Skip to main content

Full text of "Virginia : a history of the people"

See other formats 


Glass /L^-^A^^ 
Book  __i^  _Z-Z 


COPYRIGHT  DEPOSIT; 


^■. 


"^ 


St^M^ry's 


HWb^-v«,^-&* 


kf-l.: 


I 


iglmencan  CommonireaUI)^. 


EDITED    BY 


HORACE   E.  SCUDDER. 


SCmcritan  ComtnontDcaltljjf 


VIRGINIA 


A  HISTORY  OF   THE    PEOPLE 


BY 


JOHN   ESTEN   COOKE 


^  if 


4) 


BOSTON  JO-^Z^* 

HOUGHTON,  MIFFLIN  AND   COMPANY 

New  York  :   11  East  Seventeenth  Street 

1883 


f 


^A : 


Coby 


Copyright,  1883, 
By  JOHN  ESTEN  COOKE. 

All  rights  reserved. 


\ 

The  Riverside  Press,  Cambridge: 
Electrotyped  and  Printed  by  II.  0.  Houghton  &  Co. 


THE  AUTHORITIES. 


Virginia  and  New  England  were  the  original  forces 
5f  American  society,  and  shaped  its  development.  This 
irose  from  natural  causes.  Both  races  were  vigorous 
)ifshoots  of  the  same  English  stock,  arrived  first  in 
Doint  of  time,  and  impressed  their  characteristics  on  the 
rounger  societies  springing  up  around  them.  Each  was 
dominant  in  its  section.  New  England  controlled  the 
S"orth  from  the  Atlantic  to  the  Lakes,  and  Virginia  the 
>outh,  to  the  Mississippi. 

This   supremacy  of   the  old  centres   was   a   marked 
feature  of  early  American   history,   but  it  was  not  to 
continue.     Other  races,  attracted  by  the  rich  soil  of  the 
Continent,  made  settlements  along  the  seaboard.    These 
sent  out  colonies  in  turn,  and  the  interior  was  gradually 
occupied  by  new  communities  developing  under  new  con- 
ditions.    The  character  of  these  later  settlements  was 
modified  by  many  circumstances  —  by  distance  from  the 
parent  stems,  their  surroundings,  the  changed  habits  of 
living,  and  the  steady  intermingling  of  diverse  nationali- 
ties.    Now,  a  vast  immigration  has  made  America  the 
most  multiform  of  societies.     But  the   impetus  of  the 
first  forces  is  not  spent.     The  characteristics  of  the  orig- 
inal races  are  woven  into  the  texture  of  the  nation,  and 
are  ineradicable. 


IV  THE  AUTHORITIES. 

To  understand  the  history  of  the  country  it  is  there- 
fore necessary  to  study  the  Virginia  and  New  England 
of  the  seventeenth  and  eighteenth  centuries.  In  thr- 
case  of  New  England  this  study  has  been  prosecuted 
with  enthusiasm ;  in  the  case  of  Virginia  it  has  been 
very  much  neglected.  The  result  is  that  the  great  pro- 
portions of  the  Puritan  character  have  been  fully  aj: 
predated,  and  that  little  is  known  of  the  Virginians, 
The  men  themselves  have  never  been  painted,  for  among 
the  many  histories  of  Virginia  it  is  impossible  to  find 
a  history  of  the  Virginia  people.  And  yet  this  history 
is  essential,  if  for  no  other  reason  than  that  some  of 
the  greatest  events  in  the  annals  of  the  country  are 
incomprehensible  without  it.  Accepting  the  general 
theory  of  the  character  of  the  race,  these  events  ait 
contrary  to  experience,  and  spring  from  causes  whi'i: 
ought  not  to  have  produced  them.  The  Virginians  ha^^  y 
been  described  as  "  aristocrats  and  slaves  of  church  and 
king ; "  but  the  aristocrats  were  among  the  first  to  pro- 
claim that  "  all  men  are  created  equal ;  "  the  bigots 
overthrew  their  church ;  and  the  slaves  of  the  king  first 
cast  off  his  authority,  declared  Virginia  an  independent 
Commonwealth,  and  were  foremost  in  establishing  a  re- 
public. 

To  unravel  these  apparent  contradictions  it  is  neces- 
sary to  understand  the  people,  and  to  do  so  we  must  gc 
close  to  them  and  study  the  men  of  every  class :  the 
rufiled  planter  in  his  great  manor-house  or  rolling  in  his 
coach,  the  small  landholder  in  his  plain  dwelling,  the 
parish  minister  exhorting  in  his  pulpit,  the  "  New  Light " 
preacher  declaiming  in  the  fields,  the  rough  waterman 
of  the  Chesapeake,  the  hunter  of  the  Blue  Ridge,  and 
beneath  all,  at  the  base  of  the  social  pyramid,  the  in- 


THE  AUTHORITIES.  V 

dented  servant  and  the  African  slave.  To  have  a  just 
conception  of  the  characters  of  these  men  we  must  see 
them  in  their  daily  lives  going  about  their  occupations 
among  their  friends  and  neighbors.  The  fancied  dig- 
nity of  history  must  be  lost  sight  of.  The  student 
must  come  in  contact  with  the  actual  Virginians  ;  dis- 
cover their  habits  and  prejudices;  how  they  dr-essed  and 
amused  themselves  on  the  race-course  or  at  the  cock- 
fight ;  see  them  at  church  in  their  high-backed  pews, 
while  the  parson  reads  his  homily,  or  listen  to  them  dis- 
cussing the  last  act  of  Parliament  at  the  County  Court. 
If  this  study  is  conscientiously  pursued,  the  Virginians 
of  the  past  will  cease  to  be  wooden  figures ;  they  will 
become  flesh  and  blood,  and  we  shall  understand  the 
men  and  what  they  performed. 

The  work  before  the  reader  attempts  to  draw  an  out- 
line of  the  people,  and  to  present  a  succinct  narrative 
of  the  events  of  their  history.  For  the  portrait  of  the 
Virginians,  the  general  histories  afford  little  assistance. 
The  material,  and  above  all,  the  coloring  must  be  looked 
for  elsewhere  —  in  the  writings  of  the  first  adventurers, 
which  are  the  relations  of  eye-witnesses  or  contempo- 
raries ;  in  forgotten  pamphlets,  family  papers,  the  curi- 
ous laws  passed  by  the  Burgesses,  and  in  those  traditions 
of  the  people  which  preserve  the  memory  of  events  in 
the  absence  of  written  records.  It  appeared  to  the 
writer  that  this  was  the  true  material  of  history,  and 
that  he  ought  not  to  go  to  the  modern  works  as  long 
as  it  existed.  The  likeness  of  the  Virginians  is  only  to 
be  found  in  these  remote  sources ;  and  the  writer  has 
patiently  studied  the  dusty  archives,  and  endeavored  to 
extract  their  meaning,  with  no  other  object  than  to  as- 
certain the  truth,  and  to  represent  the  men  and  events 
in  their  true  colors. 


VI  THE  AUTHORITIES. 

\ 

The  history  of  Virginia  may  be  divided  into  three 
periods  —  the  Plantation,  the  Colony,  and  the  Common- 
wealth. These  periods  present  society  under  three  dif- 
ferent aspects.  In  the  first,  which  extends  from  the 
landing  at  Jamestown  to  the  grant  of  free  government, 
we  see  a  little  body  of  Englishmen  buried  in  the  Amer- 
ican wilderness,  leading  hard  and  perilous  lives,  in 
hourly  dread  of  the  savages,  home-sick,  nearly  starved, 
torn  by  dissensions,  and  more  than  once  on  the  point 
of  sailing  back  to  England.  In  the  second,  or  Colonial 
period,  reaching  to  the  Revolution,  we  have  the  gradual 
formation  of  a  stable  and  vigorous  society,  the  long 
struggle  against  royal  encroachments,  the  armed  rebel- 
lion against  the  Crown,  and  all  the  turmoil  of  an  age 
which  originated  the  principle  that  the  right  of  the  citi- 
zen is  paramount  to  the  will  of  the  king.  What  follows 
is  the  serene  and  picturesque  Virginia  of  the  eighteenth 
century,  when  society  at  last  reposes,  class  distinctions 
are  firmly  established,  and  the  whole  social  fabric  seems 
built  up  in  opposition  to  the  theory  of  republicanism. 
Nevertheless  that  theory  lies  at  the  very  foundation  of 
the  Virginia  character.  For  five  generations  the  peo- 
ple have  stubbornly  resisted  the  king  ;  now  they  will 
wrench  themselves  abruptly  out  of  the  ruts  of  prescrip- 
tion, and  sum  up  their  whole  political  philosophy  in  the 
words  of  their  Bill  of  Rights,  "  That  all  men  are  by 
nature  equally  free  and  independent,  and  have  certain 
inalienable  rights,  namely,  the  enjoyment  of  life  and 
liberty,  with  the  means  of  pursuing  and  obtaining 
happiness  and  safety."  When  the  issue  is  presented 
whether  the  country  is  to  fight  or  submit,  the  king- 
lovers  and  aristocrats  will  instruct  their  delegates  to 
propose  the   Declaration,  and  the  Commonwealth  and 


THE  AUTHORITIES.  vii 

the  Revolution  will  begin  together.  This  third  period 
embraces  the  events  of  the  Revolutionary  struggle,  the 
adoption  of  the  Federal  Constitution,  the  occurrences 
of  the  post-Revolutionary  epoch,  and  the  gradual  trans- 
formation of  society  into  what  is  summed  up  in  the  term 
modern  Virginia. 

The  original  authorities  are  full  and  curious,  espe- 
cially for  the  periods  of  the  Plantation  and  Colony. 
The  chief  of  these  authorities  are,  — 

I.    For  the  Plantation  :  — 

1.  "A  True  Relation  of  Virginia,"  by  Captain  John 
Smith,  1 608,  the  first  work  written  by  an  Englishman 
in  America. 

2.  "  A  Discourse  of  the  Plantation  of  the  Southern 
Colony  of  Virginia,"  by  George  Percy,  one  of  the  orig- 
inal adventurers,  which  gives  the  fullest  account  of  tlie 
fatal  epidemic  of  1607. 

3.  "  The  General  History  of  Virginia,  New  England, 
and  the  Summer  Isles,"  a  compilation  of  the  various 
narratives  by  the  first  settlers  up  to  1624,  edited  by 
Captain  John  Smith. 

4.  "  A  True  Repertory  of  the  Wrack  and  Redemp- 
tion of  Sir  Thomas  Gates  Knt.,  upon  and  from  the  Isl- 
ands of  the  Bermudas,  his  coming  to  Virginia,  and  the 
estate  of  that  Colony  then  and  afterwards,  under  the 
Government  of  the  Lord  de  la  Warre,"  by  William 
Strachey,  Secretary  of  the  Colony,  who  was  wrecked 
in  the  Sea  Venture,  and  wrote  his  narrative  in  Virginia 
in  1610. 

5.  "  The  History  of  Virginia  Britannia,"  by  the  same 
writer,  after  his  return  to  England. 

6.  "A  True  Discourse  of  the  present  Estate  of  Vir- 
ginia till  the  18  of  June,  1614,"  by  Raphe  Hamor,  who 


viii  THE  AUTHORITIES. 

was  also  Secretary  of  the  Colony,  giving  curious  details 
in  reference  to  Powhatan  and  Pocahontas. 

7.  "  Good  News  from  Virginia,"  by  William  Whita- 
ker,  who  was  parish  minister  at  Varina,  in  the  time  of 
Sir  Thomas  Dale. 

8.  "  Proceedings  of  the  first  Assembly  of  Virginia, 
1G19;"  a  valuable  record  discovered  among  the  Eng- 
lish archives.  ( 

II.  For  the  period  of  the  Colony  extending  from  the 
beginning  of  the  reign  of  Charles  I.  to  the  Kevolution, 
the  chief  works  are  :  — 

1.  "  The  Statutes  at  Large,  being  a  Collection  of  all 
the  Laws  of  Virginia,"  by  William  Waller  Hening,  in 
thirteen  volumes,  the  most  important  authority  on  social 
affairs  in  Virginia.  The  unattractive  title  does  not  sug- 
gest the  character  of  the  work.  It  is  full  of  interest,  and 
of  paramount  value  from  its  official  accuracy.  It  is  the 
touchstone  verifying  dates,  events,  and  the  minutest  de-  ' 
tails  in  the  life  of  the  people  for  nearly  two  centuries. 
Where  events  are  disputed,  as  in  th,e  case  of  the  sur- 
render to  Parliament,  and  the  restoration  of  the  royal 
authority,  it  produces  the  original  records,  and  estab- 
lishes the  facts.  As  a  picture  of  the  Colonial  time  it 
has  no  rival  in  American  books  ;  and  the  whole  like- 
ness of  the  early  Virginians  may  be  found  in  these  laws 
made  for  the  regulation  of  their  private  affairs. 

For   the  history  of  Bacon's   Rebellion,  the  most  re- 
markable   American    occurrence    of*  the    century,    the  • 
authorities  are,  —                                                                            i 

2.  "  The  Beginning,  Progress,  and  Conclusion  of 
Bacon's  Rebellion  in  Virginia  in  the  years  1675  and 
1676,"  by  one  of  the  Burgesses,  signing  himself  "  T. 
M.,"  who  witnessed  the  events. 


j  THE  AUTHORITIES.  ix 

,3.    "A  Narrative  of  the  Indian  and  Civil  Wars  in 
/Virginia  in  the  years  1675  and  1676,"  by  an  unknown 
'  writer. ' 

4.  "  An  Account  of  our  late  Troubles  in  Virginia," 
written  in  1676  by  Mrs.  An.  Cotton,  of  Q.  Creeke. 

5.  "  A  Review,  Breviarie  and  Conclusion,"  by  Her- 
bert Jeffreys,  John  Berry,  and  Francis  Morrison,  Royal 
Commissioners,  who  visited  Virginia  after  the  rebellion. 

6.  "  A  List  of  those  who  have  been  Executed  for  the 
late  Rebellion  in  Virginia,  by  Sir  William  Berkeley, 
Governor  of  the  Colony." 

7.  "  The  History  of  Virginia,"  by  Robert  Beverley,  is 
often  inaccurate,  but  contains  a  full  and  interesting 
account  of  the  government  and  society  of  the  Colony 
at  the  beginning  of  the  eighteenth  century.  Stith's 
'^  History  of  Virginia  "  to  the  year  1624  is  remarkable  for 
its  accuracy,  but  it  is  avov/edly  based  on  Smith's  "  Gen- 
eral History."     Keith's  is  of  no  original  authority. 

8.  Coming  to  the  eighteenth  century  we  have,  for  the 
administration  of  Spotswood,  one  of  the  ablest  of  the 
early  Governors,  the  official  statement  of  his  collisions 
with  the  Burgesses,  printed  in  the  "  Virginia  Historical 
Register  ;  "  for  his  march  to  the  Blue  Ridge  with  the 
Knights  of  the  Horseshoe,  Hugh  Jones'  "  Present  State 
of  Virginia  ;  "  and  for  the  personal  picture  of  the  man 
in  private  life,  the  "  Progress  to  the  Mines,"  by  Colonel 
William  Byrd  of  Westover. 

9.  For  Braddock's  Expedition,  the  Journal  of  Cap- 
tain Orme,  the  letters  of  Washington  at  the  time,  and 
Mr.  Winthrop  Sargent's  history  of  the  Expedition  from 
original  documents. 

10.  For  Dunmore's  Expedition  to  the  Ohio,  and  the 
Battle  of  Point  Pleasant,  the  memoirs  by  Stuart  and 
Campbell. 


X  THE  AUTHORITIES. 

11.  For  the  settlement  of  the  Valley,  and  life  on  tl 
frontier,  Kercheval's  "  History  of  the  Valley  of  Vir-\ 
ginia." 

12.  For  the  struggle  between  the  Establishment  and 
the  Non-conformists,  Bishop  Meade's  "  Old  Churches, 
Ministers,  and  Families  of  Virginia,"  Dr.  Hawks'  "  Ec- 
clesiastical History,"  Dr.  Rice's  "  Memoir  of  President 
Davies,"  Foote's  "  Sketches  of  Virginia,"  and  Sem- 
ple's  "  Virginia  Baptists." 

