And lastly, those that were servants in arms, and behaved themselves well in their employment, should immediately receive discharges from their indentures, signed by the Governor, or Secretary of State; and their masters to receive, from the public, a valuable satisfaction for every servant so set free (mark the words), proportionally to the time that they have to serve.

Upon these terms the soldiers forsake West Point, and go with Grantham to kiss the Governor's hands (still at Tindell's Point) and to receive the benefit of the articles mentioned by Grantham; where when they came (which was by water, themselves in one vessel, and their arms in another; and so contrived by Grantham, as he told me himself, upon good reason) the servants and slaves was sent home to their masters, there to stay till the Governor had leisure to sign their discharges, or, to say better, till they were free according to the custom of the country; the rest was made prisoners, or entertained by the Governor, as he found them inclined.

T. M.

The writer of the following graphic relation signs his prefatory note to Secretary Harley simply "T. M.," but he is supposed by Charles Campbell to have been Thomas Matthews, son of Col. Samuel Matthews, sometime Governor of Virginia.

THE VIRGINIA REBELLION IN THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY.

AB

[Written in 1705.]

BOUT the year 1675, appeared three prodigies in that country, which from the attending disasters were looked upon as ominous

presages.

The one was a large comet every evening for a week or more, at south-west, thirty-five degrees high, streaming like a horse-tail westwards, until it reached almost the horizon, and setting towards the north-west.

Another was flights of pigeons in breadth nigh a quarter of the midhemisphere, and of their length was no visible end; whose weights break down the limbs of large trees whereon these rested at nights, of which the fowlers shot abundance and eat them; this sight put the old planters under the more portentous apprehensions, because the like was seen, as they said, in the year 1640, when the Indians committed the last massacre, but not after, until that present year, 1675.

The third strange appearance was swarms of flies about an inch long, and big as the top of a man's little finger, rising out of spigot holes in the earth, which eat the new sprouted leaves from the tops of the trees without other harm, and in a month left us.

My dwelling was in Northumberland, the lowest county on Potomac River, Stafford being the upmost, where having also a plantation, servants, cattle, etc., my overseer there had agreed with one Robt. 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 athwart his threshold, and an Indian without the door, both chopped on their heads, arms and other parts, as if done with Indian hatchets. The Indian was dead; but Hen, when asked who did that, answered, "Doegs, Doegs," and soon died. Then a boy came out from under a bed, where he had hid himself, and told them, Indians had come at break of day and done those murders.

From this Englishman's blood did (by degrees) arise Bacon's rebellion, with the following mischiefs, which overspread all Virginia and twice endangered Maryland, as by the ensuing account is evident.

Of this horrid action Col. Mason, who commanded the militia regiment of foot, and Capt. Brent the troop of horse, in that county (both dwelling six or eight miles downwards), having speedy notice, raised thirty or more men, and pursued those Indians twenty miles up and four miles over that river into Maryland, where landing at dawn of day they found two small paths. Each leader with his party took a separate path, and, in less than a furlong, either found a cabin, which they (silently) surrounded. Capt. Brent went to the Doegs' cabin (as it proved to be), who, speaking the Indian tongue, called to have a "matchacomicha, weewhio" (i. e. a council) called presently, such being the usual manner with Indians. The king came trembling forth, and would have fled, when Capt. Brent, catching hold of his twisted lock (which was all the hair he wore), told him he was come for the murderer of Robt. Hen. The king pleaded ignorance and slipped loose, whom Brent shot dead with his pistol; the Indians shot two or three guns out of the cabin; the English shot into it, the Indians thronged out at the door and fled; the English shot as many as they could, so that they killed ten, as Capt. Brent told me, and brought away the king's son of about eight years old, concerning whom is an observable passage, at the end of this expedition. The noise of this shooting awakened the Indians in the cabin which Col. Mason had encompassed, who likewise rushed out and fled, of whom his company (supposing from that noise of shooting Brent's party to be engaged) shot (as the Col. informed me) fourteen before an Indian came, who with both hands

shook him (friendly) by one arm, saying, "Susquehannas netoughs" (i. e. "Susquehanna friends"), and fled; whereupon he ran amongst his men, crying out, "For the Lord's sake shoot no more; these are our friends the Susquehannas."

This unhappy scene ended, Col. Mason took the king of the Doegs' son home with him, who lay ten days in bed, as one dead, with eyes and mouth shut, no breath discerned; but his body continuing warm, they believed him yet alive. The aforenamed Capt. Brent (a Papist) coming thither on a visit, and seeing his little prisoner thus languishing, said, “Perhaps he is powwowed" (i. e. bewitched), and that he had heard baptism was an effectual remedy against witchcraft, wherefore advised to baptize him. Col. Mason answered, no minister could be had in many miles. Brent replied, "Your clerk Mr. Dodson may do that office," which was done by the Church of England liturgy; Col. Mason with Capt. Brent godfather and Mrs. Mason godmother, my overseer Mr. Pimet being present, from whom I first heard it, and which all the other persons afterwards affirmed to me; the four men returned to drinking punch, but Mrs. Mason staying and looking on the child, it opened the eyes, and breathed, whereat she ran for a cordial, which he took from a spoon, gaping for more, and so by degrees recovered, though before his baptism, they had often tried the same means, but could not by no endeavors wrench open his teeth.

