Paspahegh
The
Paspahegh people were a tributary tribe to the
Powhatan Confederacy. The Paspahegh Indian tribe lived in
Charles City and
James City Counties,
Virginia. The Powhatan Confederation was a group of
Native North Americans belonging to the
Algonquian branch of the
Algic linguistic stock. Their nearest relatives probably being the Algonquian tribes of Carolina and the Conoy (An Algonquian tribe, related to the
Delawares).
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
werowance, Wowinchoppunck.
On May 18, 1607 the Paspahegh werowance, Wowinchopunck, and one hundred armed men visit Jamestown fort. According to George Percy's account, Wowinchopunck 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 one of the settlers and wounding eleven 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 trecherous nation."
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 in
1617 as Smith's Hundred and after
1619 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
Virtual Jamestown website
A Paspahegh Indian village is an
archaeological site under study near
Jamestown, Virginia. Paspahegh villages were located on the south bank of
Chickahominy River in Charles City County, Virginia and on the north bank of
James River in Charles City County, Virginia. The Paspahegh village was located 8 miles above the English
fort at Jamestown, Virginia.
