pioneers of the old south-第1章

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　Pioneers　of　the　Old　South；　A　Chronicle　of　English　Colonial　Beginnings


by　Mary　Johnston








CONTENTS

I。　THE　THREE　SHIPS　SAIL
II。　THE　ADVENTURERS
III。　JAMESTOWN
IV。　JOHN　SMITH
V。　THE　SEA　ADVENTURE
VI。　SIR　THOMAS　DALE
VII。　YOUNG　VIRGINIA
VIII。　ROYAL　GOVERNMENT
IX。　MARYLAND
X。　CHURCH　AND　KINGDOM
XI。　COMMONWEALTH　AND　RESTORATION
XII。　NATHANIEL　BACON
XIII。　REBELLION　AND　CHANGE
XIV。　THE　CAROLINAS
XV。　ALEXANDER　SPOTSWOOD
XVI。　GEORGIA

THE　NAVIGATION　LAWS

BIBLIOGRAPHICAL　NOTE

PIONEERS　OF　THE　OLD　SOUTH





CHAPTER　I。　THE　THREE　SHIPS　SAIL

Elizabeth　of　England　died　in　1603。　There　came　to　the　English　throne　James
Stuart；　King　of　Scotland；　King　now　of　England　and　Scotland。　In　1604　a
treaty　of　peace　ended　the　long　war　with　Spain。　Gone　was　the　sixteenth
century；　here；　though　in　childhood；　was　the　seventeenth　century。

Now　that　the　wars　were　over；　old　colonization　schemes　were　revived　in　the
English　mind。　Of　the　motives；　which　in　the　first　instance　had　prompted
these　schemes；　some　with　the　passing　of　time　had　become　weaker；　some
remained　quite　as　strong　as　before。　Most　Englishmen　and　women　knew　now　that
Spain　had　clay　feet；　and　that　Rome；　though　she　might　threaten；　could　not
always　perform　what　she　threatened。　To　abase　the　pride　of　Spain；　to　make
harbors　of　refuge　for　the　angel　of　the　Reformationthese　wishes；　though
they　had　not　vanished；　though　no　man　could　know　how　long　the　peace　with
Spain　would　last；　were　less　fervid　than　they　had　been　in　the　days　of　Drake。
But　the　old　desire　for　trade　remained　as　strong　as　ever。　It　would　be　a
great　boon　to　have　English　markets　in　the　New　World；　as　well　as　in　the　Old；
to　which　merchants　might　send　their　wares；　and　from　which　might　be　drawn　in
bulk；　the　raw　stuffs　that　were　needed　at　home。　The　idea　of　a　surplus
population　persisted；　England　of　five　million　souls　still　thought　that　she
was　crowded　and　that　it　would　be　well　to　have　a　land　of　younger　sons；　a
land　of　promise　for　all　not　abundantly　provided　for　at　home。　It　were　surely
well；　for　mere　pride's　sake；　to　have　due　lot　and　part　in　the　great　New
World！　And　wealth　like　that　which　Spain　had　found　was　a　dazzle　and　a　lure。
〃Why；　man；　all　their　dripping…pans　are　pure　gold；　and　all　the　chains　with
which　they　chain　up　their　streets　are　massy　gold；　all　the　prisoners　they
take　are　fettered　in　gold；　and　for　rubies　and　diamonds　they　go　forth　on
holidays　and　gather　'em　by　the　seashore！〃　So　the　comedy　of　〃Eastward　Ho！〃
seen　on　the　London　stage　in　1605〃Eastward　Ho！〃　because　yet　they　thought
of　America　as　on　the　road　around　to　China。

In　this　year　Captain　George　Weymouth　sailed　across　the　sea　and　spent　a
summer　month　in　North　Virginialater；　New　England。　Weymouth　had　powerful
backers；　and　with　him　sailed　old　adventurers　who　had　been　with　Raleigh。
Coming　home　to　England　with　five　Indians　in　his　company；　Weymouth　and　his
voyage　gave　to　public　interest　the　needed　fillip　towards　action。　Here　was
the　peace　with　Spain；　and　here　was　the　new　interest　in　Virginia。　〃Go　to！〃
said　Mother　England。　〃It　is　time　to　place　our　children　in　the　world！〃

The　old　adventurers　of　the　day　of　Sir　Humphrey　Gilbert　had　acted　as
individuals。　Soon　was　to　come　in　the　idea　of　cooperative　actionthe　idea
of　the　joint…stock　company；　acting　under　the　open　permission　of　the　Crown；
attended　by　the　interest　and　favor　of　numbers　of　the　people；　and　giving　to
private　initiative　and　personal　ambition；　a　public　tone。　Some　men　of
foresight　would　have　had　Crown　and　Country　themselves　the　adventurers；
superseding　any　smaller　bodies。　But　for　the　moment　the　fortunes　of　Virginia
were　furthered　by　a　group　within　the　great　group；　by　a　joint…stock　company；
a　corporation。

