(With Adam, Franz, and Samuel, three German carpenters at Jamestown in 1608.) After Adam and Franz returned to the Indian camp with the two swords and two muskets, they resumed work on the house of Powhatan which they finished to his delight. Captain Smith tried to kill Powhatan a second time, but when Smith arrived at Powhatan's house, he found that Powhatan had already fled. Smith blamed the Germans for his failure, but this completely ignores that a state of war now existed between Smith and Powhatan. Powhatan would have had scouts observing the movements of Smith and would have been aware of what Smith intended to do.
By now Smith was desperate for food and he terrorized the countryside, forcing the Indians to hand over their corn. The reaction of the Indians was to leave before Smith arrived taking their corn with them. To solve the problems at Jamestown, Smith needed friends, not enemies. The work of the carpenters could have been a positive step.
Some time after Smith returned to James Fort, Franz appeared at the glasshouse. Smith charged him with being up to no good because he was disguised like a savage. There is no doubt that Franz had taken on some of the appearances of the Indians, having lived with them for a while. Smith response was to send twenty musketeers after Franz who retreated into the woods. But he was taken by Smith's forces.
Franz explained the carpenters were being detained by Powhatan but that he had made an escape. Powhatan was attempting to get the carpenters to supply him with arms. Smith sent messages to Powhatan telling him to return Adam and Samuel. Powhatan said the Germans were not restrained and implied they wished to stay.
Back in Jamestown, Franz would have assisted in the construction of twenty houses and a blockhouse in the spring of 1609. In the summer of 1609, Smith gave definite evidence of becoming unstable. He decided that Adam and Samuel, and another one called Bentley, planned to destroy the colony in the service of Spain. He sent the Swiss, William Volday, after them but William remained with the Indians also. Then two English were sent out with instructions to stab or shoot the lot. But they decided against carrying out Smith's orders.
Powhatan released Adam, who with Volday, rejoined the Jamestown settlers where they were welcomed. Then Smith adopted the attitude that he was keeping Samuel at Powhatan's place as his personal spy. Thus, Samuel was first an enemy of the English, then their trusted spy according to Smith.
In October of 1609, Smith was sent back to England as a prisoner. One of the charges against him was that he had attempted to kill the German carpenters. Though Smith was not a friend of the Germans and he was now gone, the fate of the Germans in Virginia was not good.
We gratefully acknowledge the work of John Blankenbaker who published over 2,500 Germanna History Notes via the Germanna-L@rootsweb.com email list from 1997 to 2008. We are equally thankful to George Durman (Sgt. George) for hosting the list and republishing the notes via rootsweb.com.