Chrles Scribner's Sons, New York, 1907
The answere of the Generall Assembly in Virginia to a Declaratione of the state of the Colonie in the 12 yeers of Sr Thomas Smiths Government, exhibited by Alderman Johnson1 and others.
HOLDINGE it a sinne against God, and our owne sufferinge, to suffer the World to be abused wth untrue reportes, and to give unto vice the reward of vertue, we in the name of the whole Colonie of Virginia, in our generall assembly, many of us haveing beene eye witnesses and patients2 of those tymes have framed out of our duty to this country, and love unto truth, this Dismaskinge of those prayses wch are contayned in the foresaide declarationes.
In those 12 yeers of Sr Tho: Smith his government, we averr that the Colony for the most parte remayned in great want and misery under most severe and Crewell lawes sent over in printe,3 and contrary to the expresse Letter of the Kinge in his most gracious Charter, and as mercylessly executed, often times without tryall or Judgment. The allowance in those tymes for a man was only eight ounces of meale and half a pinte of pease 1624] RELATION OF THE VIRGINIA ASSEMBLY for a daye, the one and the other mouldy, rotten, full of Cobwebs and Maggotts loathsome to man and not fytt for beasts, wch forced many to flee for reliefe to the Savage Enemy, who being taken againe were putt to sundry deaths as by hanginge, shooting and breakinge uppon the wheele and others were forced by famine to filch for their bellies, of whom one for steelinge of 2 or 3 pints of oatemeale had a bodkinge thrust through his tounge and was tyed wth a chaine to a tree untill he starved, yf a man through his sicknes had not been able to worke, he had noe allowance at all, and soe consequently perished. Many through these extremities, being weery of life, digged holes in the earth and there hidd themselves till they famished.
Wee cannot for this our scarsitie blame our Comanders heere, in respect that or sustenance was to come from England, for had they at that time given us better allowance we had perished in generall, soe lamentable was our scarsitie that we were constrayned to eate Doggs, Catts, ratts, Snakes, Toadstooles, horse hides and wt nott, one man out of the mysery that he endured, killinge his wiefe powdered4 her upp to eate her, for wch he was burned. Many besides fedd on the Corps of dead men, and one who had gotten unsatiable, out of custome to that foode could not be restrayned, untill such tyme as he was executed for it, and in deede soe miserable was our estate, that the happyest day that ever some of them hoped to see, was when the Indyans killed a mare, they5 wishinge whilst she was a boylinge that Sr Tho: Smith were uppon her backe in the kettle.
And wheras it is afirmed that there were very fewe of his Maties subjects left in those dayes, and those of the meanest ranke, we answere that for one that now dyes, there then perished five, many beinge of Auncyent Howses and borne to estates of 1000 li by the yeere, some more some lesse, who likewyse perished by famine. Those who survived, who had both adventured theire estates and personnes, were Constrayned to serve the Colony, as yf they had been slaves, 7 or 8 yeers for NARRATIVES OF EARLY VIRGINIA [1624 their freedomes, who underwent as harde and servile labor as the basest Fellow that was brought out of Newgate.
And for discovery we saye that nought was discovered in those 12 yeers, and in these 4 or 5 last yeers much more then formerly.6
For or howses and churches in those tymes they were soe meane and poore by resone of those calamities that they could not stand above one or two yeers, the people never goinge to woorke but out of the bitterness of theire spiritts threatninge execrable curses uppon Sr: Thomas Smith, nether could a blessinge from god be hoped for in those buildings wch were founded uppon the bloud of soe many Christians.7
The Townes were only James Cyttie, Henryco, Charles hundred, West and Sherley hundred, and Kicoughtan, all wch in those tymes were ruined alsoe, unlesse some 10 or 12 howses in the Corporatione of James Cyttie. At this present tyme are 4 for every one that were then, and forty times exceedinge in goodnesse.8 Fortifications there were non at all against the foraigne enemy, and those that were against the domestick very few and contemptible. Bridges there was only one wch also decayde in that tyme.9 Yf through the forsaid calamities many had not perished we doupt not but there might have been many more than 1000 people in the lande when Sr Thomas Smith left the Government.
But we conceive that when Sr George Yardly arrived Govnor hee founde not above 400,10 most of those in want of 1624] RELATION OF THE VIRGINIA COMPANY corne, nearly destitute of cattle, swyne, poultrey and other necessary provisions to nourishe them. Ministers to instruct the people there were some whose sufficyentcie and abilitie we will not tax, yet divers of them had no Orders.
We knowe not at any time that we exceeded in Armes, Powder and munitions, yet that in qualitie almost altogether uselesse. We acknowledg in those times there was a tryall made of divers staple Comodities, the Colony as then not havinge meanes to proceede therin, we hope in tyme there may be some better progressions be made, and had it not beene for the Massacre, many by this had been brought to perfectione. As for boats in the tyme of that Govermte, there was only one left that was servicable in the Colonie, for wch one besides 4 or 5 shipps and pynnaces, there are now not soe fewe as 40, the barques and barges that then were built in number fewe, so unwillinglie and weakly by the people effected, that in the same time they also perished.
We never perceaved that the natives of the Countrey did voluntarily yeeld them selves subjects to our gracyous Sovraigne, nether that they took any pride in that title, nor paide at any tyme any contrybutione of corne for sustentation of the Colony, nor could we at any tyme keepe them in such good respect of correspondency as we became mutually helpful each to the other but contrarily what at any was done proceeded from feare and not love, and their corne procured by trade or the sworde.
To wt grouth of perfectione the Colony hath attayned at the end of those 12 yeers wee conceave may easily be judged by wt we have formerly saide. And rather then to be reduced to live under the like Govment we desire his Matie that Commissioners may be sent over, wth authoritie to hange us.
Alderman Johnson, one of the Authors of this Declaratione, hath reasone to comend him11 to whose offences and infamies he is so inseparably chained.
By the generall report of the Country wch we never hard contradicted, we affirme this to be true wherof all or the most NARRATIVES OF EARLY VIRGINIA [1624 parte were eye witnesses or resident in the Country when every particular within written were effected.
{1} Alderman Robert Johnson of London was one of the leading members of the Smith faction in the company, and had been deputy-treasurer under Smith. He took a leading part in procuring the dissolution of the company.
{2} Sufferers.
{3} These printed laws, entitled Laws Divine, Morall and Martiall (London, 1612; reprinted in Force's Tracts, Washington, 1844, Vol. III.) were promulgated by Sir Thomas Gates at Jamestown for the first time, May 24, 1610. They were afterwards enlarged by Sir Thomas Dale, who introduced the martial code contained in the thirty-two articles of war of the army of the Netherlands, with the cognizance of Sir Thomas Smith, the treasurer of the company.
{4} Salted.
{5} The desperate settlers.
{6} "Discoveries" (i.e., explorations) were made in both periods. Long before Sir Thomas Smith's term expired, all of eastern Virginia was well known to the settlers; Delaware Bay had been visited, and the Bermuda Islands settled. The discoveries made in the four or five last years were probably those of John Pory.
{7} The houses were made of green wood, which soon decayed.
{8} The houses at this time were made of seasoned timbers.
{9} In 1611 Sir Thomas Dale made a bridge, i.e., a wharf, above where the church tower now stands at Jamestown, on which to land goods from the ships. This was the "bridge" referred to.
{10} This was the number on the public plantations, but the private settlements had 600 more, making 1000 in all. Abstract of Proceedings of the Virginia Company of London, I. 65.
{11} I.e., Sir Thomas Smith.