Page 169 - Maryland Historical Trust - Archaeology Colonial MD

The inclusion of the Choptico in this is notewor- thy, given that they had established themselves three decades prior and there are no records to suggest that they were under any increased threat from Susquehannock raids, other than by associa- tion with the Piscataway. By this time the Chopti- co were located in the heart of colonized English territory. Any incursion by the Susquehannock to Choptico would be observed by the numerous English plantations along the way. The Wicom- ico River was not, by that time, a feasible place to launch a large attack without provoking the English if you were a Susquehannock. Perhaps the English saw the conflict as a justification for
removing the Choptico, after already successfully removing the Mattapanian over a decade before.
At any rate, even with their removal to Zekiah Fort, the Piscataway and others were not immune from future attack. In August of 1681 the Iroquois besieged the Piscataway at Zekiah Fort. Colonial militia Captain, Randolph Brandt described hearing “a greate many Gunns shott in the night” and that nine men, four women, and four girls were taken captive, while one man was killed at Zekiah Fort.75 The following month, Lord Baltimore ordered Captain Brandt to garrison Zekiah Fort with English rangers. Interestingly, but perhaps not surprisingly, Lord Baltimore used
figure 29
Glass beads from Zekiah Fort.
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