Colonial Records of Virginia Part 18

_Persons slaine at Martins-Hundred, some seaven miles from James-Citie._

Lieutenant Rich: Kean, Master Tho: Boise & Mistris Boise, his wife & a sucking Childe, 4 of his men, A Maide, 2 Children, Nathanael Jefferies wife, Margaret Dauies, 3 seruants, Master John Boise, his wife, A Maide, 4 Men-seruants, Laurence Wats, his Wife, 2 Men seruants, Timothy Moise, his Man, Henry Bromage, his Wife, his Daughter, his Man, Edward How, his Wife, his Childe, A child of John Jackson, 4 Men seruants, Josua Dary, his wife, Richard Staples, his wife, and Childe, 2 Maides, 6 Men and Boyes, Walter Dauies & his brother, Christopher Guillam, Thomas Combar, A Man, Ralphe Digginson, his Wife, Richard Cholser, George Jones, Cisby Cooke, his wife, Dauid Bons, John Benner, John Mason, William Pawmet, Thomas Bats, Peter Lighborrow, James Thorley, Robert Walden, Thomas Tolling, John Butler, Edward Rogers, Maximilian Russel, Henry, a Welchman.

_At Mr. Thomas Pierce his House over against Mulberry Iland._

Master Tho: Pierce, his Wife, and Childe, John Hopkins, John Samon, A French Boy.

_At Mr. Edward Bennets Plantation._

Mastter Th: Brewood, his wife, his Childe, Robert Gray, John Griffin, Ensigne Harrison, John Costard, Dauid Barry, Thomas Sheppard, Henry Price, Robert ----, Edward Jolby, Richard ----, Alice Jones, Thomas Cooke, Philip Worth, Mathew a maid, Francis Winder, Thomas Conly, Richard Woodward, Humfrey Cropen, Thomas Bacon, Euan Watkins, Richard Lewis, Edward Towse, 2 Seruants, Thomas Ferris, George Cole, Remember Michel, ---- Bullocke, Richard Chandler, Henry Moore, Nicholas Hunt, John Corderoy, Richard c.o.c.kwell, John Howard, Mistris Harrison, Mary Dawks, Annie English, Rebecca ----, Master Prowse, Hugh ----, John ----, Edward ----, Mistris Chamberlin, Parnel a maid, Humfrey Sherbrooke, John Wilkins, John Burton.

John Scotchmore, } M^r John Pontis his men.

Edward Turner, }

Edward Brewster, Lieutenant Pierce his man.

Thomas Holland, Capt. Whittakers man.

_At Master Walters his house._

Master Edward Walters, his wife, a Childe, a Maid, a Boy.

The whole number 347.

A BRIEFE DECLARATION OF THE PLANTATION OF VIRGINIA

DURINGE THE FIRST TWELVE YEARES, WHEN SIR THOMAS SMITH WAS GOVERNOR OF THE COMPANIE, & DOWNE TO THIS PRESENT TYME.

BY THE

ANCIENT PLANTERS NOWE REMAINING ALIVE IN VIRGINIA.

1624.

PREFACE.

The next paper presented in this collection is a copy of the one from which Mr. Bancroft quotes in his introductory note to the meeting of the first a.s.sembly, referring to it as "MS. in my possession." This is printed from the copy among the McDonald papers, and with its t.i.tle and endors.e.m.e.nts no intimation is given as to the date of its preparation, its author or authors, to whom it was addressed, or the use intended to be made of it. These questions are, however, answered almost entirely by reference to the entries in "Sainsbury's Calendar of State Papers,"

which, on pp. 65-'6, has the following: "1624. July. Pet.i.tion of Gov.

Sir Francis Wyatt, the Council and a.s.sembly of Virginia to the King.

