I stept down and amongst the crown of Spectators found the seamen of my sloop, who pray'd me not to stir from them, when in two minutes, the Govern'r walk'd towards his private apartm't. a Coits cast distant at the other end of the Statehouse, the gentlemen of the councill following him, and after them walked Mr. Bacon with outragious postures of his head arms body & legs, often tossing his hands from his sword to his hat and after him came a detachment of ffusileers (musketts not being then in use) who with their cocks bent presented their ffusils at a window of the assembly chamber filled with faces, repeating with menacing voices "we will have it, we will have it," half a minute when as one of our house a person known to many of them, shook his handkercher out at the window, "saying you shall have it, you shall have it," 3 or 4 times; at these words they saté down their fusils unbent their locks and stood still untill Bacon coming back, they followed him to their main body; in this hubub a servant of mine got so nigh as to hear the Govern'rs words, and also followed Mr. Bacon, and heard what he said, who came & told me, that when the Govern'r opened his breast he said, "here! shoot me, foregod fair mark, shoot; often rehearsing the same, without any other words; whereto Mr. Bacon answered "No may it please yo'r hono'r we will not "hurt a hair of yo'r head, nor of any other mans, we are come for a "Co'mission to save our lives from th' Indians, which you have so often "promised, and now we will have it before we go."

But when Mr. Bacon followed the Govern'r & Councill with the forementioned impetuous (like delirious) actions whil'st that party presented their ffusils at the window full of ffaces, he said "Dam my bloud I'le kill "Govern'r Councill assembly & all, and then I'le sheath my sword in my

own hearts bloud;" and afterwards 'twas said Bacon had given a signal to his men who presented their fusils at those gasing out at the window that if he should draw his sword, they were on sight of it to fire, and slay us, so near was the massacre of us all that very minute, had Bacon in that paroxism of phrentick fury but drawn his sword, before the pacifick handkercher was shaken out at window.

In an hour or more after these violent concussions Mr. Bacon came up to our chamber and desired a co'mission from us to go against the Indians; our Speaker sat silent, when one Mr. Blayton a neighbor to Mr. Bacon & elected with him a member of assembly for the same county (who therefore durst speak to him) made answer, "'twas not in our province, or power, nor of any other, save the king's viceregent our Govern'r, he press'd hard nigh half an hours harangue on the preserving our lives from the Indians, inspecting the publick revenues, th' exorbitant taxes and redressing the grievances and calamities of that deplorable country, whereto having no other answer he went away dissatisfied.

Next day there was a rumour the Govern'r & councill had agreed Mr. Bacon shou'd have a co'mission to go Generall of the fforces, we then were raising, whereupon I being a member of Stafford, the most northern frontier, and where the war begun, considering that Mr. Bacon dwelling in the most Southern ffrontier, county, might the less regard the parts I represented, I went to Coll: Cole (an active member of the councill) desiting his advice, if applicac'ons to Mr. Bacon on that subject were then

seasonable and safe, which he approving and earnestly advising, I went to Mr. Laurence who was esteemed Mr. Bacon's principal consultant, to whom he took me with him, and there left me where I was entertained 2 or 3 hours with the particular relac'ons of diverse before recited transactions; and as to the matter I spake of, he told me, the Govern'r had indeed promised him the command of the forces, and if his hono'r shou'd keep his word (which he doubted) he assured me "the like care should be "taken of the remotest corners in the land, as of his own dwelling-house, " and pray'd me to advise him what persons in those parts were most fit to "bear commands." I frankly gave him my opinion that the most satisfactory gentlemen to govern'r & people, wou'd be co'manders of the militia, wherewith he was well pleased, and himself wrote a list of those nomina

ted.

That evening I made known what had passed with Mr. Bacon to my colleague Coll: Mason [whose bottle attendance doubted my task] the matter he liked well, but questioned the Govern'rs approbation of it.

I confess'd the case required sedate thoughts, reasoning, that he and such like gentlemen must either co'mand or be co'manded, and if on their denials Mr. Bacon should take distaste, and be constrained to appoint co'manders out of the rabble, the Govern'r himself with the persons & estates of all in the land woud be at their dispose, whereby their own ruine might be owing to themselves; in this he agreed & said "If "the Govern'r woud give his own co'mission he would be content "to serve under General Bacon [as now he began to be intituled] but "first would consult other gentlemen in the same circumstances; who all concurr'd 'twas the most safe barrier in view against pernicious designes, if such should be put in practice; with this I acquainted Mr. Laurence who went [rejoicing] to Mr. Bacon with the good tidings, that the militia co'manders were inclined to serve under him, as their Generall, in case the Governor would please to give them his own co'missions.

