University of Virginia Library

CHAPTER III

A TYPICAL PIONEER

Early History of Captain John Smith. — Fortunately for
the colony, it contained one man of remarkable ability —
John Smith. He was born in Willoughby, England, his
family being connected with the Lancashire gentry. By
nature he was fond of adventure, and he lived at a period
when the world was full of excitement and stirring deeds.
Before he reached manhood he had fought in Flanders in
the wars against Spain. In 1601 he enlisted with the
Germans against the Turks. At the siege of Regal he
slew three Turks in a tournament, and was honored with
a triumphal procession. In the bloody battle of Rottenton
he was captured by the Turks and sold into slavery;
but he slew his master with a flail, and escaped into Russia.
Then he wandered through Poland, Germany, France, and
Spain, returning to England in 1604. Such, according to
his account, were the leading events in his life before he
came to America.

Visit to Powhatan. — While the settlers were trying to
make themselves comfortable at Jamestown, Newport and
Smith with twenty-three others sailed up the James to discover
its head. They went as far as the falls of the river,
and on the trip paid a visit to Powhatan, the acknowledged
head of the Virginia Indians, whom they found in his
royal wigwam, just a short distance from where the historic
city of Richmond now stands. They were hospitably

entertained by the savages; but Powhatan did not look
with favor upon his guests, though he thought it best to
hide his feelings. When one of his followers complained

Powhatan

(From an old print)

of the coming of the English,
he replied that the
strangers did not hurt
them, but only took a
little of their waste land.

An Unexpected Calamity.
— Newport returned
with his party to Jamestown
the last of May,
and in June he sailed for
England, leaving a bark
or pinnace for the use of
the colonists. He had
hardly taken his departure
before an unexpected
disaster befell the settlers.
The marshy peninsula
was full of malaria;
and when July came, the men were attacked with such an
epidemic of fever that at one time scarcely ten of them
could stand. To add to their distress, the supply of food
soon became insufficient, half a pint of wheat and as much
barley boiled in water being each man's daily allowance.
The noise of labor ceased, and no sounds were heard save
the groans of the sick. At times as many as three or four
died in a single night. Speaking of this period, Smith
says, "Our drink was water and our lodgings castles in
the air"; and George Percy wrote: "There were never
Englishmen left in a foreign country in such misery as we
were in this newly discovered Virginia." The facts show

that this statement was not exaggerated; for by September
half the men were dead, the brave Gosnold being among
the number, and the remaining fifty in a deplorable condition,
weakened by disease and by the lack of nourishment.

Half Survive. — When the supply of food had been
exhausted, and the men were about to die of starvation,
their wretched condition so moved the hearts of the savages,

that they gave them of their own fruit and provisions.
Smith also obtained additional supplies by trading
with the Indians and by intimidating them. The frosts
of autumn brought health to the fever-stricken men; and
now an abundant supply of food came from an unexpected
quarter. Wild fowl appeared in large numbers, swimming
upon the bosom of the river; and deer and other game
came near the settlement. So the men feasted and half
were saved.

Supposed Breadth of North America. — So little was
known of the dimensions of the continent at this period
that it was commonly supposed that the Pacific Ocean, or
the "South Sea," as it was called, could be easily reached
by sailing a little way up any of the rivers that ran from
the northwest. To find a way to this sea was one of the
objects set before the colonists by the London Company;
for it was believed this would open an easy route to the
East Indies, and pour out a golden tide of prosperity upon
the shores of England.

Smith a Captive. — Complaint having been made that
nothing had been done to discover the "South Sea,"
which had been the eager quest of so many of the early
explorers, Smith, who was the leading spirit of the colony,
sailed up the Chickahominy River to look for it. In the
swamps of the river the Indians captured him, after which
they set out on a march of triumph, exhibiting him to various
tribes and spending their time in feasting. Finally
they carried their captive to Powhatan, who was at Werowocomoco,[5]
his favorite resort, which was on the York
River, only a few miles from the historic field of Yorktown.
The Indians, after holding a consultation, decided
that Smith must die.

