William Claiborne's War

It was during this winter, at the very time when we were saying to ourselves that of a verity had no other people come into this new world of America having so little to disturb their minds as had we of Maryland, that trouble came to us.

Save for that unseemly happening at Plymouth, when the Englishmen living on Massachusetts Bay must have come to believe that we were veritable ruffians because of the behavior of the crew of the Dove, which caused us no little disturbance of mind, we had had no portion of trouble. The very land seemingly had welcomed us; the savages whom William Claiborne and Captain Fleet would have stirred up against us, were become our firmest friends; and the land and the water had yielded us stores until there was no fear of suffering from lack of food.

Therefore it was much like a shaft of lightning from out a cloudless sky, when our people who had been sent in the pinnace to trade with the Indians on the shores of the by north of us, came to St. Mary's with the report that William Claiborne was arming his largest pinnace with all the heavy guns at his command, counting to sail against us in enmity until our governor should enter into an agreement allowing the people of Kent Island to trade whithersoever they pleased.

At first this news was received by us with scorn, and more than one said to those on the pinnace who had brought the tidings, that they were dreaming; that no man in his right senses would declare war against a company which outnumbered him three or four to one.

Then when our seamen and traders protested that they had not only heard all this from the savages, but had seen William Claiborne's people at work arming the pinnaces, came the question as to how many there might be of Englishmen at that time living on Kent Island, and we were startled at learning how strong a force this trader might bring against us.

Governor Calvert had made careful inquiries, both at Jamestown and along the shores of the bay among friendly savages, until he learned very much of the history of this settlement.

Now, because this war which William Claiborne was declaring against us did result in bloodshed, and because Kent Island settlement was the only thorn in our flesh, it is well that I set down in detail all the information which came to us concerning those people who had settled upon land belonging to my Lord Baltimore.