University of Virginia Library

6. CHAPTER VI.
CONCLUSION.

The next day Bacon, he, having withdrawn his army a league from the
town, despatched a messenger to receive the commission of general that
had been promised to him. During the absence of this individual, rumor
came that the Indians, taking advantage of the intestine civil broils between
the Governor's and Bacon's factions, had penetrated within forty
miles of the capital, with a large force, burning and slaying wherever they
came. He immediately placed his men in order of march, and on horseback,
surrounded by his chief officers, waited the return of his messenger.
He at length appeared, and said that he was commanded by the Governor
to say that the commission could be given only to Colonel Bacon in person,
and that if he delayed longer than the third day thereafter, to come and receive
it, it would be clearly taken for granted that he did not truly desire it,
and only had demanded it to cover his own rebellious designs.

This reply fired Bacon with indignation; but he knew too well the character
of the Governor to be surprised at it. His first impulse was to march
into the town, and chastise the Governor who had sent such a message,
and the assembly that had ratified it. But his love for his country over-came
his personal feelings, and without hesitation, he gave the command
to march forthwith against the Indians.

He had been on his march but a few hours, when the Governor's troops,
to the number of twelve hundred men, arrived in the town, and encamped
on the green so lately occupied by the insurgent forces. He immediately
ordered them to be in readiness to pursue Bacon, whom he now a second
time proclaimed a rebel, and on pain of forfeiture of estate and imprisonment,
aid him in suppressing the rebellion.

At this time arose a murmur of dissatisfaction among the troops, already
favoring Bacon's proceedings; and answering that they came `to fight Indians,
and not Virginians,' they re-embarked in three boats and vessels, and
to a man returned across the bay their homes.

council of war, fairly tried him, and proved that he had thrice gone between
his enemy and Jamestown, on private service for the Governor. The
proof was clear; yet Bacon, unwilling to shed the first blood in the quarrel,
declared openly to him, in the hearing of the whole line, `that if one man
in the army would speak a word to save him, he should not suffer death.'
No one interceded for him, and he was shot. This clemency of the insurgent
leader greatly increased his popularity, and added numbers, hitherto
neutral, to the force he commanded.

Sir William Berkley, on hearing of Bacon's approach, tried to gather a
force to withstand him.

But the popularity of the opposite cause was greater than that of the
loyal party, and he could not muster more than three hundred men to
stand by him in the defence—a third of whom were members of the Assembly,
and private gentlemen personally disaffected towards Bacon.

With these, however, the Governor determined to make resistance, and
threw up a breast-work across the narrow peninsula, which joined the
town to the main land. This he protected by four pieces of cannon planted
a hundred rods in the rear; and taking up his position with more resolution
and courage than it was supposed his bartering and avaricious spirit
had left in him, he waited the advance of the insurgents.

The same afternoon, Bacon arrived in sight of the works, and taking a
close view of them, did not see fit to attack the position, but went to work
and threw up an embankment beyond musket shot and twice the height of
the barrier, so that in the morning the Governor found that his position
was commanded by that of his enemy. He elevated his cannon, and was
about to open a fire upon his work, when to his surprise, he saw several
ladies appear upon the rebel's ramparts, whose husbands were with him
in his own party. This produced surprise and consternation on his side,
and the firing was instantly withheld. As they stood uncertain how to act,
they found their own defences suddenly and in d moment carried, while
they, for fear of slaying the ladies on the ramparts, were unable to return a
single shot. This singular step on the part of the insurgent leader was
taken doubtless to prevent unnecessary blood-shed, in which he was partially
successful. The Governor finding his works carried and the enemy
in the town, resisted them a few minutes, and then, with the loss of several
men, precipitately fled to his vessels, and crossing the bay left the town in
the hands of the rebels.

The quarrel had now taken the aspect of a civil war, and Bacon felt that
he had gone too far to retract. He now resolved to take the government
into his own hands, send out a true representation of the whole affair to
His Majesty, and throw himself upon the king's clemency. He was herein
a rebel, but not a traitor. To any other man than Sir William Berkley,
appointed by the king, he was ready to resign his authority and yield up
his power. To him he determined never again to pay allegiance.

Up to this period, the impartial historian will perhaps justify the conduct
of Nathaneil Bacon. He was now, however, under the excitement of
conquests, about to commit an act, but for which his name might have
come down to us as that of a patriot leader of the loftiest virtue and courage.
It is difficult to tell why Colonel Bacon should have burned Jamestown.
That he thought its destruction necessary to his safety, is probable.
But whatever may have been his motive for this flagrant act, it stands recorded
against him as a crime of the deepest dye, and is the main point on
which hangs his reputation as a lawless rebel. Before night, the whole
fair `towne' was in a heap of ashes—church and state house, hotel and private
dwelling—not a roof remained to tell where in the morning stood the
capital!

The next day he marched out of the town, and prepared to take up a
strong position not far above on James River, having some unknown design
in contemplation, when he was suddenly seized with illness while on
horseback, and died three days afterwards—it is said from the effects of
poison rubbed upon his saddle by the Indian Cineca.

This event at once put an end to the rebellion, which bid fair, measured
by the awakening ambition of its head, to separate Virginia from Great
Britain. Those gentlemen who could save themselves by flight instantly
did so. Many of the insurgent officers, among whom was Major Larence,
were taken and executed, and numerous estates were confiscated.

It was a season of triumph as well as profit to Sir William Berkley, who
soon made himself opulent on the rebel's spoils. He soon after went to
England, it was rumored by command of the king, leaving Colonel Jeffries
in his place as governor of the province. It is well known that Charles,
hearing of his arrival in London, said of him, with the characteristic freedom
with which he was wont te speak of his public officers:

`That old fool has hanged more men in that naked country than I have
done for the murder of my father!'

The Governor, hearing of this, became so mortified with grief and vexation,
that he died soon after, without seeing His Majesty, his vast property
escheating to the crown.

Thus terminated the famous `Bacon's rebelion, and the lives of the principal
actors therein.' If the private documents from which the facts in this
brief outline are taken, speak the truth, the name of Colonel Bacon will be
rescued from the infamy which has adhered to it, for a century and a half:
the stigma of corruption, cruelty and treachery, will be fixed on the administration
by which he was condemned; and one more case will be added to
those which prove that insurrections proceed oftener from the misconduct of
those in power, than from the factious and turbulent temper of the people.