Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-07-09
Pocahontas.

Speaking of distinguished Americans re-
minds that there has been active in
quiry here of late concerning the where
abouts of the remains of the first American
princess. Pocahontas was her maiden
name, and she afterward became Mrs. John
Rolfe. She was the mother of a consid-
cradle portion of the present population of
Virginia and also has several prominent
descendants on this side of the water, in
Guiding Lieut. Gen. Baden-Powel. inspec-
tor general of cavalry in the British army.
The present inquiry seems; to have been
inspired by the approaching celebration OF
the three hundredth anniversary of the SET
Element OF jamestown, Va, and the James
town exposition. An association of women
has apparently undertaken. to recover the
dust of La Belle Savage" as she was
called by admiring Europea MS upon her first
appearance in London, and rebury 1t in her
native country, after the manner in which
John Paul Jones has recently been honored.
IT will be very difficult and, indeed.
impossible to crafty their ambitious and
commendable intentions, for the dust of
Pocahontas was destroyed by fire nearly
300 years ago. Mr.. Henry. S. Welcome,
one of the leading American citizens of
London who has taken great interest in
everything that relates to PocahontaS,
presented her portrait to 1.-THE Senate of
the United States several years ago. Mr..
Hansbrough, then chairman of the COM
mittee on library, made the address of
presentation in Mr. Welcomes name, and
Senator Daniel who is descended from
Pocahontas, accepted the gift in behalf
of Congress. The portrait hangs some-
where in the Senate wing of the Capitol;
perhaps in the room of the committee on
Indian affairs or in the room of the com
mittee on library. AT any rate. 1t should
be loaned for exhibition at the jamestown
celebration, for 1t is about the nearest
relic of PocahontaS that can be obtained,
and will be the most interesting unless
Lieut.. Gen. Baden-Powell will consent TO
represent the family and appear for his
romantic ancestress as the guest of the
United States. He may not be willing to
go, but 1t certainly would do no harm to
| invite him.
| Mr.. Welcomes Investigations showed
that Mrs. John Rolfe died in 1917. OF
smallpox, at Grayesend, at the mouth OF
| the Thames, where she was waiting for
| vessel to return to Virginia. She was
| buried in ST Georges Church, and the
register contains an entry of that fact.
The church however, was entirely de-
stroyed by fire in 1920 and rebuilt in 1871.
| During the rebuilding the remains of sew
| eral half-burned collins were removed
| from the vaults and buried together in a
single tomb in the churchyard. The fire
consumed every trace of inscriptions that
may have been upon the collins and upon
! the original vault. and those that were
partially destroyed had no marks by
| which they could be identified. 1t Is be-
| lieved that the remains of Pocahontas
We're among this nameless dust. About
| forty years ago the late rector, the Rev.
| DR.. Haslan, undertook to make an IN
vestigation at the instance of an Ameri-
| can historical society, and soon became
/ convinced that IL was useless to spend
any time over the matter, because the
contents OF the vault had not only been
/ destroyed but every vestfge of the vaults
| themselves had been removed at the time
/ the church was rebuilt, and he could not
i even obtain satisfactory information as
| TO where they Were located.
/ Contract with Marconi Conpanv.