What Newe Vice is this?

HueyLong

Banned
March to Powhatan Pt. 1

1621: The year begins sleepily, with the meeting of the Virginia Company stock holders in London in February. Argall's future as administrator is discussed (with a heated debate about his actual use in the colony, and a bit of disgust about the measures he has taken without Company approval.) Far more important is the discussion of the royalization of the Company. Many wish to get out of Virginia now, and eventually, a majority gives way. The Company is to be sold to the Crown at the end of the year. One stockholder remarked "Better than having it seized." A real possibility with the War of Indian Succession, and the growing Dutch claims.

During early March, Bell is assaulted by Argall's criticism with supply cuts and transfer requests. Many are ignored, and he assigns his men to oversee the transfer of supplies. Argall eventually ends the measures against Bell, but refuses to allow him to command the March on Powhatan. Bell ignores him, and makes his own preparations.

Bell's campaign begins in the middle of March, with his Pamunkey warriors and one of his Indian fighter divisions (about 400 men total) being assigned as raiders. They strike deep into Powhatan territory, and the Pamunkeys take care to embarass the tribes or villages by attacking village elders or taking women during raids. The Powhatan Confederacy grows enraged, at the inept Powhatan and the embarassment at the hand of Bell.

On March 21, John Smith sets out on his final journey to the New World- as a royal agent, to negotiate the transfer of power from Company administration to Royal administration. He is also sent off for public relations, to lend support to Royalization. Travelling with him are gunpowder supplies (a cruel irony noted in his journals, which later become famous in England) and several artillery pieces, as well as a few crates of muskets.In early April, Samuel Argall finally appoints the commander for his Powhatan campaign (after failing himself to lead it competently)- 21 year old Christopher Branch, a young adventurer who had arrived in Jamestown at the age of eighteen seeking adventure in "the Powhatan lands". He had lived for a year as a tobacco trader, before disavowing that to build a small estate devoted to grain farming. He was a common sight in Jamestown, and had funded three headright soldiers. He is chosen not for military service, prowess or knowledge, but for simply being of "good birth". He is also one of the few colonists with a good education under his belt, and Argall hopes he will remain loyal. He sets out on April 15, on an expedition comprising 2000 men striking to the Northwest of Jamestown, where Argall claims God gave him a weakness to strike the Powhatans. In truth, the Northwest of Virginia was only loosely Powhatan, fairly friendly, and most of the Powhatan warriors were either fighting against the Powhatan or fighting Bell.

UP NEXT: John Smith's Arrival, The Lost Army and the Battle for Powhatan!
 
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HueyLong

Banned
The Lost Army

1621 (continued): In early May, Christopher Branch found himself at a crossroads. Literally. His army was wedged between Werewoke and Powhatan, as well any number of bitter rebellious tribes involved in the warfare. His men reported daily that Indians attacked them or stole from their camps. His supply line was ruined, as were his supply wagons, within a month. He exacerbated the problem further by splitting his army, and sending them in different directions. He lost hundreds of men by allowing them to be killed by smaller armies.

His only notable addition to the war effort was the Battle of Four Armies in June, beginning on the night of the 19th. It is considered the moment that contained the famous rejected Peace and Sanctuary offer by Bell. It is also considered a defeat for both Branch and the Powhatan forces.

The war involved his only real ally in the region- the Lenape tribe. They had come from the north for the tobacco and tool trade only a few years before, and had carved out a good enclave within the Powhatan Confederacy. They allied with Branch only because he was the only power willing to take them- tribes disloyal to the Powhatan disliked encroachment on their ancestral territory, the Powhatan hated them as a threat, and Bell was reluctant to support them because of their conflicts in the region.

The Battle began with a botched raid by the Powhatan forces near Branch's Lenape camp. Branch's men captured the band's leader, and hung him high. The leader of the Powhatan forces, Catataugh, immediately assembled his men and allied forces, and charged towards Branch's camp.

They met in an open field between woodland, now known romantically as Branch's Clearing, and Branch was surprised at the ferocity displayed, as well as the presence of two outdated naval artillery guns, which did great damage to his tightly formed pikemen.

