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Home , Christopher Newport, Francis West, George Percy, George Somers, Starving Time, Thomas Gates (governor)

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Date # August 1609 to June 1610 Place # Jamestown, Type of Source # Eyewitness (official letter) Author # , Context # George Percy served as governor of Virginia from 1609–1610 and briefly in 1611 through its worst period. By 1608 many of the original settlers had died from disease and Indian attacks. The arrival of new settlers only worsened relations with the Indians, who in 1609 closed off Jamestown in an effort to starve the settlers. The colonists called this period “the starving time.” In a letter to his older brother, Lord Henry Percy (in prison on suspicion of treason), George Percy described the conditions in Jamestown during this period. Spelling and grammar are somewhat modified from the original.

Bermudes o the right honorable the Lord Percy: T anno Domini . . . A True Relation of the Proceedings and Occurances of Moment which the Year of Our Lord, have happened in Virginia from the Time Sir was shipwrecked today usually just known upon the BERMUDES anno 1609 until my departure out of the Country which as A.D. or Common Era was in anno Domini 1612 mutinies rebellions If we Truely Consider the diversity of miseries, mutinies , and famishments famishments which have Attended upon discoveries and plantations in these our modern hunger or famine Times, we shall not find our plantation in Virginia to have Suffered Alone. plantation Ladoniere had his share thereof in FLORIDA, next neighbor unto VIRGINIA, colony where his soldiers did fall into mutinies and in the end were almost All Starved want want for of food. lack The Spaniards plantation in the River of plate and the straits of MAGELANE River of plate; straits Suffered also in so much that having eaten up all their horses to sustain of Magelane themselves withall, mutinies did Arise and grow Amongste them for the which Rio de la Plata; Straits of the general DIEGO MENDOSA caused some of them to be executed, Extremity Magellan; the entire colony is now Argentina of hunger in forcing others secretly in the night to cut down Their dead fellows Bowells from of the gallows and bury them in their hungry Bowells . stomachs ####### Tho: Thomas; the colon is used In the year of our Lord 1609 Sir Tho: GATES and Sir , as a period for accompanied with divers gentlemen soldiers and seamen in nine good Ships did abbreviations begin their voyage for VIRGINIA, the two Knights being in the Admiral whereof divers was Captain And having sailed with Prosperous winds many many Leagues at length did fall upon the BERMUDES where meeting with A two Knights violent the Admiral wherein the two Knights were embarked suffered Sir Thomas Gates and Sir George Somers wreck. Nevertheless hoisting out their boat safely Landed the 2 knights and the Leagues Rest of that Company upon the BERMUDES, of whom I will forbear to Treat of a league is 3 miles further until their Arrival in Virginia. presently immediately