This was taken for a convincing proof against infidelity.

But to return from this digression, the Susquehannas were newly driven from their habitations, at the head of Chesapeake Bay, by the Seneca Indians, down to the head of Potomac, where they sought protection under the Pascataway Indians, who had a fort near the head of that river, and also were our friends.

After this unfortunate exploit of Mason and Brent, one or two being killed in Stafford, boats of war were equipped to prevent excursions over the river, and at the same time murders being likewise committed in Maryland, by whom not known, on either side the river, both countries raised their quotas of a thousand men, upon whose coming before the fort, the Indians sent out four of their great men, who asked the reason of that hostile appearance. What they said more or offered, I do not remember to have heard; but our two commanders caused them to be instantly slain, after which the Indians. made an obstinate resistance, shooting many of our men, and making frequent, fierce and bloody sallies, and when they were called to, or offered parley, gave no other answer, than "Where are our four cockarouses?" (i. e. great men.)

At the end of six weeks, marched out seventy-five Indians with their women, children, etc., who by moonlight passed our guards, hallooing

and firing at them without opposition, leaving three or four decrepits in the fort.

The next morning the English followed, but could not, or (for fear of ambuscades) would not overtake these desperate fugitives. The number we lost in that siege I did not hear was published.

These escaped Indians, forsaking Maryland, took their route over the head of that river, and thence over the heads of Rappahannock and York Rivers, killing whom they found of the upmost plantations, until they came to the head of James River, where (with Bacon and others) they slew Mr. Bacon's overseer, whom he much loved, and one of his servants, whose blood he vowed to revenge if possible.

In these frightful times the most exposed small families withdrew into our houses of better numbers, which we fortified with palisades and redoubts; neighbors in bodies joined their labors from each plantation to others alternately, taking their arms into the fields, and setting sentinels; no man stirred out of door unarmed. Indians were ever and anon espied, three, four, five or six in a party, lurking throughout the whole land, yet (what was remarkable) I rarely heard of any houses burnt, though abundance was forsaken, nor ever of any corn or tobacco cut up, or other injury done, besides murders, except the killing a very few cattle and swine.

Frequent complaints of bloodsheds were sent to Sir Wm. Berkeley (then Governor) from the heads of the rivers, which were as often answered with promises of assistance.

These at the heads of James and York Rivers (having now most people destroyed by the Indians' flight thither from Potomac) grew impatient at the many slaughters of their neighbors and rose for their own defence, who choosing Mr. Bacon for their leader sent oftentimes to the Governor, humbly beseeching a commission to go against those Indians at their own charge, which his Honor as often promised, but did not send. The mysteries of these delays were wondered at, and which I ne'er heard any could penetrate into, other than the effects of his passion, and a new, not to be mentioned, occasion of avarice, to both which he was, by the common vogue, more than a little addicted: whatever were the popular surmises and murmurings, viz.,— "That no bullets would pierce beaver skins;"

"Rebels' forfeitures would be loyal inheritances," etc.

During these protractions and people often slain, most or all the officers, civil and military, with as many dwellers next the heads of the rivers as made up three hundred men, taking Mr. Bacon for their commander, met, and concerted together the danger of going without a commission on the one part, and the continual murders of their neighbors on the 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 commission, which if could or could not be obtained by a certain day, they would proceed, commission or no commission.

This day lapsing and no commission come, they marched into the wilderness in quest of these Indians, after whom the Governor sent his proclamation, denouncing all rebels, who should not return within a limited day, whereupon those of estates obeyed. But Mr. Bacon with fifty-seven men proceeded until their provisions were near spent, without finding enemies; when coming nigh a fort of friend Indians, on the other side a branch of James River, they desired relief, offering payment, which these Indians kindly promised to help them with on the morrow, but put them off with promises until the third day, so as having then eaten their last morsels they could not return, but must have starved in the way homeward. And now 't was suspected, these Indians had received private messages from the Governor, and those to be the causes of these delusive procrastinations; whereupon the English waded shoulder-deep through that branch to the fort palisades, still entreating and tendering pay, for victuals; but that evening a shot from the place they left on the other side of that branch killed one of Mr. Bacon's men, which made them believe those in the fort had sent for other Indians to come behind them and cut them off.

Hereupon they fired the palisades, stormed and burnt the fort and cabins, and (with the loss of three English) slew one hundred and fifty Indians.

The circumstances of this expedition Mr. Bacon entertained me with, at his own chamber, on a visit I made him, the occasion whereof is hereafter mentioned.

From hence they returned home, where writs were come up to elect members for an Assembly, when Mr. Bacon was unanimously chosen for one, who coming down the river was commanded by a ship with guns to come on board, where waited Major Hone, the high sheriff of Jamestown, ready to seize him, by whom he was carried down to the Governor and by him received with a surprising civility in the following words: "Mr. Bacon, have you forgot to be a gentleman?" "No, may it please your Honor," answered Mr. Bacon; then replied the Governor, "I'll take your parol," and gave him his liberty. In March, 1675-6, writs came up to Stafford to choose their two members for an Assembly to meet in May; when Col. Mason, Capt. Brent and other gentlemen of that county, invited me to stand a candidate; a matter I little dreamt of, having never had inclinations to tamper in the precarious intrigues of government, and my hands being full of my own business; they pressed several cogent arguments, and I having