Bacon's Rebellion; Wm. and Mary Qrtly., Vol. 9, No. 1 Transcribed by Nancy Taylor for the USGenWeb Archives Special Collections Project ************************************************************************ USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. http://www.usgwarchives.net *********************************************************************** William and Mary College Quarterly Historical Magazine. ____________________________________________________ Vol. IX JULY, 1900 No. 1. ____________________________________________________ BACON'S REBELLION. Eggleson MSS.: Being copies of State Papers now in the British Public Record Office, London, relating to the seventeenth century. Virginia State Library. A Discription of the Fight * between the English and the Indians, in May 1676. Nathanial Bacon, Esqr. being their Generall, The number of his men, two hundred and eleven. Wee found the Indian in all places unwilling to assist us against the common enemy, they having received orders to the contrary from the Right Hono'ble the Governer, soe that we were forced to goe quite out of out way Southward, to gett of the Nottowaies, and Mayherrings what assistance Wee could, who at last amounted but to 24 men; during which time our pvisions were so much wasted, that when Wee came to action, wee had not to half the company one daies provision, and very many none at all, soe that upon equall sharing, which was propounded wee ____________________________________________________ * On news that the Susquehanna Indians, who had committed many murders at the falls of the Rappahannock River, had appeared at the falls of the James, and were moving southward, some of the people of that part of Charles City, afterwards called Prince George, formed an encampment of Jordan's Point. There they were visited by Nathaniel Bacon, Jr., William Byrd, Henry Isham and William Crews, who had plantations in Henrico county, some distance above. Bacon assumed command of the volunteers, and , being denied a commission from Governor Berkeley, marched out against the Indians without one. Knowing that the Susquehanna would probably try to buy power of the Occanechee Indians, who lived on an island in the Roanoke River, and were great traders, Bacon directed his march in that direction. The story of his experience at the island is fully told by one of his soldiers in the narrative above. Bacon afterwards went on a second march against the Indians, the freshes of the York being the scene of his second battle. 2 WILLIAM AND MARY COLLEGE QUARTERLY. found ourselves not able to subsist for 3 daies, yet being promised some relief from the Hockinechy King Rossechy by name. Wee enter'd Island, Hoping to find some small relief to the Weary and faint, Wee had made our agreement that the Mannekings and Annelectons, who join with the Susquahanocks, and lived with their King in the forest, should at a signe given, cutt of the Susquahanocks, being in number but 30 men, besides Women and children, this accordingly was effected, and the prisoners by the King brought in, in triumph, and severall of the Susqua- hanocks by them putt to death, after their way, for that Wee refused to take that office, which they offered to us; after these were destroyed, wee again complained to the King for Want of the provision, and demanded the expected supply, but having viewed the posture of our Men, who were in great discontent, many of them leaving the Island at the very instant and returned home, the king began to alter his [sic] and desired us to stay six daies, and went from us, gathered together all his Indians, as also the Haykolotts, and Mannekings, and Anntectons, manned all his forts, and lined the other side of the River thick wth men, so that wee could neither well attaque them, nor dept. the Island, without some danger; wee neither saw nor heard from him, but having some jealousies of his proceedings, wee sent for him and by farther discourses being yett disatisfied, wee ordered the men to sourround the fort, with all expedition, and if they could to enter it. But the Indians had already possessed 3 forts, and were in a condition to fight, soe that what wee could doe, was to hinder the rest from entering the fort, which were very many still crowding in, and to demand satisfaction of their King, but he cunningly threw all the blame on the Mannekins, and Anne- tectons, whom he said were so many he could not rule them, but pretended to persuaded them; which he presuming to doe, making fare pretences, lying in guard with us all night, or what else should be thought convenient, provided wee would withdraw, which was only to secure his Magazine, his Wife, and children where were in his fort which wee destroyed. But wee absolutely denied to remove, until hee gave us better satisfaction of his intensions, which hee p-ceiving that noe artifices would prevaile in way of treaty (as we guessed) entred their middle fort, and pretended