NYSTROM HERFF JONES EDUCATION DIVISION page 1 of 4 Jamestown’s Starving Time

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The other 8 ships shortly after Arrived in Virginia where the passengers dissension being no sooner well landed but presently A dissension did grow between them disagreement and Capte: SMITHE then president, but after some debate all was quieted and Capte: Smithe pacified. Yet Capte: SMITHE fearing the worst and that the seamen and that , governor of Virginia, 1608 –1609 faction might grow too strong and be a means to depose him of his government Expense so Juggled with them by the way of feastings Expense of much powder and use other unnecessary Triumphs That much was Spent to no other purpose but to powder Insinuate with his Reconciled enemies and for his own vain glory for the which gunpowder we all after suffered. And that which was intolerable did give Leave unto the Triumphs Seamen to carry away what victuals and other necessaries they would doing the celebrations same more safely in regard the contents thereof was in the Admiral which was Insinuate cast away. make friends Not long after Capte: SMITHE sent Capt: MARTIN and myself with vain glory threescore people to go for NANSEMUNDE Capte: MARTIN’S Lieutenant ego leading most of the men overland and we two with the Rest followed them by victuals water where being Arrived we inquired of the Indians of our men but they food according to their subtleties would not acquaint us therewith. Whereupon I Capt: Martin requested Capte: MARTIN that I might go Ashore to discover the truth to the Captain which he would not condiscend Neverthelesse the night being stormy and wet I threescore went on Land with my Company where I found our men by good fires in Safety sixty whereof I advertised Capte: MARTIN the next morning who presently with his Nansemunde company did come Ashore unto us where after some consultation held we sent 2 Powhatan village near messengers to the king of ------NANSEMUNDE To Barter with him for an present-day Portsmouth, Virginia, about 30 miles Island right opposite against the main we were upon for Copper hatches and from Jamestown other commodities. But our messengers staying Longer then we expected we inquired feared that which after happened. So Capte: MARTIN did Appoint with half of asked our men to take the Island Perforce And being upon the way we espyed A subtleties Canoe wherein we were Persuaded our messengers to be but they Perceiving us lies returned back from whense they came And we never set eye upon our acquaint Messengers after. But understood from the Indians themselves that they were tell sacrificed And that their Brains were cut and scrapped out of their heads with condiscend mussell shells being Landed and acquainted with their Trechery we Beat the agree Savages out of the Island burned their houses Ransaked their Temples Took hatches down the Corpses of their dead kings from of their Tombs And carried away hatchets, axes their pearls Copper and bracelets , wherewith they do decor their kings funerals. Perforce ####### by necessity espyed Shortly after Capte: SMITHE sent Capteyne with one saw hundred and forty men up to the falls with six months victuals to inhabit there. Persuaded Where being Reasonable well settled divers of his men straggled from their fort. convinced Some of them coming hoame wounded. Others never returned to bring any Ransaked Tidings but were cut of and slain by the savages. So that in small Pieces of Time looted Capteyne SMITHE did take his journey up to the falls to understand how things decor were there ordered . When presently after his coming thether A great division decorate did grow amongst them Capte: SMITHE Perceiving both his authority and Capteyne Francis Person neglected incensed and Animated the Savages against Capte: WEST and West his company Reporting unto them that our men had no more powder left them brother of Lord De La Warr (see below), later then would serve for one volley of shot. And so Capte: SMITHE Returning to governor of Virginia JAMES TOWN again found to have too much powder about him The which himself, 1627-1629

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being in his pocket where the spark of A Match Lighted very shrewdly burned the falls him. And coming in that case to JAMES TOWN Captain RATTLIEFE ARCHER rapids near present-day Richmond about 50 miles and MARTIN practised against him and deposed him of his government SMITHE northwest of Jamestown being an Ambitious unworthy and vainglorious fellow Attempting to take all slain Authoreties Mens from them for both RATLIEFE ARCHER and MARTIN being killed engross formerly of the Council SMITHE would Rule all and all authorety into ordered his own hands. Although indeed there was no other certain appointed going, working out government then Sir Tho: GATES had commission for who was then in the thether BERMUDES only a yearly presidentship to govern by the advise of the Council. there But SMITHE aiming at A sovereign Rule without the Assistance of the council was neglected justly deprived of all. absent The place of government being void the three busy instruments in the incensed plantation Proffered the same unto me the which at first I refused in Regard of angered my Sickness. But by their importunity Promising to undergo the Chiefest offices Animated and Burden of government for me until I were Recovered at length I accepted excited, provoked thereof and then was SMITHE presently sent for England. shrewdly seriously After I had been president some fourteen days I sent Captain: Rattliefe to Captain Rattliefe point Comforte for to Build A fort there. The which I did for two Respects The Archer one for the plenty of the place for fishing The other for the commodious Captains John Ratcliffe, a former governor, and of any shipping which should come upon the Coast And for the honor , long-time of Your Lordships name and house I named the same ALGERNOWNS Fort . rivals of John Smith Authoreties Not Long after Captain: MARTIN whom I left at the Island did come to power James town pretending some occasions of business, but indeed his own safety engross thereunto moved him fearing to be surprised by the Indians , who had made combine divers excursions against him, so that having left Lieutenant SICKLEMORE to instruments Command in his absence Amongst whose company shortly after did grow A men dangerous mutiny in so much That divers of his men to the number of seventeen Proffered KEKOWHATON did take Away A Boat from him Perforce and went therein to offered pretending they would trade therefore victuals , But they were served according the same their deserts to for not any of them were heard of after And in all likelihood were in this case, the Cut of and slain by the Savages and within few days after Lieutenant governorship SICKLEMORE and divers others were found also slain with their mouths stopped importunity full of Bread being done as it seems in Contempt and scorn that others might persistence expect the Like when they should come to seeke for bread and relief amongst pointe Comforte them. Point Comfort, near present-day Hampton, ####### Virginia, about 30 miles southeast of Jamestown Now all of us at James Town beginning to feel that sharp prick of hunger commodious which no man truely describe but he which has Tasted the bitterness thereof A in this case, fortunate ensued world of miseries as the Sequel will express unto you in so much that Algernowns some to satisfy their hunger have robbed the store for the which I caused them to Algernon, the name of be executed. Then having fed upon horses and other beasts as long as they Lord Percy’s son Lasted we were glad to make shift with vermine as dogs Cats Rats and mice All thereunto was fish that came to Net to satisfy cruel hunger as to eat Boots shoes or any other there leather some could Come by And those being Spent and devoured some were Kekowhaton enforced to search the woods and to feed upon Serpents and snakes and to dig Kecoughtan, Powhatan the earth for wild and unknown Roots where many of our men were Cut off of village near Point Comfort

