The history of Maryland : from its first settlement, in 1633, to the restoration, in 1660 ; with a copious introduction, and notes and illustrations, Part 11

Author: Bozman, John Leeds, 1757-1823
Publication date: 1837
Publisher: Baltimore : J. Lucas & E.K. Deaver
Number of Pages: 1062

USA > Maryland > The history of Maryland : from its first settlement, in 1633, to the restoration, in 1660 ; with a copious introduction, and notes and illustrations > Part 11

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* Hume.

t Voltaire's character of Charles seems to be just : "He was a good husband, a good master, a good father, and an honest man ; but he was an ill advised king." Age of Louis XIV. vol. 1, p. 19.

HISTORY OF MARYLAND.

that the patentees of these colonies prepared, under the authority SEC. VI. of this charter, to execute their respective plans. 1606.

Although only four gentlemen are specially named in the fore- Proceed- going letters, as patentees for the second colony, yet the general ings of the Plymouth expression, "and all others of the town of Plymouth, in the coun- Company ty of Devon, or elsewhere, who shall be joined unto them of that under this charter. colony,"-necessarily implied the association of other persons with them for the purpose of managing the affairs of the second colony, which association now assumed the indiscriminate ap- pellations of the Plymouth company, and the North Virginia colony. Accordingly, we find mention made of the interference of so high and respectable a character as Sir John Popham, lord chief justice of England, as one of the members of the Plymouth company, and a great promoter of the design. Mr. George Pop- ham, one of the patentees, was his brother .* Sir Ferdinando Gorges, then governor of Plymouth, and several other west- countrymen and merchants are mentioned also as being concern- ed in this company.t They seem to have been more expeditious than the members of the London company, in their first attempts to carry into effect the intentions of the charter. In August, 1606, they dispatched a ship of fifty tons, under the command of Henry Challons, to make further discovery of the coasts of North Virginia; and, if it should appear expedient, to leave as many men as he could spare, in the country. On his passage, however, from the West India islands, towards the American coast, he and his crew, consisting of about thirty persons, were taken by a Spanish fleet, and carried into Spain, where his ves- sel was confiscated. Although this misfortune considerably abated the ardour of the Plymouth company, yet the lord chief justice Popham having, immediately after the departure of Chal- lons, sent out, at his own expense, another ship, under the com- mand of Thomas Hanam, one of the patentees, whose business was not so much to settle a colony as to make discovery in order thereto, the account given of the country on the return of this

* Hutchinson's Hist. of Massachusetts, vol. 1, p. 10.

+ Oldmixon's Brit. Emp. in America, vol. 1, p. 26 .- It may be proper to ob- serve here, that, although the two colonies were to be under the direction and government of the king and his council of Virginia, yet the associators who ap- plied to the king for his letters patent became thereby divided also in two mer- cantile or trading companies, one at London, the other at Plymouth, the former as proprietors of the first or South Virginia colony, and the latter as proprietors of the second or North Virginia colony, but each colony subject to the "laws, ordinances, and instructions," of the king and his council of Virginia.

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SEC. VI. ship was so favourable as to cherish in a considerable degree the spirit of enterprise necessary for further undertakings .*

1606. The king's instruc- tions rela-

Meanwhile, in order to effectuate the purpose of the letters pa- tent, a set of instructions, under the king's privy seal, relative to tive to both both colonies or companies, in pursuance of the before mentioned colonies. important clause in these letters, were made out on the twentieth of November, in the same year. Whether these instructions were drawn up by the king himself, history does not expressly say .¡ As James was not a little vain of his talents as a writer, and not much less so as a legislator, there is great probability that they were the dictates of his own mind. If the arbitrary power which he supposed to be annexed to the prerogative of his crown, be allowed him, there is nothing in them but what was consonant to his usual exercise of that prerogative, and apparently necessary to carry into effect the provisions of the charter.

Proceed- ings of the first or

The patentees or proprietors of the first or South Virginia co- lony, proceeded with more effect, though not with so much ex- South Vir- pedition, as those of the second colony. On the receipt of their ginia com- pany. letters patent, preparations for the purpose had been undertaken by them. Three small vessels, one of a hundred tons, another of forty, and a pinnace of twenty, with every thing requisite for settling a colony, consisting of one hundred and five persons, were provided by the latter end of the year, and the naval com- mand thereof, together with the care of transporting the colony, was entrusted to capt. Christopher Newport, said to be "a mari- ner of celebrity and experience on the American coast."