Have understood that his Majesty, notwithstanding the unjust disparagement of the Plantation, has taken it under his especial care; intreat that credit may not be given to the late declarations presented to his Majesty concerning the happy, but indeed miserable, estate of the Colony during the first twelve years (of Sir Thos. Smith's government), nor to the malicious imputations which have been laid upon the late government. Inclose the true state of both, and earnestly request that the present government may be continued. Pray that the King's tender compa.s.sion will not allow them to fall into the hands of Sir Thos. Smith or his confidents." Signed by Sir Fran. Wyatt, Capt. Fan. West, Sir George Yeardley and eighty-six others. _Inclose._--"Brief Declaration of the Plantation," &c., giving the whole t.i.tle of this paper, verbatim, and a copious abstract of its contents. The earliest account of the horrors it relates is to be found in Smith's History, p. 105, in what is called "the examinations of Doctor Simons." This writer gives full details of the straits to which the Colonists were reduced and the expedients to which they resorted to appease hunger in 1609; adding, after the statements in regard to eating the Indian who had been buried several days and their eating "one another boyled, and stewed with rootes and herbes," the account of the man who "did kill his wife, powdered her, and had eaten part of her before it was known," and adding with a grim humour, "now whether shee was better roasted, boyled or carbonado'd, I know not, but of such a dish as powdered wife, I never heard of." His statements are copied, with more or less variation, by Beverley, St.i.th, Keith and Burke, but not one of them go into the disgusting and improbable details named in the "Brief Declaration."

Campbell also reports the stories, but adds, in regard to the wife murderer, "upon his trial it appeared that cannibalism was feigned to palliate the murder," p. 93. Neill quotes from the Records of the Virginia Company, "The Tragical Relation of Virginia a.s.sembly," which was transmitted to England about 1621; this was intended as a reply to a pet.i.tion of Alderman Johnson and others, who had represented to the King that the reports in regard to Sir Thos. Smith's management were false, and desiring an investigation. These pet.i.tioners were members of a faction which desired to break up the Virginia Company. In the Relation of the a.s.sembly, Smith is charged with all the cruelties to the Colonists which are mentioned in this "Brief Declaration"; torturing and starving to death being the punishments for minor offences; and a.s.serting their confidence in the truth of these statements by concluding it with these words: "And rather to be reduced to live under the like government we desire his Ma^{ties} commissioners may be sent over w^{th} authoritie to hange us." This is signed by thirty members of the General a.s.sembly, including among the names, those of George Sandys, the poet, traveller and Secretary of the Colony, and Raph Hamor, the chronicler--See Neill, pp. 407-411.

There is another reference to this starving time (as it is called) and its accompanying horror, which should not be allowed to pa.s.s without notice. As above stated, the worst state of affairs was reported to have existed in 1609, and in the next year a pamphlet with the following t.i.tle was issued, "A true declaration of the estate of the Colonie of Virginia, with a refutation of such scandalous reports as haue tended to the disgrace of so worthy an enterprise. Published by aduise and direction of the Councell of Virginia. London, 1610." The writer of which, after referring to the slanders which had been circulated in regard to Sir Thos. Smith's government, and especially of the story of the wife-eater, says, "Sir Thomas Gates thus relateth the tragedie," and then follows a long pa.s.sage to the effect that "one of the companie mortally hated his wife," and having killed her and secreted her body after cutting it into peices; when it was found out he said she died and he had hid her to satiafie his hunger, and had fed daily upon her, but upon searching his house they found a large quant.i.ty of provisions.--See Force's tracts, Vol. III. The writers of the "Brief Declaration," and the "True Declaration," must have seen this statement published ten or twelve years before they wrote, and it is a little remarkable that they should have persisted in repeating a story which was far from being well authent.i.tcated, especially as the true statement did not need this addition to increase the odium incurred by the mismanagement of Sir Thos. Smith, the evidences of which are herein set forth.

St.i.th reports the stories of the Indian "that had been slain and buried"

being taken up and eaten, and "so did several others, one another that died," and also that of the man who "killed his wife and powdered her up, and eat the greater portion before it was discovered;" and adds, for many years after it was "remembered by the name of the _starving time_,"

p. 116-117. For many particulars nowhere else given, see Neill's History, pp. 407-411.