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and slain by the Savages. And now famine beginning to Look ghastely and pale their deserts in every face that nothing was spared to maintain Life and to do those things what they deserved which seem incredible As to dig up dead corpses out of graves and to eat them Contempt; scorn and some have Licked up the Blood which has fallen from their weak fellows . hatred Like ####### similar treatment ensued By this Time being Reasonable well recovered of my sickness I did followed undertake A Journey unto ALGERNOWNS fort both to understand how things shift were there ordered as also to have been Revenged of the Savages at due KEKOWHATAN who had trecherously slain divers of our men. Our people I vermine found in good case and well liking having concealed their plenty from us above pests at James Town Being so well stored that the Crab fishes where with they had fed Spent their hogs would have been a great relief unto us and saved many of our Lives. gone, finished But their intent was for to have kept some of the better sort Alive and with their enforced two pinnaces to have Returned for England not Regarding our miseries and forced wants at all where with I taxed Captain: DAVIS And told him that I had A full fellows intent to bring half of our men from James Town to be there Relieved And after neighbors to Return them back again and bring the rest to be sustained there Also And if trecherously all this would not serve to save our mens Lives I purposed to bring them all unto deceptively ALGERNOWNS fort Telling Captain: DAVIS that Another town or fort might be above erected and built but mens lives once Lost could never be recovered. up river, northwest Our miseries now being at the highest and intending as I formerly Related pinnaces unto you to Remove some of our men to ALGERNOWNS fort the very next Tide small ocean-going ship, we espied two pinnaces coming into the Bay not knowing as yet what they were frequently used as message ships but keeping A Court of Guard and watch all That night The next Morning we taxed espied A Boat coming of from one of the pinnaces So standing upon our guard yelled at we hales them and understood that Sir Tho: GATES and Sir GEORGE SOMERS hales were come in those pinnaces which by their great industry they had built in the greeted BERMUDES with the remainder of their wrecked ship. industry ####### hard work Resolved These miseries considered it was Resolved upon By Sir Tho: GATES and decided the whole Colony with all Speed to Return for England whereupon most of our embarking men were set to work some to make pitch And Tar for Trimming of our ships boarding others to Bake bread and few or none not employed in one occasion or another. Proceeded So that A Small Space of Time four pinnaces were fitted and made Ready All continued preparing to go Aboard. And if Sir Tho: GATES had not Labored with our men Captain: Bruster they had set the Town on fire using these or the like words unto them, my an agent of Lord De La Masters let the town Stand we know not but that as honest men as our selves may Warr, first name unknown come and inhabit here Then all of us embarking our selves Sir Tho: GATES in Lord La Ware the deliverance with his company Sir George SOMER S in the patience myself in Thomas West, Lord De La the discovery and Captain DAVIS in the Virginia. All of us sailing down the River Warr (also spelled Proceeded Delaware), governor of with A full intent to have upon our voyage for England when Virginia ,1610 –1611 Captain: Suddenly we espied A boat making towards us wherein we found to be munition BRUSTER Lord La WARE sent from my who was come unto us with many ammunition gentlemen of quality And three hundred men besides great store of victuals Provision munition Provision and other whereupon we all Returned to James Town... supplies

Courtesy Virtual Jamestown (http://www.virtualjamestown.org)

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