His Rescue. — Two great stones were brought, and the
head of the struggling captive forced down upon them,

while a number of warriors raised their clubs to dash out
his brains. But as they were about to strike, Pocahontas,
a dearly beloved daughter of Powhatan, then a girl about
thirteen years of age, rushed forward and, throwing her
arms around Smith, laid her head upon his to save him
from death. The stern heart of Powhatan was so touched
by his daughter's act that he spared Smith's life, and two

Rescue of Captain John Smith

days later sent him back to Jamestown, telling him that
he would in the future regard him as his son.[6]

Various Events. — When Smith returned to Jamestown,
he found the colony reduced to forty, and again in need
of food. But in January, Newport came with fifty additional
emigrants; and another ship containing seventy more
arrived in May. These ships brought supplies also, and

Newport and Smith obtained corn by trading with the
Indians. A fire at Jamestown early in the year destroyed
much that the colony possessed, and progress was further
delayed by a gold fever, which took possession of the men
because they found yellow sand near Jamestown, a shipload
of which Newport carried to England.

Smith Explores the Chesapeake Bay. — Smith's active
nature did not allow him to remain quietly at Jamestown
for a long period. On June 2, he set out, accompanied
by fourteen men, to explore the Chesapeake Bay. In an
open boat, with no instrument but a compass, he traversed
the whole of the Chesapeake on both sides. He
not only did this, but also made frequent journeys into the
interior, and opened communications with various tribes
of Indians. As a result of these researches, he constructed
a map of Virginia, which represented so correctly
the natural outlines of the country that it was not superseded
for many years; and even as late as 1873, it was
referred toas authority on the disputed boundary line
between Virginia and Maryland. When we consider the
slender resources at Smith's command, the results he
accomplished rightly place him in the highest rank among
those who have enlarged the bounds of knowledge, and
opened a way into an unknown land for colonies and for
commerce.

Change of Rulers. — The first rulers proved incompetent.
Wingfield was deposed by the people because he
tried to seize the pinnace and escape to England, and
Ratcliffe was made president. He was in turn deposed
for bad management, and, in September, 1608, Smith was
elected in his place. In times of adversity capable men
always come to the front, and Smith was virtually the
leader long before he became president. During the

autumn and winter that followed his election he had entire
control of affairs; and under his vigorous management,
everything took on a better appearance. When food was
needed he obtained it from the Indians, by fair means if
he could, and by force when nothing else availed.

Promises that Could not be Fulfilled. — About the end of
autumn, Newport came again, bringing with him another
supply of emigrants, among whom were Mrs. Forest and
her maid, Anne Burrus, the first English women that had
ever settled in the colony. This time he had promised to
do some impossibilities; for he had pledged himself not
to return to England without obtaining a lump of gold,
discovering the "South Sea," or finding one of Sir Walter
Raleigh's lost colony. He was also instructed to crown
Powhatan as a king acknowledging allegiance to England;
and this he did, putting on Powhatan's head a tinsel
crown, and giving him a scarlet cloak and other mock insignia
of royalty. The haughty Indian monarch, in return
for the presents he had received, sent King James
a robe of raccoon skins and a pair of his old moccasins.
The other undertakings Newport could not accomplish.

A New Charter. — In the summer of 1609, Captain Samuel
Argall came on a trading expedition, bringing from
England the news that Captain John Smith had been
deposed. This proved to be true. King James had
granted a new charter, which enlarged the limits of the
colony and authorized the London Company to choose the
English Council, and this Council was in turn to appoint
a governor for the colony. Virginia was to have not only
a governor, but also a lieutenant governor and an admiral;
Lord Delaware, Sir Thomas Gates, and Sir George Somers
had been elected to these offices, while Captain Newport
had been appointed vice admiral.

