Assacumet (also known as ''Assacomet'', ''Assecomet'', ''Sassacommett'', ''Sassacomoit'') was an early 17th-century Native American from the Wawenock

Abenaki The Abenaki (Abenaki: ''Wαpánahki'') are an Indigenous peoples of the Northeastern Woodlands of Canada and the United States. They are an Algonquian-speaking people and part of the Wabanaki Confederacy. The Eastern Abenaki language was predom ...

tribe.

Capture

Assacumet was captured in 1605 by Capt. George Weymouth of the ship ''Archangel'' near the

Pemaquid River The 19-mile Pemaquid River starts at Tobias Pond in Waldoboro and ends at Johns Bay, Bristol, Maine. Distances from south to north: * Mouth of Pemaquid Harbor to Route 130: * Route 130 to Biscay Pond (at point where river exits the pond): ; To ...

in Maine together with four others. Some sources list the other four as ''Tasquantum'' (better known as

Squanto Tisquantum (; 1585 (±10 years?) – late November 1622 O.S.), more commonly known as Squanto Sam (), was a member of the Patuxet tribe best known for being an early liaison between the Native American population in Southern New England and t ...

), ''Manida'', ''Skettwarroes'', and ''Dehamda''; others list them as ''Tahanedo'' ("a Sagamo or Commander"), ''Amoret'', ''Skicowaros'', and ''Maneddo '' (listed as "gentlemen". Sassacomoit is listed as "a servant".) They were taken to England with the intention of teaching them English before being returned to North America in order to aid future English efforts at colonization.

Challoung expedition

In England, Assacumet and at least two of the other Native Americans were given to Sir

Ferdinando Gorges Sir Ferdinando Gorges ( – 24 May 1647) was a naval and military commander and governor of the important port of Plymouth in England. He was involved in Essex's Rebellion against the Queen, but escaped punishment by testifying against the mai ...

, and learned English. In 1606 Gorges sent an expedition to America under Capt. Henry Challoung (also known as ''Chalowns'' and ''Chalon''), with Assacumet and Manida, to the

West Indies The West Indies is a subregion of North America, surrounded by the North Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea that includes 13 independent island countries and 18 dependencies and other territories in three major archipelagos: the Greater A ...

and

Puerto Rico Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and Unincorporated ...

. The ship was captured by a Spanish fleet and taken to Spain. The ship and goods were confiscated, and the crew made prisoners in

Seville Seville (; es, Sevilla, ) is the capital and largest city of the Spanish autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville. It is situated on the lower reaches of the River Guadalquivir, in the southwest of the Iberian Peninsula ...

. Manida was "lost" but Assacumet was eventually "recovered", after Captain John Barlee wrote to Secretary Cecil, urging him to use his influence to win the release of the two "savages.".

Epenow

Returned to Gorges' home, Assacumet was lodged with

Epenow Epenow (also spelled ''Epanow'') was a Nauset man from Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts who was kidnapped by sailors from an English merchant ship and taken to England in the 17th century. Being put on public display in London, Epenow eventually ...

, a

Wampanoag The Wampanoag , also rendered Wôpanâak, are an Indigenous people of the Northeastern Woodlands based in southeastern Massachusetts and historically parts of eastern Rhode Island,Salwen, "Indians of Southern New England and Long Island," p. 17 ...

captive captured in 1611, and helped him improve his English. In 1614, Assacumet accompanied Gorges' expedition under Capt. Nicholas Hobson to

Martha's Vineyard Martha's Vineyard, often simply called the Vineyard, is an island in the Northeastern United States, located south of Cape Cod in Dukes County, Massachusetts, known for being a popular, affluent summer colony. Martha's Vineyard includes the s ...

, where they had convinced him that gold lay in a ploy to escape, and where Epenow ultimately escaped.Biography and history of the Indians of North America By Samuel Gardner Drake. Boston, J. Drake, 1835.

References

{{Reflist 17th-century Native Americans Abenaki people People of colonial Maine