Chapter 8
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 manuscript account of his observations, with this title: "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 Tiranus Government the Collony continued in extreame slavery and miserye for the space 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.
Fortification against a foreign enemy there was none, only two or three peeces of ordenance mounted, and against a domestic noe other but a pale inclosinge the Towne to the quantitye of foure acres, within which those buildings that weare erected, coulde not in any man's judgement, neither did stande above five yeares and that not without continuall reparations; true it is that there was a Bricke Church intended to be built, but not soe much as the foundation therof ever finished, but we contentinge our selves with a church of wood answerable to those houses. Many other workes of like nature weare by him donne at Henrico and the precincts therof, but so slightly as before his departure hence, he himself saw the ruine and desolation of most of them.
Sir Thomas Gates likewise in his time erected some buildinges in and about James Towne, which by continuall cost in repaireinge of them doe yet for the most part in some sort remaine.
A framed Bridge was alsoe then erected, which utterly decayed before the end of Sir Thomas Smith's government, that being the only bridge (any way soe to be called) that was ever in the country. At this time in all these labours, the miserye throughout the wholl Collony, in the scarcitye of foode was equall; which penurious and harde kinde of liveinge, enforced and emboldened some to petition to Sir Thomas Gates (then Governor) to grant them that favor that they might employ themselves in husbandry, that therby they and all others by plantinge of corne, might be better fed then those supplies of victual which were sent from Englande woulde afforde to doe, which request of theirs was denied unlesse they woulde paye the yearlye rent of three barrels of corne and one monthe's worke to the Collonye, although many of them had been imployed in the generall workes and services of the Collony from the beginninge of the Plantation, which harde condition of Tenantship was then accepted rather then they woulde continue in those generall services and employments noe waye better then slavery. Most part of the time that Sir Thomas Gates and Sir Thos. Dale governed we were at warre with the natives, so that by them divers times were many of our people slaine, whose blood Sir Thomas Dale neglected not to revenge, by divers and sundry executions, in killinge many, cuttinge downe and takinge away their corne, burninge their houses, spoiling their weares, &c.[HH]
[HH] "Their weares in which they take their fish, which are certain enclosures made with reedes, and framed in the fashion of a laborinth or maze, sett a fathome deepe in the water, with divers chambers or bedds, out of which the entangled fish cannot returne or gett out, being once in."--Strachey, p. 68.
In this time alsoe the two fortes, fort Henry and fort Charles, at Kicoughton, were againe erected with such buildings as were formerly expressed, not fortified at all against a forreine enemye, and against the Indian that common order of a pale or pallisadoe.
The supplies sent out of Englande while Sir Thos. Gates and Sir Thos. Dale governed were these; a small barque called the John and Francis, which brought few men and less victual; the next a small ship called the Sarah, with the like number of men and victuall; the next ship called the Tresorer, wherin came Capt. Samuell Argoll, bringinge with him to the number of fiftie good men, which ship and men were wholly imployed in Trade and other services for relevinge of the Collonye; the next ship, called the Elizabeth, with about thirteene persons, for them little provision; the next the same Elizabeth came againe, with some small store of provisions only; in her Sir Thos. Gates went for Englande, leavinge the government with Sir Thomas Dale.
A little before the departure of Sir Thomas Gates many of the ancient planters (by the instigation of Sir Thomas Dale), uppon the promise of an absolute freedome after three yeares more to be expired (havinge most of them already served the Collonye six or seaven yeares in that generall slavery) were yet contented to worke in the buildinge of Charles Citty and Hundred, with very little allowance of clothinge and victuall, and that only for the first yeare, being promised one moneth in the yeare, and one daye in the weeke from Maye daye till harvest, to gett our maintenance out of the earth without any further helpe; which promise of Sir Thos. Dale was not performed, for out of that small time which was allowed for our maintenance we were abridged of nere halfe, soe that out of our daily taskes we were forced to redeeme time wherin to labour for our sustenance, therby miserably to purchase our freedome. Yet so fell it out that our State (by God's mercy) was afterwardes more happie then others who continued longer in the aforementioned slaverye; in which time we built such houses as before and in them lived with continual repairs, and buildinge new where the old failed, untill the massacre.
For matter of fortification in all this time, were only foure peeces of ordinance mounted for our defence against the natives. Soone after we weare seated at Charles Hundred, Sir Thomas Dales resolved of a journey to Pamonkey River, there to make with the Salvadges either a firme league of friendship or a present warre; they percieving his intent inclined rather for peace (more for feare then love) which was then concluded betwixt them. That donne we retorned to our habitations, where great want and scarcitye, oppressed us, that continuinge and increasinge, (our first harvest not yet being ripe) caused in many an intended mutinye, which beinge, by God's mercy, discovered, the prime actors were duly examined and convicted, wherof sixe beinge adjudged and condemned were executed.
