Captain John Smith
Although Thanksgiving is officially over, it is never inopportune to remind ourselves of the sacrifices made by our forefathers that have provided us so much freedom, abundance and luxury. Anyone familiar with our history knows of the War of Independence from 1776 to 1784. That was a very narrow thing on several occasions and one can’t help concluding (as I do) that is was by the hand of God that our ancestors’ struggle was successful (see 1776 by David McCullough).
But it wasn’t the first near disastrous struggle by any means. Nor was it the only time “Providence” blessed those who struggled to build this country. In continuance of poking a finger in the eyes of Leftist historical revisionists occupying and polluting our public education system and to answer questions prompted by blog In Defense of Thanksgiving Part I, I provide the following transcription from The Annals of American History, Vol. 1, pg. 21. In doing so I also hope to restore the sterling reputation of Captain John Smith who has been slandered as one of those “escaped criminals, angry white men, etc.” by those whose ignorance exceeds their vocabulary. For those with the patience (and ability) to read this in its’ entirety, truth is infinitely more fantastic than fiction.
WARNING! THOSE WITH FACEBOOK OR MAINSTREAM MEDIA ATTENTION SPANS AND/ OR A POLITICAL BIAS TO THE LEFT OF CENTER SHOULD STOP NOW! SEVERE HEADACHE, SEIZURE AND POSSIBLY STROKE MAY RESULT!
“John Smith: Starving Time in Virginia
In December 1606, the Virginia Company sent three ships to Virginia with 144 colonists, only 105 of whom actually disembarked at Jamestown the following May. Among them was Captain John Smith, a soldier-adventurer and promoter of the company, who became its chief historian. He had an especially resourceful spirit in many a dark day, and he saved the colony from starvation during the winter of 1608-1609 by obtaining corn from the Indians he had befriended. On an expedition to discover the source of the Chickahominy River, Captain Smith was captured by the Indians and was to be executed. As the controversial legend holds, Pocahontas saved his life by throwing herself upon him and entreating her father, Powhatan, to spare Smith. Smith’s Generall Historie of Virginia, an indispensable, though at times unreliable- work, is reprinted here in part. This selection deals with the events of 1607-608 and is actually a series of reports or accounts by various persons with interpolations by Smith himself. Thus, part of the narrative covers an interval when he had returned temporarily to England.
Source: Works 1608-1631. Edward Arber, ed., Birmingham, England, 1884, pp. 391-401, 497-516.
“1607. Being thus left to our fortunes, it fortuned that within ten days scarce ten among us could either go or well stand, such extreme weakness and sickness oppressed us. And thereat none need marvel if they consider the cause and reason, which was this:
While the ships stayed, our allowance was somewhat bettered by a daily proportion of biscuits, which the sailors would pilfer to sell, give, or exchange with us for money, sassafras, furs, or love. But when they departed, there remained neither tavern, beer, house, nor place of relief, but the common kettle. Had we been as free from all sins as gluttony and drunkenness, we might have been canonized for saints, but our president [Wingfield] would never have been admitted for engrossing to his private [use] oatmeal, sack, aquavitae, beef, eggs, or what not, but the kettle; that indeed he allowed equally to be distributed, and that was half a pint of wheat, and as much barley boiled with water for a man a day, and this having fried some twenty-six weeks in the ship’s hold; contained as many worms as grains; so that we might truly call it rather so much bran than corn, our drink was water, our lodgings castles in the air.
With this lodging and diet, our extreme toil in bearing and planting palisades so strained and bruised us, and our continual labor in the extremity of the heat had so weakened us, as were cause sufficient to have made us as miserable in our native country or any other place in the world.
From May to September, those that escaped lived upon sturgeon, and sea crabs. Fifty in this time we buried, the resting seeing the president’s projects to escape these miseries in our pinnacle by flight (who all this time had neither felt want nor sickness) so moved our dead spirits, as we deposed him, and established Ratcliffe in his place (Gosnoll being dead), Kendall deposed. Smith newly recovered , Martin and Ratcliffe was by his care preserved and relieved, and the most of the soldiers recovered with the skillful diligence of Master Thomas Wolton, our chirugeon [surgeon] general.
But was now all our provision spent, the sturgeon gone, all helps abandoned, each hour expecting the fury of the savages; when God, the Patron of all good endeavors in that desperate extremity so changed the hearts of the savages that they brought such plenty of their fruits and provision as no man wanted [did without].
