O'PECHANCA'NO. A chief of the Pow hatan Indian confederacy of Virginia. succeed ing the famous Powbatan, who died in 1618. He acted as mediator in preventing hostili ties in consequence of the abduction of Poca hontas by the English in 1613, hut on his succession to authority soon gave indication of settled dislike to the whites. Under cover of pro fessions of friendship he united nearly all the tribes of tidewater Virginia into a conspiracy against the English, and on March 22. 1622. a simultaneous attack was made on all the scat tered settlements, resulting in the massacre of 347 men, women. and children, or more than one fourth of the whole white population of the colony. Jamestown alone escaped, through the timely warning of a friendly Indian. The war thus begun continued until both sides were ex hausted, when a peace was made which endured for over twenty years. As the English settle
ments advanced the Indians were steadily pressed back from their old-time fields and fishing grounds until in 1644 Opeehancano, now grown old and nearly blind, determined to make a last stand for his people. In another concerted at tack along the frontier 300 English settlers per ished. By this time, however. the whites had greatly increased in number, while the Indians had correspondingly diminished. A war of ex termination was ordered and kept up for two years, the Indians living hunted down like wild beasts, without rest or quarter. In 1646 it was brought to an end by the capture of Opechaneano by au expedition led by Governor Berkeley in person. The chief was taken to Jamestown, where he was soon afterwards shot and killed by the sentry appointed to guard him.