The starving time
When John Smith departed for England in October, 1609, about 500 settlers occupied James Fort and its surrounding environs (it would not be known as James Towne for another decade). The spring of 1610 found only 60 settlers still alive. Once Powhatan learned of Smith’s departure from the colony he ordered his confederacy to stop trading with the English, and to not provide them with any food. John Ratcliffe, who assumed the leadership of the colony, attempted to meet with Powhatan and negotiate a trade agreement. Powhatan had the Englishmen tortured to death, and his warriors began attacking English hunting parties.
With the supply expedition shipwrecked in Bermuda, the failure of the crops due to the drought, and the attacks of the natives, the colony simply did not have enough food. The colonists, according to archaeological evidence, butchered dogs, cats, horses, and any other animals they could find. Some evidence suggests that they may have resorted to cannibalism. With Smith gone and Ratcliffe dead, few written records were kept. Unable to enter the woods to obtain firewood due to the threat from the natives, the settlers gradually tore down the settlement, burning the wood obtained for warmth.