Punishing the Nanzattico Indians

Displaced from their reservation land on both sides of the Rappahannock River at Nanzattico and Portobago Bay, Nanzattico Indians attacked the farm of John Rowley, known for his disputes with the tribe, on 29 Aug. 1704. When captured in Richmond County, seven Nanzattico confessed to murder; five were executed after trial. The Virginia Council deemed forty Nanzattico age 12 or older guilty of complicity and ordered them deported, while keeping the younger children as servants. In 1705, sea captain John Martin transported the adult Nanzattico to the island of Antigua, where they were sold into servitude. Department of Historic Resources, 2009