which Mr. Bancroft quotes in his introductory note to the meeting of the
first Assembly, referring to it as "MS. in my possession." This is
printed from the copy among the McDonald papers, and with its title and
endorsements no intimation is given as to the date of its preparation,
its author or authors, to whom it was addressed, or the use intended to
be made of it. These questions are, however, answered almost entirely by
reference to the entries in "Sainsbury's Calendar of State Papers,"
which, on pp. 65-'6, has the following: "1624. July. Petition of Gov.
Sir Francis Wyatt, the Council and Assembly of Virginia to the King.
Have understood that his Majesty, notwithstanding the unjust
disparagement of the Plantation, has taken it under his especial care;
intreat that credit may not be given to the late declarations presented
to his Majesty concerning the happy, but indeed miserable, estate of the
Colony during the first twelve years (of Sir Thos. Smith's government),
nor to the malicious imputations which have been laid upon the late
government. Inclose the true state of both, and earnestly request that
the present government may be continued. Pray that the King's tender
compassion will not allow them to fall into the hands of Sir Thos. Smith
or his confidents." Signed by Sir Fran. Wyatt, Capt. Fan. West, Sir
George Yeardley and eighty-six others. _Inclose._--"Brief Declaration of
the Plantation," &c., giving the whole title of this paper, verbatim,
and a copious abstract of its contents. The earliest account of the
horrors it relates is to be found in Smith's History, p. 105, in what is
called "the examinations of Doctor Simons." This writer gives full
details of the straits to which the Colonists were reduced and the
expedients to which they resorted to appease hunger in 1609; adding,
after the statements in regard to eating the Indian who had been buried
several days and their eating "one another boyled, and stewed with
rootes and herbes," the account of the man who "did kill his wife,
powdered her, and had eaten part of her before it was known," and adding
with a grim humour, "now whether shee was better roasted, boyled or
carbonado'd, I know not, but of such a dish as powdered wife, I never
heard of." His statements are copied, with more or less variation, by
Beverley, Stith, Keith and Burke, but not one of them go into the
disgusting and improbable details named in the "Brief Declaration."
Campbell also reports the stories, but adds, in regard to the wife
murderer, "upon his trial it appeared that cannibalism was feigned to
palliate the murder," p. 93. Neill quotes from the Records of the
Virginia Company, "The Tragical Relation of Virginia Assembly," which
was transmitted to England about 1621; this was intended as a reply to a
petition of Alderman Johnson and others, who had represented to the King
that the reports in regard to Sir Thos. Smith's management were false,
and desiring an investigation. These petitioners were members of a
faction which desired to break up the Virginia Company. In the Relation
of the Assembly, Smith is charged with all the cruelties to the
Colonists which are mentioned in this "Brief Declaration"; torturing
and starving to death being the punishments for minor offences; and
asserting their confidence in the truth of these statements by
concluding it with these words: "And rather to be reduced to live under
the like government we desire his Ma^{ties} commissioners may be sent
over w^{th} authoritie to hange us." This is signed by thirty members of
the General Assembly, including among the names, those of George Sandys,
the poet, traveller and Secretary of the Colony, and Raph Hamor, the
chronicler--See Neill, pp. 407-411.
There is another reference to this starving time (as it is called) and
its accompanying horror, which should not be allowed to pass without
notice. As above stated, the worst state of affairs was reported to have
existed in 1609, and in the next year a pamphlet with the following
title was issued, "A true declaration of the estate of the Colonie of
Virginia, with a refutation of such scandalous reports as haue tended to
the disgrace of so worthy an enterprise. Published by aduise and
direction of the Councell of Virginia. London, 1610." The writer of
which, after referring to the slanders which had been circulated in
regard to Sir Thos. Smith's government, and especially of the story of
the wife-eater, says, "Sir Thomas Gates thus relateth the tragedie," and
then follows a long passage to the effect that "one of the companie
mortally hated his wife," and having killed her and secreted her body
after cutting it into peices; when it was found out he said she died and
he had hid her to satiafie his hunger, and had fed daily upon her, but
upon searching his house they found a large quantity of provisions.--See
Force's tracts, Vol. III. The writers of the "Brief Declaration," and
the "True Declaration," must have seen this statement published ten or
twelve years before they wrote, and it is a little remarkable that they
should have persisted in repeating a story which was far from being well
authentitcated, especially as the true statement did not need this
addition to increase the odium incurred by the mismanagement of Sir
Thos. Smith, the evidences of which are herein set forth.