And now where some affirmed it was ill done of the Council to send forth men so badly provided , this incontradictable reason will show them plainly they are too ill advised to nourish such ill conceits. First, the fault of our going was our own; what could be thought fitting or necessary we had; but what we should find, or want, or where we should be, we were all ignorant, and supposing to make our passage in two months, with victual to live and the advantage of the spring to work. We were at sea five months, where we both spent our victual and lost the opportunity of the time and season to plant, by the unskillful presumption of our ignorant transporters, that understood not at all what they undertook.
And now, the winter approaching, the rivers became so covered with swans, geese, ducks, and cranes that we daily feasted with good bread, Virginia peas, pumpions [pumpkins], and putchamins [persimmons], fish, fowl, and diverse sorts of wild beasts as fat as we could eat them; so that none of our tuftaffety humorists desired to go for England.
But our comedies never endured long without a tragedy; some idle exceptions being muttered against Captain Smith for not discovering the head of the Chickahamania [Chickahominy] River, and taxed by the Council to be too slow in so worthy an attempt. The next voyage he proceeded so far that with much labor by cutting of trees asunder he made his passage; but when his barge could pass no farther, he left her in a broad bay out of danger of shot, commanding none should go ashore till his return. Himself, with two English and two savages, went up higher in a canoe; but he was not long absent but his men went ashore, whose want of government gave both occasion and opportunity to the savages to surprise one George Cassen, whom they slew, and much failed not to have cut off the boat and all the rest.
Smith, little dreaming of that accident, being got to the marshes at the river’s head, twenty miles in the desert, had his two men slain (as is supposed) sleeping by the canoe, while he himself, by fowling, sought them victuals. Finding he was beset by 200 savages, two of them he slew still defending himself with the aid of a savage, his guide, whom he bound to his arm with his garters, and used him as a buckler, yet he was shot in his thigh a little, and had many arrows that stuck in his clothes; but no great hurt, till at last they took him prisoner. When this news came to Jamestown, much was there sorrow for his loss, few expecting what ensued.
Six or seven weeks those barbarians kept him prisoner, many strange triumphs and conjurations they made of him, yet he so demeaned himself among them as he not only diverted them from surprising the fort but procured his own liberty, and got himself and his company such estimation among them that those savages admired him more than their own quiyououckosucks [gods].
The manner how they used and delivered him is as follows:
The savages, having drawn from George Cassen whether Captain Smith was gone, prosecuting that opportunity, they followed him with 300 bowmen, conducted by the king of Pamaunkee, who, in divisions, searching the turnings of the river, found Robinson and Emry by the far side. Those they shot full of arrows and slew. Then finding the captain…yet, dared they not come to him till, being near dead with cold, he threw away his arms. Then…they drew him forth and led him to the fire, where his men were slain. Diligently, they chafed his benumbed limbs.
He demanding for their captain, they showed him Opechancanough, king of Pamaunkee, to whom he gave a round, ivory double compass dial. Much they marveled at the playing of the fly and needle, which they could see so plainly and yet not touch it because of the glass that covered them. But when he demonstrated by that globe-like jewel the roundness of the earth and skies, the sphere of the sun, moon, and stars, and how the sun did chase the night round about the world continually, the greatness of the land and sea, the diversity of nations, variety of complexions, and how we were to them antipodes, and many other suchlike natters, they all stood as amazed with admiration. Notwithstanding, within an hour after they tied him to a tree, and as many as could stand about him, prepared to shoot him, but the king, holding up the compass in his hand, they all laid down their bows and arrows, and in a triumphant manner led him to [the town of] Orapaks, where he was after their manner kindly feasted and well used.
Their order in conducting him was thus: Drawing themselves all in file, the king in the middle had all their pieces and swords borne before him. Captain Smith was led after him by three great savages, holding him fast by each arm; and on each side, six went in file and their arrows nocked. But arriving at the the town (which was but only thirty or forty hunting houses made of mats, which they remove as they please as we our tents), all the women and children staring to behold him, the soldiers first, all in file and on each flank, officers….to see them keep their orders. A good time they continued this exercise, and then cast themselves in a ring, dancing in such several postures, and singing and yelling out such hellish notes and screeches; being strangely painted everyone his quiver of arrows, and at his back a club; on his arm a fox or an otters skin…their heads and shoulders painted red…which scarletlike color made an exceeding handsome show; his bow in his hand, and the skin of a bird with her wings abroad dried, tied on his head, a piece of copper, a white shell, a long feather, with a small rattle growing at the tails of their snakes tied to it, or some suchlike toy.
