The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1882-04-02

JeA~ ovusth Roasted and BrWwncd.~
Mr.. Brown. whose criticism OF the adj
S,r,~ss az Mr.. Henry before the Virginia
rhetorical Society we published IN The Dis
,,ascA OF -, returns 70 the assault on
doughty John Smith In the following open
letter, by which 1t Is ap,arcn; that he has
20 his own satisfaction ccncsusi,ely dis
poxed OF the claims OF Smith TO orr regard,
and that he has ciicctuaily roasted and
Bro,nacd him:
Union HuI, March II, 1882.
X. A. Brock, ESP
Nv Dear Sir,--I SIN very much Obliged
by your very kind note, but do not think
that stripped" in my statement as TO The
sonditlor OF the colony at the time oi
smiths departure; that l.. unless smith
himself made out his own case worse than
Il was, and this Smith was not wont 10 do,
My statement was 90 great extent based
on the Richmond (isi9) edition Of "Saith's
General History" His various statements
ms TO the number OF cmigrants In his time
add up from go 20 295, but in his summing
I'D nc places the total number nj 27I.--lNoi.
H., n. l0l.l The number OF the fourth
supply was f0J. From April to January,
f607-'S, there died OF these between 62 and
81, on the Sth OF January, iG07-'S, New
mort arrived with about GO, making the
whole number In the colony then about
100. See Vol. l., PIP. 1872. Where ii is
said Newport remained fourteen weeks,
consuming the "oatmeaie, meale, and
cornc,v "whereby with the cxirem.
Tie Of the bitter cold frost and those defects
ftbo mcslc. Sc.,I moor then halfc OF III
Dyed say fifty TO sixty died. From the
10th OF April, zoos, to the 9Th Of September,
Je0s.-vol. L., p. $50, on the 2lst of July,
sGos, "tbe last supply were all sickle. =
Vol l., p. 1S6. Mr. Fcatherstonc died on
the expedition for exploring the Chcsa-
L., ID. 1911, on the 9TH Of Septem-
Der, 1903. Smith returned from the
expedition. and found "many dead some
sickle" The last supply refers to those
who came in "The PhTnix," (abOut sixty
and Gas they were all sickle" and "many"
died, it seems reasonable to say from ten
to twenty died. From September 10 the
middle Of January, 16Cs-'9. find no state
mont; but as some were sick on the Eth Of
September, and as the second supply ar
rived the last OF September. and as the
death-rate was always comparatively great
until the settlers became acclimated, it
seems fair to suppose that between ten and
twenty died.
About the middle Of January, 1G0S-'g,
eleven were drowned.-Vol. |, p. 2l7.
From this time to the last OF April, 1909,
Captain Whine, Master Leigh, and posi-
BILE others died. say two TO five. From the
Iast Of April TO early in July, 1909, during
the first starring time, when the colonists
were most probably saved from starvation
by the arrival OF Captain Argal, Smith
claims that not above seven died. From
July, 1909, to the arrival OF the third sup
ply, early in August, [ do not know
whether any died or not. At least four
had returned 10 England. That is. Of 277
there died, were killed hy the Indians,
drowned, and returned from 15G 10 1914.
leaving ut the arrival OF the third supply
from So to 121. IL was not TO Smiths in
ferest, nor TO the interest of the COM
pany 10 let the true death-rate be
known. Spetman, who came in the
third supply, and was, suppose.
disinterested in the matter, says they found
"dbOut So" 1t must be borne in mind that
all the early emigrants were taken south
MA the Canaries, crossing the ocean nearly
along the Tropc OF Cancer, and conSo-
quently almost invariably landing sick
men, and provisions more or less damaged.
The records Of the company assert that OF
$500 sent the first twelve years, 800 died AZ
sea; and the Rev. Patrick Copeland saws
prior to the arrival OF Sir Francis Wyatt, in
October, 1921, by the direct route, " scarce
eighty of a hundred arrived safely in Vir-
ginia." The interest Of the colony and the
company at first demanded that the
terrible death-rate by sea and land
should be concealed. The first and
the third supply certainly brought
mr. ha a
AS Smith alludes TO the first supply as all
sick. VIC cannot but infer that the mortality
was great "The calenture--C arthagena
fever, or, as now called the yellow
fever Twas caused by "the pestifcrons
night-dews Of a climate where even the
iong-continued rams OF the wet season
never co led the air, and where the night
Is "a hot rs the day." Other accounts say
il was caused by the men, animals, and
provisions being crowded together in " the
hote holes" OF the small vessels in the hot |
climate for five TO eight weeks. "The |
disease manifests itself by yomitingS, ac-
oompanicd by so violent dcirium that !
the patient must be confined to prevent him
from tearing himself to pieces"
Although l think Spetman's statement !
"about 50" about correct. yet | will take |
Smiths, when the second supply (7G) ar !
rived, awe were 1907 making Il total of 1
300. OF these Smiths say eleven were
drowned and nine at least died, leaving |
1870 Dust 100 more than Spctman states) |
living when the third supply arrived.
The third supply, consisting OF "one |
largo vessel, six ordinary vessels, and two |
smaller craft" left England in June 1909, |
with "necre 800" (say 4S0.) "The Sea |
Venture" "The Admiral Ship contain |
Ing 100, wrecked; ga catch," containing |
about 20, ioundcred at sea; "two of the |
other vessels lost 81 by the calenture and |
all OF them lost some,S except the Sea Ven |
fure." which was wrecked. Is it not rea-
sonable TO suppose that at least % died on /
die five vessels? They must have con-
famed about 200, aud, according e. the |
estimate OF aceruge loss at sea, after
wards made by the COMPANY. 10 would |
have died. / DO not think that over
40 Of the third supply could have
arrived before Smith lett, which, added 10
$50, makes a total of 430. The first vessels
Of the third supply reached jamestown
about the 9Th Of August, and others came
in within about two OF three days there
after. They found "houses few or none
10 entertain them, so that being quaftered
In tho open feilde they fell uppon that
small auantitye Of corne, not beinge above
seaveu acres. which we with great penli-y
and suferance had formerly planted, and
in three days at the most wholly deyourcd
H. Colonial Records, Richmond, 1874.
u the harvest WAS "wholly deyourcdv in
August. how much was there to Gather
In Oetebery "Thcse numbers. fins
meaniy provided. not being able
10 subsist and live together weare
soonc after divided into three parties and
dispersed abroad for Their better reiiefe-