Wee of the house proceeded to finish the bill for the war, which by the assent of the Govern'r and councill being past into an act, the Govern'r sent us a letter directed to his majesty, wherein were these words "I have "above 30 years governed the most flourishing conntry the sun ever shone "over, but am now encompassed with rebellion like waters in every re"spect like to that of Massanello except their leader, and of like import was the substance of that letter, But we did not believe his hono'r sent us all he wrote his majesty.

Some judicious gentlemen of our house likewise penn'd a letter or remonstrance to be sent his Maj'tie, setting forth the gradations of those erupc'ons, and two or three of them with Mr. Minge our clerk brought it me to compile a few lines for the conclusion of it, which I did [tho not without regret in those watchfull times, when every man had eyes on him, but what I wrote was with all possible deferrence to the Govern'r and in the most soft terms my pen cou'd find the case to admit.

Col. Spencer being my neighbor & intimate friend, and a prevalent member in the council I pray'd him to intreat the Govern'r we might be dissolved, for that was my first and should be my last going astray from my wonted sphere of merchandize & other my private concernments into the dark and slippery meanders of court embarrasments, he told me the Govern'r had not (then) determined his intention, but he wou'd move his hono'r about itt, and in 2 or 3 days we were dissolved, which I was most heartily glad of, because of my getting loose againe from being hampered amongst those pernicious entanglem'ts in the labyrinths & snares of state ambiguities, & which untill then I had not seen the practice nor the dangers of, for it was observ'd that severall of the members had secret badges of distinction fixt upon 'em, as not docill enough to gallop the future races, that court seem'd disposed to lead 'em, whose maxims I had oft times heard whisper'd before, and then found confirm'd by diverse considerate gentlem'n viz't. "that the wise and the rich were prone to ffaction & se"dition but the fools & poor were easy to be governed."

Many members being met one evening nigh sunsett, to take our leave of each other, in order next day to return homewards, came Gen'll. Bacon with his handfull of unfolded papers & overlooking us round, walking in the room said "which of these Gentlem'n shall I interest to write a few words for me, where every one looking aside as not willing to meddle; Mr. Lawrence pointed at me saying "that gentleman writes very well which I endeavoring to excuse Mr. Bacon came stooping to the ground and said "pray S'r Do me the ho'r to write a line for me.

This surprising accostm't shockt me into a melancholy consternation, dreading upon one hand, that Stafford county would feel the smart of his resentment, if I should refuse him whose favour I had so lately sought and been generously promis'd on their behalf; and on th' other hand fearing the Govern'rs displeasure who I knew would soon hear of it; what seem'd most prudent at this hazardous dilemma was to obviate the present impending peril; So Mr. Bacon made me sit the whole night by him filling up those papers, which I then saw were blank co'missions sign'd by the Govern'r incerting such names & writing other matters as he dictated, which I took to be the happy effects of the consult before mentioned, with the com'anders of the militia because he gave me the names of very few others to put into these com'issions, and in the morning he left me with an hours worke or more to finish, when came to me Capt. Carver, and said he had been to wait on the Generall for a com'ission, and that he was resolved to adventure his old bones against the Indian rogues with other the like discourse, and at length told me that I was in mighty favour and he was bid to tell me, that whatever I desired

in the Generals power, was at my service, I pray'd him humbly to thank his hon'r and to acquaint him I had no other boon to crave, than his promis'd kindness to Stafford county, for beside the not being worthy, I never had been conversant in military matters, and also having lived tenderly, my service cou'd be of no benefit because the hardships and fatigues of a wilderness campaigne would put a speedy period to my dais: little expecting to hear of more intestine broiles, I went home to Potomack, where reports were afterwards various; we had account that Generall Bacon was march'd with a thousand men into the fforest to seek the enemy Indians, and in a few dais after our next news was, that the Govern'r had sum'oned together the militia of Gloucester & Middlesex counties to the number of twelve hundred men, and proposed to them to follow & and suppress that rebell Bacon, whereupon arose a murmuring before his face "Bacon Bacon Bocon, and all walked out of the field, muttering as they went "Bacon Bacon Bacon, leaving the Governor and those that came with him to themselves, who being thus abandon'd wafted over Chesepiacke. bay 30 miles to Accomack where are two counties of Virginia.

Mr. Bacon hearing of this came back part of the way, and sent out parties of horse patrolling through every county, carrying away prisoners all whom he distrusted might any more molest his Indian prosecuc'on yet giving liberty to such as pledg'd him their oaths to return home and live quiet; the copies or contents of which oaths I never saw, but heard werę very strict, tho' little observed.

