"And in, the buskined hunters of the deer,
To Albert's home with shout and cymbal throng."
_Campbell._
The surprise and horror with which the intelligence of this impending
attack was received by the family at Windsor Hall may be better imagined
than described. Manteo, the leader of the party, a young Indian of the
Pamunkey tribe, was well known to them all. With his sister, the young
girl whom we have described, he lived quietly in his little wigwam, a
few miles from the hall, and in his intercourse with the family had been
friendly and even affectionate. But with all this, he was still ardently
devoted to his race, and thirsting for fame; and stung by what he
conceived the injustice of the whites, he had leagued himself in an
enterprise, which, regardless of favour or friendship, was dictated by
revenge.
It was, alas! too late to hope for escape from the hall, or to send to
the neighboring plantations for assistance; and, to add to their
perplexity, the whole force of the farm, white servants and black, had
gone to a distant field, where it was scarcely possible that they could
hear of the attack until it was too late to contribute their aid in the
defence. But with courage and resolution the gentlemen prepared to make
such defence or resistance as was in their power, and, indeed, from the
unsettled character of the times, a planter's house was no mean
fortification against the attacks of the Indians. Early in the history
of the colony, it was found necessary, for the general safety, to enact
laws requiring each planter to provide suitable means of defence, in
case of any sudden assault by the hostile tribes. Accordingly, the doors
to these country mansions were made of the strongest material, and in
some cases, and such was the case at Windsor Hall, were lined on the
interior by a thick sheet of iron. The windows, too, or such as were low
enough to be scaled from the ground, were protected by shutters of
similar material. Every planter had several guns, and a sufficient store
of ammunition for defence. Thus it will be seen that Windsor Hall,
protected by three vigorous men, well armed and stout of heart, was no
contemptible fortress against the rude attacks of a few savages, whose
number in all probability would not exceed twenty. The greatest
apprehension was from fire; but, strange to say, the savages but seldom
resorted to this mode of vengeance, except when wrought up to the
highest state of excitement.[7]
"At any rate," said the brave old Colonel, "we will remain where we are
until threatened with fire, and then at least avenge our lives with the
blood of these infamous wretches."
The doors and lower windows had been barricaded, and the three men,
armed to the teeth, stood ready in the hall for the impending attack.
Virginia and her mother were there, the former pale as ashes, but
suppressing her emotions with a violent effort in order to contribute to
her mother's comfort. In fact, the old lady, notwithstanding her boast
of bravery on the evening before, stood in need of all the consolation
that her daughter could impart. She vented her feelings in screams as
loud as those of the Indians she feared, and refused to be comforted.
Virginia, forgetful of her own equal danger, leant tenderly over her
mother, who had thrown herself upon a sofa, and whispered those sweet
words of consolation, which religion can alone suggest in the hour of
our trial:
"Mother, dear mother," she said, "remember that although earthly
strength should fail, we are yet in the hands of One who is mighty."
"Well, and what if we are," cried her mother, whose faith was like that
of the old lady, who, when the horses ran away with her carriage,
trusted in Providence till the breeching broke. "Well, and what if we
are, if in a few minutes our scalps may be taken by these horrible
savages?"
"But, dear mother, He has promised--"
"Oh, I don't know whether he has or not--but as sure as fate there they
come," and the old lady relapsed into her hysterics.
"Mother, mother, remember your duty as a Christian--remember in whom you
have put your trust," said Virginia, earnestly.
"Oh, yes, that's the way. Of course I know nothing of my duty, and I
don't pretend to be as good as others. I am nothing but a poor, weak old
woman, and must be reminded of my duty by my daughter, although I was a
Christian long before she was born. But, for my part, I think it's
tempting Providence to bear such a judgment with so much indifference."
"But, Bessy," interposed the Colonel, seeing Virginia was silent under
this unusual kind of argument, "your agitation will only make the matter
worse. If you give way thus, we cannot be as ready and cool in action as
we should. Come now, dear Bessy, calm yourself."
"Oh, yes, it's well to say that, after bringing me all the way into this
wild country, to be devoured by these wild Indians. Oh, that I should
ever have consented to leave my quiet home in dear old England for this!
And all because a protector reigned instead of a king. Protector,
forsooth; I would rather have a hundred protectors at this moment than
one king."
"Father," said Virginia, in a tremulous voice, "had we not better retire
to some other part of the house? We can only incommode you here."