that his men would not lett him come our any more. But seeing wee had in our custodies in our cabins severall Men, BACON'S REBELLION 3 Women, and Children, hee pretended wee may take them for hostages, who before were our prisoners; in this posture things stood, when by the Watch word from the other side of the River, they began and killed one of our Men, which we quickly repaid them, firing in at all their men, ports holes, and other places soe thick that the groans of Men, Women, &N Children were so loud, that with all their howling, & singing, could not hinder them from being heard. Immediately wee fell upon the Men, Women, and Children without, and disarmed and destroyed them all, and the king's forts where all his Treasure, his wife and children and ammunition, with a strong guard of Men, Women and Children were, stook close to the portholes, fired and destroyed them, a great number of Men, Women and Children, whose groans were heard, but they all burnt, except 3 or 4 men, how hoping to escape broke out, and had a Wellcome by a liberall volly of shott, from our men, who lay close upon them, and wee imagined that none escaped but 4 men ( and they lost ) as wee know of, and about 40 besides what wee know not of, and besides Women, and Children; next day our fight continued till towards night, dur- ing which time they made severall skulking attempts, but our Men were soe conveniently placed everywhere, and ambuscadoed soe, that they presently returned, and had such wellcomes, that few or none of them escaped, but were shott behind trees as they stood, which the King pceiving, was resolved to make one brave sally and come verry boldly out, running and shouting into the fields, with about 20 men, and continued firing about 2 or 3 rounds, running all the while in a ring, or course about half a quarter of a mile, but hee was soe entertained on all hands, that himself was shot dead in the field, and many that from the brink of the river fell in there, so that of this pty wee could not pcieve, that 7 escaped, after which the remainder made all post hast to escape, not firing one gun from the forts; during all this time the people , having noe refreshments or meat, or drink, or sleep, began to grow very faint, seeing the Enemy had carried away all their provisions, women, & children, excepting about ten that remained in the middle fort, being jealous of rain, the weather being verry hott, and a small rain would have made it impossible to have brought our horses over, so that Wee unanimously agreed, rather to acquitt ye Island, than hazard being starved there, so that in short what wee did in that short time, and poor condition 4 WILLIAM AND MARY COLLEGE QUARTERLY. wee were in, was to destroy ye King of Susquahan, and the king of Ouhe, and the vth Mannekin King, with an 100 men, besides what dyd unknown to us: The King's daughter we took prisoner, with some others, and could have brought more, but in the heat of the fight wee regarded not the advantage of the prsionrs, nor any plunder, but burnt and destroyed all, but what we reckon most materiall, is that wee have left all nations of Indians, where wee have been engaged in a civill warr amongst themselves, soe that Wth great ease wee hope to mannage this advantage, to their utter ruine and destruction. Eg 2395. Folio 542. A copy of Mrs. Bacon's letter, the wife of Nathaniel Bacon, in Virginia, June ye 29th, 76, sent to her sister, & received the 26th of September, 1676, concerning a murder committed by the Indians. DEAR SISTER, I pray God keep the worst Enemy I have from ever being in such a sad condition as I have been in since my former to the: occasioned by ye troublesome Indians, who have killed one of our Overseers at an outward plantation which wee had, and we have lost a great stock of cattle, which wee had upon it, and a good crop that wee should have made there, such plantation Nobody durst come nigh, which is a very great losse to us. If you had been here, it would have grieved your heart to hear the pitiful complaints of the people, The Indians killing the people daily the Govern : not taking any notice of it for to hinder them, but let them daily doe all the mischief they can: I am sure if the Indians were not cowards, they might have destroied all the upper plantations, and killed all the people upon them; the Governour so much their friend, that hee would not suffer any body to hurt one of the Indians; and the poor people came to your brother to desire him to help against the Indians, and hee being very much concerned for the loss of his Overseer and for the losse of so many men and women and children's lives every day, hee was willing to doe them all the good hee could; so he begged of the Governour for a commission in severall letters to him, that hee might goe out against them, but hee would not grant one, so daily more mischief done by them, so BACON'S REBELLION 5 your brother not able to endure any