About this time was a spie detected pretending himself a deserter who had twice or thrice come and gone from party to party and was by councill of war sentenced to death. after which Bacon declared openly to him, "that if any one in the army wou'd speak a word to save him, he shou'd "not suffer," which no man appearing to do, he was executed, upon this manifestation of clemency Bacon was applauded for a mercifull man, not willing to spill Christian bloud, nor indeed was it said, that he put any other man to death in cold bloud, or plunder any house; nigh the same time came Maj'r Langston with his troop of horse and quartered two nights at my house who [after high compliments from the Generall] told me I was desired "to accept the Lieutenancy for preserving the peace in the 5 Northern counties betwixt Potomack and Rappahannock rivers, I humbly thank'd his hon'r excusing myself, as I had done before on that invitation of the like nature at James town, but did hear he was mightily offended at my evasions and threatened to remember me.

The Govern'r made 2d, attempt coming over from Accomack with what men he could procure in sloops and boats, forty miles up the river to James town, which Bacon hearing of, came againe down from his fforest pursuit, and finding a bank not a fright shot long, cast up thwart the neck of the peninsula there in James town, he stormed it, and took the town, in which attack were 12. men slaine & wounded but the Govern'r with most of his followers fled back, down the river in their vessells.

Here resting a few dais they concerted the burning of the town, wherein Mr. Lawrence and Mr. Drumond owning the two best houses save one, sat fire each to his own house, which example the souldiers following laid the whole town with church and State house in ashes, saying, the rogues should harbour no more there,

On these reiterated molestacions Bacon calls a convention at Midle plantation 15. miles from James town in the month of August 1676, where an oath with one or more proclamations were formed, and writts by him issued for an Assembly; the oaths or writts I never saw, but one proclamation com'anded all men in the land on pain of death to joine him, and retire into the wildernesse upon arrival of the forces expected from England, and oppose them untill they should propose to accept to treat of an accom'odntion, which we who lived comfortably coud not have undergone, so as the whole land must have become an Aceldama if gods ex ceeding mercy had not timely removed him.

During these tumults in Virginia a 2d. danger menaced Maryland by

an insurrection in that province, complaining of their heavy taxes &c. where 2 or 3 of the leading malcontents [men otherwise of laudable characters] were put to death, which stifled the farther spreading of that flame. Mr. Bacon, [at this time] press't the best ship in James river, carrying 20 guns and putting into her his Lieutenant Generall Mr. Bland [a gentleman newly come thither from England to possesse the estate of his deceased uncle late of the council] and under him the forementioned Capt. Carver, formerly a com'ander of Merch'ts ships with men & all necessaries, he sent her to ride before Accomack to curb and intercept all small vessels of war com'ission'd by the Govern'r com'ing often over and making depredations on the Western shoar, as if we had been fforeign enemies, which gives occasion in this place to digress a few words.

Att first assembly after the peace came a message to them from the Govern'r for some marks of distinction to be set on his loyal friends of Accomack, who received him in his adversity which when came to be consider'd Col: Warner [then Speaker] told the house "Ye know that "what mark of distinction his hono'r coud have sett on those of Acco"mack unlesse to give them ear marks or burnt marks for robbing and "ravaging honest people, who stay'd at home and preserv'd the estates " of those who ran away, when none intended to hurt 'em."

Now returning to Capt Carver the Govern'r sent for him to come on shoar, promising his peaceable return, who answer'd, he could not trust his word, but if he wou'd send his hand & seal, he wou'd adventure to wait upon his hono'r which was done, and Carver went in his sloop well arm'd & man'd with the most trusty of his men where he was caress'd. with wine &c. and large promises, if he would forsake Bacon, resigne his ship or joine with him, to all which he answer'd that "if he served the "Devill he would be true to his trust, but that he was resolved to go "home and live quiet.

In the mean time of this recepc'on and parley, an armed boat was prepared with many oars in a creek not far off, but out of sight, which when Carver sail'd, row'd out of the creek, and it being almost calm the boat out went the sloop whilst all on board the ship were upon the deck staring at both, thinking the boats company coming on board by Carvers invitation to be civilly entertained in requitall for the kindness they supposed he had received on shoar, untill coming under the stern, those in the boat slipt nimbly in at the gun room ports with pistolls &c. when one courageous gentleman ran up to the deck, & clapt a pistoll to Blands breast, saying you are my prisorner, the boats company suddainly following with pistolls swords &c. and after Capt. Larimore (the com'ander of the ship before she was presst) having from the highest and hindmost part of the stern interchang'd a signal from the shoar, by flirting his handkercher about his nose, his own former crew had laid handspikes ready, which they [at that instant] caught up &c. so as Bland & Carvers men were amazed and yielded.

Carver seeing a hurly burly on the ships deck, woud have gone away with his sloop, but having little wind & the ship threat'ning to sink him, he tamely came on board, where Bland & he with their party were laid in irons,

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