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Friends of the John Smith Chesapeake Trail

The Voyages

Chronology of Capt. Smith's Exploration

Prior to 1607
The Setting

 As many as 50,000 people, organized into hundreds of tribes and living in agricultural communties lived near the shores of the Chesapeake Bay.  

1607
First Contact

April 26

English colonists enter Chesapeake Bay and land at Cape Henry

May 13

Colonists arrive at Jamestown Island after exploring the James River

Dec to Jan 2, 2008

Smith captured by Opechancanough, meets Powhatan at Werowocomoco, is adopted as a werowance, and returns to Jamestown

1608
The First Voyage

June 2 - July 21

Smith leads fifteen men on the first exploration of Chesapeake Bay

June 2-3 Smith's party sails from Jamestown to Cape Charles, VA

June 3 Cape Charles to Accomack County (Accomack Town)

June 4 Accomack Town to Chesconnessex Creek near present-day Onley, VA

June 5 Chesconnessex Creek to Tangier Island, VA and Pocomoke City, MD (Wicocomoco Town)

June 6 Pocomoke City, MD (Wicocomoco Town) to Bloodsworth Island

June 7-8 Bloodsworth Island

June 8 Bloodsworth Island to the mouth of the Nanticoke River

June 9 Mouth of the Nanticoke River

June 10 Up the Nanticoke River, past present-day Vienna, MD (Nantaquack Town )

June 11 Nanticoke River to Randle Cliff near present-day Poplars, MD

June 12 Randle Cliff to Sillery Bay on the Patapsco River

June 13 Sillery Bay to past present-day Baltimore Harbor to the modern port town of Elkridge and back on the Patapsco River

June 14 Patapsco River

June 15 Baltimore Harbor to Herring Bay, near present-day Fairhaven, MD

June 16 Herring Bay to Cornfield Harbor June 17 Cornfield Harbor to Nomini Creek, near present-day Stratford, VA

June 18 -July 15 Nomini Bay to Great Falls, MD, then return to the mouth of the Potomac near present-day Point Lookout

July 15 Mouth of the Potomac River to Ingram Bay, VA

July 16 Ingram Bay to Fleets Bay

July 17 Fleets Bay to Stingray Point near present-day Deltaville on the Rappahannock River

July 18-19 Stingray Point to present-day Hampton, VA (Kecoughtan) on the James River

July 20 Hampton (Kecoughtan), past present-day Newport News to present-day Smithfield, VA (Warraskoyack)

July 21 Smithfield (Warraskoyack) to Jamestown      

1608
The Second Voyage

July 24 -Sept 7

Smith leads fifteen men on the second exploration of Chesapeake Bay

July 24 Jamestown, VA to Hampton (Kecoughtan)

July 25-26 Hampton, VA(Kecoughtan)

July 27 Hampton (Kecoughtan) to Stingray Point

July 28 Rappahannock River to Cove Point, Maryland

July 29 Cove Point to the mouth of the Patapsco River

July 30 Patapsco River to the head of the Northeast River, present-day North East, MD

July 31 North East, MD to Sassafrass (Tockwogh) River

Aug 1 Up the Sassafrass (Tockwogh) River Aug 2 Sassafrass (Tockwogh) River to Smith Falls on the Susquehanna River, Pennsylvania

Aug 3 Susquehanna River to the head of the Elk River, MD, present-day Elkton, MD

Aug 4 Elkton, MD to Big Elk Creek Aug 5 Elk Creek back to Smith's Falls on the Susquehanna River, PA

Aug 6 Susquehanna River to Sassafrass (Tockwogh) River

Aug 7 Sassafrass (Tockwogh) River

Aug 8 Sassafrass (Tockwogh) River to Rock Hall Harbor at the mouth of the Chester River

Aug 9 Chester River to the Patuxent River

Aug 10 Up the Patuxent River to Battle Creek

Aug 11 Battle Creek to present-day Dunkirk, MD (Mattpanient Town)

Aug 12 Dunkirk, MD (Mattpanient Town) back toward mouth of the Patuxent River

Aug 13 Patuxent River to St. Jerome Creek below Point No Point

Aug 14 Potomac River to the Rappahannock River, VA

Aug 15-16 Up the Rappahannock River to present-day Morattico (Moraughtacund Town)

 Aug 17 Morattico, VA (Moraughtacund Town) up the Rappahannock to Cat Point Creek near present-day Tappahannock and Warsaw

Aug 18-19 Cat Point Creek to close to present-day Port Royal (Nantaughtacund towns)

Aug 20 Port Royal (Nantaughtacund towns) to near King George (Upper Cuttatawomen towns)

Aug 21 King George (Upper Cuttatawomen towns) to Moss Neck/Fetherstone Bay

Aug 22 Moss Neck/Fetherstone Bay to present-day Fredericksburg, then to Hollywood Bar

Aug 23 Hollywood Bar to King George (Upper Cuttatawomen towns)

Aug 24 King George (Upper Cuttatawomen towns) to Pissaseck

Aug 25 Pissaseck to near Morattico (Moraughtacund), where the boat was ambushed

Aug 26-29 Negotiations near Morattico (Moraughtacund) Aug 30-31 Morattico (Moraughtacund) to the Piankatank River

Sep 1-3 Piankatank River exploration

Sep 3-4 Piankatank River to Old Point Comfort by present-day Hampton

Sep 5-7 Point Comfort to Jamestown, with explorations of the Elizabeth and Nansemond Rivers