Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1860-08-22
The Annals of Alexandria.--(A SericS.)
CHAPTER /

discoveries touching the beauty OF the river
! the friendlness OF the Indians, and the Ter
| tility of the adjacent country was not le!'
unimproved by the coionlsts. Thencetor
ward what Egypt was to Goshen during
famine the Potomac region became to the
| less favored portions of the new country.
| Whenever the crops failed ut the James Riv-
er settlements, or the hostility of the neigh
boring Indians rendered the adj accent sources
Of supply, precarious and dangerous, the
colonists were sure Of an abundant resource
on the Potomac, where old Japazaws still
profeSsed for the English the friendly senti-
mcnts he had expressed to Capt. Smith on
his first voyage.
Ii was upon. one Of these trading expedi-
tons undertaken in 1912, that Capt. Argall
captured Pocahontas and laid i'll pertidy the
foundation of Il temporary peace, that ten
years afterwards, by like pertidy on the part
of the Indians was terribly overthrown.-
The story of this simple girls love for Capt.
Smith renews in Virginia the antique mar
velS, by which poets have made famous the
beginnings of great empires. She loved not
the leader alone: his race shared in Il ten
derness that is revealed TO history, only in
herosm More than once she stood between
the colony and swift destruction, and proved
Il sure defence.
The year following the discovery of the
Potomac Capt. Smith, wounded by an cx-
plosion, left jamestown for England.-
Thenceforward Pocahontas abandoned the
neighborhood Of the white settlements, and
made her home ut the various hamlets of
the tribes which owned her fathers sway.
Once in her retirement, she saved, from Il
massacre at Old Point, q pretty white lad
named Henry Spilman. She carried him
with her to Potowomeke, and under her pro-
lection he was domesticated among those
Indians. Among them, she, too, had found
a peaceful home. Argal could not resist
the temptation offered him by Il knowledge
Of her retreat, and the loyalty of Japazaws
yiclncd to the entlccmcnts OF Il copper kettle,
Which Argal made the reward OF his treaci-
cry; SO Pocahontas was lnvegled Oh board
OF IL trading shalop, which laid IN the Po-
tomac, and Argal straight-way set sail Tor
jamestown with his prize. The consequent
ces of this seizure--the short peacc-thc
marriage Of Pucahontas-and her voyage To
England are told too we'll on other pages to
need repetition here. Yet, is a portion oi
the history OF the river settlements which
preceded the settlement of this town, 1t well
deserves the Iassing notice Of these annals.
The old Werowance, Japa2aws, was still
living in 1919, and having on hand plcn-
llous stock OF corn, the product ot an abun-
dant season, he visited jamestown after the
manner OF modern ''drummers, and lnvl-
ted the trade OF The colonsts. lie was not
particularly fortunate. however, tor Capt.
Ward, who responded To the invitation, and
in the Fall, came round to the Potomac, re-
turned to jamestown, in December and re-
ported that having been treachcrously dealt
with by the Werowance, he had taken eight
hundred bushels of corn by force; loss
which Japazaws, doubtless, speedily rem-
bursed by II raid upon his neighbors, the
Yuurenents TT the NocOtcAtan5s.
Notwithstanding Capt. Wards profitable
rcprlsal for the alleged treachery OF the In
lians, trade between the Potowomekes and
the whites was soon resumed, and the ira
dcrs On the river, were among the te" out
living whites saved from the terrible ven
sance plotted by Opechancanough, and
known to our history AZ the Massacre OF
lG22." At the time appointed for the
slaughter Of the whites, the trading scallop
Elizabeth" was in the Potomac. On board
was her owner, Raleigh Crowshaw, Il man
thoroughly acquainted with the Indian char
acter, who had spent many years with the
sayageS, and married among them. The
-. ,i titn vessel Henry
Spiman. had been a prOtege of Pocahonta>,
and during "A boyhood spent among the 70
tnwUmekeS. had won many IN Indian Trend.
20 them m indian disclosed the plot. lie
upper Indians Of the river had refused 10
take part III the scheme, but the lShcumo-
Goes, ut the mouth, were fully committed
to its execution. With prompne>s and en-
erev, Capt Crowshaw visited and oNerawed
the lower Indians, and then sailing up the
river, his sagacity prevailed upon the i"f"-
mou.ektx and other upper Indians t" retain
their neutrality. In lieu of hostility, Japa-
Jaws bcsought bis aid in IN expedition
against the N0yone$ and .Nocotchtnnks on the
other side of the river. So we'll was Grow
shaw satisfied that he sent the loaded shah
lop to Jamestown, whilst he, with one atten-
dant remained with the t1fowomehe.
He did not remain long before more corn
being needed at jamestown. Capt. faiph
IIamor came around into the Potomac to
procure "a supply cf rccdlul article The
coonists in the thickly settled portions OF
the country had long ago given up Crow
shaw for oead and the surprise OF Captain
Ilamor, at meeting him alive, may we'll be
immagined.
The store of corn in the granaries at F"-
topomckc was small, and the wary Japazaws,
willing at once to save his own corn and to
take Vengeance upon the Nocotchta"ks, for
some real or fancied wrongs which he felt
unable to redress without aid proposed to
Capt. Hamor to undertake to forage upon
the .N0cofcbtaHkS, whose store oi corn was.
he alleged, unlimited. He offered to furnish
warriors for the purpose. As this was
cheap way of getting Il cargo, llamor very
readily consented aud taking number OF
warriors on board his vessel sailed up the
river. and landed at the settlement at No
rotchtunh, near the Eastern Branch. The
potowomekes and their Virginia allies met
with a stern resistance, nor did the Nocotch-
tunkS give wav until in II fierce struggle they
had left eighteen of their warriors dead on
the fields. that are now portion OF Prince
t;eorge's County. The PotcmomeheS left the
,r:t ,-i.tnr,, uuI luOruat with