Stith reports the stories of the Indian "that had been slain and buried"
being taken up and eaten, and "so did several others, one another that
died," and also that of the man who "killed his wife and powdered her
up, and eat the greater portion before it was discovered;" and adds, for
many years after it was "remembered by the name of the _starving time_,"
p. 116-117. For many particulars nowhere else given, see Neill's
History, pp. 407-411.
STATE PAPER OFFICE. }
COLONIAL. }
_Volume 3, No. 21, I._ }
A BREIFE DECLARATION _of the Plantation of Virginia duringe the
first Twelve Yeares, when Sir Thomas Smith was Governor of the
Companie, & downe to this present tyme. By the Ancient Planters
nowe remaining alive in Virginia._
Wheras in the beginninge of Sir Thomas Smith's twelve yeares government,
it was published in printe throughout the Kingdome of Englande that a
Plantation should be settled in Virginia for the glorie of God in the
propogation of the Gospell of Christ, the conversion of the Savages, to
the honour of his Majesty, by the enlargeinge of his territories and
future enrichinge of his kingdome, for which respects many noble & well
minded persons were induced to adventure great sums of money to the
advancement of soe pious & noble a worke, who have from the very first
been frustrate of their expectation, as wee conceive, by the
misgovernment of Sir Thomas Smith, aiminge at nothinge more then a
perticular gaine, to be raised out of the labours of such as both
voluntarilie adventured themselves and were otherwise sent over at the
common charge. This will cleerely appeare in the examination of the
first expedition & severall supplies in the tyme of his government.
The first Plantation in Virginia consisted of one hundred persons, so
slenderly provided for that before they had remained halfe a yeare in
this new Collony they fell into extreame want, not havinge anything left
to sustein them save a little ill conditioned Barley, which ground to
meal & pottage made thereof, one smale ladle full was allowed each
person for a meale, without bread or aught else whatsoever, so that had
not God, by his great providence, moved the Indians, then our utter
enemies, to bringe us reliefe, we had all utterlie by famine perished.
How unable so small a companye of people, soe poorely sent over, were to
make way for such as shoulde followe, may easily be judged.
The first supplie beinge two shippes, the John & Francis & Phenix, with
one hundred & twenty persons, worse every way provided for then the
former, arrived heere about eight or nine months after & found the
Collony consistinge of no more then forty persons (of those) tenn only
able men, the rest at point of death, all utterly destitute of howses,
not one as yet built, so that they lodged in cabbins & holes within the
grounde; victualls they had none, save some small reliefe from the
Indians, as some yet living weare feelinge witnesses, neither were we
for our future and better maintenance permitted to manure or till any
grounde, a thing in a new Plantation principally to be regarded, but
weare by the direction of Sir Thomas Smith, and his officers heere,
wholly imployed in cuttinge downe of masts, cedar, blacke wallnutt,
clapboarde, &c., and in digginge gould oare (as some thought) which
beinge sent for England proved dirt. These works to make retorne of
present proffit hindered others of more necessary consequence of
Plantation.
After this first supplie there were some few poore howses built, &
entrance made in cleeringe of grounde to the quantitye of foure acres
for the wholl Collony, hunger & sickness not permitting any great
matters to bee donne that yeare.