III.   For  the  period  beginning  with  the  middle  of  the 
eio"hteenth   century  and  reaching   to   the    present  time, 
the  authorities  are  the  writings  of  Washington,  Jeffer- 
son, the  Lees,  and  other  public  men  ;  books  ^f  travel 
and  observation  in  America,  like  the  work  of  the  Mar- 
quis de  Chastellux  ;  and  memoirs  of  special  occurrences. 
It  seemed  possible  to  the  writer  to  draw,  with  the  aid 
of  this  material,  a  faithful  likeness,  if  only  in  outline,  of 
the  Virginians.     He  has  written,  above  all,  for  the  newl 
generation,  who,  busy  in  keeping  off  the  wolf  of  poverty,) 
have  had  little  time  to  study  the  history  of  their  people. 
What  this  history  will  show  them  is  the  essential  man-) 
hood  of  the  race  they  spring  from  ;  the  rooted  convic-i 
tion  of  the  Virginians,  that  man  was  man  of  himself, 
and  not  by  order  of  the  king  ;  and  that  this  conviction/ 
was  followed  by  the  long  and   strenuous  assertion   of' 
Vpersonal   right   against   arbitrary  government.      Begin- 
ning in  the  earliest  times,  this  protest  continued  through 
every  generation,  until  the  principle  was  firmly  estab- 
lished by  the  armed  struggle  which  resulted  in  the  foun- 
dation of  the  American  Republic. 


THE   GOOD  LAND.  5 

which  is  the  Chesapeake.  The  country  pleased  him, 
and  he  sent  a  party  of  men  and  two  Dominican  monks 
to  form  a  settlement.  The  expedition  only  failed  from 
accident;  and  thus  the  banks  of  the  Chesapeake  nar- 
rowly escaped  becoming  the  site  of  a  Roman  Catholic 
colony  owning  allegiance  to  Spain. 

This  is  the  brief  record  of  events  connected  with  the 
first  years  of  American  history.  By  the  middle  of  the 
century  the  power  of  Spain  seemed  firmly  established. 
Before  the  English  flag  floated  over  so  much  as  a  log 
fort  on  the  Continent,  she  was  possessed  of  all  Central 
America,  and  the  extension  of  her  dominion  northward 
seemed  only  a  question  of  time.  The  country  was  oc- 
cupied by  her  troops  and  officials,  and  Spanish  fleets 
went  to  and  fro  between  Cadiz  and  the  ports  of  Mexico 
and  Peru.  As  far  as  the  human  eye  could  see,  the  new 
world  of  America  had  become  the  property  of  Spain, 
and  her  right  to  it  seemed  unassailable.  A  mariner 
sailing  under  the  Spanish  flag  had  discovered  it ;  Span- 
ish captains  had  conquered  it ;  and  the  Papal  authority 
had  formally  put  Spain  in  possession  of  it. 

If  England  meant  to  assert  her  claim,  the  time  had 
plainly  come  to  do  so;  and  in  1576  ai|.  expedition  was 
sent  to  explore  the  country.  It  came  to  nothing,  and 
another  in  1583  had  no  better  fortune.  It  was  com- 
manded by  Sir  Humphrey  Gilbert^  and  the  Queen  had 
sent  him  a  small  go'/!  *   ■  et,  in  the  shape  of  an  an- 

chor set  with  jewels.  "^-^ge,  that  she  "wished 

him  as  great  hap  r  his  ship  as  if  herself 

were  there  in  per  •.  Gilbert  reached  the  island  of 
St.  John,  but  his  Jieet  was  scattered  by  a  storm.  His 
own  vessel  went  down,  itn^,  he  was  heard  to  say  as  the 
ship  saiik  :  "  Be  of  good  cheer,  my  friends  ;  it  is  as  near 
to  heaven  by  sea  as  b}  land." 


6  VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

This  expedition  had  been  undertaken  under  the  aus- 
pices of  Sir  Walter  Raleigh,  whom  his  contemporaries 
called  the  "  Shepherd  of  the  Ocean."  This  great  Eng- 
lishman, with  the  soul  of  a  sea-king  and  the  intellect  of 
a  statesman  looking  before  and  after,  saw  plainly  that 
the  path  of  empire  was  westward.  He  was  not  discour- 
ao-ed  by  Gilbert's  mischance.  In  the  next  year,  1584, 
he  secured  a  patent  from  the  Queen  to  explore  and 
settle  America.  The  expedition  to  Wingandacoa  fol- 
lowed ;  and  in  1585  Raleigh  sent  out  a  colony  under 
command  of  Sir  Richard  Grenville. 

These  old  voyages  tempt  us,  with  their  rude  pictures 
and  strange  adventures.  They  are  full  of  the  sea 
breeze  and  the  romance  of  the  former  age ;  but  they  do 
not  belong  to  the  special  subject  of  this  volume.  The 
result  only  need  be  recorded  —  a  gloomy  and  pathetic 
tragedy,  which  for  nearly  three  centuries  has  excited 
the  sympathy  of  the  world. 

Sir  Richard  Grenville  founded  his  colony  on  Roanoke 
Island  in  Albemarle  Sound,  but  it  was  abandoned  by 
the  settlers,  who  returned  to  England  with  Sir  Francis 
Drake ;  wh^-eupon  he  founded  a  second,  which  strug- 
gled on  until  1587.  White,  the  Governor,  then  went 
to  England  to  obtain  sapplies  for  the  colony,  leav- 
ing behind  him  eighty-nine  men,  seventeen  women,  and 
eleven  children  ;  among  the  Litter  his  daughter  Ellinor, 
and  his  grand-daughter  Virginia  Dare,  the  first  English 
child  born  in  Ameri'^;.  None  of  these  men,  women,  or 
children  were  ever  age. /ii  seen.  When  White  returned 
to  Roanoke  he  found  the  place  deserted.  What  had 
become  of  the  colonists  ?  There  was  an  oarent  solution 
of  the  mystery.     When  White  saih  England  he 

had  directed  that  if  the  settlers  "•  •    Ued  to  leave 


THE   GOOD  LAND.  7 

the  island,  they  should  carve  the  name  of  the  place  to 
which  they  removed  on  some  conspicuous  object,  with  a 
cross  above  the  name  if  they  went  away  in  distress. 
The  name  Croatan  was  found  cut  in  a  post,  but  without 
the  cross :  thus  the  people  seemed  not  to  have  aban- 
doned the  island  in  distress.  But  what  had  occasioned 
this  strange  exodus  of  the  Roanoke  men,  women,  and 
children  to  Croatan  —  an  Indian  town  on  the  coast  ? 
The  whole  affair  remained  a  mystery  and  remains  as 
great  a  mystery  to-day.  Repeated  efforts  were  made 
to  ascertain  from  the  Indians  what  had  become  of  the 
colonists  ;  but  they  could  not  or  would  not  say  what  had 
happened.  Had  the  poor  people  wandered  away  into 
tlie  cypress  forests  and  been  lost?  Had  they  starved 
on  the  route  to  Croatan  ?  Had  the  Indians  put  them  to 
death  ?  The  secret  is  still  a  secret,  and  this  sudden  dis- 
appearance of  more  than  a  hundred  human  beings  is 
one  of  the  strangest  events  of  history. 

So  the  Roanoke  colony  ended.  It  was  the  first  tragic 
chapter  in  the  history  of  the  United  States,  and  resem- 
bles rather  the  sombre  fancy  of  some  dramatist  of  the 
time  than  an  actual  occurrence.  All  connected  with  it 
is  moving,  and  the  sharply  contrasted  figures  cling  to 
the  memory  —  the  bearded  mariners,  and  women  and 
children  wandering  away  into  the  woods ;  the  pale-faced 
Governor  searching  for  his  daughter,  when  he  returns 
to  the  lonely  island ;  and,  passing  across  the  background, 
the  stalwart  forms  of  Drake  and  Grenville,  the  one  fa- 
mous for  hunting  down  the  great  Armada  in  the  English 
Channel,  and  the  other  for  his  desperate  fight  on  board 
the  Revenge.  His  fate  and  the  fate  of  his  colony  were 
not  unlike.  Both  struggled  long  and  bravely,  but  the 
struggle  came  to  an  end  in  dire  catastrophe. 


8  VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

"  All  hopes  of  Virginia  thus  abandoned,"  wrote  one 
of  the  old  chroniclers,  "  it  lay  dead  and  obscured  from 
1590  till  this  year  1602."  It  lay  dead  and  obscured 
longer.  Nothing  further  was  effected  in  the  sixteenth 
century,  and  the  Americas  seemed  fated  to  remain  Span- 
ish possessions  to  the  end  of  time.  The  struggle  was 
apparently  over,  and  the  wildest  fancy  could  scarcely 
have  conceived  what  we  see  to-day  —  this  huge  empire 
dwindled  to  a  few  weak  dependencies,  and  confront- 
ing them  the  great  Protestant  Republic  of  the  United 
States  occupying  the  continent  from  ocean  to  ocean. 

The  wedge  which  split  this  hard  trunk  was  the  land- 
ing in  May,  1607,  of  about  one  hundred  Englishmen  at 
Jamestown. 

n. 

THE   TIMES. 

The  Virginia  "  plantation,"  as  the  old  writers  called 
it,  began  at  a  remarkable  period.  The  year  1600  may 
be  taken  as  the  dividing  line  between  two  eras  —  the 
point  of  departure  of  a  new  generation  on  the  untried 
journey  into  the  future. 

Europe  had  just  passed  through  the  great  convulsion 
of  the  Reformation,  and  this  with  the  invention  of  print- 
ing had  suddenly  changed  the  face  of  the  world.  It  is 
difficult  to  speak  of  this  change  without  apparent  exag- 
geration. The  dissemination  of  the  Bible  in  the  vulgar 
tongue  was  followed  by  astonishing  results.  The  un- 
learned could  search  the  Scriptures  for  their  rule  of 
conduct  without  the  intervention  of  a  priesthood,  and  an 
upheaval  of  the  human  mind  followed.  A  mysterious 
voice  had  awakened  the  slee^Dcrs,  and  they  had  started 


THE   TIMES.  9 

up,  shaking  off  the  old  fetters.  The  lethargy  of  ao-es 
had  disappeared.  Thought,  so  loug  paralyzed  by  doo-ma, 
roved  in  every  direction,  moving  nimbly  and  joyfully 
where  it  had  groped  and  stumbled  before  in  the  thick 
darkness.  The  nations  of  Europe  were  like  blind  .men 
who  have  suddenly  been  made  to  see.  Daring  aspi- 
rations took  possession  of  them,  and  the  new  ideas  of 
the  new  age  crowded  into  every  mind,  hurrying  and 
jostling  each  other.  In  our  old  and  prosaic  world  it  is 
difficult  to  realize  the  youth  and  enthusiasm  of  that  time. 
Authority  had  lost  its  prestige,  and  serfdom  to  prej- 
udices social  or  religious  had  disappeared.  The  priest 
muttering  his  prayers  in  Latin  was  no  longer  the  keeper 
of  men's  consciences  ;  and  the  prerogative  of  the  Kino- 
and  the  privilege  of  the  noble  began  to  be  regarded  as 
superstitions.  That  hitherto  unknown  quantity,  the 
People,  all  at  once  revealed  its  existence,  and  those  who 
for  centuries  had  allowed  others  to  think  for  them  be- 
gan to  think  for  themselves. 

All  this  had  come  with  the  new  century  which 
summed  up  and  inherited  the  results  of  that  which 
had  preceded  it.  Beginning  at  Wittenberg  with  the 
protest  of  Luther,  the  Reformation  had  swept  through 
the  Continent  and  extended  to  England  and  Scotland, 
where  its  fury  was  greatest  and  lasted  longest.  It  raged 
there  during  the  reigns  of  Henry  VIII.,  Mary,  and 
Elizabeth,  and  only  died  down  at  her  death,  when  the 
long  work  was  at  last  accomplished,  and  Protestantism 
was  firmly  established. 

The  free  thought  of  the  time  in  England,  as  every- 
where, had  resulted  from  reaction  and  the  immense 
influence  of  printed  books.  But  books  were  not  uU. 
Bacon,   the   author  of    the  inductive  philosophy,   had 


10        VIRGINIA:   A   HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

published  his  "  Advancement  of  Learning,"  and  Spen- 
ser, the  perfect  flower  of  the  renaissance,  his  "  Faery- 
Queen  ; "  but  volumes  of  abstruse  thought  and  refined 
poesy  were  for  the  few.  The  people  at  large  were 
compelled  to  look  elsewhere,  and  to  educate  their  minds 
by  other  appliances  than  costly  folios  which  were  be- 
yond their  reach.  The  acted  drama  precisely  supplied 
this  popular  want,  and  became  the  educator  of  the 
people.  The  time  had  come  for  Shakespeare  and  his 
brother  dramatists ;  and  suddenly  the  epoch  flowered  in 
the  great  Dames  which  have  made  the  age  of  Elizabeth 
so  illustrious.  A  race  of  giants  appeared,  whose  works 
were  the  expression  of  the  times.  All  the  characteris- 
tics of  the  generation  were  summed  up  in  these  dramas 

—  the  unreined  fancy,  the  wild  imagination,  the  revolt 
against  the  conventional,  the  daring  thought  which 
questioned  all  things  and  would  sound  the  mysteries  of 
this  world  and  the  world  beyond.  At  the  head  of  this 
great  group  stood  Shakespeare.  On  tJhe  stage  of  the 
Globe  and  Blackfriars  theatres  this  master  dramatist  of 
the  age,  and  of  all  the  ages,  directly  addressed  the 
ardent  crowds  who  flocked  at  his  summons.  Packed 
together  in  the  dingy  pit,  under  the  smoking  flambeaux, 
the  rude  audiences  saw  pass  before  them  in  long  pano- 
rama the  whole iiistory  of  England  with  its  bloody  wars, 
the  fierce  scenes  of  the  Roman  forum,  the  loves  of  Ro- 
meo and  Antony,  hump-backed  Richard,  the  laughing 
Falstaff,  and  the  woeful  figures  of  Lear  and  Hamlet. 
What  came  from  the  heart  of  Shakespeare  went  to  ttie 
human  hearts  listening  to  him.  The  crowd  laughed 
with  his  comedy  and  cried  with  his  tragedy,  lie  was 
the  great  public  teacher,  as  well  as  the  joy  of  his  age 

—  an  age  full  of  impulse,  of  hot  aspiration  and  vague 
desire,  which  recognized  its  own  portrait  in  his  dramas. 


THE   TIMES.  11 

Thus  books,  the  acted  drama,  the  thirst  for  knowledge, 
the  ardent  desire  of  the  human  mind  to  expand  in  all 
directions,  made  the  last  years  of  the  sixteenth  century 
and  the  beginning  of  the  seventeenth  a  new  era  in  the 
history  of  the  human  race.  Men  longed  for  new  expe- 
riences, to  travel  and  discover  new  countries,  to  find  some 
outlet  for  the  boiling  spirit  of  enterprise  which  had 
rushed  into  and  overflowed  the  time.  The  adventurous 
sea  voyages  of  the  period  were  tlie  direct  outcome  of 
this  craving  ;  suddenly  a  passion  for  maritime  explora- 
tion had  developed  itself.  We  have  the  record  of  what 
followed  in  the  folios  of  Hakliiyt  and  Purchas  — 
"  Divers  Voyages  touching  the  Discovery  of  America," 
"  Navigations,  Voyages,  and  Discoveries  made  by  the 
English  Nation,"  "  Purchas,  his  Pilgrimage,"  and  other 
works  of  the  same  character.  Magellan  circumnavisfated 
the  world,  and  Sir  Francis  Drake  doubled  Cape  Horn, 
coasted  northward  to  the  present  Alaska,  attempted  the 
northwest  passage,  and  finding  it  impracticable,  crossed 
the  Pacific,  traversed  the  Indian  Ocean,  and  returned  to 
England  by  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope.  The  English, 
flag  was  thus  carried  into  every  sea,  and  wherever  the 
flag  of  Spain  was  encountered,  it  was  saluted  with  can- 
non. For  a  whole  generation  these  adventurous  voy- 
ages and  hard  combats  went  on  without  ceasing,  and  on 
the  continent  of  Europe  another  outlet  was  presented  to 
the  fierce  ardor  of  the  times.  Flanders  was  an  inces- 
sant battle-ground ;  and  in  Transylvania  the  Christians 
were  making  war  on  the  Turks.  English  soldiers  of 
fortune  flocked  to  the  Christian  standard,  and  fought 
among  the  foremost,  winning  fortune  and  renown,  or 
*'  leaving  their  bodies  in  testimony  of  their  minds." 

