Paspahegh

The Paspahegh tribe were tributaries to the Powhatan paramount chiefdom. The Paspahegh Indian tribe lived in Charles City and James City Counties, Virginia. The Powhatan tribes were a group of Native North Americans who spoke a branch of Algonquian language. Their nearest relatives were probably the Algonquian tribes of Carolina and the Conoy-Piscataway (another Algonquian tribe, related to the Delawares).

The tribe was among the earliest to have interaction with the English colonists who established their first permanent settlement in the Virginia Colony at Jamestown beginning on May 14, 1607. Jamestown was located in Paspahegh territory.

Timeline for interaction with colonists

On May 4, 1607 while exploring the James River, the English first make contact with the Paspaheghs and listen to, but are unable to understand, an "oration" by the Paspahegh weroance, Wowinchoppunck.

On May 18, 1607 the Paspahegh weroance, Wowinchoppunck, and one hundred armed men visit Jamestown fort. According to George Percy's account, Wowinchoppunck indicates that he would grant the settlers "as much land as we would desire to take." The Paspaheghs leave in anger after a violent dispute over an English hatchet.

The English settlers had only been at Jamestown for less than two weeks when they were attacked on May 26, 1607 by Paspahegh Indians, who succeeded in killing two of the settlers and wounding ten more. There was a long period of fighting between the Indian tribes of the Powhatan Confederacy and the English colonists in Virginia.

"We perceive and well know you intend to destroy us," the Paspahegh chief told colonist John Smith (Smith left Virginia in 1609). John Smith called the Paspahegh a "churlish and treacherous nation." [ Smith, John. A True Relation of Such Occurrences and Accidents of Note as Hath Hapned in Virginia Since the First Planting of that Colony, London, 1608 ]

On August 9, 1610 the English settlers at Jamestown, Virginia launch major attack on the Paspahegh village burning houses and cutting down corn fields. They killed 15, and kidnapped their queen and her children. Returning downstream, the English threw the children overboard, and shot out "their Braynes in the water". The queen was stabbed to death in Jamestown. Subsequent use of word Paspahegh in documents refers to their former territory. This attack against the Paspahegh, and the offense of killing "royal" women and children, starts the First Anglo-Powhatan War.

While leading a Paspahegh war party near Jamestown in late August of 1610, Chief Wochinchopunck is seen by the colonists. A fight ensues, and the Chief is killed.

Originally home to the Paspahegh Indians, Sandy Point in Charles City County, Virginia, was settled by the English in 1617 as Smith's Hundred and after 1619, was known as Southampton Hundred. St. Mary's Church was established here prior to the Powhatans' Uprising of 1622.

A complete time line for the English interaction with the Paspahegh can be found on the [http://www.virtualjamestown.org/paspahegh/timeline.html Virtual Jamestown] website:-)

Modern archaeological site

[http://www.historyisfun.org/2007/2007buildings.cfm A Paspahegh Indian village] is an archaeological site under study near Jamestown, Virginia. It was located 8 miles above the English fort at Jamestown. Paspahegh villages were located on the south bank of Chickahominy River and on the north bank of James River in Charles City County.

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