions have
been formed."

When Smith returned to Jamestown he found that little had
been done, and a whole summer, which was a season

of plenty, was wasted in idleness by the folly and
imbecility of the president, whose conduct was so outrageous that
the company had been at last forced to depose and imprison him.

Smith was now elected president, and his energetic conduct
speedily brought affairs into good order, and repaired

as far as possible the injuries occasioned by the misconduct
of his predecessor.

Soon after Smith's election Newport again arrived, with the
preposterous order, supposed to have been procured by his own
representations, not to return without a lump of gold, discovery
of a passage to the south sea, or one of the lost company sent out
by Sir Walter Raleigh. He also absurdly brought some costly
articles for the royal household of Powhatan, which served only to
inflate the pride, without conciliating the affection of that prince.
Some Poles and Dutchmen were also brought for the purpose of

manufacturing pitch, tar, glass, ashes, &c., which would have been
well enough if the colony had been in a condition always to defy
famine, but which it was impossible to accomplish now, when
every man's exertions were necessary to procure a sufficiency of
food. Notwithstanding Smith's remonstrances, Newport insisted
upon his trip of discovery above the falls of James River, for the
purpose of discovering a route to the south sea, although Powhatan
had assured them that the story they had heard of there being a
sea in that direction was utterly false. The party returned, as
Smith had predicted, disappointed and disheartened. Since this
project had failed, Smith having first procured a supply of provisions,
which Newport and the rest with all their vain boasting and their
costly presents had failed to do, and knowing that it was as impossible
to find a lump of gold, or one of Raleigh's company, as it
was to find the south sea on James River, set himself to work to
supply a cargo of tar, pitch, boards, ashes, and such articles
as they had it in their power to procure, although with great
difficulty and labor. So effectually did he exert himself, and so
much authority had he acquired over the delicate gentlemen under
his control, whose tender hands blistered with the use of the axe,
that in a short time he had provided a sufficient cargo for Captain
Newport, who at length departed, leaving two hundred souls in
the colony. By the return of the vessel Smith wrote to the council
a letter detailing the cause of their mishaps, assuring them that
they need not expect a sudden acquisition of wealth, and that
nothing was to be obtained but by labor. He complained of the
want of judgment and economy in the expenditure for the benefit
of the colony, which prevented them from reaping an advantage
of greater value than a hundred pounds judiciously expended
would purchase, from an actual outlay by the company of two or
three thousand. He also especially complained of the habits and
character of the men sent out, and entreated them when they sent
again, rather to send "but thirty carpenters, husbandmen, gardeners,
fishermen, blacksmiths, masons, and diggers up of tree-roots,
well provided, than a thousand such as they had; for unless they
could both lodge and feed them, they would perish with want before
they could be made good for any thing."

From the departure of the ship until the next arrival, the men
were only preserved from perishing by the most active and

unremitting exertions of their president, the detail of
whose conduct in his intercourse with the savages, and his management
of the ill-assorted, disorderly, turbulent spirits under his
control, is one of the most interesting stories in history, and proves
him to have been a man of extraordinary abilities.

Lord De La Ware received the appointment of governor for life
under the new charter, and an avarice which would listen to no
possibility of defeat, and which already dreamed of a flourishing
empire in America, surrounded him with stately officers, suited by
their titles and nominal charges to the dignity of an opulent kingdom.
The condition of the public mind favored colonization;
swarms of people desired to be transported; and the adventurers
with cheerful alacrity contributed free-will offerings. The widely
diffused enthusiasm soon enabled the company to dispatch a fleet
of nine vessels, containing more than five hundred emigrants.
Newport was made admiral, and was joint commissioner with Sir
Thomas Gates and Sir George Somers to administer the affairs of
the colony until the arrival of the governor. But these three individuals,
with a ceremonious punctilio characteristic of little minds,
seeking that distinction from artificial positions in society which
they cannot obtain by their own merit, could not agree in a contest
for precedence, and hence were compelled, as a compromise,
all to go in the same ship: thus exposing the colony to all the
danger of anarchy rather than that one should appear by the ship
he occupied to be a greater man than the other.

They accordingly embarked with their commission, their directions,
and much of the provision, in the Sea Venture. When near
the coast of Virginia they encountered a violent storm which destroyed
one small vessel, and drove the Sea Venture so far to sea
that she stranded on the rocks of the Bermudas. Seven ships
arrived in safety.

