Whereas by reason of the late frequent distractions, which God in his mercy putt a suddaine period [sudden stop]. to, there being in England noe resident absolute and gen'll confessed power: Be it enacted and confirmed, That the supreame power of the government of this country shall be resident in the Assembly, and that all writts issued in the name of the Grand Assembly of Virginia, until such a comand and commission come out of England, shall be by the Assembly judged lawfull. Bee it enacted, That the honourable Sir William Berkeley bee Governour and Captain Gen'll of Virginia, and that he govern according to the ancient lawes of England and the established lawes of this country. . . . The restoration of Charles II in 1660 was followed by loyal acts of acknowledgment on the part of the colonies and expressions of pardon and goodwill from the amiable king. To Governor Berkeley, who had gone over to England shortly after the Restoration, the following instructions were issued: if .. You shall within one month after your arrival, or sooner, you think fit call a General Assembly according to the usage and custom of that our Colony and at the opening thereof you shall declare to them that we are graciously pleased to grant a free and General act of pardon and oblivion to all our subjects of what degree and quality whatsoever. . . excepting such persons who are attainted by act of Parliament for the horrid murder of our dear Father1 of blessed memory provided that you and the Assembly take present care for the repeal of all laws and orders made during the late times of rebellion and usurpation against our crown and dignity. . . . You shall let that Assembly know that we do expect from you and them that you establish good and wholesome rules and orders . . . for the punishment of all vice and debauchery and idleness . . . and that they likewise establish all necessary 1 The "regicide" members of the Rump Parliament who had voted for Charles I's execution, 1649. encouragements for virtue, industry and obedience, and for whatsoever may advance the wealth, honor, and reputation of that our Colony . . . in order to which we do very heartily recommend to you and their care and consideration. 1. That care be taken to dispose the Planters to be willing to build towns upon Every River, which must tend very much to their security and in time to their profit. . . . ... 2. That all possible endeavours be used and encouragement given to advance the plantation of Silk, Flax, Hemp, Pitch and potatoes for which we are well assured that climate and soil is very proper. . . . ... 3. Whereas we have been moved to put some restraint on the planting of Tobacco in that our Colony, both for the advancing of the other commodities we have recommended to you, and because the price thereof falls so low by the great quantities brought in from our other plantations, that the same will not in a short time be valuable to the planters or merchants . . . we do recommend the consideration and debate of the whole to you and our Assembly . . . and we do direct you that some Commissioners be appointed to treat with others of Maryland to that purpose, and a fitt place agreed upon for the same. In order whereunto we are well assured the Lord Baltimore will send Directions to those that are trusted by him. . . . 5. ... Whereas we have certain knowledge that very much Tobacco is shipped in that our Colony in Dutch vessels . . . and that very much which is put on English vessels is not yet brought into England . . . we do hereby require you that a very exact account you do cause to be . . . transmitted to our Counsellors and Farmers of our Customs here of all the Tobacco which shall be shipped from that our Colony in English vessels. . . . ... 8. You shall once every year transmit the true and full state of that our Colony to our Council of plantations here, with a particular account of every improvement you observe to be made by the industry of the planters as well as by the direction of the Government. In the year past what number of people have been transported thither . . . and what new plantations they have entered upon, and what new encouragement you desire from hence ... so that we may show you by some new 12. An eyewitness' account of Bacon's rebellion, 1675 1676 [33] multiplied grace and favor how much we take to heart the good and benefit and advancement of that our Colony and our good subjects thereof. 