Samuel’s Scrapbook

By Cas Stempinski
 The locket my mother gave
me. More specifically,
where it would have been if
the poorhouse owner didn’t
sell it. The dust still lies
there. I tried to steal it back
from the pawnshop owner,
but he found me lying on
the streets. I now have to be
punished by becoming a
servant on a ship sailing to
the New World.
The photograph above is of the Susan
Constant, which is the ship that I have been
sent to board for the journey to the New
World. It is my punishment for taking back
what is rightfully mine.
This is the man who brought me aboard
the Susan Constant ship. His name is
Reverend Hunt. As his name suggests, he
is a reverend. He is a lover of peace and
all things holy. He will be our saving
grace when things go bad.
This is Richard, one of the
boys that I have to bunk with.
He is really annoying. But not
as annoying as James
Brumfield, the other boy I
have to bunk with. James is
about 9, and he is here
because he will do anything
to get away from his
stepmother.
We arrived in Jamestown a few
days ago, but last night, our
settlement was ambushed by the
native people of this land. They
killed so many of our men, and
now I must dig graves. We are
now deciding to build palisades.
The natives came to our settlement again, but
instead of battle cries, I hear “Wingapo!” Captain
Smith told me that “wingapo” is an Algonquian
greeting, translating to “my beloved friend.” Then
I see boats laden with corn, and fruit. I realize
that they are here to trade.
They have sent two women here. One
who is already married, and one
14-year old girl, Miss Ann Burras. She
was unmarried, and all of the men
were trying to take her hand in
marriage. She ended up marrying
John Laydon,the carpenter, and they
have a baby coming in nine months.
The king has sent orders for us to crown Chief
Powhatan as prince under his rule. Captain Smith
thinks that this is a bad decision. Captain Newport
forcefully placed the crown upon Chief Powhatan’s
head. Chief Powhatan has commanded all of his
villages to immediately discontinue trade with us.
Also, Ann and John Laydon’s baby has been born,
and they have chosen that their baby girl is going to
be called Virginia.

Captain Ratcliffe has been invited to
trade with Chief Powhatan. He tells us
that we should go to Point Comfort in
case anything goes wrong, and if it was
a trap. He takes a few settlers with
him. Ann says that she doesn’t want to
go, so I stole baby Virginia, to lure
Ann to Point Comfort. I am currently
writing this in a canoe that I took
separately from the barge. Anne was
fuming and wanted to kill me when
she found out that I stole Virginia and
took the baby to Fort Comfort.
In loving memory
of John Ratcliffe
Captain John Ratcliffe was
captured and tortured by
the Powhatan Tribe of
native Americans. One of
the colonists who escaped
and didn’t get their throats
cut was able to escape and
tell us that Captain
Ratcliffe was killed. John
should have seen this trap
coming.