At  the  end  of  the  century  this  long  period  of  fierce 


12        VIRGINIA:  A   HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 


struo'ole  ended  —  the  foes  seemed   to  have  exhausted 
themselves.      But  the  enterprise  of  the  time  was  still 
unsated  and  demanded  new  fields.     In  spite  of  the  dis- 
astrous ending  of  the  Roanoke  experiment,  longing  eyes 
had  continued  to  be  fixed   on  America,  and  the  same 
glamour  surrounded  "  Virghiia"  for  the  new  generation 
as  for  the  old.     Beyond  the  Atlantic  was  the  virgin 
Continent,  unexplored  by  Englishmen,  awaiting  brave 
hearts  and  strong  hands.     To  a  people  so  ardent  and 
restless  the  prospect  was   full   of  attraction.     Virginia 
was   the  promised  land,  and   they  had  only  to  go  and 
occupy  it.     There  the  fretting  cares  and  poverty  of  the 
Old  World  would  be  forgotten,  and  stirring  action  would 
replace  the  dull  inaction  of  peace  at  the  end  of  so  much 
fighting.      For  the  daring  there  was  the  charm  of  ad- 
venture in  an  unexplored  world  ;    for  the  selfish  the 
hope  of   profit,  and  for  the  pious  the  great  work   of 
convertingf  the  Indian  "heathen."      The    first  charter 
expressed  this  longing  —  "  that  so  noble  a  work  may  by 
the  providence  of  God  hereafter  tend  to   the  glory  of 
His   Divine  Majesty  in  propagating  of    the   Cinistian 
religion  to  such  people  as  sit  in   darkness  and  miser- 
able ignorance  of  the   true  knowledge  and  worship  of 
God."  — "  This  is  the  work  that   we  first   intended," 
says  a  writer  of  the  time,  "  and  have  published  to  the 
world  to  be  chief  in  our  thoughts,  to  bring  the  infidel 
people  from  the  worship   of  Devils  to   the  service  of 
God."     And  worthy  Mr.  Crashaw  exhorted  the  adven- 
turers, about  to  embark  for  Virginia,  to  "  remember  that 
the  end  of  this  voyage  is  the  destruction  of  the  Devil's 
kingdom." 

These  were  some  of  the  causes  which  led  to  the  set- 
tlement of  America  by  the  English. 


THE   OLDEST  A3fERICAN  CHARTER.  13 

III. 
THE    OLDEST    AMERICAN    CHARTER. 

At  last,  in  1606,  the  ardent  desire  of  the  Englishmen 
of  the  time  to  settle  Virginia  began  to  take  shape.  A 
brave  sea-captain,  Bartholomew  Gosnold,  was  the  main- 
spring of  -the  enterprise.  He  had  made  the  first  direct 
voyage  across  the  Atlantic  to  New  England,  and  meant 
now  to  establish  a  colony,  if  possible  in  the  milder 
south.  He  found  sympathizers  in  Sir  Thomas  Gates 
and  Sir  George  Somers,  two  brave  and  pious  gentle- 
men, Richard  Hakluyt,  prebendary  of  Westminster, 
Robert  Hunt,  an  exemplary  clergyman,  Edward  Maria 
Wingfield,  a  London  merchant,  and  John  Smith,  an 
English  soldier. 

This  famous  chevalier,  who  was  to  become  the  soul  of 
the  enterprise  and  the  founder  of  Virginia,  was  born  in 
Willoughby,  England,  in  January,  1579.  His  family  were 
connected  with  the  Lancashire  gentry,  but  he  was  left  a 
poor  orphan,  and  before  he  had  grown  to  manhood  had 
served  as  a  private  soldier  in  the  Flanders  wars.  He 
then  wandered  away  like  a  knight-errant  in  search  of 
adventures ;  joined  the  forces  of  Sigismund  Bathori, 
who  was  making  war  on  the  Turks  in  Transylvania ; 
slew  three  Turkish  "  champions  "  in  single  combat,  for 
which  he  was  knighted ;  was  captured  and  reduced 
to  slavery  by  the  Turks,  but  escaped  to  Russia ;  and 
thence  returned  by  way  of  Germany,  France,  Spain,  and 
Morocco,  to  England,  which  he  reached  in  1604,  when 
he  was  twenty-five.  He  had  left  home  an  unknown 
youth,  and  returned  a  famous  man.  He  was  young  in 
years,  but  old  in  experience,  in  suffering,  and  in  those 
elements  which  lie  at  the  foundation  of  greatness.     His 


14        VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

portrait,  with  sweeping  mustache  and  frank  glance,  is 
the  portrait  of  a  fighting  man  ;  but  under  it  may  be 
discerned  the  administrator  and  ruler. 

When  Smith  came  back  to  England,  Elizabeth  was 
dead  and  the  reign  of  James  I.  had  just  begun.  The 
city  of  London  was  full  of  soldiers  returned  from  the 
Continental  wars,  and  this  restless  social  element  gladly 
welcomed  the  Virginia  enterprise.  They  were  men  of 
every  character  —  brave  soldiers  and  the  scum  of  war ; 
frequented  the  "  Mermaid  "  and  other  taverns  ;  jostled 
the  citizens ;  and  fiocked  to  the  theatres,  where  Shake- 
speare's plays  were  the  great  attraction.  The  dramatist 
had  not  yet  retired  to  Stratford,  and  it  is  probable  that 
Smith  made  his  acquaintance  then  or  afterward,  as 
he  wrote  "  they  have  acted  my  fatal  tragedies  on  the 
stage."  The  stage  in  London  meant  the  Globe  or 
Blackfriars,  in  which  Shakespeare  was  a  stockholder  ; 
and  Smith  made  his  complaint  to  William  Herbert,  Earl 
of  Pembroke,  the  "  W.  II."  of  the  Shakespearean  son- 
nets. This  personal  acquaintance  of  the  soldier  and 
the  writer  is  merely  conjectural,  but  it  is  interesting  to 
fancy  them  together  at  the  "  Mermaid,"  talking,  per- 
haps, of  the  Virginia  enterprise  and  the  strange  stage  of 
the  "  Tempest,"  Written  a  few  years  afterwards.  Smith 
and  Gosnold  became  friends,  and  the  wandering  soldier 
caught  the  fever  of  exploration  and  adventure  in  Amer- 
ica. When  the  scheme  at  last  took  form,  he  had  be- 
come a  prominent  advocate  of  the  enterprise,  and  was 
appointed  by  the  King  one  of  the  first  counsellors. 

James  I.  had  authorized  the  undertaking,  and  it  was 
now  launched.  He  busied  himself  in  drjM^ing  up  his 
royal  charter  for  the  government  of  the  colony,  and 
April  10,  160G,  the  paper  was  ready. 


THE   OLDEST  AMERICAN  CHARTER.  15 

By  this  oldest  of  American  charters  two  colonies 
were  directed  to  be  established  in  the  great  empire  of 
Virginia.  The  southern  colony  was  intrusted  to  Sir 
Thomas  Gates,  Sir  George  Somers,,  and  others,  and  was 
to  be  "  planted "  anywhere  between  thirty-four  and 
forty-one  degrees  of  north  latitude,  correspondino-  to 
the  southern  limits  of  North  Carolina,  and  the  mouth  of 
the  Hudson  River.  It  was  to  extend  fifty  miles  north 
and  fifty  miles  south  of  the  spot  selected  for  the  settle- 
ment ;  one  hundred  miles  into  the  land ;  and  to  embrace 
any  islands  within  the  same  distance  of  the  coast. 

The  association  governing  the  southern  colony  was 
styled  the  London  Company ;  the  northern  colony  was 
intrusted  to  the  Plymouth  Company  ;  and  a  strip  of 
territory  one  hundred  miles  broad  w^as  to  intervene  be- 
tween the  two.  Three  years  afterwards  (1609)  the 
boundaries  of  the  southern  colony  were  enlarofed  and 
exactly  defined.  It  was  to  embrace  the  territory  two 
hundred  miles  north  and  two  hundred  miles  south  of 
Old  Point  Comfort,  the  mouth  of  James  River,  and  to 
reach  "  up  into  the  land  from  sea  to  sea."  This  was  the 
original  charter  under  which  Virginia  held  at  the  time 
of  the  formation  of  the  Federal  Constitution  in  1788. 

The  plan  of  government  for  the  colony  was  simple. 
Everj^thing  began  and  ended  with  the  King.  A  great 
council  of  thirteen  in  London,  appointed  by  himself, 
was  to  govern.  A  subordinate  council  in  Virginia,  ap- 
pointed by  the  greater,  was  to  follow  his  instructions. 
Thus  the  colon}'^  of  Virginia  was  to  be  ruled  and  directed 
in  all  its  proceedings  by  the  royal  will,  since  the  King 
appointed  its  rulers,  and  directed  under  his  sign-manual 
in  what  manner  they  were  to  rule.  The  details  were 
generally  judicious.     The  Christian  religion  was  to  be 


16        VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

preached  to  the  Indians ;  lands  were  to  descend  as  in 
Encrhxnd;  trial  by  jury  was  secured  to  all  persons 
charo-ed  with  crime  ;  tlie  subordinate  council  was  to  try 
civil  causes  ;  and  the  products  of  the  colonists  were  to 
be  brought  to  a  public  storehouse,  where  a  Cape  mer- 
chant or  treasurer  was  to  control  and  apportion  them  as 
they  were  needed.  This  early  development  of  the  so- 
cialistic and  cooperative  idea  resulted  unfortunately ; 
but  for  the  moment  it  had  a  plausible  appearance  on 
paper.  What  was  plain  about  the  charter  was,  that  the 
colony  of  Virginia  would  have  no  rights  other  than  those 
which  King  James  I.  chose  to  allow  it.  His  "  instruc- 
tions "  were  to  be  the  law,  and  he  held  to  that  theory 
with  all  the  obstinacy  of  a  narrow  mind  to  the  end  of 
his  life. 

Having  secured  this  charter  the  friends  of  the  enter- 
prise made  every  preparation  for  the  voyage.  About 
one  hundred  colonists  were  secured,  apparently  without 
difficulty,  and  at  the  end  of  the  year  1606  all  was  ready 
for  the  expedition.  The  little  fleet  consisted  of  three 
vessels,  one  of  twenty  tons,  one  of  forty,  and  one  of  a 
hundred,  the  names  of  which  were  the  Discovery,  the 
Good  Speed,  and  the  Susan  Constant. 

On  the  19th  of  December,  1606,  these  three  ships  set 
sail  down  the  Thames  for  Virginia. 


IV. 

JAMESTOWN. 

The  sailing  of  the  ships  excited  general  interest  even 
in  so  busy  a  city  as  London.  Prayers  were  offered  up 
in  the  churches  for  the  welfare  of  the  expedition,  and 


JAMESTO  WN.  17 

the  poet  Drayton  wished  his  countrymen  good  fortune 
in  a  glowing  lyric  :  — 

'*  You  brave  heroic  minds 
Worthy  your  country's  name, 

That  honor  still  pursue 
Whilst  loitering  hinds 
Lurk  here  at  home  with  shame, 

Go  and  subdue ! 

"  Britons!  you  stay  too  long, 
Quickly  aboard  bestow  you, 

And  with  a  meny  gale 

Swell  your  stretch'd  sail 
With  vows  as  sti'ong 
As  the  winds  that  blow  you  ! 

"  And  cheerfully  at  sea 
Success  you  still  entice 
To  get  the  pearls  and  gold, 
And  ours  to  hold 
Virginia 
Earth's  only  paradise." 

The  character  and  motives  of  these  first  Virginia  ad- 
venturers have  been  the  subject  of  discussion.  There 
is  really  nothing  to  discuss.  They  were  men  of  every 
rank,  from  George  Percy,  brother  of  the  Earl  of  North- 
umberland, to  Samuel  Collier,  "  boy  ;  "  aud  in  the  lists 
were  classed  as  "  gentlemen,  carpenters,  laborers,"  and 
others.  Unfortunately  more  than  half  the  whole  num- 
ber were  "gentlemen,"  and  a  gentleman  at  the  time 
signified  a  person  unused  to  manual  labor.  As  to  the 
motives  of  the  adventurers,  these  lay  on  the  surface.  To 
get  the  pearls  aud  gold  was  no  doubt  the  thought  in  the 
minds  of  the  majority,  but  this  was  not  the  only  aim. 
Many  had  it  warmly  at  heart  to  convert  the  Indians  to 
Christianity,  and  others  looked  to  the  extension  of  Eng- 
lish empire.  The  dissensions  of  the  first  years  were  due 
2 


18        VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

to  causes  which  will  be  stated ;  but  a  radical  defect  was 
the  unfitness  of  the  original  colonists  for  their  work. 
More  than  half  their  number  had  never  used  an  axe, 
and  "jewellers,  gold  refiners,  and  a  perfumer,"  were 
among  the  people  sent  to  fight  the  American  wilder- 
ness. 

The  three  small  ships  sailed  down  the  Thames,  fol- 
lowed by  prayers  and  good  wishes,  and,  after  tossing 
in  the  Channel  for  some  weeks,  went  out  to  sea.  For 
reasons  unexplained  they  were  not  in  charge  of  Bartholo- 
mew Gosnold,butof  Captain  Christopher  Newport ;  and, 
following  the  old  southern  route  by  way  of  the  Azores, 
safely  reached  the  West  Indies  toward  the  spring.  A 
curious  incident  of  the  voyage  was  the  arrest  of  Smith 
by  the  other  leaders.  He  was  charged  with  a  design  to 
murder  them  and  make  himself  "  King  of  Virginia  ;  " 
and  he  afterwards  stated  that  a  gallows  was  erected  to 
execute  him.  Nothing  more  is  known  of  this  singular 
occurrence.  Smith  remained  under  arrest  until  after  the 
arrival  in  Virginia,  when  the  first  American  jury  tried 
and  acquitted  him. 

It  was  the  intention  to  found  the  colony  on  the  old 
site,  Roanoke  Island,  but  a  violent  storm  drove  the 
ships  northward  quite  past  the  shores  of  Wingandacoa, 
and  they  reached  the  mouth  of  Chesapeake  Bay.  In 
this  they  took  shelter  toward  the  end  of  April  1607, 
and  the  beauty  of  the  country  induced  the  commanders 
of  the. expedition  to  settle  there  instead  of  at  Roanoke. 
The  low  shores  were  covered  with  "  flowers  of  divers 
colors;"  the  " goodly  trees  "  were  in  full  foliage;  and 
all  around  was  inviting.  A  party  landed  to  look  at  the 
country,  and  had  their  first  experience  with  the  Indians. 
They  were  received  with  a  flight  of  arrows  from  the 


JAMESTOWN.  19 

lurking  people  hidden  in  the  tail  grass,  but  they  fled  at 
a  volley  from  the  English  guns,  and  the  party  returned 
to  the  ships,  which  continued  their  way.  Before  them 
was  the  great  expanse  of  Chesapeake  Bay,  the  "  Mother 
of  Waters  "  as  the  Indian  name  signified,  and  in  the 
distance  the  broad  mouth  of  a  great  river,  the  Pow- 
hatan. As  the  ships  approached  the  western  shore  of 
the  bay  the  storm  had  spent  its  force,  and  they  called 
the  place  Point  Comfort.  A  little  further,  —  at  the 
present  Hampton,  —  they  landed  and  were  hospitably 
received  by  a  tribe  of  Indians.  The  ships  then  sailed 
on  up  the  river,  which  was  new-named  James  River, 
and  parties  landed  here  and  there,  looking  for  a  good 
site  for  the  colony.  A  very  bad  one  was  finally  se- 
lected,—  a  low  peninsula  half  buried  in  the  tide  at  high 
water.  Here  the  adventurers  landed  on  May  13,  1607, 
and  gave  the  place  the  name  of  Jamestown,  in  honor  of 
the  Kirior. 

