The 'true story' of an American Legend, Part 1
Well, I did that and guess what? I didn't find anymore than the barebones story I mentioned. Nothing in Smith's account gives a good idea of when Graves' capture took place, though it cannot have occured when Smith was captured in 1607 because Graves didn't arrive in the settlement until the next year.
Smith does recount other forays and encounters with members of the tribes, but I couldn't tell if any of the members of these expeditions were captured. We'll just have to assume that's what happened.
I've mentioned and used Smith's History in previous posts. It has been a much used and quoted source for the founding of Jamestown and the colonization of Virginia. In the course of time, six editions were published, each with some changes to the narrative.
In all the editions, Smith casts himself as the central character and speaks of himself in the third person, not necessarily a bad or unheard of device for historical narratives. And Smith had been elected leader of the settlement, so making himself the star of the story can be expected. You might also expect that at the time the history appeared, members of the founding Virginia Company would be somewhat miffed that their role had been minimized.
Among the most famous accounts taken from the History is that of Pocahontas. She was the daughter of Powhatan chief Wahunsenaca, whom we commonly refer to as Powhatan. Confusing? Well, yeah. It becomes even more confusing when you learn that Wahunsenaca was actually leader of a kind of confederation of tribes. As we humans are wont, we've simplified the tale by calling all the tribes the Powhatan and calling Wahunsenacawh by the same name. Pocahontas seems to have been a sort of nickname, her real name being Matoaka. According to some narratives, Pocahontas' mother died in childbirth and her nickname was her mother's name, given to her by her grieving father.
As mentioned, the Powhatans captured Smith at the end of 1607 and were determined to execute him. At this time Pocahontas was about age 9, 10 or 11, depending on who's telling the tale. Smith doesn't mention an age. In his account, Smith was dragged before the chief by a group from the tribe who "thereon laid his head [on two large stones] and being ready with their clubs, to beat out his brains. Pocahontas, the Kings [sic] dearest daughter, when no intreaty [sic] could prevail, got his head in her arms, and laid her own upon his to save him from death ..."
A couple of days later, Pocahontas, according to Smith's account, began bringing him and the settlers food every four or five days, saving them from starvation. The account reads as though she did this by herself but some say this would have been unlikely. Instead, she was probably part of a party dispatched by the chief and served as his symbolic representative. Smith proclaims that the love demonstrated by Pocahontas gave the settlers hope and revived their spirits. This seems to be the source of modern retellings of the story that suggest a romantic tie between the two.
All of this has been called into question. We also have to keep in mind that Smith wrote his account after his permanent return to England, many years later -- 22 to be exact -- when most of the people who could dispute the account had died.
Relations with the local tribes ebbed and flowed. In a later account of trading with the Powhatans, negotiations broke down, with the chief and his family departing. According to Smith, Pocahontas snuck back to warn Smith that her family planned to kill him. Again, some call BS on the story because a private letter written by Smith in 1608 describing events in the settlement contains no mention of either event.
We'll look at some other disputed events from Pocahontas' life next time.
Image: Pocahontas as depicted in an engraving y Simon de Passe in 1616. Thought to be the only depiction taken from life. Public domain.
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