NARRATIVE OF BACON'S REBELLION. A TRUE NARRATIVE OF THE RISE, PROGRESSE, AND CESSATION OF THE LATE REBELLION IN VIRGINIA, MOST HUMBLY AND IMPARTIALLY REPORTED BY HIS MAJESTYES COMMISSIONERS APPOINTED TO ENQUIRE INTO THE AFFAIRES OF THE SAID COLONY. In all due observance of his Most Sacred Maties commands, wee have imployed our best endeavours to informe ourselves (for his Royal Satisffaction) by the most knowing, credible and indifferent Persons in Virginia of the true state of affairs in that his Majestyes Colony, and of such other matters as occasioned the late unhappy Divisions, Distractions and Disorders among the People there; which as farr as wee can possibly collect from a strict Inquiry, observation, examination and the most probable impartial Reports by us made & received during our stay upon the Place, seems to take its original Rise, as followeth, vizt: Few or none had bin the Damages sustained by the English from the Indians, other than occasionally had happen'd sometimes upon private quarells and provocations, untill in July, 1675, certain Doegs & Susquaḥanok Indians on Maryland side, stealing some Hoggs from the English at Potomake on the Virginia shore (as the River divides the same), were pursued by the English in a Boate, beaten or kill'd and the hoggs retaken from them; whereupon the Indians repairing to their owne Towne, report it to their Superiors, and how that one Mathewes (whose hoggs they had taken) had before abused and cheated them, in not paying them for such Indian trucke as he had formerly bought of them, and that they took his hogs for Satisfaction. Upon this (to be Reveng'd on Mathews) a warr Captain with some Indians came over to Potomake and killed two of Mathewes his servants, and came also a second time and kill'd his sonne. It happen'd hereupon that Major George Brent* and Col. George Mason† pursued some of the same Indians into Maryland, and marching directly up to the Indian Towne with a Party of 30 Virginians came to a certaine House and there killed * See Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. I, 123, &c. † Colonel George Mason, a native of Staffordshire, England, who is said to have commanded a troop of horse in the royal army during the civil war, came to Virginia about 1651, settled in Stafford county, and became a prominent man in that section. He was a member of the Northern Neck Committee (for the local government and protection of the Northern Neck) in 1667; sheriff of Stafford 1669, and member of the House of Burgesses for that county in 1676. He was also colonel of the militia of that county. There is on record in Westmoreland a deposition of Major George Mason, dated August 20, 1658, in which he states that his age was twenty-nine. A record in Westmoreland, dated 1655, shows that his wife was named Mary. He died 1686 He was the ancestor of a distinguished family which included George Mason, of "Gunston Hall," author of the Virginia Bill of Rights; Thomson Mason, judge of the General Court of Virginia; Stevens Thomson Mason, member of the Virginia Convention of 1788, and U. S. Senator; Armistead Thomson Mason, colonel U. S. A., and U. S. Senator; Stevens Thomson Mason, Jr., captain U. S. A., mortally wounded at Cerro Gordo, Mexico; Richard B. Mason, brigadier-general U. S. A., and first American governor of California; James Murray Mason, U. S. Senator, and Confederate agent in Europe; John Thomson Mason, Secretary of Michigan Territory and acting governor; Stevens Thomson Mason, Governor of Michigan; Murray Mason, lieutenant U. S. N. and captain C. S. N.; George Thomson Mason, killed in the Mexican war; Barlow Mason, captain C. S. A., mortally wounded July, 1861, and others. an Indian King and 10 of his men upon the place; the rest of the Indians fled for their lives. On this occasion the Governor of Maryland writes a Letter to S' Wm. Berkeley, complayning of this rash action and intrusion of the Virginians on his Province without his leave or knowledge, the Indians and them being at that time in Peace. By what authority Brent and Mason went over into Maryland and kill'd those Indians is an Article of Inquiry in the Rappahanock Grievances and the supposed originall cause of the many murders that ensued in that county as themselves complaine. The Indians persisting to Revenge themselves Inforted in Maryland and now began to be bold and formidable to the English who Besieged them; their Boldness and daring behavior of late tymes and their promptnesse to Fire arms, being (indeed) wonderfull, over what they seem'd formerly, indued with which doubtlesse was of some advantage extraordinary to them considering their Small Body. The Virginians and Marylanders that Besieged them being said to make a neer a thousand men. en. The siege held 7 weekes, during which tyme the English lost 50 men, besides some Horses which the Indians tooke, and serv'd themselves to subsist on. But Provisions growing very scarce with them during this siege the Indians sent out 5 greate men to Treate of Peace, who were not Permitted to return to the Fort, but being kept Prisoners Some tyme were at last murdered by the English. At length (whether through negligence or cowardize) the Indians made theire escape through the English, with all their wives, children and goods of value, wounding and killing some at their sally and going off. After which the English returning (as Report Saith), the Marylanders composed a Peace with the Salvages, and soe diverted the warr from themselves. As yet the General Peace and Government of Virginia continued undisturb'd, onely some ignorant People grumbl'd at the 60th of Tob. p. pole, that necessary Tax, raised at two paym1 to take off the Patents granted to the Lord Arlington and Lord Culpepper and the Earl of St. Albans & Lord Berkly &c. But about the beginning of January, 1675-6, a Party of those abused Susquahanocks in Revenge of the Maryland businesse came suddainly down upon the weak Plantations at the head of Rappahanock & Potomaque and killed at one time 36 persons and then immediately (as their Custome is) ran off into the woods. Noe sooner was this Intelligence brought to the Governour but he immediately called a court and ordered a competent force of horse and foot to pursue the Murderers under the Comand of S' Henry Chicheley* and some other Gentlemen of the County of Rappahanock, giving them full Power by Comission to make Peace or Warr. But the men being ready to march out upon this Service the Governor on a suddaine recalls this comission, Causes the men to be disbanded, and without any effectual course being taken for present Preservation, referrs all to the next assembly; in the meantime leaving the Poore Inhabitants under continual and deadly feares and terrors of their Lives. In soe much that in the upper Parts of the Parish of Citternborne in Rappahanock we consisted of 71 Plantations, on the 24th of Jan., 1675-6, by the 10th of Feb' following was reduced to eleven what with those that ran away into the heart of the country, and such as stay'd and were cut off by the Enemy. The assembly mett to consult for the Safety and defence of the Country ag't the Incursions and destructions of the Indians, dayly Comitted upon the Inhabitants of Virginia, these having beene within the space of about 12 months before, neer 300 Christian persons murder'd by the Indians Enemy. What care the Assembly tooke to prevent these massacres was onely to build Forts at the heads of each River and on the Frontiers and confines of the country, for erecting of web and maintaining Guards on them a heavie leavy was laid by act of Assembly on the People; throughout the country universally disliked before the name of that Imposture Bacon was heard of, as being a matter from which was expected great charge and little or noe security to the Inhabitants, the Scituation of the Virginian Plantations, being invironed with thick woods, swamps and other covert, by the help of which the enemy might at their Pleasure make their approaches undiscover'd on the most secure of their habitations, as they have often done not onely on the Frontiers but in the *See Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. I. |