The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1877-08-14
soHx SMITH.
,ry.hoIosicaliy and Incarnatc.
RESPONSE OF II. A. D. TO w. w. II


At all hazards, beg to trespasS again as
,ittlc as may on your valuable columns,
not 50 much to defend myself against the
last indictments OF w. w. Ii. as in behalf
Of a correct estimate OF John Smith and
due knowledge OF Virginia history on the
part Of our fellow-citizens who may bc
imbued with sufficient interest therein
to so beyond the reading OF mere IN.
diyidual views and estimates ana W
refer to the original authorities. SO lar ~ =
deem myself concerned or invoiFea
need offer but the following: w. ". IL. up,
ne,rs r., he correct as to the pubic alloh u u
SMITHS Man OF Virginia in boo: .orm: IL
- not known TO have accompanied tue
.sTr,,e Relation - OF 1908. rs stated by MI.
Sa;i, h,,t 70 have illustrated the "OSioru
Tract ~ 1912" AS to the publications. OF
Pnrchas. directly interesting to Frg1nians.
Il NAV be we'll to state them definitely
Purchas-His Pilgrimage y eait,ous'
appearing respectively in 1913, 1914, l9i -
and 1926; the last OF which Is regarded IN
complement OF the following ms ma9hn"'
Opus: Purchas-His PilgrlmeS. 'o'S'
1926. ,. r.,,
p.jat;on cited by w. W. H.. should have
been accredited to the Pilgrimage" 1913;
mn. This Iapsus does not initiate against the
correctness of my view OF the friendly bias
., purchas in favor of Smith, but farther
an hstantiates it: for the latter continued
consistently the duGnt-co,rier OF the pup
lica,jon of his own accredited writings In
heaslt OF PurchaS las evidenced, AS 1oilo"s ::
3. Although the General Historic bears
dste 1924, the year before the date OF FUR
cbas's .Pilsrims,' I cannot think that IL
was Issued in print in time for Purchas 10
use 1t a: this place. as we nave seen Apo'e;
n. reurinted from the text or the 'OH!oi"
Trsct., adding what was furnished 10 nun
hr smith. In a subsequent portion OF the
rol,,ne, at page 1888. Purchas refers TO the
General Historic though not by name.
yTc acknowledges his Indebtedness to Cap
tain Smith for materials respecting Virginia
st the period OF which he Is then writ!hS
f16I4-1619) for Smith, lie says, having
completed long history OF that ana tue
Summer Hand plantation, AMOS he'o Eng
land, in six BooheS, hath gently COM
municsted the same to mine, tnat Is 10
thine, rs intended TO the Worlds 1se, &c.
This would indicate reference 10 lnaou-
.crip:s or advance.sheets rather tnan 10 q
volume already published to the "or'a.
Preface TO Dcane's True Relation. pages
q and q. On page 46 following, MIR.
Desne does not, as claimed by W. W. H.,
"eypressIy give the date 1924 IS being,
IN his opinion, that OF the appearance In
print of the "Gencrall Historic" OF Smith,
but ONLY rs one Of "the publications which
bear his NAME" his list being merely an
enumeration Of what the title-pages present
Is 70 date. I would. least OF all, ask OF the
public to rely upon my "personal Judg-
Tnent" ms to the truth and dignity OF
John Smith rs historian. II they
will but read the works bearing hls name
they will not fail to be compressed" with
the distinctive seli-glorifcation marking
them throughout. whether writ with his
owne hand" or presented as the narratives
OF others, for the last, in every instance in
which he is himself implicated, are hashed
Up and interpolated TO the end OF his own
ACKNOWLEDGMENT. The following Is An eX-
ample OF something more than terglversa-
ton on his part:
because l have ranged and lived
amongst these Hands 1.-THE West Indiesl,
what my authorities cannot tell me, /
thinke it no great errour in helping them
10 tell it myself. In this little [Ile] OF
Nevis, more than twenty years agoe, have
remained good time together, to wod, and
water, and refresh my men, Genera! HIS
tory-Reprint of Ed. 1920, rot. 2, PIP.
1851.
The time referred to is that Of the voyage
Of 1903, which resulted in the settlement at
Jamestown. I had presumed that no his
torian, not even the preeminent Samue!
Purchas, had questioned the fully-estab-
llshed fact that Captain Christopher New
port commanded this expedition. Stith
does not assuredly, for he says that: ''To
him, therefore. by an Instrument bearing
Date the 10th OF December, 1906, under the
LEGAL Seal OF the Council. they gave him
Power to appoint all Captains. Soldiers, and
Mariners, and to have the sole Charge and
Command Of the same, and OF the whole
Voyage from the date Date thereof, till they
should land on the coast OF Virginia"
aud "To Captain Newport, Captain Bar
thoi0meu GoSnold, and Captain John
Radcliffe. they also delivered several
Instruments, close Sealed with the Coun-
cirs Seal" &C., page AZ. The expe-
dition comprised three ships-the "Su-
san Constant" commanded by Newport;
the "God-Speed," by Gosnold; and the
" Discovery" by Radcliffe. 1t is notorious
that Smith was placed under arrest for at
tempting to incite mutiny on the voyage,
and that he was not released until after the
arrival in Virginia. Yet l discover that,
despite Of these unquestionable iacts, SO
fully had John Smith impressed hlmsell
as an oracle on another mind than that OF
w. W. Ell. that it is grayely asserted on his
authority, Us already quoted. that be was
actually in command Of the expedition ut
the time claimed by him.-Ca'npbelPs par-
Ginia, p. 3S.
NOW, this only proves how false senti-
ment may bias the Judgment OF the most
careful and painstaking.
+. could hardly with those who know me
and of me, be liable to charge OF preju-
dice against this truly meritorious and SO
lamented historian, should differ with him
in other instances than this OF grievously-
warped Judgment. Nay, should this de-
parture, glaring as it is, be made the basis
of such q sweeping condemnation Us that
visited upon Mr. Neill, that ne could .'never
be safely followed" in his "attempts" at
history, I could not fail in thoroughly
hearty defence OF his capacity and rep
utation. In conclusion, / cherish the
hope that, though this wordy discus
sion may fail in definite settle.
ment OF the justice OF all the claimed attrl-
butes Of John Smith in the minds OF our
citizens, it may yet be somewhat lnstru-
mental in stimulating an interest III re"
search into Virginia history, and that many
OF those who shall have read it may be leu
to refer for themselves not only to the sew
eral authorities cited, but to other authentic
sources, and be thus assisted TO enlightened
and impartial conclusions.
Very truly yours. X. A. b.
RICHMOND, August 6, 1877.
AN ABsEST-MINDED DEACoN.-The story
OF an Oshkosh man who took up collection
<hnf ,r Of WI Ia crosse