In 1619 , Opchanacanough sent him to propose that the English contribute eight to ten soldiers to accompany a Powhatan war party for an assault on a Siouan-speaking tribe above the Fall Line to avenge some Powhatan women they had slain . In return , the Powhatans would equally share all plundered captives , corn and territory with the English . This proposal was accepted by House of Burgesses ; however , it failed to implement it by supplying the soldiers . A short time before the Indian massacre of 1622 , in which the Powhatan attacked Henricus , Nemattanew appeared at the home of settler Morgan . He saw some trading-trinkets and proposed taking Morgan to Pamunkey to gain a good price . Morgan was never seen again . A few days later , Nemattanew showed up at the plantation and announced Morgan 's death . As he was wearing Morgan 's hat , settlers suspected the Native American might have killed the settler . They tried to force him to go with them to the nearest magistrate , he resisted , and one of the English fatally shot him . As Nemattanew lay dying , he begged to be buried behind English lines and not to reveal to his people that he had been felled by English fire . In England , John Smith , who had not been in Virginia since 1609 , wrote in his 1624 '' Generall Historie '' of Nemattanew 's death as occurring two weeks before the Henrico massacre . But 20th-century historian Rountree says , based on contemporary documents , particularly '' Council in Virginia '' , that it occurred no later than November 1621 , while George Yeardley was still governor . This was five months before the massacre . There is some evidence in this document that by 1621 , Nemattanew had fallen out of favor with Opchanacanough . Modern historians debate the nature of Nemattanew 's true role in this event . They agree that the massacre was already being planned before he died , rather than being in reaction to his murder by the English colonists .
Indian massacre of 1622
Indian massacre of 1622
Nemattanew