Besides the set of "orders and instructions," under the king's privy seal before mentioned, two other several sets of instruc-

* Mod. Univ. Hist. vol. 39, p. 270, and Holmes's Annals, vol. 1, p. 154, where it is said, that Sir Ferdinando Gorges observed on this occasion, that Martin Pring (or Prinn) who went with Hanam in this voyage, (and had commanded the voy- age of discovery in 1603, as before mentioned,) brought on his return from this last mentioned voyage, the most exact account of the Virginia coast, that ever came to his hand. What part of the American coast they visited does not ap- pear in modern authors who mention this voyage. The particulars of it, how- ever, are probably to be found in Purchas's Pilgrimages.

t Chalmers, in his Annals,'(ch. 2, p. 15,) thus speaks of these instructions .- "While the council of the first colony was occupied during the summer of 1606, in procuring emigrants to accomplish the great object of its wishes, James was equally employed in a business the most arduous of any; in compiling a code of laws for an infant people. On the 20th of November, of that year, he issued "Orders and Instructions for the Colonies," under the privy seal of England .- He adds in a note thereto-"The Instructions are in Stith's Hist. of Virg. 25, 30. See them also, nearly at large, in Burk's Hist. of Virg. vol. 1, p. 85.

HISTORY OF MARYLAND.

tions were given by the South Virginia Company, on this occa- SEC. VI. sion. One to capt. Christopher Newport, concerning the naval 1606. command and transportation of the colony: the other, to him (Newport) in conjunction with capt. Bartholomew Gosnold and capt. John Ratcliff, respecting the form and administration of the government. These last, being the most important, were close sealed, and accompanied with orders that they were not to be opened for twenty-four hours after their arrival on the coast of Virginia. To these were added also by his majesty, by way of advice, instructions of a general nature; containing, however, one or two strange particulars, concerning a communication by some river or lake between Virginia and the Indian or South Sea. *

This little squadron sailed from Blackwall, on the Thames, on The first the 19th of December, 1606; but by some unlucky accidents, colony sent were for several weeks detained on the coast of England. At tle Virgi- › out to set- last, they continued their voyage, and having taken in fresh wa- Newport, nia under ter and other necessaries at the Canaries, proceeded to the West and a per- India islands, where they arrived on the twenty-third of Februa- settlement manent ry, 1607, and staid amongst them, but chiefly in the island of formed at Nevis, about five weeks. These delays seem to have afforded town. James- nourishment to some violent dissensions, which arose, during the 1607. voyage among the adventurers. Jealousy of power, and envy of preferment, seem to have been at the bottom of them. Symp- toms of these dissensions made their appearance before the squad- ron had cleared the English coast, but they were in some mea- sure allayed, it seems, by the prudent conduct and pious exhor- tations of their chaplain, the rev. Mr. Hunt. They, however, eventuated in the arrest of capt. John Smith, on the absurd charge of an intention to murder the council, usurp the government, and make himself king of Virginia ; and he was accordingly kept in close confinement, from the time of their departure from the Canaries, during the remainder of the voyage. Smith was, per- haps, the most extraordinary personage, of whom the early his- tories of North America have made mention. The accounts of his adventures in the east of Europe, seem rather to have been borrowed from some romance of the thirteenth century than taken from any real scenes of life. After these adventures, he had returned to England, his native country, and had accidentally formed an acquaintance with captain Gosnold, in the height of

* Burk's Hist. of Virginia, vol. 1, p. 93.

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SEC. VI. the zeal of the latter for colonizing America. Gosnold rightly 1607. conceiving that Smith's active genius was peculiarly fitted for such an undertaking, communicated his schemes to him. They were ardently embraced by him, and he embarked with the other colonists for America.

Thus disturbed by internal dissensions, the little fleet left the West Indies, on the third of April, 1607, but not falling in with the land for three days after their reckoning was out, serious pro- positions were made for returning to England. The place of their destination was the old disastrous situation at Roanoke ; but fortunately they were overtaken by a storm, which drove them to the mouth of the Chesapeake, which they entered on the twenty-sixth of April. The promontory on the south side of the entrance into the bay, they called Cape Henry, in honour of the then prince of Wales, who died not long afterwards, and that on the north side Cape Charles, in honour of the then duke of York, who was aftewards king Charles I. of England. Im- patient to land, a party of about thirty men went on shore at Cape Henry, to recreate and refresh themselves, but they were suddenly and boldly attacked by only five savages, who wound- ed two of them very dangerously. On the night after this in- cident occurred, it was deemed by the commanders Gosnold and Newport, that the limitation of time and circumstances, under which they had been restricted from examining their sealed orders, had now expired. The box, containing them, was therefore now opened, and, on reading the said orders, it appeared-"that Bartholomew Gosnold, John Smith, Edward Wingfield, Christo- pher Newport, John Ratliffe, John Martin, and George Kendall were named to be the councell, and to choose a president amongst them for a yeare, who with the councell should governe. Matters of moment were to be examined by a jury, but determined by the major part of the councell, in which the president had two

