Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1894-03-08

attack upon the longshorem .n with.
in the walls Of James City and de-
feated them with little trouble.
Nothing remained for Berkely to dc
but again retreat to Accomac, more
depressed from reverse fortune and
mortified by the cowardice of his
men than he had been when first
obliged to cross the Chesapeake.
But who could expect more from
such q collection as had followed
the old Cavalier :? Some had only
come with the expectation of plum.
der, and finding cold steel to en-
counter, soon wished themselves
home again; others came with the
expectation Of acquiring large plan
tations, little dreaming that before
they could get clear title to same
they had Bacon and his hou keep
ers to subdue.
No sooner had Berkeley spread
his white wings in quest of the
''Kingdom of Accomac, than Ba-
con led his forces into the city.
After consultation with his two
friends, the thoughtful Mr.. Law
renee and the sober Mr.. Drum
mond, he decided that jamestown
must be raised to the ground to
prevent it again falling into the
hands of his enemy. Thus was
destroyed in few hours what had
taken years to accomplish, thereby
depriving Virginia of relics that
would be cherished at this time
with great pride.
The young general, after COM
pleting the work of destruction,
hastily withdrew his forces and ad-
vanced to meet the new enemy COM
ing from the direction of the Poto-
mac under the command of Colonel
Brent. Bacon met that large army
of 900 men at the Rappahannock,
but no sooner had Brent given or
ders for an attack than his forces
deserted him and went over to Ba-
con.
The enemy being repulsed or
conqIsed, Bacon now turned his
attention to the Gloucester men,
who had remained neutral from the
beginning. He had not more than
completed the task Of gaining these
men as his friends when he was
weakened and wasted from the fe-
yer he had contracted at jamestown
that he was compelled to give up
his command and retire to the house
of Major Pate, in Gloucester, where
he died shortly after.
There seems to have been a mys-
terry lowering over this genius which
followed him even after death. No
sooner had the soul winged its flight
beyond the seas than some friends
made away with the body, either iu-
terring it some secret spot in the
wood or sinking it in the York is
not known even to the present day,
bat certain it is, that Berkeley was
foiled in all his endeavors to find
and avenge himself upon the re-
mains of his public enemy. Bacon
had slept but a short time in his
mundane or watery grave when
rumor goes abroad that he had been
poisoned through the instrumental
ity of Berkeley. This charge was
not denied by him or any of his
friends, but when we look at the
character of this old Cavalier we
cannot believe him guilty of such
an act, even to conquer an enemy.
Thus we see that in May Bacon is
an almost unknown planter, but in
the coming six months we find him
Councilman, member of the House
of Burgesses, Governor of the Com
monwealth, General and protector
of the people, and yet, before the
expiration Of the time above men,
toned, he is sleeping the quiet
sleep that knows no wakening.'
Berkely no sooner resumed the
reins of government than he began
to hunt down and put the follow
ers of Bacon to death without trial
or hearing. In fact, he showed such
tyranny that Charles III. recalled
him in the Spring Of III. He re-
marked upon hearing of'Sir Will
liam's action, "The old fool has
hanged more men in that naked
country than / have done for the
murder of my father" So well
did Berkeley succeed in suppress
ing the rebellion that in short
time the superb and passionate Or
ators, the daring deeds of chivalry
were forgotten, or, at least, not
nraised from fear and onlv wa.