The history of Maryland : from its first settlement, in 1633, to the restoration, in 1660 ; with a copious introduction, and notes and illustrations, Part 13

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 13

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

VOL. I .- 15

114

INTRODUCTION TO A

SEC. VII. ous, because it is but a ridge of land betwixt the bay and the 1608. maine ocean. Finding this eastern shore, shallow broken isles, and for most part without fresh water, we passed by the straites of Limbo for the westerne shore; so broad is the bay here, we could scarce perceive the great high clifts on the other side: by them we anchored that night and called them Riccards Cliftes .* 30 leagues we sayled more northwarde not finding any inhabit-

ploration of the Chesapeake, in the year 1608. Quarrelling with the Hurons and the Algonquins, (the latter of whom were called by the English Adirondacs, ) who lived on the north of the St. Lawrence both in Upper and Lower Canada, and to whom the Iroquois were tributary, these Iroquois were driven by these other nations just mentioned, to the banks of the small lakes in the northern parts of the State of New York, where they were when Champlain arrived with his colony at Quebec, in 1608, and where also they must have lived, when Smith in this his voyage up the Chesapeake, met with a party of them at the head of that bay, carrying on a war with the Susquehanocks and the Tockwoghs. Smith states, that these Massawomecks, in their retreat from their encounter with him at the head of the bay, went up the river, which he called Willoughby's river, and which appears to be the same as that now called Bush river, in Harford coun- ty. This favours the supposition, that in their retreat they would naturally pur- sue the nearest or most convenient route to their own country, this small river pointing in that direction ; from the head of which they might traverse the in- land country across the present state of Pennsylvania, to that of New York, where they resided, without interfering with the great body of the Susquehan- ocks, who were then seated on the Susquehanah above its lowest falls. Thus, sup- posing these Massawomecks to have been a party of the Iroquois, it is probable, that they had now, in 1608, descended from their own country through the back parts of Pennsylvania, and had entered the Chesapeake at Bush river with a view of taking the Tockwocks and the Susquehanocks in the rear, as Mr. Thompson has alleged, or of extending their depredations on other Indians along the coasts of the Chesapeake.

* This seems to afford additional confirmation, that the river, called by Smith the Cuskarawaoch was the Nanticoke. From an inspection of his map, and a consideration of all the circumstances mentioned by him in this stage of his voy- age, "the straites of Limbo," through which he now passed from the eastern to the western shore, would appear to have been those now called Hooper's straits. He might, indeed, have passed up what is called Hungary or Hunger river, in Dorchester county, and through the narrow straits between Hooper's and Barren islands and the main land of the Eastern Shore, (his vessel being a mere flat and drawing but little water) from whence he would have emerged into the bay nearly opposite to the "high clifts on the other side."-But, as this navigation, especi- ally between Barren island and the main land, would have been too intricate and winding for him, it is most probable, that he passed through Hooper's straits, as expressed by him-"the straites of Limbo." Had he entered the bay through any other passage between those islands, which he denominated Limbo, lower down than Hooper's straits, he could not have seen the "high clifts" above the Patuxent across the bay, nor could he easily have performed his passage across the bay to those clifts in one day, as he appears to have done, from what he states, (the distance being from Watkyns's Point to those clifts nearly fifty miles) espe- cially in such a dull sailing vessel as his flat must have been, with ragged sails patched up out of their shirts, as he says they were.

115

HISTORY OF MARYLAND.

ants, leaving all the eastern shore, lowe islandes, but ouergrowne SEC. VII. with wood, as all the coast beyond them so farre as we could 1608. see ;* the westerne shore by which we sayled we found all along