STATE PAPER OFFICE. } COLONIAL. } _Volume 3, No. 21, I._ }

A BREIFE DECLARATION _of the Plantation of Virginia duringe the first Twelve Yeares, when Sir Thomas Smith was Governor of the Companie, & downe to this present tyme. By the Ancient Planters nowe remaining alive in Virginia._

Wheras in the beginninge of Sir Thomas Smith's twelve yeares government, it was published in printe throughout the Kingdome of Englande that a Plantation should be settled in Virginia for the glorie of G.o.d in the propogation of the Gospell of Christ, the conversion of the Savages, to the honour of his Majesty, by the enlargeinge of his territories and future enrichinge of his kingdome, for which respects many n.o.ble & well minded persons were induced to adventure great sums of money to the advancement of soe pious & n.o.ble a worke, who have from the very first been frustrate of their expectation, as wee conceive, by the misgovernment of Sir Thomas Smith, aiminge at nothinge more then a perticular gaine, to be raised out of the labours of such as both voluntarilie adventured themselves and were otherwise sent over at the common charge. This will cleerely appeare in the examination of the first expedition & severall supplies in the tyme of his government.

The first Plantation in Virginia consisted of one hundred persons, so slenderly provided for that before they had remained halfe a yeare in this new Collony they fell into extreame want, not havinge anything left to sustein them save a little ill conditioned Barley, which ground to meal & pottage made thereof, one smale ladle full was allowed each person for a meale, without bread or aught else whatsoever, so that had not G.o.d, by his great providence, moved the Indians, then our utter enemies, to bringe us reliefe, we had all utterlie by famine perished.

How unable so small a companye of people, soe poorely sent over, were to make way for such as shoulde followe, may easily be judged.

The first supplie beinge two shippes, the John & Francis & Phenix, with one hundred & twenty persons, worse every way provided for then the former, arrived heere about eight or nine months after & found the Collony consistinge of no more then forty persons (of those) tenn only able men, the rest at point of death, all utterly dest.i.tute of howses, not one as yet built, so that they lodged in cabbins & holes within the grounde; victualls they had none, save some small reliefe from the Indians, as some yet living weare feelinge witnesses, neither were we for our future and better maintenance permitted to manure or till any grounde, a thing in a new Plantation princ.i.p.ally to be regarded, but weare by the direction of Sir Thomas Smith, and his officers heere, wholly imployed in cuttinge downe of masts, cedar, blacke wallnutt, clapboarde, &c., and in digginge gould oare (as some thought) which beinge sent for England proved dirt. These works to make retorne of present proffit hindered others of more necessary consequence of Plantation.

After this first supplie there were some few poore howses built, & entrance made in cleeringe of grounde to the quant.i.tye of foure acres for the wholl Collony, hunger & sickness not permitting any great matters to bee donne that yeare.

The second supplie was a ship called the Mary Margett, which arrived here nine months after, about the time of Michaellmas, in her sixty persons, most gentlemen, few or no tradesmen, except some Polanders to make Pitch, tarre, potashes, &c., to be retorned for present gaine, soe meanly likewise were these furnished forth for victualles, that in lesse then two monthes after their arrivall, want compelled us to imploye our time abroad in trading with the Indians for corne; whereby though for a time we partly relieved our necessities, yet in Maye followinge we weare forced (leavinge a small guarde of gentlemen & some others about the president at James Towne) to disperse the wholl Collony, some amongst the Salvadges but most to the Oyster Banks, where they lived uppon oysters for the s.p.a.ce of nine weekes, with the allowance only of a pinte of Indian corne to each man for a week, & that allowance of corne continued to them but two weekes of the nine, which kinde of feeding caused all our skinns to peele off, from head to foote, as if we had beene flead. By this time arrived Captaine Samuell Argall in a small Barque, with him neither supplie of men nor victualls from the Company; but we understandinge that he had some small provisions of bread and wine, more then would serve his owne companie, required him and the master of the Barque to remaine ash.o.a.re whilst we might bring his sailes ash.o.a.re the better to a.s.sure us of his ship & such provisions as coulde be spared, whereunto he seemed willingly to condescend. Those provisions, at a small allowance of Biskett, cake, and a small measure of wine or beere to each person for a Daye some what relieved us for the s.p.a.ce of a month, at the end of which time arrived the thirde supplie, called Sir Thomas Gates, his fleet, which consisted of seaven shippes & neere five hundred persons with whom a small proportion of victuall, for such a number, was landed; howses few or none to entertain them, so that being quartered in the open feilde they fell uppon that small quant.i.tye of corne, not beinge above seaven acres, which we with great penury & sufferance had formerly planted, and in three days, at the most, wholly devoured it.