The president set out for the falls, a few days after West had
departed, and found that he had located himself in an exceedingly
inconvenient station, subject to inundation, and surrounded by
other intolerable inconveniences. He offered a fair proposition to
Powhatan, for the purchase of his place called Powhatan, which
he was willing to accept; but the disorderly spirits he had sent
thither, who were dreaming that the country immediately above
them was full of gold, to which they wished no one to have access
but themselves, refused the place or to ratify the contract, despising
alike his kindness and his authority. The president, with his
five men, went boldly among them, and seized the ringleaders of
the mutiny; but the whole number of a hundred and twenty
gathering in upon him, forced him to retire, but not without seizing
one of their boats, with which he took possession of the ship,
in which their provision was lodged. Fortunately for Smith, he
was sustained by the mariners, who had learned his character
from his old soldiers and their own observations of his conduct,
as well as by several of the officers, who had learned the error
of their first prejudices, deserted his adversaries, and become his
firm friends. The Indians came to Smith, whom they considered
as their friend and protector, complaining bitterly of the maltreatment
of the party at the falls, stating that they were worse than
their old enemies the Monocans, from whom it was the duty of the

party to protect them; and seeing their turbulent disobedience,
they offered their aid to chastise them. Smith remained nine
days longer trying to heal these differences, and to convince them
of the absurdity of their "gilded hopes of the South sea mines."
But finding all in vain, he set out for Jamestown. Such visionary
and disorderly persons were the first civilized inhabitants of
the present polished, intelligent, and hospitable city of Richmond.
No sooner was Smith's voyage commenced down the river, than
the savages attacked those he left behind him, and slew many,
and so frightened the rest, that they suffered the prisoners they
held in custody to escape. The terrified wretches fled for safety
to Smith, whose ship had grounded, and submitted, without stipulation,
to his mercy. He seized six or seven of the ringleaders,
and imprisoned them; the rest he placed in the savage fort Powhatan,
which from the beauty of its position, the excellence of its
houses and fortifications, and other advantages, was called Nonsuch.
He also satisfied the savages. This fair prospect was
again marred by the imbecility of West, who listened to the deceitful
tales and whining entreaties of the prisoners, and released
them, which again threw all things into disorder; the evil disposed
being the more encouraged in their mutinous conduct now,
by the possession of their provisions and stores, which had been
returned to them at the time of their previous submission. They
abandoned Non-such, and returned to their former inconvenient
station at West's fort. Smith, finding it impossible to restore tranquillity,
again set sail down the river.

In his progress an unfortunate accident occurred, which deprived
the colony of his services, and was near depriving him of life.
His powder-bag accidentally exploded while he was sleeping,
and tore the flesh from his body and thighs in a horrible manner.
The pain was so acute that he threw himself into the river to cool
the burning sensation, and was near drowning before he could be
recovered. He had yet to go nearly one hundred miles in this
situation, before he could reach a surgeon, or have any soothing
application applied to his wound.

When he returned to Jamestown, the time for the trial of Ratcliffe
and Archer was approaching, and these worthies, fearing the
result, hired an assassin to murder him in his bed, but the heart
of the wretch failed him ere he could fire the fatal shot. Failing
in this, their next hope was to save their lives, by possessing themselves
of the government; but in this they were disappointed by
Smith, who, having in vain urged all those he thought most
worthy to accept the presidency, resigned it to Mr. Percy, who
was about to sail for England, but was induced to stay under the
present embarrassing circumstances, to prevent the supreme control
of the colony from falling into the hands of the miscreants
who aspired to it.

Smith, finding himself disabled by his wound, the pain of which
almost deprived him of his reason, and seeing that there was not

sufficient surgical skill in the colony to restore him, determined to
depart for England. He well knew that, in his disabled state, the
colony was no place for him; for it had required his utmost exertion
in health to suppress faction at home, keep the Indians in awe, and,
by the most unceasing activity, supply the colony with provision.
He departed under the most mortifying circumstances; "his commission
was suppressed, he knew not why—himself and soldiers
to be rewarded, he knew not how—and a new commission granted,
they knew not to whom." After his determination was known,
the ships, which were to have departed the next day, were retained
three weeks, while the mutinous captains were perfecting some
colorable charges to send home against him. Never had the colony
sustained such a loss. His conduct and his character will be best
given in the language of those who knew him best. A writer,
who was with him in his troubles, speaking of the attempt to
usurp the government immediately before his departure, says:

"But had that unhappy blast not happened, he would quickly
have qualified the heat of those humors and factions, had the ships
but once left them and us to our fortunes; and have made the
provision from among the savages, as we neither feared Spaniard,
savage, nor famine; nor would have left Virginia nor our lawful
authority, but at as dear a price as we had bought it and paid for
it. What shall I say but thus: we left him, that in all his proceedings,
made justice his first guide, and experience his second, even
hating baseness, sloth, pride, and indignity, more than any danger,
—that never allowed more for himself, than his soldiers with him,
that upon no danger would send them where he would not lead
them himself;—that would never see us want what he either had,
or could by any means get us;—that would rather want than borrow,
or starve than not pay;—that loved action more than words,
and hated falsehood and covetousness worse than death; whose
adventures were our lives, and whose loss our deaths."