* Smith's omission to explore the Eastern Shore of Maryland, at least the midland parts of it between the Nanticoke and Sassafras rivers, has deprived us of some interesting information relative to that part of the country now compos- ing the counties of Talbot, Queen Ann's, and Kent, together with the several islands facing the bay-coast thereof, since known by the appellations of Sharpe's Tilghman's, Poplar, and Kent islands. There were some rivers also therein, which would have well deserved his attention; particularly the Choptank, a name of Indian origin, without doubt, on which resided an Indian nation, sub- sequently called the Choptanks, who are no where noticed by him. These Chop- tanks appear (from an act of assembly of 1741, ch. 12,) to have consisted of three distinct tribes, called the Ababeves, the Hutsawaps, and Tequassimoes. Whether they resided altogether at one place, at the time of Smith's exploration of the Chesapeake, is not certain. They were found to be subsequently united in the year 1669, when an act of assembly of that date was made to appropriate to them a certain quantity of land for their exclusive use, on the south side of the Choptank, near Secretary's creek, in Dorchester county. The scite of their town, or principal place of their residence, at the time of Smith's voyage, was most pro- bably at the same place, where their permanent residence and lands were confirm- ed to them by the last mentioned act of assembly. As Indian tribes or nations in America, since the settlement of Europeans among them, seem gradually to waste away and diminish in numbers in somewhat of a regular progressive ratio, without any apparent or obvious cause, the duration of the existence of any tribe seems to give a datum, from whence their original numbers and strength, as they were at the time of their first molestation by Europeans, may be infer- red. If so, the Choptanks must have been remarkable for their numbers, and consequently for their proportionate strength. There are said to be at this day two or three individuals of them yet remaining, but intermixed with negro blood. These live on some spots of lands appropriated to them by an act of assembly of the year 1798, out of their appropriation in the year 1699. It is due to the memory of this tribe or nation, now extinct, or nearly so, to state the cause of this first confirmation of their lands to them in 1669. The act is entitled "An act for the continuation of peace with, and protection of, our neighhours and confederates, Indians on Choptank river ;"-and, as is therein stated, "on ac- count of their fidelity, in delivering some murderers, &c." all the land, described in the said act, (about three miles square) is thereby settled upon them and their heirs forever, to be held of his lordship under the yearly rent of six beaver skins." It may be proper here to observe, that no settlements of Europeans were made on any part of the Eastern Shore of Maryland, until after the year 1660, except on the isle of Kent, where settlements are said to have been made even before lord Baltimore obtained his charter. This seems to afford some ground to infer, that these lands thus settled in 1669, upon the Choptank Indians, comprised the scite of their place of residence in 1608, when Smith made his discoveries in the Chesapeake. It may be here further remarked also, that the part of the Eastern Shore, of which the counties of Queen Ann's and Talbot are now composed, is denominated on Smith's map, Brooke's forest, "overgrown with wood," as he says, and that the three islands, therein imperfectly sketched by him, as lying opposite thereto, called by him "Winstone's isles," must have been the isle of Kent, Poplar, and Tilghman's islands, but most inaccurately de- signed.

116

INTRODUCTION TO A

SEC. VII. well watered, but very mountainous and barren, the valleys very 1608. fertile, but extreame thicke of small wood as well as trees, and much frequented with wolves, beares, deere, and other wild beasts. Wee passed many shallow creekes, but the first we found navigable for a ship, we called Bolus,* for that the clay in many places under the clifts by the high water marke, did grow up in red and white knots as gum out of trees; and in some places so participated together as though they were all of one nature, excepting the colour, the rest of the earth on both sides being hard sandy grauell, which made vs thinke it bole-armoni- ack and terra sigillata.t When we first set sayle some of our gal- lants doubted nothing but that our captaine would make too much haste home, but having lien in this small barge not above twelve or fourteen dayes, oft tyred at the oares, our bread spoyled with wet so much that it was rotten, (yet so good were their stomachs that they could digest it,) they did with continuall complaints so importune him now to returne, as caused him be- speake them in this manner.

" Gentlemen, if you would remember the memorable history of Sir Ralph Layne, how his company importuned him to proceed in the discovery of Moratico, alledging that they had yet a dog, that being boiled with sassafras leaues, would richly feed them in their returnes ;} then what a shame would it be for you (that have bin

* This has been generally deemed to have been the Patapsco, which opinion seems to be warranted by Smith's map. But it may be remarked, that if he " sayled 30 leagues northwards from Riccard's cliftes," accounting three miles to the league, his distance ninety miles would have carried him quite to the mouth of the Susquehanah. This circumstance, however, seems rather to corroborate the supposition, that what he called Bolus river was the Patapsco, and not any river lower down on the western shore, as the Severn for instance, where is to be found also his Bole-Armoniack, or Terra Sigillata, from which he took his term- Bolus. It may be moreover observed, that the Severn river cannot well be said to be " navigable for a ship," on account of a shoal at the entrance.

t Bole-Armoniack, or the Armenian Bole, is a species of earth, originally brought from Armenia, near the head of the Euphrates, and sometimes from the isle of Lemnos. It was formerly supposed by chemists and physicians to possess medicinal qualities. It was commonly put up in little flat cakes, round on one side, flat and sealed on the other, and hence called Terra Sigillata. It is said to be now disused in modern pharmacy. The chemists or physicians of Baltimore, however, might do well in examining its properties. One reason of its disuse in England might possibly have been its frequent adulteration by the druggists there, in mixing red ochre, and sometimes brick dust with it, to both which it has a considerable resemblance in colour.

