Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1894-03-08
seen to run down the hill side on
the day Of battle.

Wnen the old Governor was in.
formed of Bacon's proceedings, he
pronounced him and followers
'srebels."
The Indians subdued, Bacon a.
gain returned to his plantation, but
was shortly after unanimously elect.
ed to the House Of Burgesses. to
represent Henrico. On arriving at
jamestown, he was arrested by or
ders from Berkeley and was not al
lowed to take his seat in the Bur-
gesses on account of his rebellious
acts, but was permitted to keep his
chair in the Council chamber. Ber-
kelley had begun to fear Bacon and
foI this reason determined to keep
him under arrest at jamestown, but
the Rebel stole away In the night
and soon mustered his men around
him and marched straight to James
town TO force o commission. 1t
was on this occasion that he showed
great wrath and was heard to ex-
claim, "Damn my blood! I'll kill
Governor, Council, Assembly and
all, and then I'll shea:he my sword
In my own hearts blood" Ber-
kelley was forced to grant him ler-
mission TO march against the In
dians, but no sooner had Bacon
turned his back than the old Caval-
Ter again proclaimed the young man
and his house-keepers, "rebels.
But such proclamations had no eff
feet on Bacon; he continued his
march and hesitated or stopped not
until the Indians were snbdued.
Then and not til then, did he
turn his attention to the old Gov
ernor.
Berkeley in -the meantime had
fled from jamestown and gone over
to Gloucester, at which place he
raised his standard, but not finding
as heartfelt a reception as would
have been desired under such cir.
cumstances, he soon took himself to
Accomac. Here he was received az
most coolly, but fate had decided
otherwise; Bsconi having sel.S his
Lieutenant-G General, Bland, to Ac-
comac, with the expectation of cap
turing Berkeley, was himself sur
prised and taken.
While Bland was in Accomac Ba-
con was not idle. He asked the
people of Gloucester to meet him
at Middle Plantation to take the
oath of allegiance to him and to
resist even England until His Mag
esty could be heard from. After
much eloquence and display of tenn
per from Bacon the people were pre-
suaded or driven to take the oath,
August 8, 1876.
This victory, the capture of Bland
so encouraged the old gray haired
Cavalier that he soon mustered to-
gether large force by promising
them the lands of the followers of
Bacon. He retook jamestown on
September z, 1876, but was not al
lowed to remain there long without
molestation, as Bacon had already
been posted concerning his move
ments and was prepared; so upon
hearing of the arrival of his enemy.
the young General turned his steps
1t was here, his attack
upon jamestown, that Bacon took
recourse to a strategem so beneath
the dignity of a soldier and gentle
man that it has put stain upon his
hithertofore spotless character
which man nor time can not oblit-
uate-an act of which the like has
not been heard in the annals of
ef history, not even in the dark
ages.
When he drew near jamestown
he sent about the country and COL
lected the wives of prominent men,
who espoused the cause of Berkely,
brought and placed them upon the
works so as to prevent an attack
from the enemy until the bitches
were completed, knowing well that
Berkeley's men would not fire upon
their wives. To make sure that his
design would be known to the Gov
ernor, he sent a message to Sir
William stating his intention and
purpose, the herald being one of the
captured women. 1t was on this
occasion that he, Bacon, showed
his gratitude to his cousin by plae-
ing his spouse upon the embank-
ment.
Although Bacon was guilty of
this act, he released the women as
soon as the work was done without
further molestinO than .rha