All this while, Smith and the king stood in the middle, guarded, as before is said; and after three dances they all departed. Smith they conducted to a longhouse, where thirty or forty tall fellows did guard him; and ere long more bread and venison was brought him than would have served twenty men. I think his stomach at that time was not very good; what he left they put in baskets and tied over his head. About midnight they set the meat again before him, all this time not one of them would eat a bite with him, till the next morning they brought him as much more; and then did they eat all the old, and reserved the new as they had done the other, which made him think they would fat him to eat him. Yet in this desperate estate to defend him from the cold, one…brought him his gown, in requital of some beads and toys Smith had given him at his first arrival in Virginia.
Two days after, a man would have slain him (but that the guard prevented it) for the death of his son, to whom they conducted him to recover the poor man then breathing his last. Smith told them that at Jamestown he had a water would do it, if they would let him fetch it, but they would not permit that, but made all the preparations they could to assault Jamestown craving his advice; and for recompense he should have life, liberty, land, and women. In part of his tablebook, he wrote his mind to them at the Fort, what was intended, how they should follow that direction to affright the messengers, and without fail send him such things as he wrote for and an inventory with them. The difficulty and danger, he told the savages, of the mines, great guns, and other engines exceedingly affrighted them, yet according to his request they went to Jamestown in as bitter weather as could be of frost and snow, and within three days returned with an answer.
But when they came to Jamestown, seeing men sally out as he had told them they would, they fled; yet in the night they came again to the same place where he had told them they should receive an answer, and such things as he had promised them, which they found accordingly, and with which they returned with no small expedition, to the wonder of them all that heard it, that he could either divine, or the paper could speak…
Not long after, early in the morning, a great fire was made in a longhouse, and a mat spread on the one side, as on the other; on the one they caused him to sit, and all the guard went out of the house, and presently came skipping in a great grim fellow, all painted over with coal, mingled with oil, and many snakes and weasels’ skins stuffed with moss, and all their tails tied together, so as they met on the crown of his head in a tassel; and round about the tassel was as a coronet of feathers, the skins hanging round about his head, back, and shoulders, and in a manner covered his face; with a hellish voice, and a rattle in his hand. With most strange gestures and passions he began his invocation, and environed the fire with a circle of meal, which done, three more suchlike devils came rushing in with the like antic tricks, painted half black, half red, but all their eyes were painted white, and some red strokes like Mutchato’s along their cheeks. Round about him those fiends danced a pretty while, and then came in three more as ugly as the rest, with red eyes and white strokes over their black faces. At last they all sat down right against him, three of them on the one hand of the chief priest, and three on the other.
Then all with their rattle began a song, which ended, the chief priest laid down five wheat corns. Then straining his arms and hands with such violence that he sweat, and his veins swelled, he began a short oration, at the conclusion they all gave a short groan, and then laid down three grains more. After that, they began their song again, then another oration, ever laying down as many corns as before, till they had twice encircled the fire. That done, they took a bunch of little sticks prepared for that purpose, continuing still their devotion, and at the end of every song and oration, they laid down a stick between the divisions of corn. Till, night, neither he nor they did either eat or drink; and then they feasted merrily, with the best provisions they could make.
Three days they used this ceremony; the meaning whereof they told him was to know if he intended them well or no. The circle of meal signified their country, the circles of corn, the bounds of the sea, and the sticks, his country. They imagined the world to be flat and round, like a trencher; and they in the middle.
After this they brought him a bag of gunpowder, which they carefully preserved till the next spring, to plant as they did their corn, because they would be acquainted with the nature of that seed.
Opitchapam, the king’s brother, invited him to his house, where, with as many platters of bread, fowl, and wild beasts as did environ him, he bid him welcome; but not any of them would eat a bite with him, but put up remainder in baskets.
At his return to Opechancanugh’s, all the king’s women and their children flocked about him for their parts; as a due by custom, to be merry with such fragments…
1608. At last they brought him to Meronocomoco, where was Powhatan, their emperor. Here more than 200 of those grim courtiers stood wondering at him, as he had been a monster, till Powhatan and his train had put themselves in their greatest braveries. Before a fire upon a seat like a bedstead, he sat covered with a great robe made of raccoon skins, and with the tails hanging by. On either hand did sit a young wench of sixteen or eighteen years, and along on each side of the house, two rows of men, and behind them as many women, with all their heads and shoulders painted red, many of their heads bedecked with the white down of birds, but everyone with something, and a great chain of white beads about their necks. At his entrance before the king, all the people gave a great shout. The queen of Appamatuck was appointed to bring him water to wash his hands, and another brought him a bunch of feathers instead of a towel to dry them.