"Right, my girl," said her father. "Take your mother up stairs into your
room, and try and compose her."
"Take me, indeed," said his worthy spouse. "Colonel Temple, you speak as
if I was a baby, to be carried about as you choose. I assure you, I will
not budge a foot from you."
"Stay where you are then," replied Temple, impatiently, "and for God's
sake be calm. Ha! now my boys--here they come!" and a wild yell, which
seemed to crack the very welkin, announced the appearance of the enemy.
"I think we had all better go to the upper windows," said Hansford,
calmly. "There is nothing to be done by being shut up in this dark hall;
while there, protected from their arrows, we may do some damage to the
enemy. If we remain, our only chance is to make a desperate sally, in
which we would be almost certainly destroyed."
"Mr. Hansford," said Virginia, "give me a gun--there is one left--and
you shall see that a young girl, in an hour of peril like this, knows
how to aid brave men in her own defence."
Hansford bent an admiring glance upon the heroic girl, as he placed the
weapon in her hands, while her father said, with rapture, "God bless
you, my daughter. If your arm were strong as your heart is brave, you
had been a hero. I retract what I said on yesterday," he added in a
whisper, with a sad smile, "for you have this day proved yourself worthy
to be a brave man's wife."
The suggestion of Hansford was readily agreed upon, and the little party
were soon at their posts, shielded by the windows from the attack of the
Indians, and yet in a position from which they could annoy the enemy
considerably by their own fire. From his shelter there, Bernard, to whom
the sight was entirely new, could see rushing towards the hall, a party
of about twenty savages, painted in the horrible manner which they adopt
to inspire terror in a foe, and attired in that strange wild costume,
which is now familiar to every school-boy. Their leader, a tall,
athletic young Indian, surpassed them all in the hideousness of his
appearance. His closely shaven hair was adorned with a tall eagle's
feather, and pendant from his ears were the rattles of the rattlesnake.
The only garment which concealed his nakedness was a short smock, or
apron, reaching from his waist nearly to his knees, and made of dressed
deer skin, adorned with beads and shells. Around his neck and wrists
were strings of peake and roanoke. His face was painted in the most
horrible manner, with a ground of deep red, formed from the dye of the
pocone root, and variegated with streaks of blue, yellow and green.
Around his eyes were large circles of green paint. But to make his
appearance still more hideous, feathers and hair were stuck all over his
body, upon the fresh paint, which made the warrior look far more like
some wild beast of the forest than a human being.
Brandishing a tomahawk in one hand, and holding a carbine in the other,
Manteo, thus disguised, led on his braves with loud yells towards the
mansion of Colonel Temple. How different from the respectful demeanour,
and more modest attire, in which he was accustomed to appear before the
family of Windsor Hall.
To the great comfort of the inmates, his carbine was the only one in the
party, thanks to the wise precaution of the Assembly, in restricting the
sale of such deadly weapons to the Indians. His followers, arrayed in
like horrible costume with himself, followed on with their tomahawks and
bows; their arrows were secured in a quiver slung over the shoulder,
which was formed of the skins of foxes and raccoons, rendered more
terrible by the head of the animal being left unsevered from the skin.
To the loud shrieks and yells of their voices, was added the unearthly
sound of their drums and rattles--the whole together forming a
discordant medley, which, as brave old John Smith has well and quaintly
observed, "would rather affright than delight any man."
All this the besieged inmates of the hall saw with mingled feelings of
astonishment and dread, awaiting with intense anxiety the result.
"Now be perfectly quiet," said Hansford, in a low tone, for, by tacit
consent, he was looked upon as the leader of the defence. "The house
being closed, they may conclude that the family are absent, and so,
after their first burst of vengeance, retire. Their bark is always worse
than their bite."
Such indeed seemed likely to be the case, for the Indians, arrived at
the porch, looked around with some surprise at the barred doors and
windows, and began to confer together. Whatever might have been the
event of their conference, their actions, however, were materially
affected by an incident which, though intended for the best, was well
nigh resulting in destruction to the whole family.
FOOTNOTES:
[7] This fact, which I find mentioned by several historians, is
explained by Kercheval, in his history of the Valley of Virginia, by the
supposition that the Indians for a long time entertained the hope of
reconquering the country, and saved property from destruction which
might be of use to them in the future. See page 90 of Valley of Va.