Nothing  remains  of  this  famous  settlement  but  the 
ruins  of  a  church  tower  covered  with  ivy,  and  some  old 
tombstones.  The  tower  is  crumbling  year  by  year,  and 
the  roots  of  trees  have  cracked  the  slabs,  making  great 
rifts  across  the  names  of  the  old  Armigers  and  Honour- 
ables.  The  place  is  desolate,  with  its  washing  waves 
and  flitting  sea-fowl,  but  possesses  a  singular  attraction. 
It  is  one  of  the  few  localities  which  recall  the  first  years 
of  American  history  ;  but  it  will  not  recall  them  much 
longer.  Every  distinctive  feature  of  the  spot  is  slowly 
disappearing.  The  river  encroaches  year  by  year,  and 
the  ground  occupied  by  the  original  huts  is  already  sub- 
merged. 

The  English  landed  and  pitched  tents,  but  soon  found 
it  more  agreeable  to  lodge  "  under   boughs  of    trees  " 


20        VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

in  the  pleasant  May  weather,  until  they  built  cabins. 
These  were  erected  on  the  neck  of  the  peninsula,  and 
before  the  summer  they  had  settled  into  something  like 
a  community.  From  the  moment  of  landing  they  had 
paid  sedulous  attention  to  the  exercises  of  religion.  An 
"  old  rotten  tent "  was  the  first  church  in  the  American 
wilderness.  The  next  step  was  to  stretch  an  awning 
between  the  trunks  of  trees  ;  to  nail  a  bar  between  two 
of  these  to  serve  as  a  reading-desk  —  and  here  "  the  re- 
ligious and  courageous  divine,"  Mr.  Hunt,  read  the  ser- 
vice morning  and  evening,  preached  twice  every  Sun- 
day, and  celebrated  the  Holy  Communion  at  intervals  of 
three  months.  After  a  while  the  settlers  busied  them- 
selves in  constructing  a  regular  church.  It  was  not  an 
imposing  structure,  since  the  chronicle  describes  it  as  a 
loo-  building  "  covered  with  rafts,  sedge,  and  dirt,"  but 
soon  they  did  better.  When  Lord  Delaware  came,  in 
1610,  he  found  at  Jamestown  a  church  sixty  feet  long 
and  twenty -four  broad,  the  first  permanent  religious  edi- 
fice erected  by  Englishmen  in  North  America. 

The  Virginians  had  thus  made  a  good  beginning. 
They  had  felled  trees,  built  houses,  erected  a  church, 
and  were  saying  their  prayers  in  it,  like  honest  people 
who  were  bent  on  doing  their  duty  in  that  state  of  life 
in  which  it  had  pleased  Heaven  to  jilace  them.  But  the 
whole  cheerful  prospect  was  overclouded  by  a  simple 
circumstance.  Their  leaders  were  worthless.  The 
names  of  the  Council  had  not  been  announced  in  Eng- 
land by  King  James.  He  had  had  the  eccentric  fancy 
of  sealing  them  up  in  a  box,  which  was  not  to  be  opened 
until  the  expedition  reached  Virginra.  The  box  had 
then  been  opened  and  the  Councilors  were  found  to 
be  Bartholomew  Gosnold,  John  ^fe^i,  Edward  Maria 


JAMESTOWN.  21 

Wingfield,  Christopher  Newport,  John  Ratcliife,  John 
Martin,  and  George  Kendall.  One  and  all  of  these 
men,  with  the  exception  of  Smith  and  Gosnold,  were 
grossly  incompetent ;  and  Gosnold  died  soon  afterwards, 
and  Smith  was  still  under  arrest  and  excluded  from  the 
Council.  Wingfield  had  been  elected  President,  but  it 
was  soon  seen  that  he  was  a  man  of  no  capacity.  He 
was  indolent,  self-indulgent,  wanting  in  every  faculty 
which  should  characterize  a  ruler,  and  his  mind  was 
haunted  by  the  idea  that  Smith  was  secretly  plotting  to 
murder  him  and  usurp  his  authority.  The  rest  of  the 
Council  were  no  better,  and  the  promise  of  the  future 
was  gloomy.  The  little  band  of  Englishmen  were  in 
a  new  country,  surrounded  by  enemies,  and  those  who 
ruled  over  them  seemed  unconscious  of  their  perilous 
situation. 

Soon  the  Indian  peril  revealed  itself.  A  party  of 
men  sailed  up  James  River  and  paid  a  visit  to  Pow- 
hatan, Emperor  of  the  country,  near  the  present  site  of 
Richmond.  They  found  him  in  his  royal  wigwam, — 
a  "  sour  "  old  man  of  whom  more  will  be  said  hereafter, 
—  and  after  a  brief  interview  returned  to  Jamestown. 
Exciting  intelligence  awaited  them.  In  their  absence,  a 
band  of  Indians  had  attacked  the  colonists  while  plant- 
ing corn,  and  a  flight  of  arrows  had  killed  one  man  and 
wounded  seventeen  others,  but  a  cannon  shot  fired  from 
the  ships  had  put  the  dusky  people  to  rout.  It  was 
more  than  probable  that  the  sour  old  emperor  had  di- 
rected this  onslaught,  and  the  palisade  was  mounted 
with  cannon  and  a  guard  established. 

It  was  plain  from  this  dangerous  incident,  that  the 
Virginia  colony  required  a  military  ruler.  Wingfield 
was  a  merchant  and  Jalmanty  utterly  unfitted  for  his 


22        VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

position.  Smith  was  still  under  arrest,  but  all  at  once 
he  demanded  a  trial.  This,  Wingfield  strove  to  evade ; 
he  would  send  him  home  to  England  to  be  tried  by  the 
authorities,  he  said.  But  the  restive  soldier  suddenly 
flamed  out.  He  would  be  tried  in  Virginia  as  was  his 
i-Ight  —  there  was  the  charter  !  and  the  trial  took  place. 
The  result  was  a  ruinous  commentary  on  the  characters 
of  Wingfield  and  the  Council.  The  testimony  of  their 
own  witnesses  convicted  them  of  subornation  of  perjury 
to  destroy  Smith  ;  he  was  acquitted  by  the  jury  of  all 
the  charges  against  him;  and  Kendall,  who  had  con- 
ducted the  prosecution,  was  condemned  to  pay  him  £200' 
damages.  This  sum  was  presented  by  Smith  to  the 
colony  for  the  general  use,  and  then  the  foes  partook 
of  the  Communion,  and  the  soldier  was  admitted  to  his 
seat  in  the  Council. 

Such  was  the  first  open  trial  of  strength  between 
Smith  and  the  factionists.  He  was  destined  to  have 
more,  involving  the  very  life  of  the  colony.  For  the 
moment  all  was  quiet,  however,  and  Newport  sailed  for 
England  to  report  and  obtain  supi^Iies,  leaving  one 
of  the  barks,  the  Pinnace,  for  the  use  of  the  colony. 
From  this,  were  to  spring  woes  unnumbered. 


V. 

THE    TERRIBLE    SUMMER    OF    1607. 

The  colony  now  seemed  prosperous.  The  skies  were 
blue  and  the  corn  was  growing ;  the  supply  of  provisions 
was  sufficient  for  three  months,  and  the  settlers,  in  their 
"  Monmouth  caps,  Irish  stockings,  and  coats  of  mail," 
went  in  and  out  about  their  occupations,  with  a  sense 


THE   TERRIBLE  SUMMER   OF  1607.  23 

of  security.;  The  reed-thatched  huts  were  defended  by 
cannon,  but^  Powhatan  had  "  sued  for  jDeace,"  and  the 
men  met  and  ate  their  food  from  the  "  common  kettle  " 
without  fear. 

But  under  this  fair  outside  was  the  canker  of  incapac- 
ity and  misrule.  In  the  bright  days  all  went  well,  but 
discerning  eyes  might  have  seen  that  in  the  hour  of  trial 
the  leaders  would  be  found  wanting.  The  old  chronicle 
paints  the  men  with  pitiless  accuracy.  They  had  neither 
brains,  courage,  nor  morals,  nor  anything  good  about 
them.  Wingfield,  the  President,  had  corrupted  his  easily- 
corrupted  associates,  and  the  whole  bad  crew  spent  their 
time  in  idleness  and  gluttony.  The  enterprise  had 
grievously  disappointed  them,  and,  seeing  no  further 
profit  in  it,  they  were  looking  for  an  opportunity  to 
abandon  it.  The  true  men  looked  sidewise  at  them 
since  Smith's  trial,  and  shook  their  heads.  It  was  the 
next  thing  to  a  certainty  that  when  the  dark  hour  came 
they  would  desert  their  comrades  and  leave  them  to  de- 
struction. 

Soon  the  dark  hour  arrived.  A  worse  enemy  than 
the  Indians  assailed  the  colon3^  With  July  came  the  sul- 
try "  dog  days  "  of  the  southern  summer,  and  the  marshy 
banks  of  the  river,  sweltering  in  the  sun,  sweated  a  poi- 
sonous malaria  which  entered  into  the  blood  of  the  Ens:- 
lish.  The  whole  colony  was  prostrated  by  a  virulent 
epidemic.  All  thought  of  guarding  against  the  Indians 
was  abandoned.  The  supply  of  food  was  soon  exhausted, 
and  destruction  stared  them  in  the  face.  The  men  lay 
wasting  away  in  the  sultry  cabins.  Those  who  were 
not  attacked  were  too  few  to  wait  on  the  sick,  scarcely 
enough  to  drag  them  out  and  bury  them  when  they  died. 
"  Burning  fevers  destroyed  them,"  says  George  Percy, 


24         VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

writing  of  this  terrible  time,  "  some  departed  suddenly, 
but  for  the  most  part  they  died  of  mere  famine.  There 
were  never  Englishmen  left  in  a  foreign  country  in  such 
misery  as  we  were,  in  this  new  discovered  Virginia." 
Night  and  day  men  were  heard  "  groaning  in  every  cor- 
ner of  the  fort,  most  pitiful  to  hear."  The  writer  seems 
to  groan  himself  as  he  remembers  the  fearful  scene. 
"  If  there  were  any  conscience  in  men,"  he  exclaims,  "  it 
would  make  their  hearts  to  bleed  to  hear  the  pitiful 
murmurings  and  outcries  .  .  .  some  departing  out  of 
the  world,  sometimes  three  and  four  in  a  night ;  in  the 
morniuo;  their  bodies  trailed  out  of  the  cabins  like  doa^s 
to  be  buried." 

By  the  month  of  September  famine  and  fever  had 
swept  off  fifty  men,  one  half  the  colony,  and  among  the 
dead  were  Bartholomew  Gosnold  and  Thomas  Studley, 
the  treasurer.  Smith  was  left  to  contend  single-handed 
with  Wingfield  and  his  followers.  These  people  now 
showed  their  true  characters,  and  added  cowardice  to  in- 
capacity. Wingfield  and  Kendall  made  an  effort  to 
seize  the  Pinnace  and  escape  to  England ;  but  the  col- 
onists rose  in  their  wrath  and  dealt  promptly  with  them. 
They  deposed  them  from  the  Council  and  elected  Rat- 
cliffe  President  in  Wingfield's  place  ;  but  Katcliffe  was 
little  better  than  his  predecessor,  and  did  nothing  to  suc- 
cor them.  The  only  hope  was  Smith,  and  the  settlers 
compelled  him  by  popular  uprising  to  assume  the  con- 
trol of  the  colony. 

Smith  acted  with  energy,  for  the  j^oor  people  were 
nearly  starving.  By  an  interposition  of  Providence, 
the  Indians  had  voluntarily  brought  them  a  small  sup- 
ply of  corn  ;  but  this  was  soon  exhausted,  and  Smith 
went  down  James  Uiver  to  obtain  more.     The  tri.be  at 


THE   TERRIBLE   SUM3fER   OF  1607.  25 

Hampton  refused  it,  when  he  fired  a  volley  into  the 
crowd,  captured  their  idol,  seized  the  supplies,  and  re- 
turned to  Jamestown.  Another  expedition  followed, 
from  which  Smith  returned  at  a  critical  moment. 
Wingfield  and  Kendall  had  again  seized  the  Pinnace 
and  were  on  the  point  of  escaping,  but  Smith  opened 
on  them  with  cannon  and  they  were  compelled  to  sur- 
render. Short  work  was  made  of  Kendall,  the  rinir- 
leader  of  the  conspiracy.  He  was  tried  by  a  jury,  found 
guilty,  and  shot.  The  life  of  Wingfield  was  spared, 
but  he  was  deprived  of  all  authority.  He  remained  in 
the  colony  "  living  in  disgrace,"  and  anxiously  looking 
for  an  opportunity  to  return  to  England. 

Thus  with  famine  and  disease,  hot  turmoil  and  con- 
spiracy, the  groans  of  the  dying  in  the  huts,  and  the 
sudden  thunder  of  Smith's  cannon  summoniue;  the  mu- 
tineers  to  surrender,  passed  this  terrible  summer  of 
1607.  It  tried  the  stoutest  hearts,  but  had  this  much  of 
good  in  it,  that  it  showed  the  adventurers  who  was  their 
true  leader.  In  the  midst  of  the  general  despondency 
one  man  at  least  had  refused  to  give  way  to  despair. 
Though  sick  himself  of  the  fever,  Smith  had  labored 
unceasingly  for  the  rest.  When  "  ten  men  could  neither 
go  nor  stand,"  he  had  fed  the  sick  and  dying,  infused 
hope  into  the  survivors,  and  had  the  right  to  say  of  him- 
self what  he  said  of  Pocahontas,  that  he  "  next  under 
God  was  still  the  instrument  to  preserve  this  colony 
from  death,  famine,  and  utter  confusion." 

At  last  the  dawn  appeared  ;  the  long  night  of  suffer- 
ing was  at  an  end.  The  fall  came  with  its  fresh  winds, 
driving  away  the  malaria.  The  healthful  airs  restored 
the  sick.  The  rivers  were  full  of  fish  and  wild  fowl, 
and  the  corn  was  fit  for  bread.     There  was  no  longer 


26        VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

any  danger  that  the  colony  would  be  destroyed  by  dis- 
ease or  want.  A  kind  Providence,  watching  over  the 
weak  and  suffering,  had  preserved  the  remnant,  and  the 
Virginia  plantation  had  risen  as  it  were  from  the  very 
brink  of  the  grave.  A  bitter  winter  followed  —  "  an  ex- 
traordinary frost  in  most  parts  of  Europe  and  as  ex- 
treme in  Virginia  "  —  but  this  banished  every  remnant 
of  fever,  as  the  coming  of  winter  destroys  to-day  the 
epidemic  which  scourges  the  lower  Mississippi.  The 
long  agony  was  over,  and  what  was  left  of  the  James- 
town colony  was  safe  at  last. 

Men  soon  forget  trouble.  The  fearful  summer 
which  they  had  passed  through  was  lost  sight  of,  and  the 
dissensions  again  began.  Smith  had  retired  from  his 
place  as  acting  President,  and  the  old  incompetent  peo- 
ple regained  the  sway.  Complaints  were  made  that 
nothing  had  been  effected  ;  that  the  royal  order  to  go  in 
search  of  the  "  South  Sea  "  had  not  been  complied  with ; 
that  the  whole  enterprise  was  a  failure.  Smith  replied 
to  these  "  murmurs,"  which  we  are  informed  "  arose  in 
the  Council,"  by  offering  to  lead  an  expedition  of  dis- 
covery in  the  direction  of  the  mountains.  This  was  de- 
termined upon,  and  in  a  severe  spell  of  weather  (Decem- 
ber 10,  1607)  he  set  out  in  a  barge  with  a  small  party 
of  rtien,  ostensibly  to  make  the  famous  discovery  of  the 
great  "  South  Sea." 

VI. 

THE    ANCIENT    VIRGINIANS. 

