POWHATAN CONFEDERACY. A confed eracy of Algonquian tribes of eastern Virginia, deriving its name from its organizer and ruling chief, Powhatan (q.v.). The territory of the confederacy comprised all of tidewater Virginia from Chesapeake Bay inland to the falls of the principal rivers, or just west of a line drawn through Fredericksburg, Richmond, and Peters burg, and may possibly have included also the Virginia counties on the eastern shore, although this may be considered doubtful. The tribes included within the confederacy were some thirty in number, of which the Pamunkey, Chicka hominy, Nansemond, Nantaughtacund. Potomac. and Wicocomoco were the largest. Their total population was estimated by Smith in 1607 at 2400 warriors, possibly 8000 souls, occupying some 200 villages and small settlements along the streams. The confederacy as it then existed was of recent extension, all excepting those tribes adjoining the site of Richmond and upon the Pamunkey and its branches having been con quered and annexed by Powhatan during his lifetime. It was not until the settlement of Jamestown in 1607 that continuous intercourse between the whites and the Powhatan tribes began. The first contact was generally friendly, but a hostile feeling soon sprang up between the two races, which was fast leading to open warfare when, on account of the marriage of Pocahontas to John Rolfe, Powhatan was in duced to make a treaty of peace and friendship with the English. This peace lasted until after his death in 1618, when his successor, Opeehan eano, organized a conspiracy to drive the whites from the country. On March 22. 1622, the war began with a general massacre in which 347 persons perished and the majority of the scat tered settlements were destroyed.
A war of fourteen years' duration ensued, until both sides were exhausted. when peace was made in 1636. The greatest event of this war was the battle of Pamunkey in 1625, when Governor Wyatt engaged and defeated nearly 1000 Indian warriors and destroyed the principal town of the confederacy. In 1644 Opecbaneful° organized a second conspiracy, which began, as before, with a general attack upon the settlements, resulting ; in the death of about 300 settlers. It was the last effort against the invader. The Indians were I already decimated and impoverished and unable to follow up their temporary advantage. Within a year the war was ended by the capture and death of the old chief, and each remaining tribe made what terms it could for itself, and the eon- I federaey came to an end. In 1669 a census showed that the 2400 warriors of sixty years ago had been reduced to 528, a diminution from perhaps 8000 to about 1600 souls, or hardly one fifth the original number. In the war of Bacon's
Rebellion. 1675-76, they were again hunted down like wild animals until the fugitives took refuge in a palisaded fort near the site of Richmond. The fort was stormed, and men, women, and I children massacred by the whites. Those who escaped were allowed to live on condition of an annual tribute from each village. In 1684 four chiefs attended as delegates at the making of a treaty at Albany by which the Iroquois agreed to cease their attacks upon the Virginia remnants. This is their last prominent appearance in his tory. In 1705 they had four towns, the largest being Pamunkey. with about 200 souls. There are now about 600 representatives of the old stock, living chiefly in four communities, viz.: Pamunkey, 140 persons, on a small State reserva tion on Pamunkey River, King William County; Mattapony, 50 persons, on another smaller reser vation on Mattapony River, in the same county; Chiekahominy, 220, along Chickahominy River, in New Kent and Charles City counties; Nan semond, ISO, near Portsmouth, in Norfolk County.
All the typical Indian customs of scalping, tattooing, dancing, and medicine men were found among the Powhatau tribes when first known to the whites. They wore very little clothing be yond the G-string for men and a short skirt for women, with a robe for state occasions or in very cold weather. The men commonly shaved the hair on one side and left it flowing loosely on the other. Their houses were wigwams of wagon-top shape, with frame-work of poles covered by hark or mats, sometimes built closely together and surrounded by stout palisades. They cultivated corn, beans, squashes, and tobacco, which, with fish, game, and wild fruits, gave them an abun dant subsistence. They were expert at shaping dugout canoes and weaving fish-nets and baskets. The dead were buried in the ground or preserved in a mummified condition in houses built for the purpose. In some cases the bones were gathered up and cleaned for preservation after the body had decayed. They had an elaborate mythology and ceremonial, of which very little is known, with sacred temples guarded by priests. Tribal government was based on the clan system, with descent in the female line. Their history proves that they were brave and exert warriors. Their modern mixed blood representatives are either fishermen or farmers. See VIRGINIA; PAMUN KEY; POWHATAN; OPECHANCANO; POCAHONTAS.