They were joined shortly by the Lenape warriors that could be roused, as well as by Bell's Indian fighters in the area (which mainly nipped at the flanks of the Powhatan forces). The Indian fighters fled before the Powhatan were defeated, but not before stealing the artillery pieces- two valuable items the Pamunkeys and Indian fighters were rewarded for.

Shortly after the battle, Branch got into a dispute with the Lenape leader. He was angry at his losses compared to Lenape losses, as well as the lackluster Lenape participation. The Lenape chief blamed the alcohol that Branch's men had traded to the warriors. The dispute between them would end in blood later when one of Branch's men shot a Lenape warrior, and they were driven out after a skirmish.

Branch's army scattered, though the bulk remained with him. 200 men mutinied, and fled east towards Werewoke. 600 joined Branch in a march north, where they continued to be assaulted, and ran further out of supplies. By the time they found assistance and shelter with the Doeg (Southern Maryland, OTL) their numbers were down to 251, according to genealogies and Doeg tales. The remainder deserted, and squatted, or integrated into a local tribe, or, as is more likely, died of starvation and Indian hostility.
 

HueyLong

Banned
Okay, I'm currently thinking about the structure of royal government that John Smith will help set out, as well as the social make up of post-war Virginia.

For the government:

I am imagining Powhatan as a broad and vague title which has the duty of collecting taxes and tithes from the Indians, and guiding their development in economics. property, law and religion. The Powhatan will, essentially, try to civilise the Indians, through religion and good ol' labor. It will be subsidiary to the English throne, and in many realms, to the local governor.

The Governor meanwhile, will manage trade, commerce and the management of "white" towns. This delineation will cause problems, between the Powhatan and Governor, as wlel as between citizens and the government. The Governor will be appointed by the King.

Their will also be a Royally settled noble class, planted down often on Indian lands. As this Virginia has not produced as many men of new wealth, these nobles will be quite influential in the politics and society of Virginia, more than nobles ever were in OTL Virginia. I plan on a pseudo-Parliament eventually being formed by them, but that is in the future.

After the war, I see a few newsocial classes developing, beyond the more influential and powerful nobles. Many former soldiers will settle down with Indians, due to their wives, or otherwise push the frontier. They will be an influential class due to their vague legal status, and will be the center of power plays between the Powhatan and Governor, as well as their introduction of European culture, goods and knowledge to Indians.

There will also be an underclass of sorts- Indians who have lost their tribes or homes, and are taken in by big noble households or the praying towns established by the Powhatan and Anglican Church. The children will be more noticeably European than the adults, but all of them will stand separate from the Indians that are settled down and traditional.

So, any thoughts? I could use help on the government part in particular, and welcome thoughts oin any other section.
 
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HueyLong

Banned
I'm currently trying to find a good (blank) map of the area, for a troop movement map and territorial map.
 

HueyLong

Banned
March to Powhatan Pt. 2

"O! How free I was, to be away from the ship that had borne me to Virginia, and, O! How enheartened I was to be away from the implements that had made me leave that amazing land." - The Exquisite Memoirs of the Divers Adventures of John Smith

1621 (continued): John Smith arrives in early June, along with various supplies and officials of the Virginia Company and Royal Government. He meets with Argall on June 6 (According to most sources, that is the date he met to set up the government of Virginia. John Smith, meanwhile, claims that he was surveying at the time, and fighting Indian tribes in the area.), and lays out the plans for royal governance.

Argall is to remain Governor until the King appoints someone else in his place. Argall's son is to be allowed the title of Powhatan, with sovereignety over the Indian tribes party to the Confederacy.(His actual powers remain somewhat vague.) He is, furthermore, to be sent for education in England, and Argall expects participation in the Royal Court for his son. The Archbishopry of Virginia is to be expanded, and set as its main task conversion of the Indians. The ports of Virginia are to have foreign travel and trade limited, to support British merchants and interests elsewhere.

In mid-June, Bell meets with the leader of the Lenape tribe. He negotiates a treaty which recognizes the Lenape as separate from the Powhatan Confederacy, and addresses the grievances left by Branch's men. Their relationship was aided by a lone junk merchant who arrived near Werewoke earlier in the year. Various odds and ends of European manufacture are given to the Lenape, including some crude glasswork and iron tools and containers. Despite Pamunkey grumblings, Lenape warriors would later join Bell for the March to Powhatan.