After this, arrived for supply a small ship called the John and Francis, with about twenty persons and little or noe provisions for them. The next ship, called the Tresorer, arived heere with the number of twenty persons and as little provisions as the former, in which ship after many other designes were effected by Sir Thos. Dale, as makinge spoile of the Keschiacks[II] and Wariscoyacks, impaling some necks of Lande, for defence against the Salvadges, and in fishing for our reliefe, &c., he departed from Virginia, and left the Government to Captain George Yardley, under whom the Collony lived in peace and best plentye that ever it had till that time, yet most part of the people for that yeare of his Government continued in the generall services followinge their labors as Sir Thos. Dale left them by order.
[II] Kiskiack (now Chescake--pronounced Cheesecake) on Smith's map is located on the south side of the Pamunck (now York) river about the site of Yorktown.--See Campbell, p. 66. For Wariscoyack see footnote CC.
At Michaelmas followinge arrived a small ship called the Susan, her lading (beinge the first Magazin) consistinge of some necessarye provisions of clothinge, as our wants required, which goods were sould by Sir Thos. Smith's factor, as we suppose, for a sufficient proffit, exchanginge with us their commodities for our Tobacco.
At Christmas then followinge, just occasion beinge given by the Indians of Chiquohomini in many and severall kindes of abuses, and in deridinge of our demandes, wherunto they had formerly agreed and conditioned with Sir Thomas Dale to paye us yearlye tribute, viz: a bushell of corne for every Boweman, for which, by agreement, we were to give to each man one peece of copper and one iron tomahawke, and to the eight chiefe men each a suit of redd cloth, which clothes and truckinge stuffe we esteemed of more worth then their corne. These and the like grosse abuses moved our Governor, Captaine George Yeardley, to levye a company of men, to the number of eighty-four, to bee revenged uppon those contemptuous Indians, which he, accordinge to his desire, fully executed, and returned home with the spoile of them; concludinge, before his departure from them, a more firme league in appearance than formerly was, for that it continued unviolated almost the space of two yeares; our people freely travelinge from Town to Towne (both men, women and children) without any armes, and were by the Salvadges lodged in their houses, every way kindly intreated and noe way molested.
In March followinge, our three yeares' time beinge expired, as it was our due, we of Charles Hundred demanded our long desired freedome from that common and generall servitude; unto which request Captaine George Yeardley, freely and willingly assented, to our great joy and comfort. Yet remained the most part of the Collony in the former servitude; part of whom were farmers, the rest imployed in such workes as Sir Thomas Dale gave order for before his departure.
We that were freed, with our humble thankes to God, fell cheerfully to our perticular labours, wherby to our great comfort, through his blessinge, we reaped a plentifull harvest.
In May followinge arived Captain Samuell Argoll with commission to be Governor. He brought with him to the number of a hundred persons, partly at the charge of the Company and partly at the charge of private adventurers; with them was brought a very little provision for that nomber. At his arrival heere he founde the Collony in all parts well stored with corne, and at Charles Hundred a granery well furnished by rentes lately raised and received from the farmers, which corne he tooke possession of, but how it was imployed himselfe can best give an account. Whilest he governed, the Collony was slenderly provided of munition, wherby a strict proclamation was made for restraint of wastinge or shooting away of powder, under paine of great punishment; which forbiddinge to shoot at all in our peeces caused the losse of much of oure corne then growinge uppon the grounde; the Indians perceivinge our forbearance to shoote (as formerly) concluded thereuppon that our peeces were, as they saide, sicke and not to be used; uppon this, not longe after they were boulde to presume to assault some of our people, whom they slew, therin breakinge that league, which before was so fairly kept.
Duringe his time of Government most of the people of the Collony remained (as formerly) in the common service, their freedome not beinge to be obtained without extraordinary payement.
The next ship that arrived heere was the George, sett forth, as we supose, at the charge of private adventurers, but came soe meanly provided with victuall, that had not we, the old Planters, relieved them most of them had been starved. The next ships, called the Neptune and Treasurer, arived in August followinge, set out at the charge of the Right Hono^{ble} the Lord Laware, his noble associates, and some other private adventurers. The people w^{ch} arived were soe poorely victualled that had they not been distributed amongst the old Planters they must for want have perished; with them was brought a most pestilent disease (called the Bloody flux) which infected all most all the whole Collonye. That disease, nothstanding all our former afflictions, was never knowne before amongst us.
