Newport's arrival, says Wingfield, "saved Mr Smith's life and mine."
Smith's account of the episode is substantially the same. In his "True
Relation" he says on his return to the fort "each man with truest signs
of joy they could express welcomed me, except Mr. Archer, and some two
or three of his, who was then in my absence sworn councilor, though not
with the consent of Captain Martin; great blame and imputation was laid
upon me by them for the loss of our two men which the Indians slew:
insomuch that they purposed to depose me, but in the midst of my
miseries, it pleased God to send Captain Newport, who arriving there the
same night, so tripled our joy, as for a while those plots against me
were deferred, though with much malice against me, which Captain Newport
in short time did plainly see." In his "Map of Virginia," the Oxford
tract of 1612, Smith does not allude to this; but in the "General
Historie" it had assumed a different aspect in his mind, for at the time
of writing that he was the irresistible hero, and remembered himself as
always nearly omnipotent in Virginia. Therefore, instead of expressions
of gratitude to Newport we read this: "Now in Jamestown they were all
in combustion, the strongest preparing once more to run away with the
pinnace; which with the hazard of his life, with Sakre, falcon and
musket shot, Smith forced now the third time to stay or sink. Some
no better than they should be, had plotted to put him to death by the
Levitical law, for the lives of Robinson and Emry, pretending that the
fault was his, that led them to their ends; but he quickly took such
order with such Lawyers, that he laid them by the heels till he sent
some of them prisoners to England."

Clearly Captain Smith had no authority to send anybody prisoner to
England. When Newport returned, April 10th, Wingfield and Archer went
with him. Wingfield no doubt desired to return. Archer was so insolent,
seditious, and libelous that he only escaped the halter by the
interposition of Newport. The colony was willing to spare both these
men, and probably Newport it was who decided they should go. As one of
the Council, Smith would undoubtedly favor their going. He says in the
"General Historie": "We not having any use of parliaments, plaises,
petitions, admirals, recorders, interpreters, chronologers, courts of
plea, or justices of peace, sent Master Wingfield and Captain Archer
home with him, that had engrossed all those titles,