In early July, Argall takes the twelve artillery pieces in his possession west for a demonstration to the royal officials, as well as delegates from various tribes in the region. John Smith is one of the many in attendance. During the transportation of the artillery pieces, he suggests that Argall adopt more stern discipline with the soldiers assigned to drag the pieces (beasts of burden are uncommon in Virginia- even moreso for military use), and rotate the duties. The advice is gladly accepted, and Argall immediately adopts it.

On July 10, Argall demonstrates the artillery pieces on a "hostile" Indian village. His men set them upon a hill overlooking the village, and form a phalanx of sorts in front of the pieces, to stall any attempt to reach the cannon. The village surrenders within a few hours, amidst great applause. John Smith, in particular is impressed. He requests to be given command of the artillery units. Argall, impressed by the earlier advice of Smith and loath to command men himself, gives him the command. With this comes the clear order to beat Bell to Powhatan.

Argall was welcomed back to Virginia with the taunting gifts of Bell. Among them, an Indian maiden captured in one of Bell's forward raids. A Powhatan needs a harem worthy of a Sultan. She is put to work as a serving girl by Pocahontas, and Argall resumes attempts to slow down Bell's advance- something frowned upon by the new royal watchdogs, Smith, and even the other Company officials.

John Smith began his campaign with a simple bee line towards Powhatan. His men were slowed down considerably by Indian raids, the terrain, and the generally hard work involved with moving the cannons. Smith expanded the rotation of cannon duty, and instituted further harsh disciplines among his men. Beatings, lowering of rations, and even executions became commonplace.

The knaves of my company shunned cannon duty. I reminded them that it was as a plough, and revived my now famous saying "He who shall not work, shall not eat."- The Exquisite Memoirs of the Divers Adventures of John Smith

Bell, meanwhile, continued his strategy of forward raids, delay and manuever. He dodged and weaved in between hostile villages, taking care to not raise ire where it was not needed. His Indian fighter divisions became known as foot cavalry for their adept speed. By August, he had conquered a large swath of territory from Werewoke to the vicinity of Powhatan. The Pamunkey tribe withdrew their support of the Confederacy in early August, and were quickly followed by the withdrawal of the Mattaponis. Bell planned his assault on the city of Powhatan to begin in September, although raids and river crossings were already happening in August. Bell wished to pull peace from the ragtag Confederacy rather than be forced to invade the city.

It was only by sheer luck that John Smith arrived at Powhatan in early September. A mutiny among the most overworked of cannoneers (the headright soldiers, for the most part) was ended by a heatstroke of the leader in late August, and a fresh shipment of headright soldiers propelled his advance. He was further aided by the problems the Powhatan were facing from Bell, which had reduced raids and returned many warriors back to their homes.

When John Smith's army and artillery began firing on Powhatan on August 10, the Council of the Confederacy had already sent Chief Powhatan Opchanacanough as a prisoner to Bell, hastened by the reports of John Smith's advancing army. Smith only ended the bombardment after three of his cannon broke from overheating, despite being chastised and threatened by Bell's messengers, whose men were in danger from the cannon.

John Smith hastily returned to Jamestown, while Bell remained in Powhatan. Argall was delighted by the fall of Powhatan, and even moreso by John Smith's account of it. Bell, meanwhile, sent out humble and simple letters to the royal officials of Virginia, as well as his company contacts. He also set out contacts with the tribes of the former Confederacy, especially in the areas that John Smith's army had smashed through. He was going to make it clear who had beaten the Powhatan.

Argall ordered Bell out of Powhatan in October, and Bell ignored him. Argall, nevertheless, took his child and wife to Powhatan, and arrived on November 1. His son was affirmed by the remnants of the Elder Council as the Powhatan, and Argall immediately began using his supposed powers as regent- something that greatly annoyed the Council, who had not understood the implications of Regent. His first act was to appoint John Smith a seat on the Elder Council. He went further and proceeded to dismiss many of the members that did not show "appropriate and dignified loyalty to my (Argall's) line". Argall would remain there until the New Year, as would Bell.

UP NEXT: The first praying towns, the formation of the Royal Colony of Virginia, the blunders of Argall, and the events of Grace.
 
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HueyLong

Banned
Have the next update mostly completed on my home computer. It details the Grace Colony, their first winter, and the beginnings of their American Zion.