# This alludes to governor Lane's fruitless expedition up the Moratice, now called the Roanoke, in North Carolina, about the year 1585, as has been herein- before stated.

SO P no h to t

117

HISTORY OF MARYLAND.

so suspitious of my tendernesse, ) to force me returne, with so much SEC. VII. provision as we have, and scarce able to say where we have beene, 1608. nor yet heard of that we were sent to seekce? You cannot say but I have shared with you in the worst which is past ; and for what is to come, of lodging, dyet, or whatsoever, I am contented you allot the worst part to myselfe. As for your feares that I will lose myselfe in these unknowne large waters or be swallowed up in some stormie gust, abandon these childish feares, for worse than is past is not likely to happen, and there is as much danger to returne as to proceede. Regain, therefore, your old spirits, for returne I will not (if God please ) till I have seene the Massawomeks, found Patawomek, or the head of this water you conceit to be endlesse. Two or three dayes we expected winde and wether, whose ad- uerse extremities added such discouragement, that three or foure fell sicke, whose pitiful complaints caused vs to returne, leaving the bay some nine miles broad, at nine and ten fadome water .*

"The 16th of June we fell with the river Patawomek ; feare being gone, and our men recovered, we were all content to take some paines, to know the name of that seven mile broad riuer :¡ for thirtie myles sayle, we could see no inhabitants : then we were conducted by two savages up a little bayed creeke, to- wards Onawmanient,¿ where all the woods were layd with am-

* The place from which they now put back, we may suppose to have been somewhere a little below what is now called Pool's island, the bay there nearly corresponding with the breadth above assigned, and then narrowing considerably from that island upwards. This part of the above journal shews, how indistinct and inaccurate, especially in the order of time, most of the historians of Virgi- nia, particularly Burk, have been in their accounts of these two voyages up the Chesapeake by Smith. The real cause of his return back at this time, before he had explored the head of the Chesapeake, the grand desideratum of his voyage, he himself expressly states to have been, not entirely the want of provisions, but the " complaints" of those of his crew, who were sick.

t As Smith invariably spells the name of the river, now universally called and written the Palowmack, as above-the Patawomek, it seems to follow, that the former term is a corruption of the latter. It appears to have been altered for the sake of the sound, as more agreeable to an English ear. It may be observed, however, that the Massawomeks or Six Nations had a different name for it. They called it-the Cohongoronta, a name of more sonorous rotundity than either of the others. See the speeches of two chiefs of the nations at the treaty held with them at Lancaster in Pennsylvania, in June, 1744, stated at large in Colden's Hist. of the Five Nations, pp. 107, 112. But these chiefs appear to have meant the upper parts of the Patowmack, where they had extended their conquests.

# No place of this name is laid down on Smith's map. If we take the dis- tance of " thirty myles sayle,"-to have been from the mouth of the river, it would bring them to somewhere about Nominy bay, on the Virginia side of the river, which possibly might be the " little bayed creeke" alluded to above. This also is where Mr. Jefferson has fixed their scite. It may be remarked, that

118

INTRODUCTION TO A

SEC. VII. buscado's to the number of three or foure thousand salvages, so 1608. strangely paynted, grimed and disguised, shouting, yelling and crying as so many spirits from hell could not have shewed more terrible. Many bravado's they made, but to appease their fury, our captaine prepared with as seeming a willingnesse as they to incounter them. But the grazing of our bullets upon the water (many being shot on purpose they might see them,) with ecco of the woods so amazed them, as downe went their bowes and ar- rowes ; (and exchanging hostage,) James Watkins was sent six myles up the woods to their king's habitation. We were kindly used of those salvages, of whom we understood, they were com- manded to betray us, by the direction of Powhatan, and he so directed from the discontents at James-towne, because our cap- taine did cause them stay in their country against their wills .*

" The like incounters we found at Patawomek, t Cecocawanee,}

when Smith was taken prisoner on the Chickahominy in the year before this, the Indians, before they carried him to Powhatan at Werowacomoco, led him quite across the state to several towns, both on the Rapahanock and on the Pa- towmack, particularly to the Onawmanients on the last mentioned river, to exhi- bit him in a species of triumph, as we may suppose. He must, therefore, have had some previous knowledge of the Onawmanients.