longer, he went out without a commission. The Governr being very angry with him put out high things against him, and told mee that he would most cer- tainly hang him as soon as hee returned, wch hee would certainly have done; but what for fear of the Governour's hanging him, and what for fear of the Indians killing him brought mee to this sad condicon, but blessed be God hee came in very well, with the losse of a very few men; never was known such a fight in Virginia with so few men's losse. The fight did continue nigh a night and a day without intermission. They did destroy a great many of the Indians, thanks bee to God, and might have killed a great many more, but the Governr were so much the Indians' friend and our enemy, that hee sent the Indians word that Mr. Bacon was out against them, that they might save themselves. After Mr. Bacon was come in hee was forced to keep a guard of soldiers about his house, for the Governr would certainly have had his life taken away privately, if hee would have had oppor- tunity; but the country does so really love him, that they would not leave him alone any where; there was not any body against him but the Governr and a few of his great men, which have gott their Estates by the Governr; surely if your brother's crime had been so great, all the country would not have been for him, you never knew any better beloved than hee is. I doe verily believe that rather than hee should come to any hurt by the Governour or any body else they would most of them willingly loose their lives. The Governr has sent his Lady to England with great complaints to the King agt Mr. Bacon, but when Mr. Bacon's and all the people's complaints be also heard, I hope it may be very well. Since your brother came in hee hath sought to the Governr for commission, but none would be granted him, so that ye Indians have had a very good time, to doe more mischief. They have murdered and destroied a great many whole families since, and the men resolving not to goe under any but your brother, most of the country did rise in Armes, and went down to the Governr, and would not stirr till hee had given a commission to yor brother wch hee has now done. He is made Generall of the Virginia Warr, and now I live in great fear, that hee should loose his life amongst them. They are come verry nigh our Plantation where we live. Eg 2395. Folio 550. 6 WILLIAM AND MARY COLLEGE QUARTERLY. Mr. Bacon's * acct of their troubles in Virginia by ye Indians, June ye 18th, 1676. By an Act of State it was pvided for ye better security of the country, That no Trade should be held with ye Indians, notwth- standing wch our present Governr monopolized a trade wth ye Indians & granted licences to others to trade wth ym for wch hee had every 3rd skinne, which trading wth ye Indians has proved soe fatall to these pts of ye world, yt I feare wee shall bee all lost for this comerce having acquainted ye Indians or neighbours, but most inveterate Enemy wth out manner of living and disipline of warr; has also brought them generally to ye use of or Fire Arms wth such dexterity, yt orselves often hire ym to kill Deare; & they have allmost lost ye use their bowes and arrows, & every body through connivance have for lucre sake supplied ym wth ammunition (though a prohibited commodity) yt they have been in a condition to punish us. Things standing in this posture, they have entered into gen- erall bloody warr wth all these pts of ye world, ye murders and depradations they have comitted here are horrible and continuall, laying a great part of ye country desolate, and forcing the inhabi- tants to fly from theire dwellings to their ruine; ye Governr (who from ye Neighbor Indians receives this Tribute & benefitt ______________________________________________________ *Mrs. Bacon was Elizabeth Duke, daughter of Sir Edward Duke. After the death of Nathaniel Bacon, Jr., she married Captain Thomas Jarvis, of Elizabeth City county, Va. She married, thirdly, Edward Mole. There is in the records of Elizabeth City county mention of a suit before the Master of Rolls in England between George Richards and William Wilson, plaintiffs, and Edward Mole and Elizabeth, his wife Edmund Foster and Thomas Jarvis, an infant by Edward Mole, his guardian, defendants. The decree of the Master of the Rolls, dated 28 October, in the second year of King James II., recites that Thomas Jarvis, in his life time, had a trading plantation of two hundred acres on the west side of Hampton River, in Elizabeth City county, Va., that by his will, dated April 6, 1684, he devised it to be sold, together with all his other property in Virginia, for the payment of his debts; the residue to go equally to his widow Elizabeth and son Thomas; that he made George Richards, said Elizabeth and Edmund Foster executors; ordered that the defendants join in a deed of sale of said real estate to William Wilson as per contract of George Richards, one of the executors, for