As Connecticut is much more mild, expect a different set of Puritans. More of a Dutch/mercantile influence will be seen, as well as a less harsh moral lesson.

There is no screeching wilderness or starving time to give as much foreboding of the Black Man in the Forest, not in Connecticut.
 

G.Bone

Interesting...

Is the new rulers of TTL's Virginia going to have something of a royal line now or is the title going to revert to something more pronouncible than Powhatan?
 

HueyLong

Banned
The title and office of Powhatan will remain hereditary, although it will be subservient to the Crown's approval in being passed on (later, that is, as the Crown reigns it in). It should also be noted that, technically, the Powhatan only has sovereignety over the Indian tribes and lands.

I don't think its all that hard to pronounce. Of course, it would likely have titles appended to it. Protector of the Indians of Virginia? What does get confusing about Powhatan is the fact that "Powhatan" has about four different meanings.

One, the actual people, the Powhatan, also, an adjective for their confederacy.
Two, a general term (ITTL and albeit only shortly, IOTL) for the natives of America.
Three, the city, near OTL Richmond.
Four, the actual person and leader, the Powhatan.
 

Burton K Wheeler

Moderator
HueyLong said:
The title and office of Powhatan will remain hereditary, although it will be subservient to the Crown's approval in being passed on (later, that is, as the Crown reigns it in). It should also be noted that, technically, the Powhatan only has sovereignety over the Indian tribes and lands.

I don't think its all that hard to pronounce. Of course, it would likely have titles appended to it. Protector of the Indians of Virginia? What does get confusing about Powhatan is the fact that "Powhatan" has about four different meanings.

One, the actual people, the Powhatan, also, an adjective for their confederacy.
Two, a general term (ITTL and albeit only shortly, IOTL) for the natives of America.
Three, the city, near OTL Richmond.
Four, the actual person and leader, the Powhatan.
Click to expand...

One can imagine the name of the actual leader being shortened in Britain to something like "Great Powhatan", something like the "Great Mogul" or "Grand Turk"
 

HueyLong

Banned
Its obvious that I'm not getting to my comp for awhile, so the most likely update now is on the Policies of the Powhatan post-War, with praying towns, no-tribe Indians and the White/Indian marriages being discussed, which I am working on here and now.

I have a question on the names of Indian converts: A personal theory of mine is that convert families are more likely to base names on Biblical names- is this something that is plausible?

Jesus, for example, is popular in Latin America, where the population was often converted, and from what I understand, was also popular amongst Moriscos in Spain and, in modern times, among African evangelicals in places like Nigeria.
 

HueyLong

Banned
The Praying Towns and Indian Converts

The foremost duty of the Chief Powhatan was to educate and convert his subjects. The praying towns were the first step, proposed by Sir Edwin Sandys of the Virginia Company, son of Archbishop Sandys, in 1620. Argall chartered the first praying town shortly after the capture of Powhatan (the city) with a few acres of farm and timberland, and it was finished in early 1622, and immediately began housing and employing displaced and poor Indians of the town and surrounding countryside.

Anglicanism was already firmly established in Virginia's governance and population- even as a Company possession, all free immigrants were required to take an oath of loyalty to the Church of England. However, many of the indentured servants of the colony were Irish Catholics (especially numerous among head right soldiers), and most of the free Virginian immigrants were disinterested in religion.
The early towns were often managed by lay clergymen, whose skills were often rare in Virginia. Virginia had yet to draw any influential Anglican clergy, and after the praying towns got established, they became an enticing incentive for lay clergymen to get ahead. This careerism often fed the excesses of the system, but also allowed the flexibility and unorthodox behavior the praying towns exhibited. It also led to the generally low opinion that the Church had for the praying towns. Although no early praying town was led by an Indian, many Indians did take high roles within the praying towns, and later praying towns would be led by Indians.
The praying towns, in order to draw Indian converts, embellished the sacraments and holy rites, often beyond even what Archbishop Laud wished for Mass. However, their theology was often flexible and varied from area to area, to avoid offending Indians and to more easily accommodate local customs. Notable in many praying towns were the continuation of tribal celebrations, even if praying town authorities put a Christian face upon such proceedings. Most preached in both the native tongue and English, although the teaching of English was encouraged, and the Bible was often used as a children's reader.