These numbers, thus meanly provided, not being able to subsist and live together weare soone after devided into three parties and dispersed abroad for their better reliefe. The first under commande of Captaine Francis West to feat at the head of the River; a second under commande of Captaine John Smith, then President, at James Towne, & the other, with Capt. John Martin, in the River at Nansamun, which divisions gave occasions to the Indiens treacherously to cutt off divers of our men & boates, and forced the rest at the end of sixe weekes, havinge spent those small provisions they had with them, to retire to James Town & that in the depth of winter, when by reason of the colde, it was not possible for us to endure to wade in the water (as formerly) to gather oysters to satisfie our hungry stomacks, but constrained to digge in the grounde for unwholesome rootes whereof we were not able to get so many as would suffice us, in respect of the frost at that season & our poverty & weakness, so that famine compelled us wholly to devoure those Hogges, Dogges & horses that weare then in the Collony, together with rates, mice, snakes, or what vermin or carryon soever we could light on, as alsoe Toadstooles, Jewes eares, or what els we founde growing upon the grounde that would fill either mouth or belly; and weare driven through unsufferable hunger unnaturallie to eat those thinges which nature most abhorred, the flesh and excrements of man, as well of our owne nation as of an Indian, digged by some out of his grave after he had laien buried three daies & wholly devoured him; others, envyinge the better state of boddie of any whom hunger had not yet so much wasted as there owne, lay waight and threatened to kill and eat them; one amonge the rest slue his wife as she slept in his bosome, cutt her in peeces, powdered her & fedd uppon her till he had clean devoured all partes saveinge her heade, & was for soe barbarouse a fact and cruelty justly executed. Some adventuringe to seeke releife in the woods, dyed as they fought it, & weare eaten by others who found them dead. Many putt themselves into the Indians' handes, though our enemies, and were by them slaine. In this extremitye of famine continued the Collony till the twenteth of Maye, when unexpected, yet happely, arrived Sir Thomas Gates & Sir George Somers in two small Barques[FF] which they had built in the Sommer Islands after the wreake of the Sea adventure wherin they sett forth from Englande, with them one hundred persons barely provided of vittel for themselves. They founde the Collony consistinge then of but sixty persons most famished and at point of death, of whom many soone after died; the lamentable outcries of theirs soe moved the hartes of those worthies, not being in any sorte able long to releive their wantes they soone resolved to imbarque themselves & this poore remainder of the Collonye, in those two pinnaces & two other small Barques then in the River, to sett saile for Newfoundland where they might releive their wants & procure one safer pa.s.sage for Englande. Every man, glad of this resolution, laboured his uttmost to further it, so that in three weekes we had fitted those barques and pinnaces (the best we could) & quitted James Towne, leaving the poore buildings in it to the spoile of the Indians, hopeinge never to retorne to re-possess them. When we had not sailed downe the River above twelve miles but we espied a boat which afterwards we understoode came from the right Honourable Lorde La Ware, who was then arived at Point Comfort with three good shipps, wherin he brought two hundred and fifty persons with some store of Provisions for them; but by reason he founde the Collony in so great want was forced to put both his owne people & the rest of the Collony to a very meane allowance, which was seven pounde of English meale for a man a weeke, & five pounds for every woman, without the addition of any victuall whatsoever, except, in the stead of meale, we took valuablie either pease or oatmeale. Uppon the arrival of that boat, Sir Thomas Gates understandinge from the Lord La Ware, that his Lordship was arrived with commission from the Company to be Gov^r & Capt. Gen^l of Virginia, & had brought men & provisions for the subsistinge & advancing of the Plantation, he the very next daye, to the great griefe of all his Company (only except Capt. John Martin), as winde and weather gave leave, retorned his whole company with charge to take possession againe of those poore ruinated habitations at James Towne which he had formerly abandoned; himselffe in a boate proceeded downeward to meete his Lordship who, making all speede up, arrived shortly after at James Towne. The time of the yeare being then most unseasonable, by intemperate heat, at the end of June his people suddenly fallinge generally into most pestilent diseases of Callentures and feavors, not lesse then one hundred & fifty of them died within few moneths after, & that chiefly for want of meanes to comfort them in their weak estates.