The second supplie was a ship called the Mary Margett, which arrived
here nine months after, about the time of Michaellmas, in her sixty
persons, most gentlemen, few or no tradesmen, except some Polanders to
make Pitch, tarre, potashes, &c., to be retorned for present gaine, soe
meanly likewise were these furnished forth for victualles, that in lesse
then two monthes after their arrivall, want compelled us to imploye our
time abroad in trading with the Indians for corne; whereby though for a
time we partly relieved our necessities, yet in Maye followinge we weare
forced (leavinge a small guarde of gentlemen & some others about the
president at James Towne) to disperse the wholl Collony, some amongst
the Salvadges but most to the Oyster Banks, where they lived uppon
oysters for the space of nine weekes, with the allowance only of a pinte
of Indian corne to each man for a week, & that allowance of corne
continued to them but two weekes of the nine, which kinde of feeding
caused all our skinns to peele off, from head to foote, as if we had
beene flead. By this time arrived Captaine Samuell Argall in a small
Barque, with him neither supplie of men nor victualls from the Company;
but we understandinge that he had some small provisions of bread and
wine, more then would serve his owne companie, required him and the
master of the Barque to remaine ashoare whilst we might bring his sailes
ashoare the better to assure us of his ship & such provisions as coulde
be spared, whereunto he seemed willingly to condescend. Those
provisions, at a small allowance of Biskett, cake, and a small measure
of wine or beere to each person for a Daye some what relieved us for the
space of a month, at the end of which time arrived the thirde supplie,
called Sir Thomas Gates, his fleet, which consisted of seaven shippes &
neere five hundred persons with whom a small proportion of victuall, for
such a number, was landed; howses few or none to entertain them, so that
being quartered in the open feilde they fell uppon that small quantitye
of corne, not beinge above seaven acres, which we with great penury &
sufferance had formerly planted, and in three days, at the most, wholly
devoured it.
These numbers, thus meanly provided, not being able to subsist and live
together weare soone after devided into three parties and dispersed
abroad for their better reliefe. The first under commande of Captaine
Francis West to feat at the head of the River; a second under commande
of Captaine John Smith, then President, at James Towne, & the other,
with Capt. John Martin, in the River at Nansamun, which divisions gave
occasions to the Indiens treacherously to cutt off divers of our men &
boates, and forced the rest at the end of sixe weekes, havinge spent
those small provisions they had with them, to retire to James Town &
that in the depth of winter, when by reason of the colde, it was not
possible for us to endure to wade in the water (as formerly) to gather
oysters to satisfie our hungry stomacks, but constrained to digge in the
grounde for unwholesome rootes whereof we were not able to get so many
as would suffice us, in respect of the frost at that season & our
poverty & weakness, so that famine compelled us wholly to devoure those
Hogges, Dogges & horses that weare then in the Collony, together with
rates, mice, snakes, or what vermin or carryon soever we could light on,
as alsoe Toadstooles, Jewes eares, or what els we founde growing upon
the grounde that would fill either mouth or belly; and weare driven
through unsufferable hunger unnaturallie to eat those thinges which
nature most abhorred, the flesh and excrements of man, as well of our
owne nation as of an Indian, digged by some out of his grave after he
had laien buried three daies & wholly devoured him; others, envyinge the
better state of boddie of any whom hunger had not yet so much wasted as
there owne, lay waight and threatened to kill and eat them; one amonge
the rest slue his wife as she slept in his bosome, cutt her in peeces,
powdered her & fedd uppon her till he had clean devoured all partes
saveinge her heade, & was for soe barbarouse a fact and cruelty justly
executed. Some adventuringe to seeke releife in the woods, dyed as they
fought it, & weare eaten by others who found them dead. Many putt
themselves into the Indians' handes, though our enemies, and were by
them slaine. In this extremitye of famine continued the Collony till the
twenteth of Maye, when unexpected, yet happely, arrived Sir Thomas Gates
& Sir George Somers in two small Barques[FF] which they had built in the
Sommer Islands after the wreake of the Sea adventure wherin they sett
forth from Englande, with them one hundred persons barely provided of
vittel for themselves. They founde the Collony consistinge then of but
sixty persons most famished and at point of death, of whom many soone
after died; the lamentable outcries of theirs soe moved the hartes of
those worthies, not being in any sorte able long to releive their wantes
they soone resolved to imbarque themselves & this poore remainder of the
Collonye, in those two pinnaces & two other small Barques then in the
River, to sett saile for Newfoundland where they might releive their
wants & procure one safer passage for Englande. Every man, glad of this
resolution, laboured his uttmost to further it, so that in three weekes
we had fitted those barques and pinnaces (the best we could) & quitted
James Towne, leaving the poore buildings in it to the spoile of the
Indians, hopeinge never to retorne to re-possess them. When we had not
sailed downe the River above twelve miles but we espied a boat which
afterwards we understoode came from the right Honourable Lorde La Ware,
who was then arived at Point Comfort with three good shipps, wherin he
brought two hundred and fifty persons with some store of Provisions for
them; but by reason he founde the Collony in so great want was forced to
put both his owne people & the rest of the Collony to a very meane
allowance, which was seven pounde of English meale for a man a weeke, &
five pounds for every woman, without the addition of any victuall
whatsoever, except, in the stead of meale, we took valuablie either
pease or oatmeale. Uppon the arrival of that boat, Sir Thomas Gates
understandinge from the Lord La Ware, that his Lordship was arrived with
commission from the Company to be Gov^r & Capt. Gen^l of Virginia, & had
brought men & provisions for the subsistinge & advancing of the
Plantation, he the very next daye, to the great griefe of all his
Company (only except Capt. John Martin), as winde and weather gave
leave, retorned his whole company with charge to take possession againe
of those poore ruinated habitations at James Towne which he had formerly
abandoned; himselffe in a boate proceeded downeward to meete his
Lordship who, making all speede up, arrived shortly after at James
Towne. The time of the yeare being then most unseasonable, by
intemperate heat, at the end of June his people suddenly fallinge
generally into most pestilent diseases of Callentures and feavors, not
lesse then one hundred & fifty of them died within few moneths after, &
that chiefly for want of meanes to comfort them in their weak estates.
