In “Generall Historie of Virginia by John Smith” Smith
gives a count of the Indian warriors as 30 Youghtanund, 30 Mattapament, and 300 Pamaunke. Smith then
says there were 700 warriors with
Opechancanough in the encounter where John Smith had to grab Opechancanough by
the hair.
Zuniga’s map of villages shows Manskin next to the
Youghtanund on the South side of the river. Most of the maps from 1650-1750 show the Manskin Tribe on
or near “The island Field” and the Youghtanund are not mentioned on any maps that also show
Manskin. When the dates of the maps
are viewed chronologically it seems to indicate that the Youghtanunds were
absorbed into the Manskins
and crossed the river to settle at Manskin Lodge.
Martha McCartney indicates that the Pamunkey warriors
were transported to Tangier island after they were captured in 1645 in retaliation for the 1644
Massacre. The census of 1669 were 20 Mattaponi, and only 50 Pamunkey. Langston shows
Opechancanoughs headquarters as the Island which is labeled Manskin in most of the period
maps.
Ergo: The Youghtanunds, Manskin and Pamunkey were sister
tribes (villages?) with extremeley close affiliations.
The Youghtanunds, were absorbed into the Manskin and then both the Manskin and Pamunkeys moved their warriors to the Island
field under Opechancanough’s leadership.
Smith may have been exaggerating at 700 warriors, but still the only way to
achieve these numbers
was if the warriors were the Pamunkey warriors. This warrior group was temporarily labled Manskin on the Maps because that was
the closest tribe. When Menmend on the Island Field was attacked and captured in 1645 , the
Youghtanund and Manskin identity is lost because there now was no physical location or
remaining peoples to which to attach their name to.