or groups, in Elizabeth City proper there
were sixteen resident beyond Hampton River. These embraced Captain
Francis West and Sergeant William Barry. The latter had fifteen servants
which was a larger number than most musters enumerated. It appears that
in excess of 4,000 acres of land had been patented and the greater part
of it had been planted. Patents, too, had been issued for land across
the Hampton Roads on the south side of the James River, yet none is
listed as having been planted at this date.

Elizabeth City began on the site of an Indian village on the west side
of Hampton Creek and was known by its Indian name of Kecoughtan for a
decade. The English first saw this spot on May 1, 1607 when the three
ships moved over from Cape Henry. The friendly Indians welcomed the
shore party and took them to their village of some 18 houses of twigs
and bark and twenty fighting men where there was food, a friendly smoke,
and entertainment.

After this visit the settlers moved on up the James and it was fall
before the English were here again. John Smith then traded successfully
with them for corn. Smith was here again in the summer of 1608 and in
the following winter always being well received and refreshed before
leaving. There is clear evidence that the first post established by the
Colonists for trade with the Indians was here where Indians and whites
lived together in some number. When, however, Humphry Blunt out of Fort
Algernourne, that is Old Point Comfort, was killed by Indians at
Nansemond, Sir Thomas Gates used the opportunity to punish the Indians
by driving the Kecoughtans away from their cornfields and fishing
grounds. It was in the summer of 1610 that he "posseseinge himselfe of
the Towne and the fertill ground there unto adjacentt haveinge well
ordered all things he lefte his Lieftenantt Earley to comawnd his
company and retourned to James Towne."

In October, 1609, after Smith's departure for England, President George
Percy had sent Captain John Ratcliffe down to the mouth of the river to
erect a fort due to "the plenty of the place for fisheinge" and "for the
comodious discovery of any shippeinge which sholde come uppon the
co[a]ste." He chose Point Comfort, so named in 1607, and designated it
"Algernowns Foarte" after Lord De La Warr's "name and howse." When
Ratcliffe was killed by the Indians while on an expedition up the York,
Captain James Davis was named to command in his stead.

Those at Point Com