The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-04-08
INDIANS OF TIE POTOMAC
Roamers Over This Region Three
Hundred Years Ago.
Tribes Met by Captain John Smith
ON His Cruise on the River-Origin
of strife Between the White
Settlers md the Aborigines-A
GroteSane Scene mt occoaunn-

At the rotunda of the Capitol in the gal
lery of the colonial church in which the
baptism OF Pocahontas is pictured by the
genius OF Chapman. one may see close by
the pillar the boy face of Henry Spillman
the first white that dwelt among the In
dams of the Potomac. He looks down
upon the first attempt to blend the white
and the Indian races. His biography
would be the initial chapter of the history
of the progress of the white race on the
lands that surround the Capitol where his
face is pictured. He had been captured
by the Indians and had lived awhile with
Them a special protege of Pocahontas. He
had then traded with them and he was at
last killed by them. In June. 1868. several
years before the capture OF Spillman,
Capt John Smith. six gentlemen. and sew
en- sailors had in small vessel explored
the Potomac River from Its mouth to
above the Three Sisters. just beyond the
District where in his own words "the riv-
err maketh his passage down a low pleas
ant valley overshadowed in many places
with high rocky mountains from whence
distilled innumerable sweet and pleasant
springs" He was when he passed I'M
built aud wooded Washington, on the same
quest as Columbus had been, and was
trying to find a west passage to India BY
way OF the Potomac River; but the Little
Falls stopped him and he turned his prov
CT his boat and went bacs again. He had
some intercourse with the jewellers on the
river bank below the falls. Those on the
Washington side of the river he calls
.Nacotchtanks, but they came into the
records of Virginia as "Necostins." On
the Virginia bank from Arlington to
Mount Vernon roamed small tribe that
was afterward called by the whites DO
CUES" or "Toags." Captain Smith spells
the name "Tauxehents." 1t will be seen
that "Taux'' and "Toags" are endeavors TO
make the same sound and that the Dogues
about Dogue Run below Mount Vernon.
as these Indians were called a century and
a half later were in fact the same tribe.
Neither the Dogues on one side OF the
river or the Necostins on the other were
very numerous.
White Settlers Very Scarce.
Captain Smiths census was taken as he
travelled, and is probably too hurried ID
be exact, but by his count the Tauxenents
(Dogues) had forty men and the Necotch-
tanks eighty men. Below dwelt the Po-
Piscataways, on the east bank. AS yet
there were no white settlers on the east
side of the river, for which Lord Baltimore
was trying in England to procure pat
ent but there was trade betwesn the an
dams on the Potomac and the whites on
the James River. When corn failed on
the James a grainery was found en- tie
Potomac side. and the traders seemed 20
have maintained amicable reiat ons with
T.. sNanaN .a
mainly with the Potowomekes, who oc
casionally when they had no corn of tn if
cwn would make raids on the Ne ostins
who had settlements near what is now
called the Anacostia River, or Taste
Branch
BY 1862 the settlements on the Virginia
side extended very short distsnce above
the Occoquan River. In Mary and the
outlying settlements were at last ten
miles below Piscataway, viii Indian Head
was the south limit to the Iovings OF the
red men on the west side of the Potomac,
The progress of the white man in his set
Elements up the Potomac may be tra-ed
by the establishment of tobacco ware
houses, which are usually at least twenty
miles below the upper settlements. By
1862 ell the lower land had been patented
by Maryland on the one side aud Virginia
on the other. The next patents must be
laid on land over which the Indian roamed
freely, and which they still claimed.
About this time 1868. patents were laid
on the Necostlns' land, above the Eastern
Branch. by Francis Pope, for tract called
Rome. and by Robert Troop, for a trs ct
called Scotland" on the Maryland side:
while on the Virginia side Robert How
sen. patented a tract which came up tie
Potomac River at Alexander's Island, op-
posite Washington.
The year 1876 witnessed the total ex-
tinction Of Indian power upon the tidewa-
tiers of the Potomac below the Great Falls.
The circumstances which led to this con-
summation make an interesting story. On
a Sunday morning. in the summer OF this
year. herdsmaD named Robert Hen, to-
gether with friendly Indian, were set
upon at Hens house, near the 0ccoquan,
by a party of hostile Dogues. Hen was
left for dead across his own doorsill. A
party of planters on their way to church
were startled by the horrid spectacle. The
Indians had made a nocturnal sally down
the river side from near the site of
Washington. He had been awakened at
dawn, oyerpowered. and left for deal
This hood kindled wrath in the bosoms OF
the pioneers. Colonel Mason and CaDtain
Brent raised a small body of men at the
church services and ~pursuit was made on
the trail OF the Indians. The trail ended
on the riverside, and with blood still hot
the pursuers crossed into Maryland not
many miles below the Eastern Branch.
and came upon two Indian trails. After a
short council of war the small party di-
vided, one band under Mason to follow
one trail. and another. led by Brent, to
thread the mazes Of the other. Captain
Brent came upon cabin within a quar-
ter of a mile.
A council with the Indians who had
awakened, was demanded. The Wero-
vance, or leader, came forth as If to hold
a council, but, affrighteG at the menacing
attitude Of the frontiersm,n. would have
fed. but Brent seized him by the hair
and demanded the murderers of Hen. The
Werowance declared that he knew nothing
of the murder or murderers Blood was
up-slight evidence was strong enough for
vengeance. Brent closed the council by
shooting the Werowance. The Indians re-
piled by discharge of guns from the in
terror of the cabin. The white men poured
in 4 yolley of musketry through the door
and chinks. forcing the inn ates to aban- /
don Il and fly. The whites fired upon them
as they ran and killed ten. The only pris-
oner captured was an Indian lad some six
years Of age the son of the slain Wero- /
vance. Colonel Mason, too. came upon an
Indian settlement where the sleeping In
dams. reused by the firing at the other |
cabin. rushed out to fly. but received a
voiley from the whites II was not until
fourteen OF the Indians had been killed !
that Colonel Mason discovered that they /
were friendly Susquehannahs and put an
end to the slaughter. The two bands re-
united; Brent gave up the Young Wcro-
vance he had captured to Colonel Mason. I
and the avengers OF Hen recros5ed the |
river. The whites had aven,yed hiz blood |