The primary converts were so-called tribeless Indians- often young warriors who had lost their village or elders in the war. Many tribes, strained as it was, refused to adopt outsiders, especially as the number of collapsing tribes boomed. Many of the younger Indians were shocked at their loss in the war, and so turned to the faith of the victor for guidance in how they had won. Following in the number of converts were the many left poor by the war- the extended family so central to society was crippled by the war, and its many duties and function were often picked up by the praying towns.

The converts were often fervent in their new faith- most converts relied heavily on the praying towns for food, and most of the tribeless believed that their new faith gave them power. Children of the praying towns were often given Biblical names, with Jesus and Sampson both gaining prominence. (The story of Sampson was very well-liked, and reinforced the idea of power through faith that was cropping up) Most of the Indians who left the praying towns did so to seek out new converts, which usually ended in conflict. Many others left to deal with old enemies, armed with their new faith.

Most praying towns were given lands for development and settlement by the praying Indians. How they used them varied. Some praying towns, notably the ones further out from major cities, offered plots to Indians willing to hear the word, and offer tithes to the praying town. Others kept land under the direct control of the Church authority, and used the profits for expansion and services. Many praying towns mixed the two systems, offering marginal or peripheral lands for private plots, and keeping the valuable lands for the church to manage.

The services offered varied considerably as well. Food was commonly distributed to draw Indians in almost all praying towns, and accounts for the large number of tribeless and poor converts. Even timber based towns would give food to the congregation, gained through trade or hunting. Perhaps unwittingly, the praying towns also introduced many Indians to European farming methods. The largest of praying towns often boasted livestock, a rarity among even European farms in Virginia. Some praying towns even taught skilled trades to their inhabitants, such as weaving or smithing, in order to pull in a profit in trade and tithes. English was, as mentioned above, often taught to the Indians to ease communication and assimilation.

However, the praying towns were far from benevolent. They would often take tribal commons and incorporate them into their lands, and use their near-monopoly on farm land to force conversion afterwards. Their use of fencing often cut off villages from traditional hunting grounds. The introduction of sheep and pigs by the larger praying towns depleted the ecological resources of the area, and hurt many traditional tribes, although that was far from an intentional effect. Furthermore, they would often use their congregation as a pool for forced labor, and the early work of a praying town was known for being heavy, dangerous and exhausting. Discipline was often harsh when it came to productivity. They soon gained an unsavory reputation for kidnapping, particularly of children from pagan families. There are also numerous accounts of praying towns supporting tribal and clan based feuds by arming the “Christian” side. While they did provide numerous needed services and did educate the Indians, they often caused a great deal of harm alongside their good works.
 

Max Sinister

Banned
Maybe it's the old phenomenon: It's too unfamiliar, and too well-written. People can't correct you, maybe hear about this topic the first time at all... so why bother to write? Just read and awe!
 

HueyLong

Banned
G.Bone said:
^ what he said

I'm still holding out on the other areas of N. America...
Click to expand...

Well, as said, my Grace Colony segment is on the other comp, and I don't feel like rewriting it. It is mostly done, and I assure you it will be good. The Puritans are starting off a bit differently, obviously.

And, well, other areas in N. America simply aren't settled or aren't very different. There are some Spanish activities in Northern Mexico I could highlight, but I don't think they would be all that different from OTL. Same with the French in the area (although I'm looking at a slightly different settlement of Quebec as a possibility, maybe no seigneurial system or a more lenient one)

There will also be a Caribbean segment coming up, but its only a few rough notes right now. The Caribbean is looking to be even more of a gem than in OTL, and so I'm trying to find power struggles and different settlements there. Some of the profiteers who went to English America are going to head to Barbados instead, for example.

Oh, and the Virginia Colony is going to be stretching their borders- south and north. Still sketching all of that out, but its obvious that the King is going to be calling for more land, and the Colony still has plenty of headright soldiers under arms. Not to mention the transplanting of noble settlements in the vast expanses which is coming up.

I'm trying to find out where in England and Europe these people would be coming from- I understand many Puritans came from the great woolen districts of England, due to the fencing of the commons and a depression in wool prices, but I'm not sure what areas the nobles should come from, where they would be in financial trouble or who the King would want to get out of England (or reward- hard to say which it would be)
 
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