Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1870-09-06
INDIANS AT INDIAN NTowN.-Vireiuians are

INDIANS AT INDIAN Town. Virginians are
familiar with the scores of inconsistent legends
extant concerning Pocahontas. That heroic
woman, we all know, rescued Captain John
Smith at divers times and places. Half the
counties in tidewater Virginia rejoice in having
been the Royal Residence of Powhatau. Few
of US but have seen half dozen of the stones
on which rested Smiths head when the ''gra-
cous Princess" rescued him. Every third
man you meet is her lineal descendant. Itis
we'll known that she bathcd daily in tho Ap.
pomattox, which for her sake wo hope rolled
then limpid wave where now flows a muddy
stream to join the River of Powhatan.
Matoaca was one Of her names. Matoax
her winter play ground. The hills OF
"Shacko's," as Col. Byrd called it, saw her
fathers court. Shelley, on York, was her ia
vorite home, as the banks of oyster shells wit.
ness to this day. Piping tree ferry was the
court of her uncle, the one with the hard heart
and the hard name fOpecancanough. James.
town lsland was her private property, and
what is now known as Brandon Neck her re-
sorts in sora season, while Chickahominy Was
her royal fathers granary. Totapotamoy was
his coon preserVer and Rowanty furnished
beaver. Pianketank sent her canvas back to
the Imperial larder, while Pungoteauquc and
Chingoteogue contributed their terrapin for the
festive board and gave for her toilette table
rorpoisc oil and spongeS and delicate shells.
These, and numbercss other things about
Pocahontas we knew. All things in her lite
and death and many besides are familiar to Us.
But one thing we did not know, and maya
zine writer in the Overland Monthly informs
US of it.
Having occasion to mention the Indian set
tlemcnt on Pamunkey River below the White
house, this writer accidentally tells us that
these Indians arc descendants, all of them, Of
Pocahontas the Gracious, friend Of Smith, an
cestor of John Randolph, OF Roanoke, saviour
oI the infant State of Virginia
Indian town is occupied by the remains of
all those mixed tribeswhich yielded to thewhites
possession of tidewater Virginia north oil the
James. Like the Nottoways on the South
Side .hey received q name, rather from the
locality in which they finally settled, than from
their blood or lineage.
The Pamunkcys as they are called have for
many years gained scanty subsistence on the
Pamunkey River, by hunting, fishing, basket
making and perhaps little piiferiDg. AS was
TO be expected their blood soon became mixed. |
and us org ogo as 1850 there remained at |
Indian town hardly an Individual Of purely |
Indian ancestry And now they consist OF all |
grades Of mixture betwixt the Iudau, the |
negro and the white Our wisaacre Of the
Overland owes heavy debt Of apology for trac
ing the blood of these degraded creatures TO
her who was the protcctress of our torefathers,
and who is proudly claimed as an honored ances-
tress ty a score Of the best houses OF Virginia.
Perhaps 4. A. Pollard, traducer Of Mr.
Davis and impugner Of Patrick HcDry's tame,
or perhaps Mrs Stowe with her ghou like
love of defacng tho dead, will come to the
rescue OF this discovcrcr and show that after
all Pocahontas never existed, or if she did was
no better than she should be.-Pstersbwg
Inder.