* This expression-" against their wills,"-seems to be susceptible of a dou- ble meaning. It might possibly be construed to mean-against the wills of the Indians. But by adverting to the history of Virginia at this period of time, it appears, that there were now " discontents at James-towne," raised by some of the colonists there, who were desirous of quitting the country and returning to England, and had actually planned a scheme for seizing upon a shallop for that purpose, but by Smith's influence they had been prevented from so doing, and obliged to " stay in the country against their wills." The above sentence is also some corroboration if it needed it, that Powhatan's authority extended over all these tribes or nations on the Patowomek at least on the Virginia side thereof.

t This Indian town is said to have been on the spot, where the Virginians sub- sequently laid out a town, which they called New Marlborough, on a peninsula in Stafford county, Virginia, formed by the Patowmack river and a large creek, called the Patowmack creek. It must have been an Indian town of considerable population, and the tribe or nation numerous, as they either gave their name to their noble river upon which they were seated, or they, as the most considerable tribe on its banks, took their name from the river. At this time, as stated by Smith in another place, they were able to turn out two hundred warriors. Ac- cording to Mr. Jefferson's conjectural proportion of warriors to inhabitants, at this period of time, to wit, as three to ten, the population of the Patowomeks must have been at this time about six hundred and sixty-six men, women, and children. But it seems from a late document written (in 1820) by Mr. McKen- ney, superintendant of Indian trade, that the usual computation at this day is- " one warrior for every ten souls." This would make the population of the Pa- towomeks to have consisted of two thousand souls .- In Proud's Hist. of Pennsylv. vol. ii. p. 297, they were computed in the year 1759 as affording one warrior in every five inhabitants ; which comes nearer to Mr. Jefferson's supposition.

# An Indian town, of this name, is laid down by Smith on his map, very low

a 1 S

119

HISTORY OF MARYLAND.

and diuers other places : but at Moyaonees,* Nacochtant,t and SEC. VII. Toags,¿ the people did their best to content us. Hauing gone 1608. so high as we could with the bote, we met diuers salvages in canowes, well loaden with the flesh of beares, deere and other beasts, whereof we had part, here we found mighty rocks, growing in some places above the ground as high as the shrub- by tree, and diuers other solid quarries of diuers tinctures : and diuers places where the waters had falne from the high moun- taines they had left a tinctured spangled shurfe, that made many bare places seeme as guilded. Digging the growne above in the highest clifts of rocks, we saw it was a claie sand so min- gled with yellow spangles as if it had beene half pin-dust.§ In our returne inquiring still for this Matchqueon, | the king of Pa- tawomeke gaue vs guides to conduct us up a little river called

down the river, not far from its mouth, and on the Virginia side. The scite of it seems to answer, as nearly as may be, to the south-east point at the mouth of the Coan river, in Northumberland county, Virginia. The word Coan seems to be an abridgment of Cecocawanee. It is there fixed also by Mr. Jefferson.

* From the location of the Moyaonees on Smith's map, their town, noted as the residence of a king, must have been somewhere about Broad-creek, in Prince George's county, on the Maryland side of the Patowmack, and about two leagues or six miles above the Indian town of the Tauxenents ; which last mentioned town, according to Mr. Jefferson was " about General Washington's," in Fair- fax county, Virginia.

+ Nacochtant, as laid down by Smith on his map, appears to have been but a small distance below the mouth of the Eastern Branch, at the city of Washing- ton, and on the Maryland side of the Patowmack.

# The scite of the Toags is not laid down by Smith on his map. They are mentioned, however, in some documents on the Maryland records, (particularly in Lord Baltimore's instructions of August 6th, 1650, hereinafter more particu- larly stated,) under the denomination of Doages ; from which they appear to have been a tribe of Indians inhabiting some where, in Charles county, Mary- land, about the great bend of the Patowmack called Maryland Point, or on the point of land in the said county, formed between Mattawoman creek or run and the Patowmack river, commonly called Indian Point.