In　1600　had　come　into　being　the　East　India　Company；　prototype　of　many
companies　to　follow。　Now；　six　years　later；　there　arose　under　one　royal
charter　two　companies；　generally　known　as　the　London　and　the　Plymouth。　The
first　colony　planted　by　the　latter　was　short…lived。　Its　letters　patent　were
for　North　Virginia。　Two　ships；　the　Mary　and　John　and　the　Gift　of　God；
sailed　with　over　a　hundred　settlers。　These　men；　reaching　the　coast　of　what
is　now　Maine；　built　a　fort　and　a　church　on　the　banks　of　the　Kennebec。　Then
followed　the　usual　miseries　typical　of　colonial　venturesickness；
starvation；　and　a　freezing　winter。　With　the　return　of　summer　the　enterprise
was　abandoned。　The　foundation　of　New　England　was　delayed　awhile；　her
Pilgrims　yet　in　England；　though　meditating　that　first　remove　to　Holland；
her　Mayflower　only　a　ship　of　London　port；　staunch；　but　with　no　fame　above
another。

The　London　Company；　soon　to　become　the　Virginia　Company；　therefore　engages
our　attention。　The　charter　recites　that　Sir　Thomas　Gates　and　Sir　George
Somers；　Knights；　Richard　Hakluyt；　clerk；　Prebendary　of　Westminster；
Edward…Maria　Wingfield；　and　other　knights；　gentlemen；　merchants；　and
adventurers；　wish　〃to　make　habitation；　plantation；　and　to　deduce　a　colony
of　sundry　of　our　people　into　that　part　of　America　commonly　called
Virginia。〃　It　covenants　with　them　and　gives　them　for　a　heritage　all　America
between　the　thirty…fourth　and　the　fortyfirst　parallels　of　latitude。

The　thirty…fourth　parallel　passes　through　the　middle　of　what　is　now　South
Carolina；　the　forty…first　grazes　New　York；　crosses　the　northern　tip　of　New
Jersey；　divides　Pennsylvania；　and　so　westward　across　to　that　Pacific　or
South　Sea　that　the　age　thought　so　near　to　the　Atlantic。　All　England　might
have　been　placed　many　times　over　in　what　was　given　to　those　knights；
gentlemen；　merchants；　and　others。

The　King's　charter　created　a　great　Council　of　Virginia；　sitting　in　London；
governing　from　overhead。　In　the　new　land　itself　there　should　exist　a　second
and　lesser　council。　The　two　councils　had　authority　within　the　range　of
Virginian　matters；　but　the　Crown　retained　the　power　of　veto。　The　Council　in
Virginia　might　coin　money　for　trade　with　the　Indians；　expel　invaders；
import　settlers；　punish　illdoers；　levy　and　collect　taxesshould　have；　in
short；　dignity　and　power　enough　for　any　colony。　Likewise；　acting　for　the
whole；　it　might　give　and　take　orders　〃to　dig；　mine　and　search　for　all
manner　of　mines　of　gold；　silver　and　copper　。　。　。　to　have　and　enjoy　。　。　。
yielding　to　us；　our　heirs　and　successors；　the　fifth　part　only　of　all　the
same　gold　and　silver；　and　the　fifteenth　part　of　all　the　same　copper。〃

Now　are　we　readyit　being　Christmas…tide　of　the　year　1606to　go　to
Virginia。　Riding　on　the　Thames；　before　Blackwall；　are　three　ships；　small
enough　in　all　conscience'　sake；　the　Susan　Constant；　the　Goodspeed；　and　the
Discovery。　The　Admiral　of　this　fleet　is　Christopher　Newport；　an　old　seaman
of　Raleigh's。　Bartholomew　Gosnold　captains　the　Goodspeed；　and　John
Ratcliffe　the　Discovery。　The　three　ships　have　aboard　their　crews　and　one
hundred　and　twenty　colonists；　all　men。　The　Council　in　Virginia　is　on　board；
but　it　does　not　yet　know　itself　as　such；　for　the　names　of　its　members　have
been　deposited　by　the　superior　home　council　in　a　sealed　box；　to　be　opened
only　on　Virginia　soil。