This  voyage  toward  the  unknown  was  an  important 
event  in  the  history  of  the  colony,  and  Smith's  adven- 
tures, during  the  month  which  followed,  threw  him  for 


THE  ANCIENT    VIRGINIANS.  27 

the  first  time  face  to  face  with  the  Indians  in  their  wood- 
land haunts.  He  made  their  acquaintance  at  their 
homes  on  the  banks  of  the  rivers ;  observed  their 
strange  rites  and  usages ;  and  gathered  the  details  for 
his  picturesque  account  of  them,  which  enables  us  to  see 
them  as  thev  looked  and  acted  in  that  old  Yirofinia  of 
nearly  three  centuries  ago. 

It  is  not  possible  and  is  unnecessary  to  reproduce  here 
the  full  picture  of  this  singular  race  ;  but  some  of  the 
details,  especially  those  relating  to  their  religious  belief, 
are  extremely  curious.  |  The  experiences  of  the  Eng- 
lish, first  and  last,  were  with  the  "  Powhatans,"  who 
inhabited  what  is  now  called  Tidewater  Virginia,  from 
the  Chesapeake  to  the  Piedmont.  Other  tribes  lay 
beyond,  and  all  were  doubtless  the  successors  of  the 
Mound-builders ;  but  of  these  the  English  settlers  knew 
little  or  nothing. 

Smith  draws  for  us  a  full-length  portrait  of  the  Vir- 
ginia savage,  —  a  barbarian  guided  by  impulse,  cunning, 
treacherous,  and  nursing  his  grudge.  He  lived  in  a 
wigwam  or  an  arbor  built  of  trees,  and  dressed  in  deer- 
skin ;  the  women  wearing  mantles  of  feathers  "ex- 
ceedingly warm  and  handsome."  Both  sexes  wore  bead 
necklaces,  and  tattooed  their  bodies  with  puccoon,  which 
is  the  bloodroot ;  and  the  women  were  subject  in  all 
things  to  their  husbands.  On  the  hunting  expeditions 
they  carried  burdens  and  built  the  arbors,  while  the 
warriors  smoked  pipes  and  looked  on.  The  picture 
drawn  in  the  old  record  is  somewhat  comic.  The  young 
Indian  women  are  seen  erectinor  the  huts  at  the  end  of 
the  long  day's  march ;  and  in  the  slant  sunset  light  the 
youthful  braves  practice  shooting  at  a  target,  for  by 
suoii   manly  accomplishments    they  "get  their  wives" 


28        VIRGINIA:   A   HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

from  among  the  dusk  beauties  workiug  at  the  sylvan 
arbors ! 

The  most  curious  feature  of  this  curious  race  was 
their  religion.  There  is  no  evidence  that  they  had  any 
conception  of  a  beneficent  Creator.  Their  god  was 
Okee,  or  "  The  One  Alone  called  Kiwassa,"  the  spirit 
of  Evil.  They  feared  and  worshiped  him  as  they  wor- 
shiped Force  in  all  its  manifestations,  —  fire  that  burned 
them,  water  that  drowned  them,  the  thunder  and  light- 
ning, and  the  English  cannon  when  they  came.  As 
to  a  good  god,  there  was  no  such  being ;  if  there 
was,  it  was  unnecessary  to  worship  him.  They  need 
not  take  the  trouble  to  conciliate  such  a  deity,  since 
from  the  nature  of  things  he  would  not  injure  them. 
As  to  Okee,  or  the  One  Alone  called  Kiwassa,  it  was 
different.  This  Evil  one  was  to  be  propitiated,  and 
they  made  images  of  him,  decorated  with  copper,  which 
they  set  up  in  temples  hidden  in  the  woods ;  and  endeav- 
ored "  to  fashion  themselves  as  near  to  his  shape  as 
they  could  imagine." 

The  great  national  temple  was  at  Uttamussac,  on 
York  River.  Here,  on  "  certain  red  sandy  hills  in  the 
woods,  were  three  great  houses  filled  with  images  of 
their  kings  and  devils,  and  tombs  of  their  predecessors." 
In  these  "  sepulchres  of  their  kings "  were  deposited 
the  royal  corpses,  embalmed  and  wrapped  in  skins ; 
and  each  district  of  the  kingdom  had  its  temple.  At 
the  shrines  priests  kept  watch  —  hideous  figures,  with 
dried  snakes'  skins  fallino^  from  their  heads  on  their 
shoulders,  as  they  shook  rattles  and  chanted  hoarsely 
the  greatness  of  the  deity.  These  priests  were  chosen 
and  set  aside  by  a  strange  ceremony.  Once  a  year, 
twenty  of  the   handsomest  youths,  from  ten  to  fifteen, 


THE  ANCIENT   VIRGINIANS.  29 

were  "  painted  white  "  and  placed  at  the  foot  of  a  tree 
in  the  presence  of  a  great  multitude.  Then  the  sav- 
ages, armed  with  clubs,  ranged  themselves  in  two  ranks, 
leaving  a  lane  to  the  tree,  through  which  five  youno- 
men  were  to  pass,  in  turn,  and  carry  off  the  children. 
As  the  young  men  passed  through  this  lane  with  the 
children  in  their  arms  they  were  "  fiercely  beaten,"  but 
thought  of  nothing  but  shielding  the  children,  while  the 
women  wept  and  cried  out  "  very  passionately."  The 
tree  was  then  torn  down  and  the  boughs  woven  into 
wreaths,  and  the  children  were  "  cast  on  a  heap  in  a 
valley  as  dead."  Here  Okee,  or  Kiwassa,  sucked  the 
blood  from  the  left  breast  of  such  as  were  "  his  by  lot," 
until  they  were  dead ,  and  the  rest  were  kept  in  the 
wilderness  by  the  five  young  men  for  nine  months,  after 
which  they  were  set  aside  for  the  priesthood. 

Thus  Okee  was  the  god  who  sucked  the  blood  of 
children  —  a  sufficient  description  of  him.  The  bravest 
warriors  inclined  before  his  temple  with  abject  fear. 
In  going  up  or  down  the  York,  by  the  mysterious  Utta- 
mussac  shrine,  they  solemnly  cast  copper,  or  beads,  or 
puccoon  into  the  stream  to  propitiate  him,  and  made 
long  strokes  of  the  paddle  to  get  away  from  the  danger- 
ous neighborhood. 

As  to  their  views  of  a  future  life,  the  reports  differed. 
According  to  one  account,  they  believed  in  "the  im- 
mortality of  the  soul,  when,  life  departing  from  the 
body,  according  to  the  good  or  bad  works  it  hath  done, 
it  is  carried  up  to  the  tabernacles  of  the  gods  to  per- 
petual happiness,  or  to  Popogusso,  a  great  pit  which 
they  think  to  be  at  the  farthest  parts  of  the  world  where 
the  sun  sets,  and  there  burn  continually."  Another 
account  attributes  to  them  the  belief  that  the  human 


80         VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

soul  was  extinguished,  like  the  body,  at  death.  To  this 
the  priests  were  an  exception.  The  One  Alone  called 
Kiwassa  was  their  friend.  When  they  died  they  went 
"  beyond  the  mountains  toward  the  setting  of  the  sun," 
and  there,  with  plenty  of  tobacco  to  smoke,  and  plumes 
on  their  heads,  and  bodies  painted  with  puccoon,  they 
enjoyed  a  happy  immortality. 

It  was  a  grim  faith  —  the  human  soul  groping  in 
thick  darkness  ;  shrinking  from  the  lightning  cutting  it, 
and  the  harsh  reverberation  of  the  god's  voice  in  the 
thunder.  But  beyond  the  sunset  on  the  Blue  Mountains 
was  peace  at  last,  where  they  would  "  do  nothing  but 
dance  and  sing  with  all  "their  predecessors."  Whether 
•they  wished  or  expected  to  see  the  One  Alone  called 
Kiwassa  there,  we  are  not  informed.  He  was  never 
seen  by  mortal,  it  seems,  in  this  world  or  the  next. 
And  yet  it  was  known  that  he  had  come  to  earth  once. 
On  a  rock  below  Richmond,  about  a  mile  from  James 
River,  may  still  be  seen  gigantic  foot-prints  about  five 
feet  apart.  These  were  the  foot-prints  of  Kiwassa,  as 
he  walked  throug-h  the  land  of  Powhatan.^ 

Thus  all  was  primitive  and  picturesque  about  this 
singular  race.  They  were  without  a  written  language, 
but  had  names  for  each  other,  for  the  seasons,  and 
every  natural  object.  The  years  were  counted  by  win- 
ters or  cohonhs  —  a  word  coined  from  the  cry  of  the 
wild  geese  passing  southward  at  the  beginning  of  win- 
ter. They  reckoned  five  seasons  —  the  Budding  or 
Blossoming,  which  was  s]3ring ;  the  Corn-earing  time, 
early  summer  ;  the  Highest  Sun,  full  summer  ;  the  Fall 
of  the  Leaf,  autumn ;  and  Cohonks,  winter.  The  months 

1  These  singular  impressions  are  on  the  present  estate  of  "Pow- 
hatan "  —  the  site  of  the  old  Imperial  residence.  Their  origin  is  un- 
known. 


THE  ANCIENT    VIRGINIANS.  31 

were  counted  by  moons,  and  named  after  their  products: 
as  the  Moon  of  Strawberries,  the  Moon  of  Stags,  the 
Moon  of  Corn,  and  the  Moon  of  Cohonks.  The  day 
was  divided  into  three  parts:  Sunrise,  the  Full  Sunpower, 
and  the  Sunset.  They  had  many  festivals,  as  at  the  com- 
ing of  the  wild-fowl,  the  return  of  the  hunting  season, 
and  the  great  Corn-gathering  celebration.  At  a  stated 
time  every  year  the  whole  tribe  feasted,  put  out  all  the 
old  fires,  kindled  new  by  rubbing  pieces  of  wood  to- 
gether, and  all  crimes  but  murder  were  then  pardoned; 
it  was  considered  in  bad  taste  even  to  allude  to  them. 
One  other  ceremony,  the  Huskauawing,  took  place  every 
fourteen  years,  when  the  young  men  were  taken  to 
spots  in  the  woods,  intoxicated  on  a  decoction  from  cer- 
tain roots,  and  when  brought  back  were  declared  to  be 
thenceforth  warriors. 

This  outline  of  the  aboriginal  Virginians  will  define 
their  character.  They  were,  in  the  fullest  sense  of  the 
term,  a  peculiar  people,  and  had,  in  addition  to  the 
above  traits,  one  other  which  ought  not  to  be  passed 
over  —  they  were  content  to  be  ruled  by  women.  Of 
this  singular  fact  there  is  no  doubt,  and  it  quite  over- 
turns the  general  theory  that  the  Indian  women  were 
despised  subordinates.  When  Smith  was  captured,  he  was 
waited  upon  by  the  "  Queen  of  Appomattock  ; "  there 
was  a  "  Queen  of  the  Paspaheghs,"  and  the  old  histo- 
rian Beverley,  speaking  of  the  tribes  about  the  year 
1700,  tells  us  Pungoteague  was  governed  by  "a  Queen," 
that  Nanduye  was  the  seat  of  "  the  Empress,"  and  that 
this  empress  had  the  shore  tribes  "  under  tribute."  To 
this,  add  the  singular  statement  made  by  Powhatan, 
that  his  kingdom  would  descend  to  his  brothers,  and 
afterwards  to  his  sisters,  though  he  had  sons  living. 


32        VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

Sucli  were  the  Virginia  Iiidiaus,  a  race  not  at  all  re- 
sembling the  savages  of  other  lands ;  tall  in  person, 
vigorous,  stoical,  enduring  pain  without  a  murmur  ;  slow 
in  maturing  revenge,  but  swift  to  strike  ;  worshiping 
the  lightning  and  thunder  as  the  flash  of  the  eyes  and 
the  hoarse  voice  of  their  unseen  god ;  without  pity ; 
passionately  fond  of  hunting  and  war  ;  children  of  the 
woods,  with  all  the  primitive  impulses ;  loving  little, 
hating  inveterately  ;  a  strange  people,  which,  on  the 
plains  of  the  West  to-day,  are  not  unlike  what  they  were 
in  Virginia  nearly  three  centuries  ago.  The  old  chroni- 
cles, with  the  rude  pictures,  give  us  their  portraits.  We 
ma}'^  fancy  them  going  to  war  in  their  puccoon  paint, 
paddling  swiftly  in  their  log  canoes  on  the  Tidewater 
rivers  ;  dancing  and  yelling  at  their  festivals  ;  creeping 
stealthily  through  the  woods  to  attack  the  English ; 
darting  quickly  by  the  shadowy  temple  of  Uttamussac 
in  the  woods  of  the  York,  and  shrinking  with  terror  as 
the  voice  of  Okee  roars  in  the  thunder. 

The  Emperor  Powhatan  (his  public  and  official  name, 
his  family  name  being  Wahunsonacock)  ruled  over  thirty 
tribes,  8000  square  miles,  and  8000  subjects,  of  whom 
about  2400  were  fighting  men.  Part  of  his  territories 
came  by  conquest,  but  he  inherited  the  country  from 
where  Richmond  now  stands  to  Gloucester,  though  the 
Chickahominy  tribe,  about  three  hundred  warriors,  dis- 
owned his  authority.  He  was  a  man  of  ability,  both 
in  war  and  peace  ;  greatly  feared  by  his  subjects,  and 
holding  the  state  of  a  king.  At  his  chief  places  of  resi- 
dence, —  Powhatan,  below  Richmond,  Orapax,  on  the 
Chickahominy,  and  Werowocomoco,  on  the  York,  — 
he  was  waited  on  by  his  braves  and  wives,  of  whom  he 
had  a  large  number  ;  and  it  is  plain  from  the  chronicles 


POCAHONTAS.  33 

that  his  will  was  treated  with  implicit  respect.  He  was 
indeed  the  head  and  front  of  the  state  —  a  monarch 
whose  jus  divinwn  was  much  more  fully  recognized 
than  the  jus  divinum  of  his  Majesty  James  I.  in  Eng- 
land. He  ruled  by  brains  as  well  as  by  royal  descent, 
by  might  as  well  as  of  right.  On  important  occasions, 
as  when  going  to  war,  a  great  council  or  parliament 
of  the  tribes  assembled ;  but  the  old  Emperor  seems 
to  have  been  the  soul  of  these  assemblies,  and  quite 
at  one  with  his  nobles.  In  theory  he  was  only  the 
first  gentleman  in  his  kingdom,  but  his  will  was  the 
constitution,  and  his  authority  sacred ;  "  when  he  listed 
his  word  was  law." 

When  Smith  came  to  stand  before  this  king  of  the 
woods  in  his  court,  it  was  Europe  and  America  brought 
face  to  face  ;  civilization  and  the  Old  World  in  physical 
contact  with  barbarism  and  the  New. 


VII. 

POCAHONTAS. 

Smith  began  his  famous  voyage  toward  the  South 
Sea  on  a  bitter  December  day  of  1607.  It  is  not  prob- 
able that  the  unknown  ocean  was  in  his  thoughts  at  all ; 
life  at  Jamestown  was  monotonous,  and  he  and  his 
good  companions  in  the  barge  would  probably  meet 
with  adventures.  If  these  were  perilous  they  would 
still  be  welcome,  for  the  ardent  natures  of  the  time 
relished  peril ;  and,  turning  his  barge  head  into  the 
Chickahominy,  Smith  ascended  the  stream  until  the 
shallows  stopped  him.  He  then  procured  a  canoe  and 
some  Indian  guides,  and  continued  his  voyage  with  only 
3 


84        VIRGINIA:  A   HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

two  companions,  leaving  the  rest  of  the  men  behind  to 
await  his  return. 

