The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1912-04-01

.lpoWHATAN..

I : Z
fayorite daughters. Below the plat.
form were ranged forty guards. Be
yond were q mass Of sayages. In
front of the dais stood q thick
bearded white man. This white man
1fearless adYentnrer, amazing liar,
founder OF Virginia, ideal soldier of
4 fortune--was Capt. John Smith. The
grizzled chief on the platform was
sWah.un.sona.cook He 10 better
known to history by'hfB oficlsl native
title, "powhatan..' 4
1 Cart sntt6's Rssspe, ],
Smith had left, the struggling, Eng.
llIsh colony newly established at
jamestown, and had gone INTO tho
wilderness on an exploring expsdi.
tlon. He had been. CAPTURED BY In.
.dians, and passed on from tribe to
\ tribe until he had been brought be.
fore Powhatan. For three days and
nights there had been ceremonials to
determine whether Smith was the
areincarnatlon" of a good or an evil
spirit. At last Powhatan' stopped the
Investigation by ordering Smith put to
death. At this point--according to
Smiths own story, which. has OF late
years been doubted -Powhatan's thlr.
teen.yeaplold daughter, Matoaka
(known to the English as "Pocahon.
tas') leaped down from ,her'place at
her fathers side, threw herself be-.
tween Smith and the executiopers and
begged Powhatan to spare the cap
tive. Whatever were the means she
employed. 1T Is certain the glrl made
some sort otplea for Smiths life and
that the soldier Of fortunelwas not
only spared but sent back tohis .fel.
low.colonists laden with provisions.
Powhatan was born about 1850 and
was hereditary chief Of eight small
Virginia tribes. But by successful
warfare and diplomacy he soon found
himself Sycamore, or head chief, Of
thirty tribes, with wide territory and
about 5000 warriors He had twenty
sons and ten daughters, but Poca.
hontas was his favorite child Here
is Smiths description Of Poyhatan's
appearance at the time the two first
met in 1907:
"Ereis tall, well proportloned man,
with sour look; his head somewhat
gray; his beard so thin that It seems
none at all; his age near sixty; of a
very able and hardy body to endure
LanVflabor."
| Powhatan did not wholly welcome
| the coming Of the English Sometimes
he posed as Smiths dear friend;
sometimes he clanored for his life.
l'alore than once he sent provisions to
save the jamestown colony from
starving; again he planned that col
ony's massacre. Smith was the only
white man who could obtain favors
| from the old chief. Capt, Christopher
| Newport Of the colony. went to Pow.
hatan on trading expedition to get
supplies for jamestown, Powhatan
interrupted Newport's proposition by
Grpnting angrlly:
! ut is not the wish Of so great q
chief as myself to trade like ped
der. Place on the ground all the
things you have brought. l will take
what like and pay what choose"
He took every gift Newport display
ed and gave him In return only three
bushels of grain. Yet soon atterward
he sold Smith 300 bushels ofgrain for
| two pounds of blue beads Capt.
Newport still thought. he could win
Powhatan's favor. So he went to
England and brought back as presents
for him pitcher and bowl, some gay
clothing and huge gilt crown. He
! sent word for Powhatan to come to
jamestown TO receive these gifts and
(by the English Kings gracious or
der) be crowned Emperor Of the In.
dies" Powhstan was vastly aattered
by this honor. But instead otcomins
TO jamestown he sent word: t.
Il am as much a monarch as the
King of England. II he has sent me
gifts, let them be brought 70 me. |
/ shall not go one step to receive them"
a Luderous Coronation.
So Newport was forced to carry the
presents and the crown to PoShatan's
village on tho York River. The Cap
tain arranged solemn coronation
ceremony and babe Powhatan kneel
to receive the. crown. Powhatan re-
fused. There was hitch in the coro-
nation until two big English soldiers
seized Powhatan by the shoulders and
pushed him downward into sort Of
crouching or kneeling posture, Then
the heavy, ill.tltting crown was
jammed down over his gray head. He
was hailed as Emperor Of the Indies,
and a royal salute was fired.
Provisions again became scarce in
the jamestown colony. Smith plan
ned to kidnap Powhatan and hold him
for a ransom of grain, Powhatan
foiled the plot and sought revenge by
night attack on the colonists. But
] Pocahontas heard of her fathers plan
4 and sent Smith a timely warning.
Powhatan then demanded that Smith
4 be slain. But display Of firearms
cowed him into nlomentary submis-
sion,
After Smith left Virginia Capt. Ar.
| coll - rouvh oarni.njraticpl member.