King William County Virginia USGenWeb Archives History - Books .....King William County History From Historical Collections Of Virginia By Henry Howe 1845
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Alice Warner http://www.rootsweb.com/~archreg/vols/00015.html#0003503 April 2, 2008, 11:38 pm

Book Title: Historical Collections Of Virginia By Henry Howe, 1845

King William, p. 349-350

King William was formed in 1701 from King and Queen. The mean length of the
county is 32 miles; mean breadth 8 1/2 miles. The county lies between the
Pamunkey and Mattapony, which unite at the SE angle of the county and form the
York. The land on the borders of these streams is very fertile, and their waters
afford convenient navigation, as well as fine shad and herring fisheries. Pop in
1840, whites 3,150, slaves 5,780, free colored 338; total, 9,258. King William
C.H. lies 27 miles NE of Richmond, 2 miles from the Mattapony. It contains but a
few dwellings besides the public buildings, which are of brick, and stand in a
handsome square adorned with locusts, neatly enclosed with an iron railing.
Ayletts is a small village at the head of navigation, on the Mattapony, 30 miles
above its junction with the Pamunkey. 

The Pamunkey and the Mattapony meet at the southerly angle of the county, and
form York River. The place of their junction is named West Point. It was the
place of habitation of Opechancanough, the brother of Powhatan, and king of
Pamunkee. "He was the author of the great massacre in 1622, the 'Sicilian
Vespers' of the colony. When very old and infirm, and nearly blind, he headed
his people in battle, borne on a litter; he was at length captured by Governor
Berkeley, with a party of horse, and finally assassinated by a private hand
while a prisoner at Jamestown, displaying to the last moment the fortitude of a
'stoic of the woods,' unimpaired by age, and unshaken by calamity." In "Bacon's
Rebellion," the followers of Bacon occupied West Point, and strongly fortified it. 

West Point was, anciently, a large village: it has now but one good house, and
the ruins of several others. There is the remnant of the Mattapony tribe of
Indians, now dwindled down to only 15 or 20 souls. Further up on the Pamunkey,
at what is called Indian Town, are about 100 descendants of the Pamunkeys. Their
Indian character is nearly extinct, by intermixing with the whites and negroes.
 Their land is in the hands of trustees appointed to hold it for the tribe. They
manufacture pottery and baskets very neatly. A traveller, as long ago as 1759,
thus speaks of this Indian settlement:

On the north side of Pamunkey River stands the Pamunkey Indian town, where at
present are the few remains of that large tribe; the rest having dwindled away
through intemperance and disease. They live in little wigwams, or cabins, upon
the river; and have a very fine tract of land of about 2000 acres, which they
are restrained from alienating by act of Assembly. Their employment is chiefly
hunting or fishing for the neighboring gentry. The commonly dress like the
Virginians, and I have sometimes mistaken them for the lower sort of that people.

On the banks of Moncuir creek, just above Warranuncock island, now known as
Goodwin's island, are just two Indian mounds or tumili, somewhat reduced in size
by cultivation, yet eight or ten feet high, and about sixty feet in diameter.
Evident traces exist of an Indian settlement in the vicinity, on the Pampitike
estate.

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