voyces."* Before any further proceedings under these orders, even the election of a president, they deemed it most proper first to discover and ascertain some fit "place to plant in," and ac- cordingly, from the time of their arrival at Cape Henry, on the 26th of April, to the 13th of May, they were employed in search- ing for such suitable place. A large and beautiful river, which empties itself into the bay, on the west of Cape Henry, natural- ly first invited their attention. It was in that season of the year

*Smith's Hist. of Virg. (new edit. of 1819,) vol. 1, p. 151.

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when the country is clothed in its richest verdure, and seemed to SEC.' VI. present itself to them dressed in its most attractive charms. 1607. They proceeded up this river, to which they gave the name of James, in honour of his majesty: though called by the natives Powhatan, "according to the name of a principall countrey that lyeth upon it."* Near the mouth of this river they met with five of the natives, who invited them to their town-Kecough- tan, where Hampton now stands. Here those, who went on shore, were feasted with cakes made of Indian corn, and "regaled with tobacco and a dance."" In return they presented to the natives beads and other trinkets. As they proceeded up the river, they met with another company of Indians armed with their bows and arrows. 'Their chief-Apamatica, holding in one hand his bow and arrows, and in the other a pipe of tobacco, demanded the cause of their coming. They made signs of peace, and were received in a friendly manner.# On further exploring the river they came to a peninsula, situated on the north side of it, where they were also hospitably received by the natives, whose chief- Paspiha, being informed of their intentions, offered them as much land as they wanted, and sent them a deer for their entertain- ment. As this peninsula was so situated, as not only to afford them convenient anchorage; but some security also against any invasion of the natives, it was fixed upon as the most eligible spot for their first colonization. Accordingly they here debark-

* Smith's Hist. of Virg. (new edit. of 1819,) vol. 1, p. 115.

t The above is taken from Burk's Hist. of Virg. vol. 1, p. 96, who cites "Smith," in support of this passage ; but no remark of that kind, relative to Kecoughtan, appears in Smith's Hist. of Virg. as newly republished in the year 1819.

¿ In support of this occurrence Burk (ibid, ) cites " Stith's Virg." It may be remarked, that neither this nor the foregoing incident is at all noticed in Smith's Hist. of Virg. the most authentic work of any of the early histories of Virginia. It is probable, that Stith, in his Hist. of Virg. (here cited by Burk,) has collect- ed them from some other source. It may be here further remarked also, that the first chapter of the third book of Smith's General History of Virginia, is stated to have been drawn up or " extracted" from some account thereof written " by William Simons, Doctor of Divinitie :"-whose name does not appear in the list of the first adventurers in this voyage. The name of Richard Simons appears in that list as one of the " gentlemen planters." He might have been a near rela- tive to Doct. William Simons, and from him the doctor might have had the sub- stance of the narrative which he drew up, from which Smith appears to have borrowed his narration of their first arrival and settlement. It will be recollected, that Smith was at this time, during their arrival within the capes of Chesapeake, and until their landing at James town, under an arrest, if not under close confine- ment. He could not, therefore, have been personally privy, (although on board of capt. Newport's ship,) to all the minute incidents attending their first arrival within the capes, and probably kept no journal of the voyage.

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SEC. VI. ed on the 13th of May, and called the place James-town, which 1607. name it has ever since retained. Agreeably to their instructions they now proceeded to organize their government by swearing the several members of the council, and choosing their president. They excluded Smith from the council, and a declaration was entered on their minutes, setting down at large their reasons for so doing. He was released from his confinement, but it was with some difficulty that he could obtain a trial in the colony, his accusers proposing that he should be sent to England for that purpose. After a fair hearing, however, he was honourably ac- quitted of the charges against him, and took his seat in the council.

As a minute detail of the proceedings of these colonists, and the events which attended them, more properly appertains to a history of Virginia, of which there are several, we shall for the future confine ourselves only to those incidents thereof which have some immediate relation to that of Maryland. .

SECTION VII.