The  result  of  the  canoe  voyage  was  unfortunate  in 
the  extreme.  Having  reached  a  point  in  what  is  now 
the  White  Oak  Swamp,  east  of  Richmond,  —  he  calls 
the  place  Rassaweak,  —  he  landed  with  an  Indian  guide, 
was  attacked  by  a  band  of  Indians,  and  having  sunk  in 
a  marsh  was  captured  and  taken  before  their  chief,  Ope- 
chancanough,  brother  of  the  Emperor  Powhatan.  The 
Indians  had  attacked  and  killed  two  of  the  English  left 
behind,  and  Smith  was  now  bound  to  a  tree  and  ordered 
to  be  shot  to  death.  A  trifle  saved  his  life.  He  ex- 
hibited a  small  ivory  compass  which  he  always  carried, 
and  explained  by  signs  as  far  as  possible  the  properties 
of  the  magnetic  needle.  It  is  improbable  that  the  In- 
dian chief  comprehended  this  scientific  lecture,  but  he 
saw  the  needle  through  the  glass  cover  and  yet  could 
not  touch  it,  which  was  enough.  Smith  was  released 
and  fed  plentifully,  and  they  finally  set  out  with  him 
on  a  triumphal  march  through  the  land  of  Powhatan. 
They  traversed  the  New  Kent  "  desert,"  crossed  the 
Pamunkey,  Mattapony,  and  Rappahannock  to  the  Po- 
tomac region,  and  then,  returning  on  their  steps,  con- 
ducted the  prisoner  to  Werowocomoco,  the  "  Chief 
Place  of  Council "  of  the  Emperor  Powhatan. 

This  old  Indian  capital  was  in  Gloucester,  on  York 
River,  about  twenty-five  miles  below  the  present  West 
Point.  The  exact  site  is  supposed  to  have  been 
"  Shelly,"  an  estate  of  the  Page  family,  where  great 
banks  of  oyster  shells  and  the  curious  ruin,  "  Pow- 
'  hatan's  chimney,"  seem  to  show  that  the  Emperor  held 
his  court.  Smith  was  brought  before  him  as  a  distin- 
guished captive,  and  his  fate  seemed  sealed.     He  had 


POCAHONTAS.  35 

killed  two  of  his  Indian  assailants  in  the  fight  on  the 
Chickahominy,  and  it  was  tolerably  certain  that  his  ene- 
mies would  now  beat  out  his  brains.  His  description 
of  the  scene,  and  especially  of  the  Indian  Emperor,  is 
picturesque.  Powhatan  was  a  tall  and  gaunt  old  man 
with  a  "  sour  look,"  and  sat  enthroned  on  a  couch,  cov- 
ered with  mats,  in  front  of  a  fire.  He  was  wrapped  in 
a  robe  of  raccoon  skins,  which  he  afte wards  offered  as 
an  imperial  present  to  the  King  of  England,  and  beside 
Iiim  sat  or  reclined,  his  girl-wives.  The  rest  of  the  In- 
dian women,  nearly  nude,  stained  red  with  puccoon  and 
decorated  with  shell  necklaces,  were  ranged  against  the 
walls  of  the  wigwam,  and  the  dusky  warriors  were  drawn 
up  in  two  lines  to  the  right  and  left  of  the  Emperor. 

The  prisoner  was  brought  in  before  this  imposing  as- 
semblage, and  at  first  there  seemed  a  possibility  that  he 
might  escape  with  his  life.  The  "  Queen  of  Appomat- 
tock  "  brought  him  water  in  a  wooden  bowl  to  wash  his 
hands  ;  another  a  bunch  of  feathers  to  use  as  a  towel ; 
and  then  "  a  feast  was  spread  for  him  after  their  best 
barbarous  fashion."  But  his  fate  had  been  decided 
upon.  Two  stones  were  brought  in  and  laid  on  the 
ground  in  front  of  the  Emperor,  and  what  followed  is 
succinctly  related  in  the  old  narrative.  Smith  was 
seized,  dragged  to  the  stones,  his  head  forced  down 
on  one  of  them,  and  clubs  were  raised  to  beat  out  his 
brains,  when  Pocahontas,  the  daughter  of  Powhatan, 
interposed  and  saved  him.  The  description  of  the  scene 
is  concise.  The  Indian  girl,  a  child  of  twelve  or  thir- 
teen, ran  to  him,  "  got  his  head  in  her  arms,  and  laid 
her  own  upon  his  to  save  him  from  death  ;  "  whereupon 
the  Emperor  relented  and  ordered  his  life  to  be  spared.-^ 

1  The  questions  connected  with  this  incident  will  be  examined  else- 
where. 


86        VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

A  kind  Providence  had  thus  preserved  the  sohlier, 
but  he  was  to  remain  with  Powhatan  to  make  "  bells, 
beads,  and  copper,"  for  Pocahontas.  It  was  a  very 
curious  fate  for  the  hardy  campaigner  of  the  Turkish 
wars,  to  be  buried  in  the  Virginia  woods,  the  fashioner 
of  toys  for  an  Indian  girl. 

Pocahontas  was  the  favorite  daughter  of  the  Em- 
peror, and  Smith  describes  her  as  the  most  attractive  of 
the  Indian  maids ;  "  for  features,  countenance,  and  ex- 
pression, she  much  exceeded  any  of  the  rest."  Her 
figure  was  probably  slight.  "  Of  so  great  a  spirit,  how- 
ever her  stature,""  was  the  description  of  her  afterwards, 
when  she  had  grown  up  and  visited  London.  Her  dress 
was  a  robe  of  doeskin  lined  with  down  from  the  breast 
of  the  wood  pigeon,  and  she  wore  coral  bracelets  on 
wrists  and  ankles,  and  a  white  plume  in  her  hair,  the 
badge  of  royal  blood.  It  must  have  been  a  very  in- 
teresting woodland  picture ; —  the  soldier,  with  tanned 
face  and  sweeping  mustache,  shaping  trinkets  for  the 
small  slip  of  Virginia  royalty  in  her  plumes  and  brace- 
lets. A  few  words  of  the  chronicle  give  us  a  glimpse 
of  it,  and  the  curtain  falls. 

The  soldier  remained  with  Powhatan  until  early  in 
the  next  January  (1608).  They  had  sworn  eternal 
friendshijD,  and  the  Emperor  offered  to  adopt  him  and 
give  him  the  "country  of  Capahowsick"  for  a  duke- 
dom. It  is  probable  that  Smith  received  this  proposal 
with  enthusiasm,  but  he  expressed  a  strong  desire  to 
pay  a  visit  to  Jamestown,  and  the  Emperor  finally  per- 
mitted him  to  depart.  He  traveled  with  an  escort  and 
reached  Jamestown  in  safety.  His  Indian  guard  were 
supplied  with  j)resents  for  Powhatan  aud  his  family,  a 
cannon  shot  was  fired  into  the  ice-laden  trees  for  their 


POCAHONTAS.  37 

gratification,  and  overwhelmed  with  fright,  they  fled 
into  the  woods. 

The  soldier  had  not  spent  a  very  merry  Christmas  on 
the  banks  of  the  York,  and  was  not  going  to  enjoy  a 
happy  New  Year  at  Jamestown.  The  place  was  "in 
combustion,"  and  the  little  colony  seemed  going  to  de- 
struction. The  new  President,  Ratcliffe,  had  revived  the 
project  of  seizing  the  Pinnace.  This  was  the  only  ves- 
sel, and  he  meant  to  escape  in  it  to  England  —  in  other 
words  to  desert  his  comrades  and  leave  them  to  their 
fate.  As  long  as  they  had  the  Pinnace  they  might  save 
themselves  by  abandoning  the  country.  Now  Ratcliffe 
and  his  fellow  conspirators  intended  to  take  away  this 
last  hope. 

Smith  reached  Jamestown  on  the  very  day  (January 
8,  1G08)  when  the  conspirators  were  about  to  sail. 
They  had  gone  on  board  the  Pinnace  and  were  raising 
anchor  when  Smith's  heavy  hand  fell  on  them.  "  With 
the  hazard  of  his  life,  with  sakre  falcon  and  musket- 
shot  "Jie  compelled  them  "  now  the  third  time  to  stay 
or  sink."  "With  that  harsh  thunder  dogging  them,  Rat- 
cliffe and  his  companions  surrendered,  in  the  midst  of 
wild  commotion.  But  their  party  was  powerful  and  a 
curious  blow  was  struck  at  Smith.  He  was  formally 
charged  "  under  the  Levitical  law  "  with  the  death  of 
the  men  slain  by  the  Indians  on  the  Chickahominy. 
The  punishment  was  death ;  but  the  "  lawyers,"  as  he 
calls  them,  were  dealing  with  a  resolute  foe.  Smith 
suddenly  arrested  his  intended  judges,  and  sent  them 
under  guard  on  board  the  Pinnace,  where  Ratcliffe  and 
his  accomplice  Wingfield  awaited  his  further  pleasure 
in  momentary  fear  of  death. 

All  this  turmoil  and  "  combustion  "  had  arisen  from 


38         VIRGINIA:    A   HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

sheer  starvation.  The  English  were  without  food,  and 
the  fearful  summer  of  1607  seemed  about  to  be  re- 
peated. Suddenly  Providence  came  to  their  rescue.  A 
band  of  Indians  bending  down  under  baskets  of  corn 
and  venison  made  their  appearance  from  the  direction 
of  York  River  and  entered  the  fort.  At  the  head  of 
the  "  wild  train "  was  Pocahontas  :  the  Indian  girl  of 
her  own  good  heart  had  brought  succor  to  the  perish- 
ing colony ;  and  she  afterwards  traversed  the  woods  be- 
tween the  York  and  Jamestown  "  ever  once  in  four  or 
five  days "  bringing  food,  which  "  saved  many  of  their 
lives  that  else,  for  all  this,  had  starved  for  hunger." 
We  are  informed  that  the  colonists  were  profoundly 
touched  by  this  "love  of  Pocahontas,"  and  their  name 
for  her  thereafter  was  "  the  dear  and  blessed  Pocahon- 
tas." Long  afterwards  Smith  recalled  these  days  to 
memory,  and  wrote  in  his  letter  to  the  Queen,  "  During 
the  time  of  two  or  three  years  she,  next  under  God,  was 
still  the  instrument  to  preserve  this  colony  from  death, 
famine  and  utter  confusion,  which,  if  in  those  days  had 
once  been  dissolved,  Virginia  might  have  lain  as  it  was 
at  our  first  arrival  to  this  day." 

These  incidents  paint  the  picture  of  the  colony  in  the 
winter  of  1607.  Nearly  a  year  after  the  settlement  it 
had  not  taken  root,  and  as  far  as  any  one  could  see  it 
was  not  going  to  do  so.  The  elements  of  disintegra- 
tion seemed  too  strong  for  it.  The  men  were  gloomy 
and  discouraged ;  "  but  for  some  few  that  were  gen- 
tlemen by  birth,  industry  and  discretion,"  wrote  Smith, 
"we  could  not  possibly  have  subsisted."  The  loss  of 
life  by  the  summer  epidemic  had  been  terrible  indeed, 
but  what  was  worse  was  the  loss  of  hope.  The  little 
society   was  nearly  disorganized.      Rival  factions  bat- 


POCAHONTAS.  39 

tied  for  tlie  mastery.  Conspiracies  were  formed  to  de- 
sert the  country ;  and  a  general  discontent  and  loss  of 
energy  seemed  to  foretell  the  sure  fate  of  tiie  whole 
enterprise. 

What  was  the  explanation  of  this  impatience,  in- 
subordination, and  discouragement  ?  These  "  gentlemen, 
laborers,  carpenters"  and  others,  were  fair  representa- 
tives of  their  classes  in  England ;  and  in  England  they 
had  been  industrious,  and  respectable  members  of  the 
community.  Many  persons  of  low  character  were  after- 
wards sent  to  Virginia  by  James  I.,  but  the  first  "  sup- 
plies "  were  composed  of  excellent  material.  Smith, 
Percy,  and  many  more  were  men  of  very  high  character, 
and  the  wars  with  the  savages  clearly  showed  that  the 
settlers  generally  could  be  counted  on  for  courage  and 
endurance.  Why,  then,  was  the  Virginia  colony  going 
to  destruction  ? 

The  reply  is  easy.  Their  rulers  were  worthless,  and 
above  all,  the  unhappy  adventurers  had  no  home  ties. 
They  were  adrift  in  the  wilderness  without  wives  or 
children,  and  had  little  or  no  incentive  to  perform  honest 
work.  The  result  duly  followed  :  they  became  idle  and 
difficult  to  rule.  It  was  bad  enough  to  have  over  them 
such  men  as  Wingfield  and  Ratcliffe,  but  the  absence 
of  the  civilizing  element,  wives  and  children,  was  fatal. 
Later  settlers  in  other  parts  of  the  country,  brought 
their  families,  and  each  had  his  home  and  hearthstone. 
These  first  Americans  had  neither.  When  they  came 
home  at  night  —  or  to  the  hut  which  they  called 
home  —  no  smiles  welcomed  them.  When  they  worked 
it  was  under  compulsion ;  why  should  they  labor  ?  The 
"  common  kettle "  from  which  they  took  their  dreary 
meals  would  be  su[)plied  by  others.     So  the  idlers  grew 


40         VIRGINIA:    A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE, 

ever  idler;  the  days  passed  in  crimination  and  angry 
discussion  one  with  another.  The  Virginia  adventurers 
were  steadily  losing  all  hope  of  bringing  the  enterprise 
to  a  successful  issue,  and  were  looking  with  longing 
eyes  back  toward  England  as  the  place  of  refuge  from 
all  their  woes. 

Such  was  the  state  of  things  behind  the  palisades  of 
Jamestown  at  the  beginning  of  1608.  The  original 
hundred  men  had  dwindled  to  thirty  or  forty.  This 
remnant  was  torn  by  faction.  There  was  no  food  for 
the  morrow.  Without  Pocahontas  and  her  corn-bearers 
it  seemed  certain  that  the  Virginia  plantation  would 
miserably  end.  At  this  last  moment  succor  came.  A 
white  sail  was  seen  in  James  River,  and  whether  Span- 
iard or  English,  friend  or  foe,  they  would  be  supplied 
with  bread.  The  new-comers  were  friends.  The  Lon- 
don Company  had  sent  out  two  sliips  under  Captain 
Newport,  with  men  and  provisions,  and  this  was  one  of 
them.     For  the  time  the  plantation  was  saved. 


VIII. 

A    TEAR    OF    INCIDENTS. 

With  the  opening  spring  (1608)  cheerfulness  re- 
turned. The  sun  was  shining  after  the  dreary  winter  ; 
the  English  ship  had  brought  supplies ;  and  the  new 
colonists,  fresh  from  home,  gave  them  home  news  and 
revived  their  spirits.  For  a  time,  therefore,  the  growlers 
and  croakers  were  silenced ;  bustle  followed  the  sombre 
quiet;  and  a  new  spirit  of  life  seemed  to  be  infused 
into  the  colony. 

The  year  which  followed  was  full  of  movement,  and 


A    YEAR   OF  INCIDENTS.  41 

presents  an  admirable  picture  of  the  times  and  men, 
which  is  after  all  the  true  end  of  history.  The  best 
history  is  no  doubt  the  chronicle  which  shows  us  the 
actual  human  beings  —  what  manner  of  lives  they  lived, 
and  how  they  acted  in  the  midst  of  their  environment; 
and  this  is  found  in  the  original  relations  written  by  the 
Virginia  adventurers.  The  full  details  must  be  sought 
for  in  the  writings  themselves  —  here  a  summary  only 
is  possible. 

The  two  prominent  figures  of  the  year  1608  are 
Smith  and  Newport.  We  have  seen  the  soldier  now  in 
too  many  emergencies  to  misunderstand  his  character ; 
the  character  of  Newport  was  nearly  the  precise  contrast. 
He  was  "an  empty,  idle  man,"  according  to  the  old 
settlers,  who  charged  him  with  tale-bearing ;  and  was, 
probably,  a  man  of  the  world  and  a  courtier  of  the  Lon- 
don authorities,  looking  to  his  own  profit.  His  stay  in 
Virginia  was  brief,  but  was  marked  by  interesting  in- 
cidents. He  went  to  trade  with  Powhatan,  and  that 
astute  savage  outwitted  him.  Announcing  to  his  visitor 
that  "  it  was  not  agreeable  to  his  greatness  to  trade  in 
a  peddling  manner,"  Powhatan  proposed  that  Newport 
should  produce  his  commodities,  for  which  he  should 
receive  their  fair  value.  Newport  did  so,  and  the  Em- 
peror, selecting  the  best  of  everything,  returned  him 
four  bushels  of  corn.  But  Smith,  who  accompanied  the 
expedition,  received  two  or  three  hundred  bushels  for 
some  glass  beads  —  the  first  chapter  in  the  dealings  be- 
tween the  white  and  red  people. 

