Native Americans at Warehouse Landing

As our regular readers are aware, when the Port Tobacco River became silted in the port moved south to Warehouse Landing. Here two Native American ossuaries were excavated in the late 1920s. The date of these ossuaries was placed at 1585-1682, based on the presence of Native crafted artifacts of European copper.

The report on these excavations (Graham 1935) identifies the remains as those of the Piscataway of the Powhatan Confederacy, who were under regular raids by the Susquehannocks between the years of 1634 and 1644. "So exposed were the Piscataways to these attacks that Father White, in 1642, removed his mission to Port Tobacco River." (8) According to Graham, the Port tobacco Indians disappeared within 10 years of Father White's departure in 1643. However, from 1660-1662, Port Tobacco was the location of a council on Indian derived titles and a constable was stationed there.

It seems that there is still a lot to be learned about the late prehistoric and early historic Native Americans of Port Tobacco. [PS. See Jim's comments below.]

-April

Graham, William Johnson
1935 The Indians of Port Tobacco River, Maryland, and their Burial Places. William Graham, Publisher.