The distresses of the first Virginia colony, and the services of captain Smith-His first attempt to explore the bay of Chesapeake-His second attempt more suc- cessful-A general sketch of the tribes of Indians then inhabiting Virginia and Maryland-Smith becomes president of Virginia, and the tenor of some instructions from England to Virginia-An attempt of the Plymouth com- pany to settle a colony in Maine-The" second charter of Virginia, and the causes of granting it-The settlement of the Dutch at New York-En- glish attempt to settle Newfoundland-the third charter of Virginia-Cap- tain Argall's expedition to break the up French and Dutch settlements at Nova Scotia and New York.

During the remaining part of the year 1607, after the arrival and SEC. VII. settlement of this first Virginia colony at James-town, it appears 1607. to have struggled with much difficulty for existence. The pro- The dis- tresses of visions which were left for their sustenance by Newport, who the first sailed with his ships for England, some time in June this year, Virginia colony, were not only scanty, but bad in their quality, having received and the damage in the holds of their ships during the voyage. Hence the colonists became subject to diseases, arising as well from the Smith. unhealthiness of the climate, as from a scarcity bordering on fa- mine. This contributed much to a diminution of their numbers. They were harassed also with repeated attacks by the natives, who were far from being content with the visit of these stran- gers, when they found out that it would probably be permanent. Added to those difficulties, the conduct of their president Wing- field, and his successor Ratcliffe, was to excite considera- ble disturbance and dissatisfaction. Disregarding the distresses of the colony, those presidents had not only consumed the stores of provisions, in the indulgence of their own luxury, but had planned schemes for deserting the country and escaping to En- gland. Smith, whose active and vigorous mind had been con- stantly employed during these distresses, both in protecting the colony from the hostile attacks of the savages, and in procuring from the natives corn and other provisions, was obviously the only member of the council in whom the colonists could, with any confidence, repose the administration of their affairs. Pur- suing with ardour, his endeavours to procure supplies, as well as to explore the country, he was unfortunately captured by the In- dians; but after undergoing an interesting series of adventures,

services of captain

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SEC. VII with them for seven weeks, his life was almost miraculously 1607. saved, through the amiable interposition of the princess Pocahon- tas, a favourite daughter of the emperor Powhatan. Restored to the colony again, his influence became doubly necessary. Wea- ried with their hardships and distresses, a great portion of the co- lony had determined to abandon the country. He arrived just in time to prevent the execution of their design. By persuasion he obtained a majority for continuing; and by force he compel- led the minority to submit. He now experienced also, some be- nefit from his captivity; for it acquired him considerable repute among the Indians, and enabled him to preserve the colony in plenty of provisions until the arrival of two vessels, which had been dispatched from England under the command of captain Newport, with a supply of provisions, of instruments of hus- bandry, and with a reinforcement of one hundred and twenty persons.

1608. His first at- tempt to The seasonable accession of force and provisions, although it brought joy to the colonists, yet had the inconvenience of in- explore the ducing them again to a relaxation of discipline, and to a neglect . bay of Chesa- peake. of the advice and direction of Smith, who zealously opposed their idle pursuit of wealth, in loading the ships destined to re- turn in the spring, with an imaginary golden ore, instead of pre- paring for their future subsistence. Perceiving this, he bent his attention to more important pursuits .. Well knowing that this fatal delusion would end in a scarcity of food, which had indeed already begun to be felt, he proposed as they had not hith- erto extended their researches beyond the countries contiguous to James' river, to open an intercourse with the more remote tribes, and to explore the shores of that vast reservoir of waters -the bay of Chesapeake. The execution of this arduous de- sign, he undertook himself, accompanied by doctor Russell, in an open boat of about three tons burthen, and with a crew of thirteen men. As this excursion appears to have been the very first exploration of the Chesapeake, that had been as yet ever attempted by any European, it becomes as interesting a part of the history of Maryland as that of Virginia. No other authentic account of this little voyage having ever been given but by Smith himself, in his General History of Virginia, that account thereof has been the only source of information, to which all the historians of Virginia could with propriety resort in framing a narration of that part of their history, which has any relation to

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it. But in their abridgments and summary accounts of it, they SEC. VII. have omitted so many material incidents, mentioned in the ori- 1608. ginal narration, that those accounts are, for the most part, obscure and unintelligible. It is, therefore, here supposed, that a full and complete extract from the above mentioned General History of Virginia, in the original style of its language, of all such parts of this voyage, as have immediate relation to those parts of Ma- ryland now first discovered, will be more satisfactory to the read- er than garbled and imperfect quotations from the same.

"CHAPTER V." (of Smith's General History of Virginia.)

The accidents that hapned in the discovery of the bay of Chisa- peack."

