Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1860-08-22
bv the Fall a stock of corn ample to supply
the wants of the colony during the coming

| by the Fall stock of corn ample to supply
| the wants of the colony during the coming
winter.
This proposition pleased the Governor ex
ceedingly, and Capt. Madyson with Il ship
and pnnace, were accordingly sent into the
! Potomac 10 promote his de>I gus. But in the
| meanwhile Crowshaw learned that his %lte
and nineteen other friendly Indians had
been taken prisoners, and were held captive
hv Opechancanough. lis personal griets
drowned his desire to serve the coiOnsts,
and having failed to interest the Governor
on behalf his captive wife, he neglected his
forage scheme, and it was not carried out.
Capt Madyson was not fitted to deal with
the indians. He soon fell out with Japa-
Jaws, and upon slight suspicion set upon
the PUtom0mekes. killed II number of war
riors and imprisoned Japazaws, and the prin-
cipal men of the tribe. These he carried to
jamestown, where they were kept until the
close of the year 1929, when as the colony
again needed corn, Japazaws and his fellow
prisoners were brought round to Fotocomehe,
and upon payment of u large quantity OF
corn in ransom, were set ut liberty.
AS might have been expected, this conduct
was reyenged at the first opportunity. In
the latter tall of 1923, corn was in demand
again, and Captain Henry Spilman came
round from Jamestown with his vessel. The
remembrance of Madyson's outrage was
fresh on the Indian mind, and as is too fire.
quently the case, the innocent were made to
suffer for the guilty. Capt. Spilman, fami-
liar with Indian character, landed at one OF
the trading places, some distance above .Po-
toromche probably about what is now the
White House. Some twenty-one OF his crew
accompanied him, and soon disappeared i'll
the woods in the direction of the Indian
houses-leaving but five men on board the
vessel. No sooner were they out OF sight
than large number Of Indians who had
been in ambuscade, preclpitated themselves
upon the vessel, clambered over her sides,
and would have taken possession, had not
one of the crew touched off a small cannon,
with which the shallop was armed. The
report so alarmed the savages, that leapng
from the vessel they fled in alright to the
shore Shortly afterwards, the crew heard
a great noise on the shore, and saw mans
head thrown down the river bank. They
weighed anchor Immediately, and returned
to jamestown with the sad story. The fate
Ol tDDllllldIl uHIl MS Ioii phhi'ii' 10 h''"'
only from this incident-yet it suggests
but too plainly that the l"to"omehes 30
avenged the >laughte of their brethren, ami
the indignities put upon their klng.
From that time for several years, we meet
in the documents which time has spared
from that remote period, but an occasional
glimpse of the Potomac River. There is no
mention Of retaliation for the slaughter of
Spilman and his companions On the CON
trary, although trade with the upper Po-
tomac was sluckened, Capt. Henry Fleet,
Nirginian. gained the confidence of these
lndians-livcd mu.h with them, learned
their language, and irequenting both sides OF
the Potomac, was enabled in 1853 to be Of
eminent service to the founders of Mary
land, of whose settlements on the river we
shall have occasion to speak in the next
,.la