fifty pounds sterling. Hampton was laid out in 1680 on fifty acres of land, on the west side of Hampton River, belonging to Thomas Jarvis, "where he now lives." (Hening's Statutes, II., 472.) BACON'S REBELLION 7 by ye trade still prtecting ym for these many years agt ye people, & tho. ye complaints of their murdrs have been continuall yett hee hath connived at ye great men's furnishing ym with amunition (wch by ye Law is death ), and ye sad effects thereof. Now ye Governr having placed mee here in a place of trust, I thought it my duty to discharge my conscience in it, by introducing a look- ing after ye wellfare of the people here, they being poor, few and in scattered habitations on ye Frontiers & remote pt of ye country, nigh these Indians, who falling upon us (as well as other pts) & killing amongst ye rest, my Overseer and laying desolate a plantation of mine to my great lose of cattle & all my crop: I sent to ye Governr for a commission to fall upon ym, but being from time to time denied, and finding yt ye country was basely for a small and sordid gain betraied, & ye lives and for- tunes of ye poor inhabitants wretchedly sacrificed, resolved to stand up in this ruinous gap; & rathr expose my life and fortune to all hazards, than basely desert my post, & by soe bad an exam- ple make desolate a whole country, in wch no one dared to stirr agt ye common Enemy, but came flying from ye Enemy and crowded together like sheep, leaving their plantains and stock a prey to ye Enemy. Upon this I resolved to march out upon the enemy wth wt vol- unteers I could ye gett, but by soe doing found yt I not onely lost ye Governour's favour, but exposed my verry life and fortune at home as well as abroad; for yt hee thou by mee and others often humbly requested, would by no means consent to my going out, being most unwilling yt point should bee handled, wch had been so long concealed; but considering ye necessity, I still pceeded, & returned wth a greater victory from sharper conflict than ever yett has been known in these pts of the world; for yt wth about 70 men onely wch engaged and stood by me ( ye service being too hott for ye rest) wee fell upon a town of ye Indians, consisting of 3 forts strongly mann'd beginning our fight after midnight close at their port holes, & maintained it so all ye remainder of ye night, & in yt time burnt their king's forts, & all theirin. The fight continued till ye next day about 3 or 4 in ye afternoon wthout ceasing, in wch time their king making a sally was killed wth most of his men, soe yt wee reckned, wee destroyed about 100 men and 2 of their kings, besides women & children. This victory being ye greatest & agt 2 of their most 8 WILLIAM AND MARY COLLEGE QUARTERLY. valiant nations gave great satisfaction to ye people, but soe en- raged ye Governr yt I came home with greater danger yn I went out, for being putt out of ye Councell, I was chosen by ye country a Burgesse, But going down in my sloop was seized on, & my fellow Burgesse putt in irons: but immediately all ye country was in armes for my relief, such an appearance as has not been known in Virginia, threatening ye ruine of all if any thing were done to my prejudice, who had so freely stood up in their defence, upon wch by ye importunity of my cousin, & to shew my cleanesse from any ill intencons as also to reconcile ye people and the Gov- ernr, who found my party too universall, & himself left wth none but his Councell, ye people generally disaffecting his prceedings, hee resolved imediately for England; unlesse I to solve his honr would submitt, & doe soe generous an Act (as my cozen formed it) as to acknowledge yt my actions were unjust & unwarrantable, to beat up drums wthout ye Governrs leave, wch if I should doe, all should be well; whereupon I followed his advice not suspecting ye pfidious hatred of ye Governr, who yett restored mee upon this to ye Councell, granted mee his pardon as fully as any ever was granted, and by one of the Burgesses proclaimed mee Generall to satisfy and disperse ye people, who were so satisfied herewth yt they all retired peaceably, but hee brok his word, & refused to signe my comission, wch ye people highly resented, expecting ye pformance of his word, & univrsally resolving to goe undr no other man; & thereupon all ye country imediately up in arms & their heat increased by ye repetition of ye sad and bloody mur- thers just at or doors for wee are surrounded wth nations of Indians on all sides, except ye seabord side of Virgina, so many yt none can guess at their number, who are now if not all a vast numbr of them confederated, & have for some time been in open wars wth us: ye stage and seat of ye war being now, & has for some time, nigh my doors, for you know Sr I have formerly intimated my vicinity to them, & yt as others did so I also had a mind to look into ye gainfulnesse of trading with them. Till I saw into ye tatail consequences thereof to ye country, wch