Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1907-03-24

- 'o''N ol'i NIB lllpl llIS Ill lnC
carly part OF April 1907, three vessels
were sailing slowly along lust off
from Old Point Comfort They were
the Discovery" Susan Constant,
and Good Speed" under command of
Capt. Newport, having on board Cant.
John Smith and n party of colonists.
They had landed at Point Comfort
to which they gave It's name. but de-
cided to select their settlement far.
ther inland. AS they moved slowly
onward, small canoe was seen an.
preaching from river OH the north
ana as 1t came nearer was seen to
contain four men of copper color,
gafly decorated with paint and feath.
crs. They gave the Engishmcn TO
understand by signs. or in some way,
that thcy came on a preaceful err
rand, and invited them to their town
l<ccoughtnn (the site of the present
town of Hampton) Capt. Smith &c
ceptcd the invitations; a boat was
lowered, into which Capt. Smith and
q number OF his companions entered,
following their guide boat up a short
but pretty river, to the village Nearly
the whole tribe seemed assembled to
meet them, and they were given n
hearty welcome here, and ut this
time, they first became acquainted
with Indian corn and tobacco.
Capt. Smith appears to have been
charmed with the fine situation OF
the place, and doubtless would have
settled here, but for the fact that il
was the home of the Kccoughtans,
and he did not care to incur their
enmity. The tribe appears to have
been All independent one of about a
hundred warriors. of a peaceful dis
position, inclined to live harmonious
ly with their neighbors. Later on, the
years food became scarce ut James
town, and Smith. with some six of the
colonists, visited Kecoughtan to get
supplies. Their reception at this time
was very different, the natives eyed
the hasgared men with scorn and
laughter at their requests for food.
The visitors fired several muskets in
the air, whereupon the natives fed
to the woods. short time they re-
turned in battle array, with clubs.
bow and arrow, etc, and their "okce''
or idol in the forefront. They were
received with a we'll directed volIey.
and they again fed to the forest, leav-
ing several of their number stretched
on the ground and their ''okee" in
possession of the English. One of
their medicine men soon came to ask
Tor peace and ransom their "okee,'
and the colonists were enabled to re-
turn to their home, with their little
vessel loaded down with needed sup.
plies. This is the only occasion upon
which these Indians ever manifested
any hostility towards the colonisis
Several times afterwards, parties
were caught at Kecoughtan during
severe storms and received the kind
est treatment from the natives.
III the early spring of 1910, a party
of colonists from jamestown located
at Kecoushtan, attracted by it's fine
situation and natural advantages, II
thus became the second settlement;
and Hampton is today the Oldest con.
tinuous English settlement now ex
listing in this country. Even before
this, 1t had became n place of con.
siderable Importance. the colonists us
ually carrying here on their
expeditions up the York, Pc
tomac and other rivers, and
was the first harbor the voyagers
reached after their long Journeys over
the Atlantic. Blue Laws were strictly
enforced In these days III the colony
for we find that at one session OF
the court in 1914, some forty-six per
sons were presented for not attend
ing church; the majority Of whom
were fined SO many pounds OF tobac
co, to be paid to the church war.
dens. (What a revenue would be dc
rived in these days, were such laws
in force.5
Tho First Free School.
In 1912 Benjamin Syms, a citizen OF
the country died devising tract of two
hundred acres together with certain
live stock. for the purpose of provid.
Ing and maintaining free school
for the children of the parishes OF
Elizabeth City and kecoughtan. in n
short time the school was In active
operation. Again some seventeen
years later Thos. Eaton left four hun.
dred acres, together with some speci.