[By 1609, the James Town Colonists of Virginia knew that English survivors of the Roanoke expedition of 1587 were living as slaves among the Mandoag. However, despite an official report from Powell and Todkill, and even though they had been charged by officials in England with finding and rescuing the lost colonists, John Smith concealed the fact of their survival and enslavement—as copper miners and artisans—and claimed the lost colonists were all dead, so as not to scare off investors.]
-Sourced from Lee Miller’s Roanoke
The fatal 2nd of October 1754, she that day went from home to visit some of her relations; as I staid up later than usual, expecting her return, none being in the house besides myself, how great was my surprise, terror, and affright, when about 11 o'clock at night I heard the dismal war-cry, or war-whoop of the savages, which they make on such occasions, and may be expressed, “Woaciu woach, ha, ha, whactu woach.”
And to my inexpressible grief, soon found my house was attacked by them: I flew to my chamber-window, and perceived them to be twelve in number. They making several attempts to get in, I asked them what they wanted? They gave me no answer, but continued beating, and trying to get the door open. Judge, then, the condition I must be in, knowing the cruelty and merciless disposition of those savages should I fall into their hands. To escape which dreadful misfortune, having my gun loaded in my hand. I threatened them with death if they should not desist.
But how vain and fruitless are the efforts of one man against the united force of so many, and of such merciless, undaunted, and blood-thirsty monsters as I had here to deal with. One of them that could speak a little English, threatened me in return; in that if I did not come out, they would burn me alive in the house; telling me farther, what I unfortunately perceived, "That they were no friends to the English, but if I would come out and surrender myself prisoner, they would not kill me.”
My terror and distraction at hearing this is not to be expressed by words, nor easily imagined by any person, unless in the same condition. Little could I depend on the promises of such creatures; and yet if I did not, inevitable death, by being burnt alive, must be my lot. Distracted as I was in such deplorable circumstances, I chose to rely on the uncertainty of their fallacious promises, rather than meet with certain death by rejecting them: and I accordingly went out of my house with my gun in my hand, not knowing what I did, or that I had it. Immediately on my approach, they rushed on me like so many tigers, and instantly disarmed me.
Having me thus in their power, the merciless villains bound me to a tree near the door; they then went into the house, and plundered and destroyed every thing there was in it, carrying off what moveables they could ; the rest, together with the house, which they set fire to, was consumed before my eyes. The barbarians, not satisfied with this, set fire to my barn, stable, and out-houses, wherein were about 200 bushels of wheat, six cows, four horses, and five sheep, which underwent the same fate, being all entirely consumed to ashes. During the conflagration, to describe the thoughts, the fears, and misery that I felt, is utterly impossible, as it is even now to mention what I feel at the remembrance thereof.
Having thus finished the execrable business about which they came, one of the monsters came to me with a tomahawk 8 in his hand, threatening me with the worst of deaths, if I would not willingly go with them, and be contented with their way of living. This I seemingly agreed to, promising to do every thing for them that lay in my power; trusting to
Providence for the time when I might be delivered out of their hands. Upon this they untied me, and gave me a great load to carry on my back, under which I travelled all that night with them, full of the most terrible apprehensions, and oppressed with the greatest anxiety of mind lest my unhappy wife should likewise have fallen a prey to these cruel monsters.
At day-break, my infernal masters ordered me to lay down my load, when, tying my hands again round a tree with a small cord, they then forced the blood out of my finger-ends. They then kindled a fire near the tree whereto I was bound, which filled me with the most dreadful agonies, concluding I was going to be made a sacrifice to their barbarity.
(* Tomahawk is a kind of hatchet, made something like our plasterers' hammer?, about two feet long, handle and all. To take up the hatchet (or tomahawk) among them, is to declare war. They generally use it after firing their guns, by rushing on their enemies, and fracturing or cleaving their skulls with it, and very seldom tail of killing at the first blow.)
[Note the practical use of the captive as a porter and the lack of interest in the livestock. European soldiers had great difficulty operating in wilderness settings, as their normal field of operations was entirely formed by agriculture and settlement. As Peter’s life literally went up in flames, both the French and English officer corps were employing Native American warriors to train soldiers for colonial operations, an evolution in European warfare that continues down to this day, a melding of European technology and aboriginal methods. Even the German storm trooper of WWI consciously trained in imitation of the American Indian fighting method.]
