The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-04-08
INDIANS OF THE POTOMAC
Rolmers Over This Region Three
Hundred Years Ago.
Tribes Met ny Captain John smith
on His Cruise on the Rfvcr-Origin
Of strife Between the White
SettIers mud the AboriEineS-A
GrotcSauc Scene Rt occodunn.

Al The rotunda of the Capitol. In the gal
1ery OF the colonial church in which Tn
baptism OF POcahontas is pictured by tbt
genius Of Chapman. one may see close bl
the pillar the boy face Of Henry SpillmaI
the first white that dwelt among the In
dams Of the Potomac. He looks dow
upon the first attempt to blend the Whit,
and the Indian races. His biography
would be the initial chapter Of the history
Of the progress OF the white race on tho
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 prutege Of Pocahontas lie
had then traded with them and he was az
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 a small vessel explored
the Potomac River from its mouth to
above the Three Sisters. just beyond the
District where in his own words the riY-
er maketh his passage down a low pleas
ant valley overshad0wed in many places
with high. rocky mountains from whence
distilled inuumerable sweet and pleasant
springs" He was, when he passed IN
built and wooded Washington. on the same
quest as Columbus had been. and was
trying to find a west passage to India By
way CT the Potomac River; but the Little
Falls stopped him and he turned his prov
u his boat and went back 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 a small tribe that
was afterward called by the whites Do
CUES" or "Tosgs." Captain Smith spells
the name "Tauxehents." It 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 ana
a half later we're, 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 be
travelled. and is probably too hurried u
be exact. but by his count the TauXenents
(DcguesD had forty men and the Necotch-
tanks eighty men. Below dwelt the Pc
towomekes. on the west bank. and the
Piscataways. on the east bank. As yet
there we're no white settlers on the east
side Of the river. for which Lord Baltimore
was trying in England to procure a pat
eut but there was trade between the n z
dams on the Potomac and the whites or
the James River. When corn failed On
the James a grsinery was found On tie
Potomac side. and the traders seemed %
have maintained amicable relat ous with .
the Dogues and the Necostins. but traded
mainly with the PotowomeEes who oc-
casionally when they had 10 cora Of tn j.
cwn would make raids on the Ne ostius. .
vino had settlements near what is nov
called the Anacostia River, or Taste IL
Branch.
BY 1862 the settlements on the Virgins
side extended a very short dist-nce above
the Occoquan River In Mary ana the
outlying settlements were at Last ten
miles below Piscatsway. Viii e In1ian Head
was the south limit TO the Ioviugs OF Inc
red men on the west side Of the Potomac
The progress Of the white man in his SET
Elements up the Potomac may be ira ed
by the establishment Of tobacco ware
houses. which are usually at least twenty
miles below the upper settlements By
1862 all the lower land had been patented
by Maryland on the one side aad Virginia
on the other. The next patents must be
laid on land over which the Indian roamed
freely. and which they still claime1
About this time. 1858. patents we're lad
CT the Necostins land above the Eastern
Branch. by Francis Pope. for a tract ca led
Rome and by Robert Troop. for trsct
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 or-
posite Washington.
The year 1876 witnessed the total ex-
tinction Of Indian power upon the tidewa-
ters OF the Potomac below the Great Falls
The circumstances which led TO this con-
summation make an interesting story. On
sunday morning. in the summer OF this
year. herdsman named Robert Hen to
gether with a friendly Indian. were set
upon at Hens house. near the Occoquan
by 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 nocturnal sally down
the river side from near the site Of
Washington. He had been awakened az
dawn. oyerpowered and left for deal
This hood kindled wrath in the bosoms Of
the pioneers Colonel Mason and CaDtGin
Brent raised a small body Of men at lhs
church services and pursuit was made on
the trail OF the Indians. The trail ended
on the riverside, and. with blood still hot.
lhe pursuers crossed into Maryland, not
many miles below the Eastern Branch. ,
ANA came upon two Indian trails. After a
short council of war the small party di-
yided, one band. under Mason. to follow
one trail. and another. led by Brent. 10
thread the mazes Of the other Captain
Brent came upon a 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 II 10 hold :
R council, but, anrighted al the menacing Z
attitude Of the frontiersmen. would have
He'd. but Brent seized him by the hair 5
and demanded the mUrderers Of Hen. The
NeroWance declared that he knew nothing !
n the murder or murderers. Blood was
ip-siight evidence was strong enough for
vengeance. Brent closed the council by
shooting the Werowance. The Indians re- d,
Piled by a discharge OF guns from the in g
erior Of the cabin. The white men poured Z r
n a yolley Of musketry through the door b
md chinlzs forcing the inmates 10 aban- q
Ion il and fy. The whites fired upon them %
is they ran and killed ten. The only pris- b
incr captured was an Indian lad some six 9
ears Of age the son OF the slain Wero- d
vance. Colonel Mason. too. came upon an W
indian settlement where the sleeping In X
liaus. reused by the firing az the other "a
'abin. rushed out to fly but received a
oiley from the whites. Il was not until b
ourteen OF the Indians had been killed q
hat Colonel Mason discovered that they 4
we're friendly Susquehannahs and rut an ~
nd to the slaughter. The two bands re- q
'niiedi Brent gave up the young Wcro- q
vance he had captured TO Colonel Mason. y
ma the avengers OF Hen recroSsed the
lfer The whites had avenged his blood b