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as the church, built of brick, fair and large, and in CHAPTER them about a dozen families, for all were not inhabited, getting their livings by keeping ordinaries at most 1676. extraordinary rates.” The legislative attempts to build up Jamestown seem not to have been attended with much success. Drummond and Lawrence were accused of having counseled this conflagration, and of giving the example by each setting fire to his own house, the best in the town next to the governor's.

Jamestown burned, Bacon marched to meet Colonel Brent, who was advancing fast upon him from Potomac, at the head of twelve hundred men, to raise the siege of Jamestown. Brent was presently deserted by his soldiers, and Berkeley having again retired to Accomac, Bacon marched to Green Spring, the governor's estate, where he "feasted his men at the governor's cost;" after which he crossed York River into Gloucester, and succeeded, though not without a good deal of difficulty, in inducing the inhabitants of that county to take the engagement.

The whole western shore thus subjected to his authority, just as Bacon was purposing to cross over to Accomac, he was seized with a violent disorder, contracted among the marshes of Jamestown, by which he was soon carried off. He had taken the most prominent Oct. part in the late commotions, known, from him, as BACON's REBELLION, but, as often happens in such cases, others less forward had exerted perhaps a greater influence. The governor considered Drummond and Lawrence as the prime movers, and, as such, had specially excepted them from all offers of pardon. Drummond was a "sober Scotch gentleman of good repute." He had formerly been appointed by Berkeley governor of the infant settlements of North Carolina, but was at this time, prob

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CHAPTER ably from a long course of opposition, an object of great rancor on the part of the governor, who stigmatized him, 1676. indeed, as "the original cause of the whole rebellion." Lawrence was "formerly of Oxford University, and for wit, learning, and sobriety, equaled there by few." Some years before, he had been partially treated at law" by the governor and council "on behalf of a corrupt favorite." "I myself have heard him," says our historical burgess from Stafford county, "in his familiar discourse, insinuate as if his fancy gave him prospect of finding, at one time or other, some expedient not only to repair his great loss, but therewith to see those abuses rectified that the country was oppressed with, through, as he said, the frowardness, avarice, and French despotic methods of the governor. And likewise I knew him to be a thinking man, and, though nicely honest, affable, and without blemish in his conversation and dealings, yet did he manifest abundance of uneasiness in the sense of his hard usages, which might prompt him to improve that Indian quarrel to the service of his animosities. And for this the more fair and frequent opportunities offered by his dwelling at Jamestown, where was the concourse from all parts to the governor; and besides that, he had married a wealthy widow, who kept a large house of public entertainment, unto which resorted those of the best quality, and such others as business called to that town; and his parts, with his even temper, made his converse courted by persons of all ranks; so that, being subtile, and having all these advantages, he might with less difficulty discover men's inclinations, and instill his notions where he found they would be imbibed with greatest satisfaction." "As for Mr. Bacon, fame did lay to his charge the having run out his patrimony in England, except what he brought to Virginia, and of

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that the most part to be exhausted, which together made CHAPTER him suspected of casting an eye to search for retrievements in the troubled waters of popular discontents, 1676. wanting patience to wait the death of his opulent cousin, old Colonel Bacon, whose estate he expected to inherit. But he was too young, too much a stranger here, and of a disposition too precipitate to manage things to that length they were carried, had not thoughtful Mr. Lawrence been at the bottom."

With Bacon's life expired his commission, granted by the Assembly; also the engagement, which ran to him personally. The insurgents, however, still stood on their defense, the chief military command devolving on Ingram, recently come into the country, where he had possessed himself" of a fine, though short-lived estate, by marrying · with a rich widow, valued at some hundreds of pounds."

Not long after Bacon's death, Beverley, having sailed from Accomac in a sloop, entered York River, "snapped up" one Colonel Hansford and his party, and carried them prisoners to Accomac. This Hansford "had the honor," according to one of our authorities, "the ill luck," according to another, "to be the first Virginian that ever was hanged." "It is said," this latter authority reports, "that Hansford, at or a little before the onslaught, had forsaken the capital of Mars to pay his oblations in the temple of Venus; but this I have only on report, and must not aver it upon my historical reputation." This anonymous writer is evidently somewhat given to scandal, since he charges upon "thoughtful Mr. Lawrence" that he "eclipsed his more than ordinary learning and parts as well in the transactions of the present affairs as in the dark embraces of a blackamoor, his slave, and that in so fond a manner as though Venus was chiefly to be worshiped in the image of a

CHAPTER negro, to the no mean scandal and affront of all the votaresses in and about town."

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1677. In a second expedition, not long after, Beverley sucNov. ceeded in surprising and capturing Wilford and Cheaseman, two other of the rebel leaders. Wilford was an Indian interpreter, "second son of a knight who had lost his life and estate in the late king's quarrel," one of those who went out with Bacon in the first Indian expedition, and charged by Berkeley with having frighted the Queen of Pamunkey from the lands granted to her by the Assembly. Wilford was hanged. Cheaseman's wife begged his life on her knees, "desiring that since what her husband had done was by her means, and so, by consequence, she most guilty, she might be hanged and he pardoned!" The angry governor overwhelmed this devoted woman with vulgar abuse. Her husband died in prison, before trial, of grief, fear, or bad usage, all of which were alleged.

Encouraged by these successes, and joined by two or three English ships lately arrived in the bay, Berkeley sailed for York River with all his forces. Beverley, a third time successful, surprised Harris, quartered in Gloucester county with a party of insurgents. The men of Gloucester and Middlesex were thus encouraged to rise in the governor's favor. The principal body of insurgents, commanded by Ingram in person, with one Walklett as his lieutenant, was posted at West Point, a strong position at the forks of Pamunkey and Matapony, where they unite to form York River. Walklett presently marched with a detachment to suppress the rising in Middlesex. A part of the Gloucester men hastened to cut him off. But, in the mean time, those who remained behind, suddenly attacked by Ingram, were obliged to surrender. The others, returning unsuccessful from their

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march against Walklett, also surrendered, and Glou- CHAPTER cester passed again under the power of the insurgents. Green Spring, in James City county, on the other side 1676. of the York, the governor's estate, was held by a strong insurgent party, who had barricadoed all the approaches, and planted cannon to defend them. An attack on this post by a part of the governor's forces was repulsed with the loss of the leader.

tiation.

Unsuccessful in arms, Berkeley had recourse to negoHe wrote several "complimental letters" to Walklett, and by the "well contrivance" of Captain Grantham, in whose ship Ingram had formerly come passenger to Virginia, the two leaders, on promise of pardon, were induced to betray their forces into the governor's hands. About the same time, Graines, "the chiefest rebel on the south side of James River, was shot dead by Captain Couset, and all his guards, with drums, fol- 1677. lowers, and ammunition, taken." The greater part of January. James River declared for the governor. Drew, "formerly a miller," but placed in command of Green Spring by Bacon, surrendered on terms. Drummond, taken, half famished, in Chickahominy Swamp, was stripped, put in irons, and brought before the governor, tried the next day by court martial, and, though he had never held any military command, found guilty in half "The an hour, and hanged within four hours after. last that was heard of Lawrence was from an uppermost plantation, whence he and four others, desperadoes, with horses, pistols, &c., marched away in a snow ankle deep, who were thought to have cast themselves into a branch of some river rather than be treated like Drummond." The forethought of Lawrence had caused Bacon to be secretly buried, so that "his bones were never found to be exposed on a gibbet, as was purposed.".