The residue alsoe disabled by reason of sicknes could performe nothing
that yeare to the advancement of the Collony, yet with the help of those
people which had arrived with Sir Thomas Gates, together with some of
the ancient Planters, who by use weare growen practique in a hard way of
livinge, two small forts weare erected neare the rivers mouth at
Kicoughtun, encompassed with small younge trees, haveinge for housing in
the one, two formerlie built by the Indians & covered with bark by them,
in the other a tent with some few thatcht cabbins which our people built
at our comming thether. We founde divers other Indian Howses built by
the natives which by reason we could make no use of we burnt, killinge
to the number of twelve or fourteene Indians, & possessinge such corne
as we founde growinge of their plantinge. We remained there untill
harvest, when we reaped (besides what we spent) about the quantitie of
one hundred and fiftie bushells of corne, which, by order from the Lord
La Ware, was transported to James Towne.
[FF] "The Deliverance, of 70 tonn, and the Patience, of 30 tonn." Letter
from the Lord Delaware, Governor of Virginia to the patentees in
England.--Introduction to Strachey's _Virginia Brittania_, p. xxiii.
His Lordship intendinge to send up certain forces to march towardes the
mountaines for the discoverie of gold or silver mines at the end of
October, sent his Patents to Captaine Yardley and Captaine Holcroft,
commanders of those two forts at Kicoughtan, wherin his Lordship gave
order that they should be forthwith abandoned & the people with all
speede to be brought to James Citie, there to prepare for his intended
march.
At that time there arrived a small ship called the daintie, with twelve
men & one woman, some little provision of victuall, two or three horses
& some other slight necessaries for the Collony. Soon after we sett
forward for our intended march, havinge for our leaders Captaine Edwarde
Brewster & Captaine George Yeardley, being in number one hundred
persons, furnished with all such necessary provisions, as the Collony at
that time out of its poverty was able to provide. This designe was
hindered by reason of the unfortunate losse of all our chieffe men
skillfull in findeinge out mines, who weare treacherously slaine by the
Salvadges (inviteinge them ashoare to eat victualls which they wanted)
even when the meate was in theire mouthes, they careinge only to fill
their bellies, foresaw not to prevent this danger which befell them.
This injury we revenged for the present (as we coulde) by killinge some
Indians and burninge many houses, but by reason of this disaster we
proceeded not farther on our journey then the head of the River, where
we spent about three moneths doinge little but induringe much; his
Lordship was there in person for the most part of that time, but his
disease of body groweinge much upon him he resolved to retire to James
Towne, givinge order that the fort which we had built there shoulde bee
quitted and the troupe drawn downe, which accordingly was done. His
Lordship then in regarde of his sickness was advised to putt to Sea in
his ship, the Delaware, to seeke remedie in some other parts for the
health of his bodye. At his going he left Captaine George Percie Deputie
Governor, the people (remaining under his command) provided for three
months at a short allowance of victuals. The calamities of these times
would not any way permit workes of great importance to bee performed,
sith that we did was as much as we coulde doe to live and defende our
selves.
The Plantations helde at his Lordships departure were only James Towne
and Pointe Comforte, where was a small Fort fenced with Pallisadoes, in
it one slight howse, a store and some few thatcht cabbins, which shortly
after by casualtie was burnt with fire; some few great ordinance were
slenderlye mounted at James Towne and Pointe Comfort.