The next supply weare two ships called the William & Thomas and the Guift, which arived in Januarie; the Guift beinge sett forth at the charge of the Societie of Martin's Hundred, the other by the Magazin and some private adventurers.
The next, a small ship called the Elinor (sett forth at whose charge we know not), arived heere in Aprill after, and in her Capt. Samuell Argoll, leaving his Government, shipt himselfe for Englande. Whatsoever els befell in the time of his Government we omit to relate, much beinge, uppon our oathes, alreadie sufficiently examined and our answers sent for Englande.
By all which hath heertofore beene saide concerninge this Collony, from the infancie therof and untill the expiration of Sir Thomas Smith's government, may easily be perceived and plainly understood what just cause he or any els have to boast of the flourishing estate of those times, wherin so great miseries and callamities were indured, and soe few workes of moment or importance performed, himselfe beinge justly to be charged as a prime author therof, by his neglect of providinge and alloweinge better meanes to proceede in so great a worke, and in hindering very many of our frendes from sendinge much releife and meanes who beinge earnestly solicited from hence by our letters--wherin we lamentablie complained unto them--have often besought Sir Thomas Smith that they might have leave to supplie us at their owne charge both with provision of victuall and all other necessaries, wherin he utterlie denied them so to doe, protestinge to them that we were in noe want at all, but that we exceeded in abundance and plentie of all things, so that therby our frendes were moved both to desist from sendinge and to doubt the truth of our letters, most part of which weare by him usually intercepted and kept backe; farther giveinge order by his directions to the Governor heere, that all men's letters should be searched at the goinge away of ships, and if in anye of them weare founde that the true estate of the Collony was declared, they were presented to the Governor and the indighters of them severely punished; by which meanes noe man durst make any true relation to his frendes of his owne or the Collonye's true estate; neither was it permitted to anye to have passe to goe home, but by force were kept heere and employed as we have saide (save some few), one of whom receved his passe from the Kinge, and that closely made up in a garter, least it should have been seized uppon and he kept heere notwithstandinge. Those whom their frendes procured their passe in open courte from the Companye were, by private direction, neverthelesse made staye of, others procuringe private letters having been lett goe.
We must alsoe noat heere, that Sir Thos. Dale, at his arivall finding himself deluded by the aforesaid protestations, pulled Capt. Newport by the beard, and threatninge to hange him, for that he affirmed Sir Thos. Smith's relation to be true, demandinge of him whether it weare meant that the people heere in Virginia shoulde feed uppon trees.
Soe may we heere conclude, as some have concluded for him, to what great growth of perfection (with the expence of that seaventie thousand poundes) the Plantation was advanced in the time of his 12 years' government, but whether, as it is saide, he be to be praised for the managaing of these affaires, with much unanimity, moderation, integritie and judgment, we leave it to censure.
At the end of this twelve yeares arived Sir George Yeardley to be Gov^r and founde the Collony in this estate and thus furnished, vizt: For fortification against a forreign ennemie there was none at all; two demy culverin only were mounted uppon rotten carriages and placed within James Citty, fitter to shoot downe our houses then to offend an ennemie. At Charles Hundred, which were mounted by Sir Thos. Dale, two demy culverin and one sacre; fortifications against a domestique enimie very mean. For Forts, Towns and Plantations he founde these: James Citty, Henrico, Charles Citty and Hundred, Shirley Hundred, Arrahattock, Martin Brandon and Kicoughton, all w^{ch} were but poorely housed and as ill fortified; for in James Cittie were only those houses that Sir Thom. Gates built in the time of his government, with one wherin the Gov^r allwayes dwelt, an addition beinge made therto in the time of Captaine Sam^l Argoll, and a church, built, wholly at the charge of the inhabitants of that cittie, of Timber, beinge fifty foote in length and twenty foot in breadth; at Paspahayes alsoe weare some few slight houses built; at Henrico, two or three old howses, a poore ruinated church with some few poore buildings in the Island; Coxen Dale and the Maine and att Arrahatocke one house, at Charles Cittie sixe howses much decayed, and, that we may not be too tedious, as these, soe were the rest of the places furnisht.
For people then alive about the nomber of foure hundred, very many of them in want of corne, utterlie destitute of cattle, twine, Poultrie and other Provisions to nourish them.
For Barques, Pinnaces, Shallops, Barges and Boates he founde only one olde Frigott, which belonged to the Sommer Islandes, one olde Shallopp built in Sir Thos. Dale's time, one boat built in Sir Sam'l Argoll's time, with two small boates belonginge to private men. For munition a very small quantitye, the most part thereof beinge very bad and of little use. For ministers to instruct the people he founde only three authorized, two others who never received their orders.