The New Emigrants arrive, but the New Government does
not. — Under the new organization, money enough was
speedily obtained to send nine ships containing five hundred
emigrants, to Jamestown. The fleet sailed from
England in May, 1609, leaving Lord Delaware to follow,
which he expected to do in a short time. To Gates,
Somers, and Newport, commissions were given, authorizing
the first one of the three that reached Virginia to administer
the government till Lord Delaware arrived. The
leaders were jealous of one another, and to keep one from
securing an advantage over the others by a prior arrival,
they all sailed together in the Sea Venture, the flagship of
the vice admiral. In August, about three hundred of the
emigrants, inadequately provisioned, arrived at Jamestown,
bringing the news that the Sea Venture, containing the
officers of the government and the rest of the party, had
been lost in a storm.

New Settlements. — As none of the officers authorized
to take charge of the government had arrived, Smith
retained control of affairs. He induced some of the newcomers
to settle at Nansemond under the command of
John Martin, and others at the falls of the James River
under Francis West, a brother of Lord Delaware.

Smith leaves Virginia. — While Smith was returning
from a visit to the settlement at the falls of the James,
he was severely wounded by the accidental explosion of
a bag of gunpowder. Toward the end of September, when
the ships that brought the emigrants returned, his enemies
succeeded in having him sent back to England, charging
him with having instigated the Indians to attack the settlers
at the falls, because they had been insubordinate to
him, and with plotting[7] to acquire a right to Virginia by

marrying Pocahontas, the daughter of Powhatan. Smith
afterwards explored the coast of New England; but he
never returned to Virginia. He died in London in 1631.

His Character. — The testimony of those who knew him
shows that he was a man of action, craving restless movement,
and taking pleasure in unremitting toil. He was
fertile in expedients and full of energy, difficulties serving
only to bring out the strength of his character, while his
hopefulness under adverse circumstances enabled him to
inspire others with confidence in him and in themselves.
His researches in geography are unusually accurate for
his times, and on practical subjects and colonization he
wrote much that contains the highest wisdom. With all
these strong qualities, he was at the same time so vain
that, when he gave an account of his own exploits, his
fervid imagination led him to color his narrative too
highly. His character is paradoxical, and has to be
studied in order to be understood. He has been called
the "Father of Virginia"; and there is no doubt as to
the great value of the services he rendered the colony.

QUESTIONS

• 1. What was the early history of Captain John Smith?

• 2. Give an account of the visit of Smith and Newport to Powhatan.

• 3. How did Powhatan regard his guests?

• 4. What calamity befell the Jamestown colony?

• 5. Why did the savages give them provisions?

• 6. From what source did the settlers obtain abundant supplies?

• 7. What was the supposed breadth of North America?

• 8. Describe the capture of John Smith.

• 9. Give an account of his rescue.

• 10. Upon his return to Jamestown, in what condition did he find the
  colonists?

• 11. Why were the first rulers deposed, and who was finally elected
  

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• 12. Who were the first English women that emigrated to the colony?

• 13. What had Newport promised to do?

• 14. Give an account of the crowning of Powhatan.

• 15. When Argall came to Virginia, in 1609, what news did he bring
  from England?

• 16. What changes had been made in the government of the colony?

• 17. What officers had been appointed?

• 18. Why did John Smith remain at the head of affairs?

• 19. What new settlements did he make?

• 20. Why did Smith leave Virginia?

• 21. Give an estimate of his character.

REVIEW QUESTIONS

• 1. Give a general description of the Virginia Indians.

• 2. Describe their weapons, wigwams, and customs

• 3. What was their method of warfare, and how did they treat their
  prisoners?

• 4. What is said of their education?

• 5. Describe their religion

• 6. What is said of Powhatan?

• 7. Why did the English wish to settle Virginia?

• 8. Mention some early explorers and what they did.

• 9. Give an account of the early attempts at colonization.

• 10. Relate the story of the Lost Colony.

• 11. Why were the London and Plymouth Companies formed, and what
  territory was granted each?

• 12. What were the chief provisions of the first American charter, and
  by whom were they signed?

• 13. Mention some of the beginners of the nation, and describe their
  departure and voyage

• 14. When and where did they make a permanent settlement?

• 15. Give the early history of Captain John Smith.

• 16. Give an account of his capture by the Indians, and his rescue.

• 17. Describe his last years, and give an estimate of his character.