A fortnight after his Lordship's departure arrived a small ship called
the Hercules, with some thirty people and some provisions for them. The
tweife of May followeinge arrived Sir Thomas Dale with three ships and
three hundred persons, his provisions for them of such qualitie (for the
most part) as hogges refused to eat, some whereof were sent backe to
England to testifie the same, and that the rest was not better was
justified upon oath before the Hono^{ble} the Lorde Cheife Justice of
the Common Pleas, at Guilde hall in London, by Sir Thos. Gates & two
other gentlemen.
Sir Thomas Dale, takinge into consideration the precedent times not to
have succeeded accordinge to the greedy desire of Sir Thomas Smith,
presently imployed the general Colony about the lading of those three
ships with such freight as the country then yealded, but a little before
the ships were readie to depart, Sir Thomas Gates arrived with three
ships and three carvills, with him three hundred persons meanly provided
with victualls for such a number. In this fleet, to our remembrance,
arrived sixtie cowes and some swine; it was his care to dispatch those
shipps and carvills fraighted (as aforesaid) to the neglect of workes of
greater importance. Sir Thomas Dale imediately uppon his arrival, to add
to that extremitye of miserye under which the Collonye from her infancie
groaned, made and published most cruell and tiranous lawes, exceeding
the strictest rules of marishall discipline, which lawes were sent over
by Sir Thomas Dale to Sir Thomas Smith by the hande of Mr. William
Starchey,[GG] then Secretarie to the State, and were retorned in print,
with approbation, for our future government, as in divers bookes yet
extant more fully appeareth.
[GG] Mr. Strachey, sailed with Lord Delaware on the 1st of April, 1610,
and arrived at the Capes on the 15th of May. He remained about two
years. He left a well written manuscript account of his observations,
with this title: "The Historie of travaile into Virginia Brittania,
* * * gathered and discovered as well by those who went first hither, as
collected by William Strachey, Gent., the first secretary of the
Colony;" which, edited by R.A. Major, Esq., of the British Museum, was
published by the Hakluyt society in 1849.
At Michaellmas then next followinge, Sir Thomas Dale removed himself
with three hundred persons for the buildinge of Henrico Towne, where
being landed he oppressed his whole companye with such extraordinarye
labors by daye and watchinge by night, as maye seeme incredible to the
eares of any who had not the experimentall triall thereof. Wante of
houses at first landinge in the colde of winter, and pinchinge hunger
continually bitinge, made those imposed labours moft insufferable, and
the best fruits and effects therof to be noe better then the slaughter
of his Majesty's free subjects by starveinge, hangeinge, burneinge,
breakinge upon the wheele and shootinge to deathe, some (more than halfe
famished) runninge to the Indians to gett reliefe beinge againe retorned
were burnt to death. Some for stealinge to satisfie their hunger were
hanged, and one chained to a tree till he starved to death; others
attemptinge to run awaye in a barge and a shallop (all the Boates that
were then in the Collonye) and therin to adventure their lives for their
native countrye, beinge discovered and prevented, were shott to death,
hanged and broken upon the wheele, besides continuall whippings,
extraordinary punishments, workinge as slaves in irons for terme of
yeares (and that for petty offences) weare dayly executed. Many famished
in holes and other poore cabbins in the grounde, not respected because
sicknes had disabled them for labour, nor was their sufficient for them
that were more able to worke, our best allowance beinge but nine ounces
of corrupt and putrified meale and haife a pinte of oatmeale or pease
(of like ill condition) for each person a daye. Those provisions were
sent over by one Winne, a Draper, and Caswell, a baker, by the
appointment (as we conceave) of Sir Thomas Smith. Under this Tiranus
Government the Collony continued in extreame slavery and miserye for the
space of five yeares, in which time many, whose necessities enforced the
breach of those lawes by the strictness and severitye therof, suffered
death and other punishments. Divers gentlemen both there and at Henrico
towne, and throughout the wholl Collonye (beinge great adventurers and
no trendes or alliance to Sir Thomas Smith) weare feeling members of
those generall calamities, as far forth as the meanest fellow sent over.
The buildings and fortifications of that Towne, or thereabouts, were noe
way extraordinary, neither could want, accompanied with bloode and
crueltie, effect better.