The Lee County journal. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1904-19??, 1920-12-03
Composition
on Thanksgiving
BY MISS MABEL ELLEDGE
9TH GRADE LrEsBURG HIGH SCHOOL.

OF jamestown q body Of Englisl
PuritaHs landed on the coast o
New England and founded tn
colony 81 Plymouth. John Smitl
had explored this part Of the coas
several tiinsg and named it New
England.
These Puritans at one time hat
lived in England. They had lei
that Country because they were mo-
willing to wofship God according Il
the methods Of the English church
They wgre called Pttritans because
they desired 10 purify the church d
its evil practices. They were peTse-
cuted in England and their live
we're so unhappy that they deter.
mined to leave their native land
A.lot Of them moved to- Holland tc
find s refuge from persecution.
From that country a body of about
one hundred came in the Mayhowel
to find in America freedom t.
worship God. Then on account o.
their wanderings they received the
name Of Pilgrims. Before they
landed they gathered in the cabin
Of the Mayffower and signed an
agreement by which they pledged
themselves to obey such laws as
should be made for the Government
. Of the colony. Then they chose
John Carver to be Governor for one
year.
II was a cold day in December
when they landed at Plymouth.
They built rude cabins, covered
them with thatch and filled the
I cracks with mud to keep out the
bling wind. They used oiled paper
in the windows instead Of glass
Tie weather was SO Geld that tiis
women and children and some OF
Che men had to remain on board
the l9Iayhower until Spring. During
that first winter more than forty OF
them died. including Governor
Carver. In the Spring when the
Mayhower set sail for England, not
one of the Pilgrims returned with
ner.
I Among the leaders CT the Ply
..Aouth colony was Captain Miles
! Standish. He was as brave as a
Lion in his dealings with the
Tudians, but tender-hearted as a
child AT one time there we're only
seven people in the whole settlement
we'll enough to take care OF them
selves. Miles. Standish cooked the
food. nursedi the sick and even
washed the clothes for the colonists.
4 The Pilgrims were very happy
when:the Spring came, They began
building more cabins, planting
4 gardens. and fields ard making
frieuds with the Indians.
! In theFearly spring an Indian
named Souleset walked into Ply
mouth and called out welcome
Englishmeni'' He had learned q
little English from the fishermen on
the coast Of Maine. He went away
and returned with another. Indian
named sapanto. ::SQuanto had once
4 zen stolen:ty traders and sold into
slavery in Spain. An Englishmar
4 had rescued him and sent him
, back TO his own people. For this
reason be became the firm friend o
fi,e.whits men Of Plymouth.
.Squanso taught the Pilgrims how
to plant.corn. and how toafertiliz'
the ground by dropping a dead
herring by the side Of each grain
He also showed them how to catcF
fish. By his aid a-treaty Of friend
slap hatlasted for more than fifty
YEARS was made with Massassit. thu
11djanehief.
william Bradford was chosen K
succeed John Carver as Governor o
the colony. !.
The first summer passed, thC
autumn came on. and the corn hac
rpened IN the field, The Pilgrim
had built their homes and tn
indians were very friendly
The. cplonist desired to SHOW
a.4heir gratitude to God by giving /;