The harvest season drawing near, attention was given to gathering their crops and to putting their houses in readiness for the approaching winter. While some were thus engaged others were employed in fishing and their store of cod, bass and other fish seems to have been plentiful, for “‘every family had their portion.’” Of water-fowl, wild turkeys and venison, there seems, at this time, to have been an abundance. They had a peck of meal a week to a person, also Indian corn in like proportion of which they had planted some twenty acres with six acres of barley and peas.

The First Thanksgiving

“Our harvest being gotten in, our governor sent four men on fowling, that so we might after a special manner, rejoice together after we had gathered the fruits of our labors. These four, in one day, killed as much fowl as, with a little help besides, served the company almost a week. At which time, amongst other recreations, we exercised our arms, many of the Indians coming amongst us, and among the rest their greatest king Massasoit with some ninety men, whom for three days we entertained and feasted;[12] and they went out and killed five deer, which they brought to the plantation and bestowed on our governor, and upon the captain and others.”

The quotations in the few preceding paragraphs are from Bradford’s history, and, more especially from Winslow’s letter to a friend in England. This letter was sent when the Fortune made its return voyage. It further stated that since their arrival in the new country in spite of their reduced numbers, they had succeeded in building seven dwelling-houses and four for the use of the Plantation; that they had made friends with the Indians in the immediate vicinity and that they “walked as peacefully and safely in the woods as in the highways in England.”

It is presumable that this letter was inspired, at least in part by the letter from Mr. Weston which had arrived with the Fortune. Weston was one of the Adventurers who had helped to finance the Plymouth colony. His letter which follows is cold and unsympathetic and according to both Bradford and Winslow he seems to have been a man of questionable sincerity as his unsuccessful attempt to establish a rival colony at Weymouth might indicate.

Weston’s letter said in part:—“That you sent no lading in the ship is wonderful, and worthily distasted. I know your weakness was the cause of it, and I believe more weakness of judgment than weakness of hands. A quarter of the time you have spent in discoursing, arguing and consulting, would have done much more. If you mean, bona fide, to perform the conditions agreed upon, do us the favor to copy them out fair, and subscribe them with the principal of your names. And likewise give us account as particularly as you can how our moneys were laid out. And consider that the life of the business depends on the lading of this ship.” etc.

If Weston had been acquainted with the condition of the Plymouth colony, their great depletion and hardships the first winter (and it is reasonable to suppose that he was, upon the return of the Mayflower) his letter seems unnecessarily harsh and unjust. It was addressed to Mr. Carver, the news of whose death had not yet reached England.

Governor Bradford’s letter in reply to which he added an itemized accounting, follows in part. His dignified reproof, his presentation of conditions obtaining in the colony, the extenuating circumstances, I think the reader will agree cannot reasonably be omitted from this brief chronicle.

Bradford’s Letter

“Sir: Your large letter written to Mr. Carver, and dated the 6 of July, 1621, I have received the 10 of November, wherein (after the apology made for yourself) you lay many imputations upon him and us all. Touching him, he is departed this life, and now is at rest in the Lord from all those troubles and incumbencies with which we are yet to strive. He needs not my apology; for his care and pains were so great for the common good, both ours and yours, as that therewith (it is thought) he oppressed himself and shortened his days; of whose loss we cannot sufficiently complain. At great charges in this adventure, I confess you have been, and many losses may sustain; but the loss of his and many other honest and industrious men’s lives, cannot be valued at any price. Of the one, there may be hope of recovery, but the other no recompence can make good. But I will not insist in generals but come more particularly to the things themselves. You greatly blame us for keeping the ship so long in the country, and then to send her away empty. She lay 5 weeks at Cape Cod, whilst with many a weary step (after a long journey) and the endurance of many a hard brunt, we sought out in the hard winter a place of habitation. Then we went in so tedious a time to make provision to shelter us and our goods, about which labor, many of our arms and legs can tell us to this day we were not negligent. But it pleased God to visit us then, with death daily, and with so general a disease, that the living were scarce able to bury the dead; and the well not in any measure sufficient to tend the sick. And now to be so greatly blamed, for not freighting the ship, doth indeed go near us, and much discourage us. But you say you know we will pretend weakness; and do you think we had not cause? Yes, you tell us you believe it, but it was more weakness of judgement than of hands. Our weakness herein is great we confess, therefore we will bear this check patiently amongst the rest, till God send us wiser men. But they which told you we spent so much time in discoursing and consulting, etc., their hearts can tell their tongues they lie. They cared not, so they might salve their own sores, how they wounded others. Indeed, it is our calamity that we are (beyond expectation) yoked with some ill-conditioned people, who will never do good, but corrupt and abuse others, etc.”