The residue alsoe disabled by reason of sicknes could performe nothing that yeare to the advancement of the Collony, yet with the help of those people which had arrived with Sir Thomas Gates, together with some of the ancient Planters, who by use weare growen practique in a hard way of livinge, two small forts weare erected neare the rivers mouth at Kicoughtun, encompa.s.sed with small younge trees, haveinge for housing in the one, two formerlie built by the Indians & covered with bark by them, in the other a tent with some few thatcht cabbins which our people built at our comming thether. We founde divers other Indian Howses built by the natives which by reason we could make no use of we burnt, killinge to the number of twelve or fourteene Indians, & possessinge such corne as we founde growinge of their plantinge. We remained there untill harvest, when we reaped (besides what we spent) about the quant.i.tie of one hundred and fiftie bush.e.l.ls of corne, which, by order from the Lord La Ware, was transported to James Towne.

[FF] "The Deliverance, of 70 tonn, and the Patience, of 30 tonn." Letter from the Lord Delaware, Governor of Virginia to the patentees in England.--Introduction to Strachey's _Virginia Brittania_, p. xxiii.

His Lordship intendinge to send up certain forces to march towardes the mountaines for the discoverie of gold or silver mines at the end of October, sent his Patents to Captaine Yardley and Captaine Holcroft, commanders of those two forts at Kicoughtan, wherin his Lordship gave order that they should be forthwith abandoned & the people with all speede to be brought to James Citie, there to prepare for his intended march.

At that time there arrived a small ship called the daintie, with twelve men & one woman, some little provision of victuall, two or three horses & some other slight necessaries for the Collony. Soon after we sett forward for our intended march, havinge for our leaders Captaine Edwarde Brewster & Captaine George Yeardley, being in number one hundred persons, furnished with all such necessary provisions, as the Collony at that time out of its poverty was able to provide. This designe was hindered by reason of the unfortunate losse of all our chieffe men skillfull in findeinge out mines, who weare treacherously slaine by the Salvadges (inviteinge them ash.o.a.re to eat victualls which they wanted) even when the meate was in theire mouthes, they careinge only to fill their bellies, foresaw not to prevent this danger which befell them.

This injury we revenged for the present (as we coulde) by killinge some Indians and burninge many houses, but by reason of this disaster we proceeded not farther on our journey then the head of the River, where we spent about three moneths doinge little but induringe much; his Lordship was there in person for the most part of that time, but his disease of body groweinge much upon him he resolved to retire to James Towne, givinge order that the fort which we had built there shoulde bee quitted and the troupe drawn downe, which accordingly was done. His Lordship then in regarde of his sickness was advised to putt to Sea in his ship, the Delaware, to seeke remedie in some other parts for the health of his bodye. At his going he left Captaine George Percie Deputie Governor, the people (remaining under his command) provided for three months at a short allowance of victuals. The calamities of these times would not any way permit workes of great importance to bee performed, sith that we did was as much as we coulde doe to live and defende our selves.

The Plantations helde at his Lordships departure were only James Towne and Pointe Comforte, where was a small Fort fenced with Pallisadoes, in it one slight howse, a store and some few thatcht cabbins, which shortly after by casualtie was burnt with fire; some few great ordinance were slenderlye mounted at James Towne and Pointe Comfort.