§ It is evident, from the two preceding sentences, and the expression-" Hav- ing gone so high as we could with the bote,"-that Smith and his party had now ascended the Patowmack to where the city of Washington now stands. Al- though Smith has professed in his history on several occasions his contempt for the futile anxiety exhibited by the early Virginia colonists for the discovery of a gold mine in the country, yet we here perceive a symptom, (perhaps only with some of his present followers,) of that anxiety excited by the appearance of some " yellow spangles" in the soil. These colonists, under their repeated disappoint- ments in this respect must have had abundant cause to have acknowledged the truth of the apothegm-All is not gold that glitters.

|| The meaning of this term we must confess to be unintelligible to us. From the whole context it appears to have meant a mine of Antimony, of which they were in search.

120

INTRODUCTION TO A

SEC. VII. Quiyough, up which we rowed so high as we could .* Leauing 1608. the bote, with six shot, and divers salvages, he marched seuen or eight myle before they came to the mine : leading his host- ages in a small chaine they were to have for their paines, being proud to be so richly adorned. The mine is a great Rocky mountaine like Antimony ; wherein they digged a great hole with shells and hatchets : and hard by it, runneth a fayre brooke of christal-like water, where they wash away the drosse and keepe the remainder, which they put in little baggs and sell it all over the country to paint there bodyes, faces, or idolls ; which

* This river, here called the Quiyough, is evidently from Smith's map, the Acquia creek, a little above the before mentioned town of the Patowomecks on the Virginia side of the Patowmack. And here it will be proper to observe upon an error, which the author of the anonymous History of Maryland before men- tioned appears in this instance to have fallen into, when he says,-" On the north side of the Eastern Branch, which Smith mistook for the main river, were seat- ed the Tauxenents ;" whom he states to have been a tribe of Maryland Indians. The author himself has mistaken the Quiyough, as laid down on Smith's map, " for the main river ;" which Smith certainly did not intend. The expression of Smith -- " a little river called Quiyough,"-clearly indicates, that he meant "a little river" distinct from the Patowmack, which he, in several other places, has distinguished by the title of " the great river." In another part of Smith's His- tory, (to wit, in his summary account of Virginia, herein after more fully stated,) he has expressed himself so as to leave no doubt upon the subject. " Here," says he, (to wit, at the town of the Patawomecks,) " doth the river divide itself into three or four convenient branches. " The greatest of the least is called Quiyough, trending north-west, but the river itself turneth north-east, and is still a navigable stream. On the western side of this bought is Tauxenent with 40 men."-The meaning of which undoubtedly is-that, supposing the river to divide itself into three several branches, according to Smith, at or near to the town of the Patowomecks, since called Marlborough, which is where Mr. Jefferson has placed them, " the greatest of the least" of these branches, which is exclusive of the largest branch-the main river, "is called Quiyough. The similarity of sound between the names Quiyough and Acquia, together with the location of the latter on Madison's map of Virginia compared with that of the former name on Smith's map, warrants us in supposing, that the creek, now called Acquia creek, is that branch called by Smith the Quiyough. It is observa- ble also, that this creek, called the Acquia, on Madison's map, is immediately above the place called Marlborough, supposed to be the ancient scite of the Pa- towomecks town, as the Quiyough is on Smith's map. Agreeably, therefore, to what Smith has further said in the passage just quoted, the Tauxenents were seated " on the western side" of the great bend (or " bought") of the main river-Patowmack, that is, on the Virginia side of the Patowmack, and not on the Maryland side, or " on the north side of the Eastern Branch," as the anony- mous author has stated. To this may be added Mr. Jefferson's authority. In his arrangement or table of the Virginia Indians, he has placed the Tauxenents "in Fairfax county, about General Washington's." Smith, therefore, did not mis- take " the Eastern Branch for the main river," nor were the Tauxenents " seat- ed on the north side of the Eastern Branch," or in Maryland, as stated in this anonymous History.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

The history of Maryland : from its first settlement, in 1633, to the restoration, in 1660 ; with a copious introduction, and notes and illustrations, Part 13

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