Toward  spring  a  fire  broke  out  at  Jamestown,  and 
completely  destroyed  the  place  ;  but  the  reed-thatched 
huts  were  rebuilt,  and  the  incident  was  soon  forgotten 
in  the  excitement  of  what,  in  our  time,  is  called  the 


42  •      VIRGINIA:    A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

gold-fever.  A  yellow  deposit  had  been  discovered  in 
the  neighborhood  of  Jamestown,  and  suddenly  a  craze 
seized  upon  the  adventurers.  The  deposit  was  taken 
for  gold,  and  all  heads  were  turned  :  "  There  was  no 
thought,  no  discourse,  no  hope,  and  no  work  but  to  dig 
gold,  wash  gold,  refine  gold,  and  load  gold."  Newport 
and  the  Council  caught  the  fever,  like  the  rest,  and 
Smith  was  the  only  one  who  remained  incredulous.  He 
reasoned  with  them  in  vain,  and  at  last  lost  all  patience. 
He  told  tliem  roughly  that  he  was  "  not  enamored  of 
their  dirty  skill  to  fraught  such  a  drunken  ship  with  so 
much  gilded  dirt,"  and  went  about  among  the  gold-dig- 
gers "  breathing  out  these  and  many  other  passions." 
They  would  not  listen  to  him,  and  Newport  carried  to 
London  a  full  cargo  of  the  gilded  dirt,  which  was  duly 
found  to  be  worthless,  and  no  more  was  heard  of  it. 
What  was  much  more  important,  he  took  with  him 
twenty  turkeys  —  the  first  introduction  of  that  fowl 
into  Europe.  With  the  yellow,  dirt  and  the  turkeys 
went  also  to  England  the  disgraced  Wingfield.  He 
never  returned  to  Virginia,  but  spent  his  leisure,  thence- 
forth, in  maligning  his  old  opponents  there. 

Another  joyful  event  of  these  spring  days  of  1608 
was  the  arrival  of  a  second  ship,  which  had  sailed  with 
Newport,  but  had  been  driven  to  the  West  Indies.  This 
was  the  Phoenix,  commanded  by  Captain  Francis 
Nelson,  "an  honest  man  and  expert  mariner."  He 
turned  his  back  on  the  "  fantastical  gold,"  and  laid  in  a 
cargo  of  cedar ;  and  when  he  sailed  for  home  in  June, 
took  back  with  him  Smith's  "  True  Relation  of  Vir- 
ginia." This  was  printed  in  the  same  year  at  "  The 
Grayhound,  in  Paul's  Churchyard,"  and  was  the  first 
book  written  by  an  Englishman  in  America. 


A  YE  An   OF  INCIDENTS.  43 

Smith,  who  had  determmed  to  make  an  exploration 
of  the  Chesapeake,  accompanied  the  Phoenix  in  his 
barge  as  far  as  the  capes.  There  he  took  final  leave  of 
the  honest  man  and  expert  mariner.  Captain  Francis 
Nelson,  and  the  good  ship  disappears  in  the  old  years 
on  lier  homeward  voyage.  We  may  see  the  white  sails 
fade  and  the  men  in  the  barge  standing  np  and  looking 
seaward.  Then  the  mist  swallows  the  speck,  and  it  is 
gone. 

Smith's  voyage  with  fourteen  companions  to  explore 
the  Chesapeake  was  a  remarkable  expedition.  It  was 
made  in  an  open  barge,  and  resembled  a  journey  into 
an  unknown  world.  All  was  new  and  strange.  At  one 
time  they  meet  with  the  Indian  king  of  Accomac,  who 
relates  how  the  faces  of  two  dead  children  remained 
bright  and  fresh,  and  all  that  looked  on  them  at  once 
exjDired.  Then  a  terrible  storm  beats  on  the  adven- 
turers in  the  small  barge  — "  thunder,  lightning,  and 
rain,  with  mighty  waves."  Driven  far  to  the  north, 
and  nearly  out  of  provisions,  the  voyagers  become  faint- 
hearted, but  Smith  encourages  them.  They  ought  to 
remember  "  the  memorable  history  of  Sir  Ralph  Layne, 
how  his  company  importuned  him  to  proceed  in  the 
discovery  of  Moratico,  alleging  they  yet  had  a  dog, 
which  being  boiled  with  sassafras  leaves  would  richly 
feed  them  on  their  return.  Retrain,  therefore,  vour  old 
spirits,"  adds  the  persuasive  orator-soldier,  "  for  return 
I  will  not,  if  God  please,  till  I  have  seen  the  Massa- 
womecs,  found  Potomac,  or  the  head  of  this  water  you 
conceive  to  be  endless."  He  found  and  entered  the 
Potomac,  the  Rappahannock,  and  other  rivers,  often 
fighting  with  the  Indians  ;  and  near  what  is  now  Sting- 
ray Point,  was  wounded  in  the  wrist  by  one  of   these 


44        VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

fish.  His  arm  swelled  to  an  alarming  extent,  and,  think- 
ing he  would  surely  die,  he  selected  a  sjDOt  to  be  buried 
in.  The  swelling  soon  disa23peared,  however,  and  the 
voyagers  returned  to  Jamestown,  from  which  place  they 
again  set  out  in  July  on  another  voyage.  This  time 
they  proceeded  to  the  furthest  northern  limits  of  the 
Chesapeake ;  landing  on  the  site  of  Baltimore  and 
making  the  acquaintance  of  the  gigantic  Susquehan- 
nocks.  It  was  the  daily  habit  of  Smith  to  oifer  up  a 
prayer  and  sing  a  psalm,  and  this  proceeding  struck  the 
simple  and  impulsive  savages  with  wonder.  "  They  be- 
gan," says  the  chronicle,  "in  a  most  passionate  manner 
to  hold  up  their  hands  to  the  sun,  with  a  fearful  song ; 
then  embracing  our  captain  they  began  to  adore  him  in 
like  manner "  —  the  only  intimation  that  any  of  the 
Indians  were  sun-worshipers.  In  the  first  days  of 
September  the  Chesapeake  voyagers  returned  south- 
ward, and  while  rounding  Point  Comfort  nearly  per- 
ished. The  brief  account  of  this  incident  is  a  good 
example  of  the  style  of  the  chronicles.  A  storm  struck 
them  in  the  night,  and  "  running  before  the  wind  we 
sometimes  saw  the  land  by  the  flashes  of  fire  from 
heaven,  by  which  light  only  we  kept  from  the  splitting 
shore  until  it  pleased  God  in  that  black  darkness  to 
preserve  us  by  that  light  to  find  Point  Comfort." 

In  these  two  voyages  the  adventurers  sailed  about 
three  thousand  miles ;  explored  both  banks  of  the  Ches- 
apeake ;  and  Smith  drew  a  map  of  astonishing  accuracy, 
—  that  wiiich  was  afterwards  printed  in  the  General 
History. 

The  voyagers  were  back  at  Jamestown  early  in  Sep- 
tember (1608).  Again  the  condition  of  affairs  there 
had   become    deplorable.      The   chronicle,  written   by 


A  YEAR  OF  INCIDENTS.  45 

trusty  Anas  Todkill,  and  others,  sums  up  the  situation : 
"The  silly  President  [Ratclitfe]  had  riotously  con- 
sumed the  stores,  and  to  fulfill  his  follies  about  build- 
ing for  his  pleasure  in  the  woods,  had  brought  them  all 
to  that  misery  that  had  we  not  arrived,  they  had  as 
strangely  tormented  him  with  revenge.''  The  grim  hu- 
mor of  the  writer  is  the  commentary  on  the  silly  Rat- 
cliffe's  pleasure-house  and  the  general  misery  for  which 
the  adventurers  had  "  strangely  tormented  him  with  re- 
venge," but  for  the  interposition  of  Smith.  On  one 
point,  however,  they  would  not  be  persuaded  by  the 
soldier.  They  would  have  no  more  of  Ratcliffe,  and 
rising  suddenly  in  their  wrath  they  deposed  him  and 
chose  Smith,  who  thus  by  popular  election  became 
President  of  Virginia. 

And  now  at  the  end  of  autumn,  Newport  again  made 
his  appearance.  He  brought  a  number  of  settlers, 
among  them  Mistress  Forrest  and  her  maid  Anne  Bur- 
ras,  who  was  soon  afterwards  married  to  Master  John 
Laydon,  the  first  English  marriage  on  American  soil. 

Newport  brought  orders  from  the  London  authori- 
ties which  showed  that  they  had  grown  irate.  No 
profit  had  come  from  Virginia,  and  RatclifFe  had  written 
home  that  Smith  and  his  followers  meant  to  seize  upon 
the  country  and  "  divide  it  among  themselves."  Thence 
wrath  on  the  part  of  the  Right  Honorables,  who  had 
no  doubt  been  enlightened  by  the  disgraced  Wingfield. 
The  Virginia  adventurers  were  to  discover  and  return 
one  of  the  lost  Roanoke  colonists  ;  to  send  back  a 
lump  of  gold;  and  to  find  the  South  Sea  beyond  the 
mountains.  If  these  orders  were  not  obeyed  they  were 
to  "remain  as  banished  men."  Smith  listened  in  the 
Council  and  declared  the  orders  absurd,  whereat  New- 


46        VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

port  and  himself  came  to  daggers  draw.  For  the  mo- 
ment, however,  their  differences  were  smoothed  over, 
and  Newport  proceeded  to  carry  out  another  of  his  or- 
ders,—  to  crown  Powhatan.  Smith  was  sent  to  invite 
the  Emperor  to  come  to  Jamestown  for  that  purpose, 
and  finding  him  absent  dispatched  a  messenger  to  sum- 
mon him.  A  cuiious  scene  preceded  his  arrival.  The 
party  of  English  were  seated  in  a  field  by  a  fire 
when  they  hear4  singing,  and  turning  their  heads  they 
saw  a  number  of  Indian  girls  emerge  from  the  woods. 
They  were  nearly  nude  and  stained  with  puccoon,  and 
the  leader  of  the  band  was  Pocahontas,  who  wore  a  gir- 
dle of  otter  skin,  and  carried  in  her  hand  a  bow  and  ar- 
rows, and  behind  her  shoulders  a  quiver.  Above  her 
forehead  she  wore  "  antlers  of  the  deer,"  and  led  the 
masqueraders,  who  after  elaborate  dancing  conducted 
the  English  to  a  neighboring  wigwam,  where  supper 
was  supplied  them  and  they  were  treated  with  the  ut- 
most kindness.  The  ceremonies  wound  up  with  a  grand 
torch-light  procession,  in  honor  of  the  P^nglishmen. 
They  were  escorted  to  their  lodgings  when  the  maids 
retired  to  their  own,  and  the  picturesque  proceedings 
came  to  an  end. 

Powhatan  appeared  on  the  next  morning,  but  pos- 
itively declined  to  go  to  Jamestown.  "  I  also  am  a 
king,"  he  said,  "  and  this  is  my  land.  Your  father  is 
to  come  to  me,  not  I  to  him  nor  yet  to  your  fort ; 
neither  will  I  bite  at  such  a  bait."  This  response  was 
delivered  "  with  complimental  courtesy,"  but  was  plainly 
final.  He  did  not  propose  to  visit  Jamestown  ;  and  find- 
ing his  resolution  fixed  Smith  returned  to  Newport. 
The  result  was  that  Newport  went  to  Werowocomoco 
and  performed  the   ceremony   there.     The  scene   was 


A  YEAR  OF  INCIDENTS.  47 

comic,  but  indicated  the  regal  pride  of  Powhatan.  It 
was  plain  that  he  welcomed  the  bed,  basin,  and  pitcher 
brought  as  presents,  and  he  cheerfully  submitted  to  in- 
vestment with  a  scarlet  cloak.  But  there  his  submission 
ended.  He  positively  refused  to  kneel  and  have  the 
crown  placed  on  his  head.  When  they  forced  him  to 
do  so,  and  a  volley  was  fired  in  honor  of  the  occasion,  he 
rose  suddenly  to  his  feet,  expecting  an  attack.  Finding 
that  none  was  intended,  he  regained  his  "complimental 
courtesy;"  consented  thenceforth  to  be  Powhatan  L, 
under-king,  subject  to  England  ;  and  sent  his  brother 
James  I.  his  old  moccasins  and  robe  of  raccoon  skin, 
in  return  for  the  scarlet  cloak  and  the  crown. 

This  was  the  only  order  of  the  Company  carried  out 
by  Newport.  He  marched  to  the  Monacan  country  to- 
ward the  upper  waters  of  James  River  to  discover  gold 
or  the  South  Sea  ;  found  neither  in  that  region,  and  re- 
turned foot-sore  to  Jamestown,  where  he  and  Smith  came 
to  open  quarrel.  But  the  men  were  unequally  matched ; 
the  brusque  soldier  was  too  much  for  the  courtier. 
Smith  threatened,  if  there  was  more  trouble,  to  send 
home  the  ship  and  keep  Newport  a  prisoner,  whereat 
the  man  of  the  world  gave  way,  "  cried  peccavi,"  and 
sailed  for  England.  He  took  with  him,  doubtless  against 
his  will,  Smith's  "  Map  of  Virginia  and  Description  of 
the  Country,"  and  also  a  letter  styled  his  "  Rude  An- 
swer "  to  the  reprimand  sent  him  by  the  authorities. 
This  curious  production  must  be  read  in  the  original 
chronicle.  The  writer  is  a  soldier,  and  forgets  to  ap- 
proach the  dignitaries  with  distinguished  consideration. 
The  machine  of  his  eloquence  is  not  oiled,  and  goes 
creaking  harshly,  but  the  sound  attracts  attention  if  it 
grates  on  the  nerves  of  the  Honorables.     "  The  sailors 


48        VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

say,"  he  writes,  "  that  Newport  hath  a  hundred  pounds 
a  year  for  carrying  news.  Captain  Ratcliffe  is  a  poor 
counterfeit  impostor,  I  have  sent  you  him  home  lest  the 
company  should  cut  his  throat."  It  is  probable  that  if 
Captain  Newport  had  suspected  the  character  of  this 
"  Rude  Answer  "  he  would  have  dropped  it  into  the 
Atlantic.  But  he  duly  took  it  to  England,  and  the 
Right  Honorables  no  doubt  gasped  at  its  truculence. 

Such  is  a  glimpse  of  these  old  feuds.  The  actors  in 
the  scenes  are  now  mere  shadows,  —  Smith  the  soldier, 
Newport  the  courtier,  Ratcliffe  the  agitator,  and  all  the 
rest ;  but  these  minutisB  of  the  chronicles  bring  back  the 
actual  figures.  It  is  only  by  stopping  to  look  at  them 
that  we  are  able  to  obtain  some  idea  of  the  real  drama, 
of  the  daily  worries,  the  spites  and  personal  antago- 
nisms of  the  men  who  played  their  parts  during  these 
first  years  of  American  history. 


IX. 

THE  STRONG  HAND  AT  LAST. 

The  snow  had  begun  to  fall  with  the  approach  of 
winter  (1608),  and  again  the  unlucky  adventurers  were 
reduced  to  dire  extremity.  Once  more  they  were  in 
want  of  food,  and,  huddled  together  behind  their  pali- 
sade, were  "  affrighted  "  at  the  thought  of  famine. 

To  this  at  the  end  of  nearly  two  years  had  the  Vir- 
ginia enterprise  come.  A  company  of  two  hundred 
men  were  in  the  wilderness  without  resources.  It  is 
true  they  had  the  immense  boon  of  a  gracious  charter 
securing  their  rights,  granting  them  trial  by  jury,  estab- 
lishing the  English  Church,  liberally  authorizing  them 


THE  STRONG  HAND   AT  LAST.  49 

to  hold  their  hinds  l)y  free  tenure  as  in  England;  and 
here  they  were,  a  wretched  handful  wasting  away  with 
famine,  who  had  much  ado  to  hold  their  lands  by  any 
tenure  whatever  against  the  savages. 