"The second of June, 1608, Smith left the fort* to performe his discovery with this company :

" Walter Russell, doctor of physicke, - Ralfe Morton, Thomas Momford,

William Cantrill,

Gentlemen."

Richard Fetherstone,

James Burne,

Michell Sicklemore,

"Jonas Profit, Anas Todkill,

Robert Small,

James Watkins, John Powell,

Souldiers."

James Read, Richard Keale,

"These being in an open barge neare three tons burthen, leaving the Phoenixt at Cape Henry, they crossed the bay to

* Meaning the palisadoed ' fort' at James-town.

+ This was one of the ships that had brought the "first supply," as it was called, in the year 1607, the year after the original settlement of the first colo- nists at James-town. The Virginia Company in England had, in the year 1607, dispatched, according to Smith, "two good ships with neare a hundred men, well furnished with all things could be imagined necessary, both for them and us ; the one commanded by captaine Newport,-the other by captaine Francis Nelson, an honest man, and an expert mariner. But such was the lewardnesse of his ship, (the Phoenix,) that " though he was within the sight of Cape Henry, by stormy contrary winds was he forced. so farre to sea, that the West Indies was the next land, for the repaire of his masts, 'and reliefe of wood and water. But Newport got in and arrived at James-towne, not long after the redemption of

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SEC. VII. the eastern shore, and fell with the isles called Smith's isles, 1608. after our captaine's name .* The first people we saw were two grim and stout salvages upon Cape Charles; with long poles like jauelings, headed with bone, they boldly demanded what we were, and what we would; but after many circumstances they seemed very kinde, and directed us to Accomack,t the habitation of their Werowance,¿ where we were kindly intreated. This king was the comeliest, proper, civill salvage we incoun- tered. His country is a pleasant fertile clay soyle, some small creekes; good harbours for small barks, but not for ships. They

captaine Smith." The exact date of Smith's return from his captivity on the Chickahominy does not appear, even from his own history; but, from a circum- stance stated as having occurred on the same day of his return, or within a day or two after it, when " the boughs of the trees were loaded with isickles," we must suppose it to have been in either January or February of 1607-8. Newport might, therefore, have arrived in March, and captain Nelson in the Phoenix in April following. "The fraught of this ship (the Phoenix,) being concluded to be cedar, by the diligence of the master and captaine Smith, she was quickly reladed." This agrees with her departure on the second of June, 1608. See Smith's Hist. Virg. vol. 1, ch. 2, 3, 4, 5, of the "Third Booke."

* The island, still called Smith's island, situated about two miles to the south east of Cape Charles, and which is about twelve miles long and about two miles broad, must have been the principal island here alluded to.

t It is evident from Smith's map, inserted in his book, that this place, above alluded to, denominated by him in his said map, Aceowmack, was situated within the interior part of Cape Charles, and on or near to the place called Cherryton, in Northampton county. These Accomack Indians are stated by Smith, (in an- other part of his History, vol. 1, p. 120, ed. of 1819,) to have been able to turn out " 80 men," or warriors, and spoke the language of Powhatan, who ruled over them as king, as he did also over some other tribes or nations of Indians, whose residence was on the Eastern Shore of Virginia, and who will be hereafter men- tioned. But this rule or dominion over them by Powhatan, though expressly so stated by Smith, must obviously have been more in the nature of an alliance than an absolute dominion. The breadth of the Chesapeake, at this part of it, divid- ing Powhatan from these dominions, if they were his, must have rendered his power over them very feeble, and at most but ephemeral, especially when we reflect upon the difficulty of navigating such a water with Indian canoes. This receives some confirmation by the following remark in Smith's Hist. of Virg. (vol. 2, p. 64,)-" There may be on this shore, (meaning the Eastern Shore of Virginia, ) about two thousand people. They on the west would invade them, but that they want boats to crosse the bay." It is possible, however, that Pow- hatan might, at some time before, have made a conquest of them. He did not gain them by inheritance, if it be true, as is said, that the countries inherited by him from his ancestors, lay only about James-river and Pamaunkee, as stated by Smith in his Hist. vol. 1, p. 142.

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The history of Maryland : from its first settlement, in 1633, to the restoration, in 1660 ; with a copious introduction, and notes and illustrations, Part 11

Author: Bozman, John Leeds, 1757-1823 Publication date: 1837 Publisher: Baltimore : J. Lucas & E.K. Deaver Number of Pages: 1062

Author: Bozman, John Leeds, 1757-1823
Publication date: 1837
Publisher: Baltimore : J. Lucas & E.K. Deaver
Number of Pages: 1062