The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-04-03
John Smith, BIowgun.

| New York Mail and Express: Around
the story of Pocahontas and her rescue
Of Captain John Smith the charm OF
poetry and romance has ever fingered.
Every child Is familiar with It. In his
speech In the United States senate, pre-
sentinS to the United States an oil por-
trait OF the Indian princess, Senator
Daniel, of Virginia, thus described the
Incident which young America has al
ways loved 10 believe as gospel history:
Wrapped In robe of coon skins sat
the tall, gaunt, sour old Indian emper-
or. and Smith, who had slain two of his
Indian assailants- in the fight on the
Chickahominv, was condemned to die.
Two stones were brought forth before
Powhatan. and Smith was dragged to
them, and clubs were raised to beat out
his brains, when, 10. an Indian girl of
twelve or thirteen years of age, rushed
upon the scene. caught his head In her
arms, and laid he:r own upon his to
save him from DEATH The sour old
king relented and Smith was saved, for
the !ntcrcessor was Powhatan's favor
lite daughter, Pocahontas.
But, alas, for fait! In history and in
human nature, and alas for some OF the
first families OF Virginia, modern inves-
tigators have even furnished the fair
fame of the lovely Pocahontas. One
historian assures us that the copper
colored lady was n mere camp follow
er or the whites, and Professor Cooke,
In his History Of Virginia." gives an
alleged Interview between Smith and
Pocahontas. then Mrs. John Role, in
London, which would indicate that she
had the strongest possible motive for
rcscuins the adventurous gallant from
the club of her father, had his head
ever been in any danger.
Unfortunately for the credlbilitr Of
| the clubbing story. 1t rests upon the
unsupported testimony OF Captain
| Smith, who was a notorious braggart
and liar, or, as Historian Fuller more
alphabetically puts 1t, in the earliest
known biography of Smith, ut soundeth
much to the dimlnutlon of his deeds
that he alone is the herald to publish
and proclaim them"
1t was on the 9Th OF January, zoos,
that Smith left Jamestown for Werow-
owocomoca, the Indian village, to visit
King Powhatan in his wlswam. Three
days later he returned. escorted by four
Indians. OF what occurred in the mean
time there was no other white witness
than Smith himself. and he tells two
Stories about It.. In his True Rela-
tlon," written soon after his visit to
Powhatan and published In London in
June, ZOOS, there is no mention whatev-
er OF the romantic Pocahontas Incident,
On the contrary, he says THE Powhat-
an treated me most courteously, and
sent me back 10 Jamestown" Sixteen
years later, while in London, where Po-
cahontas was being feted as the daugh-
ter OF Il king, Smith published his
'Generall Historic" in which he for
the first time recalls to his own mind
the alleged fact that Powhatnn's "cour-
tesy' had been administered with Il
club. and that the tawny lady hazard
cd the beating out OF her own brains TO
save mine" -,
1t is significant fact that Bancroft,
most accurate and conscientious of his
torians. while he mentions the rescue
Incident, with n qualifying annexation,
In the first edition OF his history, en-
tirelp omits It In the last. Deane, In a
note to his edition of Smiths works, at
trlutes the legend to Smiths natural
propensity for establishment" as well
as to n desire to feed the interest felt in
Pocahontas, then Waiting In England.
Mr.. Il. D. NELL. In his Eng
iish Colonization in America" rejects
the clubbing Incident entirely: follows
strachey's statement OF marriage of
Pocahontas earlier than her union with
ltolfc. and seriously questions other
characters than that of the notorious
gallant. Captain Smith. Charles Dud-
ley Warner. In his study OF tho Life
and Writings OF John Smith," treats
the rescue Incident huuiorously and
with obvious Rkeptlcism, Henry Ad-
ans rejects It entirely. as does Henry
Cabot Lodge, in his English Colonies
In America"