As early as July, "in his sickness time, the President did easily fortell his own deposing from his command," so much did he differ from the Council in the management of the colony.Under date of September 7th he says that the Council demanded a larger allowance for themselves and for some of the sick, their favorites, which he declined to give without their warrants as councilors.Captain Martin of the Council was till then ignorant that only store for thirteen and a half weeks was in the hands of the Cape Merchant, or treasurer, who was at that time Mr.Thomas Studley.Upon a representation to the Council of the lowness of the stores, and the length of time that must elapse before the harvest of grain, they declined to enlarge the allowance, and even ordered that every meal of fish or flesh should excuse the allowance of porridge.Mr.
Wingfield goes on to say: "Nor was the common store of oyle, vinegar, sack, and aquavite all spent, saving two gallons of each: the sack reserved for the Communion table, the rest for such extremities as might fall upon us, which the President had only made known to Captain Gosnold; of which course he liked well.The vessels wear, therefore, boonged upp.When Mr.Gosnold was dead, the President did acquaint the rest of the Council with the said remnant; but, Lord, how they then longed for to supp up that little remnant: for they had now emptied all their own bottles, and all other that they could smell out."Shortly after this the Council again importuned the President for some better allowance for themselves and for the sick.He protested his impartiality, showed them that if the portions were distributed according to their request the colony would soon starve; he still offered to deliver what they pleased on their warrants, but would not himself take the responsibility of distributing all the stores, and when he divined the reason of their impatience he besought them to bestow the presidency among themselves, and he would be content to obey as a private.Meantime the Indians were bringing in supplies of corn and meat, the men were so improved in health that thirty were able to work, and provision for three weeks' bread was laid up.
Nevertheless, says Mr.Wingfield, the Council had fully plotted to depose him.Of the original seven there remained, besides Mr.
Wingfield, only three in the Council.Newport was in England, Gosnold was dead, and Kendall deposed.Mr.Wingfield charged that the three--Ratcliffe, Smith, and Martin--forsook the instructions of his Majesty, and set up a Triumvirate.At any rate, Wingfield was forcibly deposed from the Council on the 10th of September.If the object had been merely to depose him, there was an easier way, for Wingfield was ready to resign.But it appears, by subsequent proceedings, that they wished to fasten upon him the charge of embezzlement, the responsibility of the sufferings of the colony, and to mulct him in fines.He was arrested, and confined on the pinnace.
Mr.Ratcliffe was made President.
On the 11th of September Mr.Wingfield was brought before the Council sitting as a court, and heard the charges against him.They were, as Mr.Wingfield says, mostly frivolous trifles.According to his report they were these:
First, Mister President [Radcliffe] said that I had denied him a penny whitle, a chicken, a spoonful of beer, and served him with foul corn; and with that pulled some grain out of a bag, showing it to the company.
Then starts up Mr.Smith and said that I had told him plainly how he lied; and that I said, though we were equal here, yet if we were in England, he [I] would think scorn his man should be my companion.
Mr.Martin followed with: " He reported that I do slack the service in the colony, and do nothing but tend my pot, spit, and oven; but he hath starved my son, and denied him a spoonful of beer.I have friends in England shall be revenged on him, if ever he come in London."Voluminous charges were read against Mr.Wingfield by Mr.Archer, who had been made by the Council, Recorder of Virginia, the author, according to Wingfield, of three several mutinies, as "always hatching of some mutiny in my time."Mr.Percy sent him word in his prison that witnesses were hired to testify against him by bribes of cakes and by threats.If Mr.Percy, who was a volunteer in this expedition, and a man of high character, did send this information, it shows that he sympathized with him, and this is an important piece of testimony to his good character.
Wingfield saw no way of escape from the malice of his accusers, whose purpose he suspected was to fine him fivefold for all the supplies whose disposition he could not account for in writing: but he was finally allowed to appeal to the King for mercy, and recommitted to the pinnace.In regard to the charge of embezzlement, Mr.Wingfield admitted that it was impossible to render a full account: he had no bill of items from the Cape Merchant when he received the stores, he had used the stores for trade and gifts with the Indians; Captain Newport had done the same in his expedition, without giving any memorandum.Yet he averred that he never expended the value of these penny whittles [small pocket-knives] to his private use.
There was a mutinous and riotous spirit on shore, and the Council professed to think Wingfield's life was in danger.He says: "In all these disorders was Mr.Archer a ringleader." Meantime the Indians continued to bring in supplies, and the Council traded up and down the river for corn, and for this energy Mr.Wingfield gives credit to "Mr.Smith especially," " which relieved the colony well." To the report that was brought him that he was charged with starving the colony, he replies with some natural heat and a little show of petulance, that may be taken as an evidence of weakness, as well as of sincerity, and exhibiting the undignified nature of all this squabbling:
"I did alwaises give every man his allowance faithfully, both of corne, oyle, aquivite, etc., as was by the counsell proportioned:
