Smoot / US History Your name
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Primary Sources from 1600s. W. Scott Smoot, ed. Marietta, GA: The Walker School,
Sept. 2009.
Captain
John Smith Takes Charge in Jamestown, VA., 1609
[
Countrymen:
The long experience of our late miseries, I hope, is sufficient to persuade
everyone to a present correction of himself. Think not that either my pains, or
the [investors'] purses will ever maintain you in idleness and sloth. I speak
not this to you all, for several of you, I know, deserve both honor and reward
better than is yet here to be had. But the greater part must be more
industrious or starve. [The Council has tolerated disobedience before], yet
seeing now the authority rests wholly in my self, you must obey this for a law.
He that will not work shall not eat, except he be disabled by sickness.
For the labors of 30 or 40 honest and industrious men shall not be consumed to
maintain 150 idle varlets. Now though you presume the authority here is but a
shadow, and that I dare not touch the lives of any lest my own be in danger,
the contents of my [contract with the Virginia company in England] will tell
you the contrary. ...[T]here are now no more councilors to protect you or curb my endeavors. Therefore
he that offends, let him assuredly expect his due punishment.
Frethorne, Richard. “Letter to his
parents, 1623. “ Virtual Jamestown web site.
LOVING AND KIND FATHER AND MOTHER:
My most humble duty remembered to you, hoping in god of your good health, as I
myself am at the making hereof. This is to let you understand that I you child
am in a most heavy case by reason of the country, [which] is such that it
causeth much sic kness, [such] as the scurvy and the bloody flux and diverse
other diseases, which maketh the body very poor and weak. And when we are sick
there is nothing to comfort us; for since I came out of the ship I never ate
anything but peas, and loblollie (that is, water gruel). As for deer or venison
I never saw any since I came into this land. There is indeed some fowl, but we
are not allowed to go and get it, but must work hard both early and late for a
mess of water gruel and a mouthful of bread and beef. ..
[W]e live in fear of the enemy every
hour, yet we have had a combat with them … and we took two alive and made
slaves of them. But it was by policy, for we are in great danger; for our
plantation is very weak by reason of the death and sickness of our company.
…[W]e are but 32 to fight against 3000 if they should come. …
And I have nothing to comfort me,
nor is there nothing to be gotten here but sickness and death…. I have nothing
at all – no, not a shirt to my back but two rags (2), nor clothes but one poor
suit, nor but one pair of shoes, but one pair of stockings, but one cap, [and]
but two bands [collars]. My cloak is stolen by one of my fellows, and to his
dying hour [he] would not tell me what he did with it; but some of my fel lows
saw him have butter and beef out of a ship, which my cloak, I doubt [not], paid
for. So that I have not a penny, nor a penny worth, to help me too either spice
or sugar or strong waters, without the which one cannot live here. …
Wherefore, for God’s sake, pity me.
I pray you to remember my love to all my friends and kindred. I hope all my
brothers and sisters are in good health, and as for my part I have set down my
resolution that certainly will be; that is, that the answer of this letter will
be life or death to me. Therefore, good father, send as soon as you can; and if
you send me any thing let this be the mark. ROT
RICHARD FRETHORNE, MARTIN’S HUNDRED
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