Having feasted him after their best barbarous manner they could, a long consultation was held, but the conclusion was: two great stones were brought before Powhatan; then as many as could laid their hands on him, dragged him to them, and thereon laid his head, and being ready with their clubs to beat out his brains. Pocahontas, the king’s dearest daughter, when no entreaty could prevail, got his head in her arms, and laid her own upon his to save his from death. Whereat the emperor was contented he should live to make him hatchets, and her bells, beads, and copper; for they thought him as well of all occupations as themselves. For the king himself will make his own robes, shoes, bows, arrows, pots, plant, hunt, or do anything so well as the rest…
Two days after, Powhatan having disguised himself in the most fearful manner he could, caused Captain Smith to be brought forth to a great house in the woods, and thereupon a mat by the fire, to be left alone. Not long after, from behind a mat that divided the house, was made the most doleful noise he ever heard; then Powhatan, more like a devil than a man, with some 200 more as black as himself, came unto him and told him now they were friends, and presently he should go to Jamestown to send him two great guns and a grindstone, for which he would give him the country of Capahowosick, and forever esteem him as his son Nantaquoud….
1609. The day before Captain Smith returned for England with the ships, Captain Davis arrived in a small pinnace, with some sixteen proper men more. To these were added a company from Jamestown, under the command of Captain John Sickelmore, alias Ratcliffe, to inhabit Point Comfort. Captain Martin and Captain West, having lost their boats and near half their men among the savages, were returned to Jamestown; for the savages no sooner understood Smith was gone but they all revolted, and did spoil and murder all they encountered.
Now we were all constrained to live only on that Smith had only for his own company, for the rest had consumed their proportions. And now they had twenty residents with all their appurtenances. Master Piercie, our new president, was so sick he could neither go nor stand. But ere all was consumed, Captain West and Captain Sickelmore, each with a small ship and thirty or forty men well appointed, sought abroad to trade. Sickelmore, upon the confidence of Powhatan, with about thirty others as careless as himself were all slain; only Jeffrey Shortridge escaped; and Pocahontas, the king’s daughter saved a boy called Henry Spilman, that lived many years after; by her means, among the Patawomekes. Powhatan still, as he found means, cut off their boats, denied them trade; so that Captain West set sail for England.
Now we all found the loss of Captain Smith; yea, his greatest maligners could now curse his loss. As for corn provision and contribution from the savages, we had nothing but mortal wounds, with clubs and arrows. As for our hogs, hens, goats, sheep, horses, or what lived, our commanders, officers, and savages daily consumed them, some small proportions sometimes we tasted, till all was devoured. Then swords, arms, pieces, or anything we traded with the savages, whose cruel fingers were so oft imbrued in our blood, that what by their cruelty, our governor’s indiscretion, and the loss of our ships, of 500 within six months after Captain Smith’s departure there remained not past 60 men, women, and children – most miserable and poor creatures. And those were preserved for the most part by roots, herbs, acorns, walnuts, berries, now and then a little fish. They that had starch in these extremities made no small use of it; yea, even the very skins of our horses.
Nay, so great was our famine that a savage we slew and buried, the poorer sort took him up again and ate him; and so did diverse one another boiled and stewed with roots and herbs. And one among the rest did kill his wife, powdered {salted} her, and had eaten part of her before it was known, for which he was executed, as he well deserved. Now, whether she was better roasted, boiled, or carbonaded {broiled}, I know not, but of such a dish as powdered wife I never heard.
This was that time, which still to this day, we called the starving time. It were too vile to say, and scarce to be believed what we endured, but the occasion was our own for want of providence, industry, and government, and not the barrenness and defect of the country as is generally supposed. For till then in three years, for the numbers were landed us, we had never from England provision for six months, though it seemed by the bill of lading sufficient was sent us, such a glutton is the sea, and such good fellows the mariners. We as little tasted of the great proportions sent us as they of our want and miseries, yet, notwithstanding, they ever overswayed and ruled the business, though we endured all that is said, and chiefly lived on what this good country naturally afforded. Yet had we been in Paradise itself with these governors, it would not have been much better with us; yet there was among us, who, had they the government as Captain Smith appointed, but that they could not maintain it, would surely have kept us from those extremities of miseries. This in ten days more would have supplanted us all with death.”
Note: As I first read then transcribed this I frequently thought this would make the basis for an excellent movie script titled “Nantaquoud”; narrated by “Henry Spilman” the boy saved by Pocahontas, in the manner of the movie “The Man Who Would Be King” (starring Michael Caine and Sean Connery based on Rudyard Kipling’s novel) .