A fortnight after his Lordship's departure arrived a small ship called the Hercules, with some thirty people and some provisions for them. The tweife of May followeinge arrived Sir Thomas Dale with three ships and three hundred persons, his provisions for them of such qualitie (for the most part) as hogges refused to eat, some whereof were sent backe to England to testifie the same, and that the rest was not better was justified upon oath before the Hono^{ble} the Lorde Cheife Justice of the Common Pleas, at Guilde hall in London, by Sir Thos. Gates & two other gentlemen.

Sir Thomas Dale, takinge into consideration the precedent times not to have succeeded accordinge to the greedy desire of Sir Thomas Smith, presently imployed the general Colony about the lading of those three ships with such freight as the country then yealded, but a little before the ships were readie to depart, Sir Thomas Gates arrived with three ships and three carvills, with him three hundred persons meanly provided with victualls for such a number. In this fleet, to our remembrance, arrived sixtie cowes and some swine; it was his care to dispatch those shipps and carvills fraighted (as aforesaid) to the neglect of workes of greater importance. Sir Thomas Dale imediately uppon his arrival, to add to that extremitye of miserye under which the Collonye from her infancie groaned, made and published most cruell and tiranous lawes, exceeding the strictest rules of marishall discipline, which lawes were sent over by Sir Thomas Dale to Sir Thomas Smith by the hande of Mr. William Starchey,[GG] then Secretarie to the State, and were retorned in print, with approbation, for our future government, as in divers bookes yet extant more fully appeareth.

[GG] Mr. Strachey, sailed with Lord Delaware on the 1st of April, 1610, and arrived at the Capes on the 15th of May. He remained about two years. He left a well written ma.n.u.script account of his observations, with this t.i.tle: "The Historie of travaile into Virginia Brittania, * * * gathered and discovered as well by those who went first hither, as collected by William Strachey, Gent., the first secretary of the Colony;" which, edited by R.A. Major, Esq., of the British Museum, was published by the Hakluyt society in 1849.

At Michaellmas then next followinge, Sir Thomas Dale removed himself with three hundred persons for the buildinge of Henrico Towne, where being landed he oppressed his whole companye with such extraordinarye labors by daye and watchinge by night, as maye seeme incredible to the eares of any who had not the experimentall triall thereof. Wante of houses at first landinge in the colde of winter, and pinchinge hunger continually bitinge, made those imposed labours moft insufferable, and the best fruits and effects therof to be noe better then the slaughter of his Majesty's free subjects by starveinge, hangeinge, burneinge, breakinge upon the wheele and shootinge to deathe, some (more than halfe famished) runninge to the Indians to gett reliefe beinge againe retorned were burnt to death. Some for stealinge to satisfie their hunger were hanged, and one chained to a tree till he starved to death; others attemptinge to run awaye in a barge and a shallop (all the Boates that were then in the Collonye) and therin to adventure their lives for their native countrye, beinge discovered and prevented, were shott to death, hanged and broken upon the wheele, besides continuall whippings, extraordinary punishments, workinge as slaves in irons for terme of yeares (and that for petty offences) weare dayly executed. Many famished in holes and other poore cabbins in the grounde, not respected because sicknes had disabled them for labour, nor was their sufficient for them that were more able to worke, our best allowance beinge but nine ounces of corrupt and putrified meale and haife a pinte of oatmeale or pease (of like ill condition) for each person a daye. Those provisions were sent over by one Winne, a Draper, and Caswell, a baker, by the appointment (as we conceave) of Sir Thomas Smith. Under this Tira.n.u.s Government the Collony continued in extreame slavery and miserye for the s.p.a.ce of five yeares, in which time many, whose necessities enforced the breach of those lawes by the strictness and severitye therof, suffered death and other punishments. Divers gentlemen both there and at Henrico towne, and throughout the wholl Collonye (beinge great adventurers and no trendes or alliance to Sir Thomas Smith) weare feeling members of those generall calamities, as far forth as the meanest fellow sent over.

The buildings and fortifications of that Towne, or thereabouts, were noe way extraordinary, neither could want, accompanied with bloode and crueltie, effect better.