Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1867-01-23
Gbt @rffman.
MONTPELIER, VT.
Morning. January, 23, 1867
The Legend OF POCnhOntas.


The first article in the last North American
Rerie,o j. an elaborate discussion of the story
Of Captain John Smith and Poca ahcntas, and is
devoted to the labor of demolishng the story
perhaps it ought to be called legend-of
Captain Smiths escape from death by the inter-
position of the fair young Indian woman who
threw herself between Smith and the uplifted
club Of the angry Indian chief. 1t is frequent
ly not pleasant 10 have the legends C. early
history rudeiy demonstrated to ne mere pleas
ant ictions, We, the curious student O. history
will relish this critical examination OF me early
records of Virginia.
The writer claims that Smiths charscter was
not the best. tha: his verec!.Y was not uuiu-
peachabie, and tha. his associates, the origina-
ters of the first families Of Virginia, we,e e
molly crew of adventurers. if not worse. He
9so,re from, Sreith's e True U.-.atict " Of hls
trip in Virginia, ia 1907, the time when this
romantic incident occurred as was afterwards
leged.-the " Relation " being published the
same year. In this " True Reaton he thus
speaks of his Introduction TO Powhatau, the
/ father of the renowned pooahontas
From hence this kind king conducted me
to place called Topahanocke, kingdom upon
another river northwArd. Inc cause Of this
was. that the year before shippe had beene
! IN the rlver Pamanuke, who, having been kind
! ly entertained by Pswhatzn, their .Emperor.
they returned thence, and discovered the river
| OF Topahanocke where, being received with
! like kindnesse, yet he siue the king and 10, k
OF his people, aud they supposed we're hee
but the people reported me great man that
WAS Captalne, and using kindly the next
day VIC departed ....
The next night lodged al hunting town
| OF POwbatsn +, and the next day arrived at
WsrAnacomoeo, where the great king is
| Arriving at WaramOcomoco their Emperour
kindly Welcomed me with good wotdes,
and great piatters OF sundry vlctuals, ASSURE e
NEE his friendship and my i,bertie uith,n four
ddyes nee desired mee TO forsake Papa
hegn and 10 live with him upon his river, d
couDtrie called Capa Howasicke, hee promised
10 give me corne, veIIsor, or what l wanted to
feed Us. Hatchets and copper We should make
HIM and none should GisJurbe rnis re-
quest promised 10 performe and thus hoUing
,0nh oil the kindnes, nee could devise, sougn,
to content me he sent NEE home tcuh four
men, one that usually carried my 2oune and
kDapsacke after me, two other loaded with
bread, and one 10 accompanle NEE
| Compare This account with his version OF the
same adventure published in 1924 l.:
AT iast they brought MIN to Meronccomo-
Ct, where was Poshatan their Emperor Here
more than two hundred of these grim Court
iere stood wondering al him, as ne mad b en- 8
monster I'll. Pu~hatan ana trsyne had put
| themselves IN Their greatest bIaverles A
MS entrance o-tore the King. all the people
gave great shout. The q Ieeue of Aappam-
atuck VAS appointed to Uring him water 10
wash his hands, and another brought him a
/ bunch OF feathers, instead Of towel 10 dry
them navlng teas1ed him after their best bar
haVous maDner tney cou.d, long consultation
Was held, out the concI lson was, two great
stones were brought before Powhatan then as
many could layd nand. on hun. dragged him
10 them, aud thereon ald his head, and being
ready with their clubs, 10 bate out his bra!nes,
PocahOnla>, the kings dearest dAugater, when
no lnt1eaty could prevsie, got his head n her
srmes, and lsld her owne upon his 10 save him
from death whereas the L nperour was con-
tented ne should live TO make him hatchets,
and her beiIs, beads and c0pp-r.
! Two dsye after, Powhatan having disguised
hmselte IN the most iearful.est manner he
| could more like 3 devil Than 4 man, with
some two hundred more biaoke hImsete,
Came unto him ard told him Low they were
irlends and presently he should zoe to James
tosn-, 10 seLd him Two great gunpes and d
gryustone, for winch he wop!d give hin The
Country OF Cha pahowoslcN, aud tor ever es-
teeme aim as hls soun- NAuIaQuoud. Sc %
Jamestowne ichh twelve guides Powhaten ser t
him. he stW erpe ding lGs he had done oh ttls
long itme Of hIs IHlprisonssessfD ereTy hoare 10
Be put 10 death other for al their feast
ing. But alnlghue q od 10y his divine pow
ne c-) had moite the hearts Of these sterue
Bar barians "uh compassion. Inc next morn
la Dellmes tbey came 10 the tort
| la the hrs, narrative, when the incident. II
it ever occurred, wa, fresa in mind, no mention
is made OF POcahonlas or OF bis escape from
peril by her inierposluon. The story must
bave beer afteIthOugh,.
There are other additions in The latter mar
was first captured { according TO his a. True
Revelation he was guarded by eight
who increased Tin his history to thirty or forty
tall fellows his four guides from Powhatan IN
l6OS became twelve in 1924 Smith, on b,
return, IN 1908, is grateful that The arrival o
Captain Nssport frus rated the designs OF hi
enemies, VINO were pr ,arng to depose him
where's, in 1924, ne stated that he " laid then
, by the heels
Nov in J.mestown they were all in com
bustion, the strongest preparing once more t.
run axay with the Plunance, which with the
hazard of his life, with sabre, falcon and mus
; ket shot, Smith forced now the third time /,
stay or slpke. Some no better than they shoui(
be- had plotted with the President, the mex
day 10 have put him to death by the Levitical
law, tor the lives of Robinson and Emry, pre-
: tending the fault Was mis- that had led them I,
their ends but he quickly tooke such orde
. With such lawyer, that he ia, ed them by tn,
heels iii he sent SONS OF them prisoners 70
England
The same chaTao'er of exaggtration, say
+, the reviewer, - marks the whole account {
the treatment he received among the savages'
The reviewer continues
\ Powhatan received him with the creates
e cordialny, and, having sought to content hin
with all The kinduess ne could devise, did act
. ually send him with a guard of honor back Il
Il his friends. If the True Relation is rsall
j. trae. the behavior OF these naked barbarian
l. towards Smith far more humane than ,ha
y which he would have received at the hands o
v any civilized nation the face of the earth
There is not trace of his having irlt any i'm
mediate fear for his life. except from ssvag
" whose son he had killed, and fom whor
- Opecnarkanough protected him. There doe,
indeed, occur one line 10 the effect that the
~ fed MIN 50 fat TO make him much doubt the
VI meant To sacrifice him and this parsgrap
a. furnishes the most striking evidence of Ii
AZ kindness of the indians, and of the fact tn,
- he believed himself to have been mistaken
- having entertained the suspicion. Yet,