made mee become ye Indians' Enemy, who have only used ye trade to furnish themselves with instrumts to destroy vs; you would wonder to see ye sad condition wee are in: ye Indians being every where seen, ye houses & plantacons Deserted, and all left a prey to ye Enemy, till within 3 miles of my dwelling, yet no man dared to BACON'S REBELLION 9 stir or endeavor to destroy ye Indians because some of ym whom ye Governr and those licensed by him trade wth, are under his ptection, thou we find ym all alike, neither can we distinguish this fatall undistinguishable distinction of ye Governr, who only for ye gain sake has so bridled all people, yt no man dare to destroy ye Indians, even in ye psuit of murder untill I adventured to cutt ye knott, wch made ye people in generall look upon mee as ye countries friend; for yt no man could pceive in my manner, Estate, or manner of living, how any indirect end, as levelling or rebellion, could make me desirous to exchange my fortune for worse; altho by the Governr & some other of his creatures, such terms were putt upon mee, and ye Governr being much incenced, and jealous of ye people's inclinations to mee, resolved after ye people were quietly dismissed, not only to deny my comission, but to take mee: and for the former, upon my servts report yt hee saw an Indian in ye way, ye Governr caused him to bee imprison'd & endeavoured to psuade ye house yt this report was only a plott to amuse ye people, &tho ye house gave little credence to ye Governrs story, yet he took occasion from hence, not to signe my comission, upon wch I desired his pmission to goe home, & took a civill leave, but hee taking ye advantage of my late departure, caused mee to be besett both by water, and land wth a designe to murder mee, wch a friend of mine acquainted mee wth. I took ye next horse, and went away alone. I was noe sooner gone but psued and searched for. They feeling the very beds for mee, seized on my Servants in Town, imprisoned them, but finding yt I was gone they were dismissed. Vpon my return without a comission, this strange disappointment of ye people, putt all in armes again, in each posture they went down to Town to expect ye pformance of ye Governrs promise, who then confirmed to ye people their desire, and has sent to England to acquaint his Maty of ye reasons and grounds of our distaccons & of his being now satisfied of my intentions, as you will further understand by his letter directed to his Maty from ye Governour and grand assembly. How long this fair weather will last I cannot tell, but doe earnestly desire wee may have so fair a representation in England, as ye countries complaints may be audited, either by agents from hense to England or there by commrs from thence: & his Mty & ye world will quickly pcieve how ye case stands be- tween the Governour, and the country. 10 WILLIAM AND MARY COLLEGE QUARTERLY. Sr I am at present engaged in providing for safety of ye coun- try, in all pts, hving ye care of ye warre upon my hands; there- fore I hope your will please to pardon my manner of Writing &Ca Eg 2395. Folio 551. Mrs. Bird's * relation, who lived nigh Mr. Bacon in Virginia, and came from there July last for feare of the Indians. Who saith, that before ever Mr. Bacon went out against the Indians, there were said to be above two hundred of the English murdered by the barbarous Indians, and posts came in daily to the Governr, giving notice of it, and yett no course was taken to secure them, till Mr. Bacon went out against them. And that her husband had 3 men killed by the Indians before Mr. Bacon stirr'd. which was made known to the Governour, who notwith- standing was so possess't to the countrary, that he would not believe it to be any other than a meer pretence, for to make warr against the Indians, and yt ye sd 3 men were alive and well, and onely shutt up in a chamber to make the world believe they were murdered. She further affirmed that neither Mr. Bacon nor any wth him had injured any English man in their persons or Estates, and yt ye country was generally well pleased wth wt they had done, and shee believed most of the councell also, so far as they durst show it. That ye most of ym wth Mr. Bacon were substantiall house- keepers who bore their own charges in this warre against the Indians. And yt so soon as Mr. Bacon had receiv'd his commis- sion from ye Governr, hee went out to ye people (as shee heard) and told ym yt tho. hee had no power before to restrain some of their too lavishly tongues, they should now find he would make use of his power, to punish any man severely, yt should dare to speak a word against the Governr or Government. Eg 2395. Folio 550. ______________________________________________________ *Mrs. Byrd was the wife of Captain William Byrd, a neighbor of Bacon's She was Mary Horsemanden, daughter of Colonel Warham Horsemanden, son of Rev. Daniel Horsemanden, removed by Parliament as a Cavalier minister in 1643.