The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1915-07-06

King had given all Virginia to Lords
Arlington and CuIpeper to be their
proprietary province, like Carolina
and New Jersey, and several gentle
men had to be sent over to England
in haste TO plead, intrigue, and pro-
test, as if for the very life of the
colony, against such a usurpation.
Their lordships kept the royal quit
rents, spite of all opposition, and
new poll tax of sixty pounds of to-
bacco head had to be levied to pay
the expenses of the commissioners
sent to plead the colony's case against
them. And then, in 1875, when af-
fairs seemed most darkened and con-
fused by selfish and arbitrary action
both at home and oversee, there came
hot trouble with the Indians. which
the governor refused either to deal
with himself or allow others TO settle.
1t was that that brought the ex-
plosion. A sort of desperate wrath
too possession of the stronger and
more daring spirits of the colony, and
they presently found leader who
gave Sir William good cause to fear
what might come Of their anger.
Nathaniel Bacon had sworr with
hot oath that if the redskins meddled
with him he would harry them, COM
mission or no commission; end he
kept his threat. He was of the hot
blood that dares great independence.
He was great grandson of Sir
Thomas Bacon, of Friston Hall, Suf-
folk, cousin to the great Lord Bacon,
of whose fame the world had been
full these fifty years; and though he
was but nine and twenty, study at
the Inns of Court and much travel
in foreign lands had added to his
gentle breeding the popular manners
and the easy seE-confdence of man
OF the world before he turned his
back upon England and came With
his young wife to be planter on
James river in Virginia.
In May news came that the Indians
had attacked his own upper planta-
ton and had murdered his overseer
and one Of his favorite servants; and
he did not hesitate what to do. A
company of armed and mounted men
begged him to go with them against
the redskins, and he led them forth
upon their bloody errand without law
or license, member of the governors
council and magistrate though he was.
He sent to ask the governor for a
commission, indeed, but he did not
turn back, or lose his armed follow
ing either, when word was brought
that the governor had refused it, and
had proclaimed him and all with him
to be outlaws. It was flat rebellion;
but Bacon's pulse only quickened at
that, and Virginia for a little while
seemed his to command.
Bacon's blows were quick and terri
bic, and more to be feared than his
biting speech, He had well-nigh ex-
terminated the Indian tribe of Sus-
! quehannocks before he heard of or
needed his outlawry. Then he turned
in his hot angr against the govern
ment itself, as if it had declared war
upon him. He required and took of
his followers an oath to resist not
only the governor, but the very
troops of the King himself should
they come, until wrongs should be
righted; and Berkeley was driven, a
fugitive, to the far counties beyond
the bay. When he returned with a
motley force to jamestown he was
driven forth again, and jamestown
was burned.
Only Bacon's death ended the ugly
business. AS autumn approached he
sickened and died Cthe first day OF
October, 1870, overcome by the pas
sion of action and of feeling, and the
exhausting life of the camp and the
field; and his followers dispersed.
! A feet arrived out of England in
January, 1877, with a regiment of the
Kings troops aboard, and commits
sioners to settle the troubles in the
colony to the re-establishing of or.
der; and the commissioners had them.
selves to rebuke and restrain the in.
sensate bitterness of the maddeneG
governor. He had set the hangmar
to work before they came, and by the
time January was out had sent more
than twenty persons to the gallows
for their participation in the rebel
lion; among the rest William Drum.