9. Lastly... we do hereby recommend to your wisdom and integrity that Justice be well and impartially administered, and that our good subjects shall have no cause of complaint. Given at our Court at White Hall this 12th day of September in the fourteenth year of our reign,1 1662 By his Majesties Command It would be hard to find in the whole mass of colonial literature a piece to surpass in interest the vivid and convincing narrative entitled "The Beginning, Progress and Conclusion of Bacon's Rebellion in Virginia." The account was written in 1705, at the request of Lord Oxford, by a Virginia planter and fellow-member of Bacon's in the House of Burgesses of 1676, who signs himself simply T. M. The manuscript was bought by the American minister in London, at a bookseller's sale, and sent to President Jefferson (December 20, 1803), who had a copy made for publication in the Richmond Enquirer, September 1, 5, 8, 1804. My dwelling was in Northumberland, the lowest county on the Potomack river, where having also a plantation, servants, cattle &c., my overseer there had agreed with one Robert Hen to come thither and be my herdsman, who then lived ten miles above it; but on a Sabbath day morning, in the summer anno 1675, people in their way to Church saw this Hen lying thwart his threshold, and an Indian without the door, both chopt on their heads, arms, and other parts, as if done with Indian hatchetts, the Indian was dead, but Hen when asked who did that? answered Doegs, Doegs, and soon died, then a boy came out from under the bed where he had hid himself, and told them 1 Charles II, ignoring the Commonwealth and Protectorate, the years of his exile, dated his reign from his father's execution in 1649. Indians had come at break of day and done those murders. Ffrom this Englishman's bloud did (by degrees) arise Bacons rebellion with the following mischiefs which overspread all Virginia and twice endangered Maryland, as by the ensuing account is evident. . . . These at Frequent complaints of bloodshed were sent to Sir William Berkeley (then Govern'r) from the heads of the rivers, which were as often answered with promises of assistance. the head of James and York rivers. . . grew impatient at the many slaughters of their neighbors and rose for their own defence, who chusing Mr. Bacon for their leader sent oftentimes to the Govern'r humbly beseeching a commission to go against those Indians at their own charge, which his hono'r as often promised, but did not send. . .. ... During these protractions and people often slaine . . . 300 men taking Mr. Bacon for their coman'r met and concerted [discussed] together the danger of going without a comiss'n on the one part and the continuall murders of their neighbors on th' other part [not knowing whose or how many of their own turns might be next] and came to this resolution viz.: to prepare themselves with necessaries for a march, but interim to send again for a comission, which if could or could not be obteyned by a certaine day, they would proceed comission or no comission. This day lapsing and no com'n come, they march'd into the wilderness in quest of these Indians after whom the Govern'r sent his proclamacon denouncing all rebells, who should not return within a limited day... but Mr. Bacon, with 57 men, proceded untill their provisions were near spent without finding enemys.... The circumstances of this expedicon [expedition] Mr. Bacon entertained me with at his own chamber on a visit I made him. . . . Bacon was pardoned by Governor Berkeley after this fruitless expedition and given a seat in the Governor's Council (to keep him out of the Assembly ?), but still he persisted in his demand for a commission, and finally fled from Jamestown and again put himself at the head of a body of men up the river. ... In three or ffour daies after this escape, upon news that Mr. Bacon was 30 miles up the river at the head of 400 men, the Govern'r sent to the parts adjacent, on both sides James river, for the militia . . . to come and defend the town . . who att 2 of the clock entered the town without being withstood, and formed a body upon a green not a flight shot from the end of the state house, of horse and ffoot as well as veteran troops. ... In less than an hour more Mr. Bacon came with a file of ffusileers on either hand near the corner of the state house, where the Govern'r and Councill went forth to meet him. We saw from the window1 the Govern'r open his breast, and Bacon strutting betwixt his two files of men with his left arm on kenbow [akimbo] flinging his right arm every way. . . when in two minutes the Govern'r walked toward his private apartment a coits cast distant at the other end of the state house . . . and after him walked Mr. Bacon with outragious postures of his head arms body, and leggs, often tossing his hand from his sword to his hat, and after him came a detachment of ffusileers ... who presented their ffusils [guns] at a window of the assembly chamber filled with faces, repeating with menacing voices "we will have it, we will have itt.2" In this hubub a servant of mine got so near as to hear the Govern'rs words . . . when he opened his breast he said "here! shoot me, foregod fair mark shoot," often rehearsing the same . . . whereto Mr. Bacon answered, "no may it please yo'r hono'r we will not hurt a hair of yo'r head . we are come for a comission to save our lives from th' Indians, which you have so often promised, and now we will have it before we go." ... In an hour more after these violent concussions Mr. Bacon came up to our chamber and desired a comission from us. Our speaker sat silent, while one Mr. Blayton a neighbor to Mr. Bacon . . . answered "twas not in our province, or power, nor of any other, save the king's vicegerent our govern'r," he pressed hard nigh half an hours harangue on the preserving 1 The window of the state house where the Burgesses, of whom T. M. was a member, were assembled as anxious spectators. 2 That is, the commission. |