The　colonists　have　their　paper　of　instructions。　They　shall　find　out　a　safe
port　in　the　entrance　of　a　navigable　river。　They　shall　be　prepared　against
surprise　and　attack。　They　shall　observe　〃whether　the　river　on　which　you
plant　doth　spring　out　of　mountains　or　out　of　lakes。　If　it　be　out　of　any
lake　the　passage　to　the　other　sea　will　be　the　more　easy；　and　like　enough　。
。　。　you　shall　find　some　spring　which　runs　the　contrary　way　toward　the　East
India　sea。　〃They　must　avoid　giving　offense　to　the　〃naturals〃must　choose　a
healthful　place　for　their　houses…must　guard　their　shipping。　They　are　to　set
down　in　black　and　white　for　the　information　of　the　Council　at　home　all　such
matters　as　directions　and　distances；　the　nature　of　soils　and　forests　and
the　various　commodities　that　they　may　find。　And　no　man　is　to　return　from
Virginia　without　leave　from　the　Council；　and　none　is　to　write　home　any
discouraging　letter。　The　instructions　end；　〃Lastly　and　chiefly；　the　way　to
prosper　and　to　achieve　good　success　is　to　make　yourselves　all　of　one　mind
for　the　good　of　your　country　and　your　own；　and　to　serve　and　fear　God；　the
Giver　of　all　Goodness；　for　every　plantation　which　our　Heavenly　Father　hath
not　planted　shall　be　rooted　out。〃

Nor　did　they　lack　verses　to　go　by；　as　their　enterprise　itself　did　not　lack
poetry。　Michael　Drayton　wrote　for　them：

Britons；　you　stay　too　long；
Quickly　aboard　bestow　you；
　　　And　with　a　merry　gale；
　　　Swell　your　stretched　sail；
With　vows　as　strong
As　the　winds　that　blow　you。

Your　course　securely　steer；
West　and　by　South　forth　keep；
　　　Rocks；　lee　shores　nor　shoals；
　　　Where　Eolus　scowls；
You　need　not　fear；

So　absolute　the　deep。
And　cheerfully　at　sea
　　　Success　you　still　entice；
　　　To　get　the　pearl　and　gold；
And　ours　to　hold
VIRGINIA；
Earth's　only　paradise！　。　。　。

And　in　regions　far
Such　heroes　bring　ye　forth
　　　As　those　from　whom　we　came；
　　　And　plant　our　name
Under　that　star
Not　known　unto　our　north。

See　the　parting　upon　Thames's　side；　Englishmen　going；　English　kindred；
friends；　and　neighbors　calling　farewell；　waving　hat　and　scarf；　standing
bare…headed　in　the　gray　winter　weather！　To　Virginiathey　are　going　to
Virginia！　The　sails　are　made　upon　the　Susan　Constant；　the　Goodspeed；　and
the　Discovery。　The　last　wherry　carries　aboard　the　last　adventurer。　The
anchors　are　weighed。　Down　the　river　the　wind　bears　the　ships　toward　the
sea。　Weather　turning　against　them；　they　taste　long　delay　in　the　Downs；　but
at　last　are　forth　upon　the　Atlantic。　Hourly　the　distance　grows　between
London　town　and　the　outgoing　folk；　between　English　shores。　and　where　the
surf　breaks　on　the　pale　Virginian　beaches。　Far　awayfar　away　and　long
agoyet　the　unseen；　actual　cables　hold；　and　yesterday　and　today　stand
embraced；　the　lips　of　the　Thames　meet　the　lips　of　the　James；　and　the　breath
of　England　mingles　with　the　breath　of　America。



CHAPTER　II。　THE　ADVENTURERS

What　was　this　Virginia　to　which　they　were　bound？　In　the　sixteenth　and　early
seventeenth　centuries　the　name　stood　for　a　huge　stretch　of　littoral；
running　southward　from　lands　of　long　winters　and　fur…bearing　animals　to
lands　of　the　canebrake；　the　fig；　the　magnolia；　the　chameleon；　and　the
mockingbird。　The　world　had　been　circumnavigated；　Drake　had　passed　up　the
western　coastand　yet　cartographers；　the　learned；　and　those　who　took　the
word　from　the　learned；　strangely　visualized　the　North　American　mainland　as
narrow　indeed。　Apparently；　they　conceived　it　as　a　kind　of　extended　Central
America。　The　huge　rivers　puzzled　them。　There　existed　a　notion　that　these
might　be　estuaries；　curling　and　curving　through　the　land　from　sea　to　sea。
IndiaCathayspices　and　wonders　and　Orient　wealthlay　beyond　the　South
Sea；　and　the　South　Sea　was　but　a　few　days'　march　from　Hatteras　or
Chesapeake。　The　Virginia　familiar　to　the　mind　of　the　time　lay　extended；　and
she　was　very　slender。　Her　right　hand　touched　the　eastern　ocean；　and　her
left　hand　touched　the　western。

Contact　and　experience　soon　modified　this　general　notion。　Wider　knowledge；
political　and　economic　considerations；　practical　reasons　of　all　kinds；　drew
a　different　physical　form　for　old　Virginia。　Before　the　seventeenth　century
had　pas