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 Honoble 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.
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.
Fortification against a foreign enemy there was none, only two or three peeces of ordenance mounted, and against a domestic noe other but a pale inclosinge the Towne to the quantitye of foure acres, within which those buildings that weare erected, coulde not in any man's judgement, neither did stande above five yeares and that not without continuall reparations; true it is that there was a Bricke Church intended to be built, but not soe much as the foundation therof ever finished, but we contentinge our selves with a church of wood answerable to those houses. Many other workes of like nature weare by him donne at Henrico and the precincts therof, but so slightly as before his departure hence, he himself saw the ruine and desolation of most of them.
Sir Thomas Gates likewise in his time erected some buildinges in and about James Towne, which by continuall cost in repaireinge of them doe yet for the most part in some sort remaine.
A framed Bridge was alsoe then erected, which utterly decayed before the end of Sir Thomas Smith's government, that being the only bridge (any way soe to be called) that was ever in the country. At this time in all these labours, the miserye throughout the wholl Collony, in the scarcitye of foode was equall; which penurious and harde kinde of liveinge, enforced and emboldened some to petition to Sir Thomas Gates (then Governor) to grant them that favor that they might employ themselves in husbandry, that therby they and all others by plantinge of corne, might be better fed then those supplies of victual which were sent from Englande woulde afforde to doe, which request of theirs was denied unlesse they woulde paye the yearlye rent of three barrels of corne and one monthe's worke to the Collonye, although many of them had been imployed in the generall workes and services of the Collony from the beginninge of the Plantation, which harde condition of Tenantship was then accepted rather then they woulde continue in those generall services and employments noe waye better then slavery. Most part of the time that Sir Thomas Gates and Sir Thos. Dale governed we were at warre with the natives, so that by them divers times were many of our people slaine, whose blood Sir Thomas Dale neglected not to revenge, by divers and sundry executions, in killinge many, cuttinge downe and takinge away their corne, burninge their houses, spoiling their weares, &c.[HH]
In this time alsoe the two fortes, fort Henry and fort Charles, at Kicoughton, were againe erected with such buildings as were formerly expressed, not fortified at all against a forreine enemye, and against the Indian that common order of a pale or pallisadoe.