Smith (JOHN an English adverte born)

Collier's New Encyclopedia (1921)

JOHN, an English adverte born in turer, the founder of Virginia; , England, in Willoughby, in Lincolnshire spirit, long- January, 1579. Of a daring more adventurous ing for a larger and life, he early served in the Netherlands in the cause of liberty. He as a soldier and then traveled in France, visited Egypt distin- Italy, and, about 1602, greatly Hungary guished himself in the wars of against the Turks, gaining the favor of Prince of Transylva- Sigismund Bathori, by the nia. Wounded and taken prisoner was harsh- Turks, he was sold as a slave, Crimea, and made his ly treated in the Morocco atescape. Rumors of war in thence he retracted him thither, and 1606. turned to England about Smith entered with enthusiasm into the project of colonizing the New World, and , Hunt, and others with Gosnold, Wingfield , 1606, with a squadset out in December for Virginia, ron of three small vessels charter granted under the authority of a by James I. Amid the unhappy dissen distress of the first sions, difficulties, and Smith renyears of the great enterprise, ( important services by his dered the most wisirrepressible hopefulness, practical . But for dom, and vigorous government exertions the project his wisdom and noble abandoned would probably have been . He made important geographical explora- In 1607, ascending tions and discoveries. , and penetrating into the Chickahominy Smith and his the interior of the country, captured by the Indians comrades were , possession, and he only, by his rare self- . He remained a prisescaped with life weeks, carefully observed oner for some the the country, got some knowledge of natives, and when at last language of the him to death he they were going to put by the affectionate pleading was saved of the chief, of Pocahontas, the daughter Powhatan, a girl 10 or 12 years old. Re- , Smith had need conducted to Jamestown to cheer the desponding of all his energy 1608 he excolonists. In the summer of open boat the Bay of Chesaplored in an , a navipeake and its tributary rivers miles. He also gation of nearly 3,000 inland, established friendly repenetrated with the Indians, and prepared lations red a map of the country. On his return from expedition he was made presithis great . In 1609 he dent of the colonial council was severely injured by an accidental exreplosion of gunpowder, and without , except in ward for his splendid services applause of his own conscience and the . He visthe world, returned to England , was captured by ited Virginia in 1614 year, and on the French in the following three months his return to London after heard of the arrival of his Indian friend known her serv- Pocahontas. Smith made ices, and she was presented to Queen Elizabeth and loaded with marks of honor and gratitude. Smith published in 1608 "A True Relation of Such Occurrences and Accidents of Note as Hath Happened in Virginia Since the First Planting of That Colony." He died in London, June 21, 1631.