In  their  extremity  there  was  but  one  man  to  look  to. 
The  old  rulers  had  disappeared.  Of  tlie  original  Council, 
Gosnold  was  dead  of  the  fever  of  1607  ;  Newport  had 
retired  ;  Wingfield  and  Ratcliffe  had  been  deposed ; 
Martin  had  gone  off  in  disgust ;  and  Kendall  had  been 
shot.  Smith  only  remained,  the  man  whom  all  this 
bad  set  had  opposed  from  the  first,  arrested  for  treason, 
tried  for  murder,  and  attempted  in  every  manner  to  de- 
stroy. In  the  dark  hour  now,  this  man  was  the  stay  of 
the  colony.  Three  other  councilors  had  come  out  with 
Newport,  Captains  Waldo  and  Wynne  and  Master  Mat- 
thew Scrivener,  all  men  of  excellent  character ;  but  the 
colonists  looked  to  Smith  as  the  true  ruler. 

With  the  snow-fall  came  the  question  of  food.  New- 
port, it  seems,  had  left  them  little.  The  supply  was 
nearly  exhausted,  and  the  only  resource  was  to  apply  to 
the  Indians.  But  it  was  found  that  times  had  chano-ed. 
The  tribes  of  Powhatan  were  not  going  to  furnish  any ; 
they  had  received  orders  to  that  effect  from  their  Em- 
peror. The  application  was  made,  refused,  and  what 
followed  was  a  decisive  trial  of  strength  between  the 
English  and  the  savages,  —  a  series  of  scenes  in  which 
we  have  the  old  life  of  the  first  adventurers  summed  up 
and  wrought  into  a  picture  full  of  dramatic  interest. 

Smith  resolved  to  strike  at  the  central  authority. 
"  No  persuasion,"  we  are  told,  "  could  persuade  him  to 
starve,"  and  what  he  meant  now  to  do  was  to  go  to 
Powhatan  and  procure  supplies  by  fair  means  or  force. 
The  old  Emperor  gave  him  a  pretext  for  visiting  Wero- 
4 


50  VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF   THE  PEOPLE. 

wocomoco.  He  sent  inviting  Smith  to  come  and  bring 
some  men  who  could  build  him  a  house.  Some  "  Dutch- 
men "  were  sent  at  once,  and  at  the  end  of  December 
(1608)  Smith  followed.  His  force  was  about  fifty  men, 
and  they  went  by  the  water  route  in  the  Pinnace  and 
two  barges.  Among  them  were  George  Percy,  now  an 
"  old  settler,"  and  a  man  who  could  be  implicitly  relied 
upon  ;  Francis  West,  of  Lord  Delaware's  family ;  and 
many  other  "  gentlemen."  The  enterprise  was  going  to 
be  a  decisive  affair.  These  fifty  men  led  by  a  soldier 
like  Smith  were  a  dangerous  engine. 

The  voyagers  went  down  James  River  in  the  cold 
winter  season,  and  stopped  here  and  there  to  enjoy  the 
hospitality  of  the  tribes.  They  thus  coasted  along,  past 
Hampton,  Old  Point,  and  the  present  Yorktown,  and 
about  the  middle  of  January  (1G09)  sailed  up  the  York, 
and  came  in  sight  of  Werowocomoco.  On  the  way  they 
had  received  a  warning.  The  king  of  Warrasqueake 
had  said  to  Smith,  "  Captain  Smith,  you  shall  find  Pow- 
hatan to  use  you  kindly,  but  trust  him  not ;  and  be  sure 
he  have  no  opportunity  to  seize  on  your  arms,  for  he 
hath  sent  for  you  only  to  cut  your  throats:'  The  soldier 
"  thanked  him  for  his  good  counsel,"  but  probably  did 
not  need  it.  He  was  not  confiding  and  meant  to  guard 
himself;  for  the  rest  this  intimation  of  the  friendly 
Warrasqueaker  no  doubt  gratified  him.  He  was  going 
to  make  war  on  the  host  who  had  invited  a  visit ;  it 
was  satisfactory  to  know  that  the  host  designed  cutting 
his  throat. 

When  the  Englishmen  came  opposite  the  "  Chief  Place 
of  Council,"  they  found  the  river  frozen  nearly  half  a  mile 
from  the  shore.  The  vessels,  however,  broke  the  ice, 
and  when  near  the  shore  Smith  leaped  into  the  water 


THE  STRONG   HAND   AT  LAST.  51 

with  a  party  and  got  to  land.  Powhatan  received  him 
in  his  great  wigwam,  but  the  imperial  demeanor  had  uu- 
dei'gone  a  change.  There  was  no  more  "  complimental 
courtesy "  - —  so  the  English  had  come  to  see  him. 
When  were  they  going  away  ?  He  had  not  invited 
them  to  visit  him  !  Whereat  Smith  pointed  to  the  crowd 
of  braves,  and  retorted  that  there  were  the  very  envoys 
who  had  brought  the  invitation.  At  this  the  Emperor 
showed  his  appreciation  of  the  trenchant  reply  by  laugh- 
ing heartily,  and  requested  a  sight  of  the  articles  brought 
by  Smith  to  exchange  for  corn.  He  had  no  corn,  but 
they  might  trade.  In  fact  the  corn  would  be  produced 
if  the  English  came  for  it  unarmed.  And  then  the  Em- 
peror proceeded  to  deliver  a  pathetic  address.  He  was 
weary  of  war,  and  wished  to  spend  his  last  year  in 
peace,  without  hearing  incessantly  the  alarm,  "  There 
cometh  Captain  Smith !  "  He  desired  to  be  the  friend 
of  that  "  rash  youth,"  aiid  meant  well.  His  feelings 
were  moved,  and  induced  him  '•  nakedly  to  forget  him- 
self." Take  the  corn ;  it  should  be  delivered,  but  the 
English  guns  frightened  his  poor  people.  Let  the  men 
come  unarmed. 

Smith's  view  of  this  eloquent  address  is  set  forth  suc- 
cinctly in  the  chronicle :  "  Seeing  this  savage  did  but 
trifle  the  time  to  cut  his  throat,  he  sent  for  men  to  come 
ashore  and  surprise  the  king."  The  response  was  prompt. 
The  English  were  heard  breaking  the  ice  and  approach- 
ing, and  Smith,  cutting  his  way  out,  joined  the  party  on 
the  beach.  Night  brought  a  new  peril.  Smith  and  his 
men  bivouacked  on  the  shore,  when  their  friend  Pocahon- 
tas stole  through  the  darkness  and  warned  them  that  an 
attack  was  to  be  made  upon  them.  When  presents  were 
offered  her,  she  said,  with  tears  in  her  eyes,  that  her 


52         VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

father  would  kill  her  if  he  saw  her  wearing  them; 
went  back  as  she  came  ;  and  a  party  duly  appeared  to 
attack  Smith,  who  awaited  them.  No  assault  was  made, 
and  the  night  passed  in  quiet.  In  the  morning  the  boats 
were  loaded  by  the  Indians  with  corn,  and  the  rash 
youth  who  had  thus  overcome  his  aged  adversary  re- 
embarked.  Going  up  the  York  River,  he  landed  near 
West  Point,  at  the  residence  of  Prince  Opechancanough. 
As  before  the  demand  was  —  corn,  to  which  the  smiling 
Opechancanough  made  no  objection.  They  should  have 
plenty  of  corn  —  when  suddenly  one  of  the  soldiers 
rushed  into  the  wigwam  crying  that  they  were  "  be- 
trayed." Smith  looked  and  saw  a  force  of  about  seven 
hundred  Indians  surrounding  the  place,  whereupon  he 
exhibited  his  habitual  resolution.  Seizing  the  cordial 
Opechancanough  by  his  scalp-lock,  he  placed  his  pistol 
upon  his  breast,  dragged  him  out  among  his  people,  and 
presented  to  him  the  alternative  —  corn  or  your  life. 
This  proceeding  was  too  much  for  the  nerves  of  the  In- 
dian prince.  He  promptly  supplied  the  corn,  and  the 
English  reembarked,  after  which  they  sailed  back  in 
triumph  to  Jamestown. 

This  raid  on  the  capital  city  of  the  land  of  Powhatan 
was  a  decisive  event.  The  material  result  was  a  fall 
supply  of  food ;  the  moral,  a  lasting  impression  on  the 
Indian  imagination.  It  is  the  nature  of  ignorant  and 
inferior  minds  to  believe  what  they  see  rather  than 
what  is  reasoned  out  to  them.  What  the  Powhatans 
had  seen  was  this.  Fifty  Englishmen  had  invaded  their 
country,  driven  the  Emperor  from  his  capital,  humbled 
Prince  Opechancanough  in  the  midst  of  his  braves,  threat- 
ened to  destroy  tlieir  towns,  exacted  what  they  wished, 
and  returned  to  Jamestown  without  the  loss  of  a  man. 


THE  STRONG  HAND  AT  LAST.  53 

This  was  plain  to  the  simplest  comprehension,  and  it 
produced  a  grand  effect.  These  formidable  intruders 
were  best  conciliated,  not  defied.  Their  commander, 
above  all,  was  an  adversary  whom  it  was  useless  to 
fight  against ;  and  there  is  ample  evidence  that  from 
this  moment,  to  the  end  of  his  career  in  the  colony,  the 
savaores  reo;arded  Smith  with  a  mixture  of  fear  and 
admiration.  They  never  again  exhibited  any  hostility 
toward  the  English  as  long  as  he  remained  in  Virginia. 
They  became  his  firm  friends,  brought  him  presents, 
punished  with  death  —  as  will  soon  be  shown  —  those 
who  attempted  to  harm  him  ;  and  the  chronicle  sums 
up  all  in  the  sentence,  "  All  the  country  became  as  ab- 
solutely free  for  us  as  for  themselves." 

The  martial  figure  of  the  soldier-ruler  will  not  in- 
trude much  longer  on  the  narrative.  He  is  going  away 
from  Virginia,  and  the  faineants  are  coming  back.  Let 
us  see  what  he  accomplished  before  their  arrival.  He 
forced  the  idle  to  go  to  work  —  the  hardest  of  tasks. 
There  was  pressing  necessity  for  that.  A  swarm  of  rats, 
brought  in  Newport's  ship,  had  nearly  devoured  the 
remnant  of  food,  and  unless  corn  were  planted  in  the 
spring  days  the  colony  would  starve.  All  must  go  to 
work,  and  the  soldier  made  it  plain  to  the  sluggards 
that  they  now  had  a  master.  He  assembled  the  whole 
"  company  "  and  made  them  a  public  address.  There 
was  little  circumlocution  about  it.  A  few  sentences 
will  serve  as  examples  of  his  persuasive  eloquence  to 
the  murmurinor  crowd  :  — 

"  Countrymen,"  said  Smith,  "  you  see  now  that  power 
resteth  wholly  in  myself.  You  must  obey  this,  now, 
for  a  law,  —  that  he  that  will  not  ivork  shall  not  eat.  And 
though  you  presume  that  authority  here  is  but  a  shadow, 


54         VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

and  that  I  dare  not  touch  the  lives  of  any,  but  my  own 
must  answer  it,  yet  he  that  offendeth,  let  him  assuredly 
expect  his  due  punishment." 

This  was  plain,  but  the  soldier  made  his  meaning 
still  plainer.  "  Dream  no  longer,"  he  said  sternly,  "  of 
this  vain  hope  from  Powhatan,  or  that  I  will  longer  for- 
bear to  force  you  from  your  idleness,  or  punish  you  if 
you  rail.  I  protest  by  that  God  that  made  me,  since 
necessity  hath  no  power  to  force  you  to  gather  for  your- 
selves, you  shall  not  only  gather  for  yourselves,  but  for 
those  that  are  sick.     They  shall  not  starve  !  " 

The  idlers  "  murmured  "  but  obeyed.  The  corn  was 
planted,  and  the  drones  in  the  hive  were  forced  to  aid 
the  working  bees  in  another  enterprise.  This  was  to 
build  a  fort  as  "  a  retreat "  in  case  of  an  Indian  war. 
Smith  took  nothing  on  trust.  The  friendly  relations 
with  Powhatan  might  end  at  any  moment,  and  the  re- 
sult was  the  erection  of  a  rude  fortification,  of  which 
this  is  the  account :  "  We  built  also  a  fort,  for  a  retreat, 
near  a  convenient  river,  upon  a  high  commanding  hill, 
very  hard  to  be  assaulted  and  easy  to  be  defended,  but 
ere  it  was  finished  this  defect  caused  a  stay  —  the  want 
of  corn  occasioned  the  end  of  all  our  works." 

Was  this  the  curious  "  Stone  House "  still  standing 
on  a  ridge  of  Ware  Creek,  emptying  into  the  York  ? 
No  traces  of  the  fort  here  described  are  found  in  the 
neighborhood  of  Jamestown.  The  Ware  Creek  ruin 
answers  the  description,  and  nothing  is  known  of  its 
origin.  It  is  near  a  convenient  river,  on  a  hill  hard 
to  assault  and  easy  to  defend  ;  a  massive  stone  affair, 
with  thick  walls  built  without  mortar,  with  loop-holes 
to  fire  through ;  is  roofless,  and  appears  never  to  have 
been  completed.     It  stands  on  a  wooded  ridge  and  can 


THE  STRONG  HAND  AT  LAST.  55 

be  approached  only  by  a  narrow  defile.  No  other  build- 
ings are  found  in  the  vicinity,  and  it  is  difficult  to  be- 
lieve that  it  was  intended  for  any  other  purpose  than 
defense.  If  this  was  the  place  of  "  retreat,"  it  is  doubt- 
less the  oldest  edifice  in  the  United  States. 

A  few  words  will  now  carry  the  narrative  forward  to 
important  events.  The  colony  continued  to  suffer  for 
want  of  food  while  the  corn  was  growing,  and  the  men 
went  in  parties  among  the  Indians,  who  treated  them 
with  the  utmost  kindness.  Smith's  influence  was  all- 
powerful,  and  no  one  was  harmed ;  and  an  incident 
now  took  place  which  defined  the  full  extent  of  this 
regard  and  respect.  While  walking  in  the  woods  near 
Jamestown  the  soldier  was  attacked  by  a  gigantic  In- 
dian, but  he  dragged  him  into  the  water  and  took  him 
prisoner.  Conducted  to  the  fort  and  interrogated,  he 
confessed  that  he  had  been  employed  by  the  house-build- 
ers ;  and  George  Percy  and  others,  deeply  incensed, 
offered  to  go  and  "  cut  their  throats  before  Powhatan." 
That  great  justiciar  eventually  saved  them  the  trouble. 
When  Lord  Delaware  arrived  in  the  colony  in  the  fol- 
lowing year,  the  house-builders  proposed  to  Powhatan 
to  send  them  as  envoys  to  conciliate  him.  His  response 
was  eminently  just :  "  You,"  he  said,  "  that  would 
have  betrayed  Captain  Smith  to  me,  will  certainly  be- 
tray me  to  this  great  lord ; "  whereupon,  as  the  chroni- 
cle adds,  "  he  caused  his  men  to  beat  out  their  brains ;  " 
—  and  this  was  the  end  of  the  builders  of  the  old  relic, 
Powhatan's  chimney. 

The  colony  was  now  to  lose  the  competent  ruler  who 
had  made  it  prosperous.  The  blow  deposing  him  from 
authority  had  already  been  struck.  With  the  summer 
came  a  ship  on  a  trading  expedition,  commanded  by  a 


56         VIRGINIA:  A  IlISTOUY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

certain  Captain  Argall,  who  brought  intelligence  that 
the  Virginia  government  had  been  reorganized  and 
Smith  removed.  The  reasons  for  his  disgrace  were  his 
"  hard  dealings  with  the  savages,  and  not  returning  the 
ships  freighted  "  —  a  bitter  charge  against  a  man  who 
had  derided  the  yellow  dirt  and  only  seized  the  corn 
necessary  to  save  the  life  of  the  colony.  But  all  was 
now  decided  :  a  new  charter  from  the  King  (May  23, 
1609)  had  changed  the  whole  face  of  affairs.  The  lim- 
its of  the  colony  were  extended  to  two  hundred  miles 
north  and  two  hundred  miles  south  of  the  mouth  of 
James  River ;  the  London  Council  was  to  be  chosen  by 
the  Company,  not  appointed  by  the  King ;  and  Virginia, 
was  to  be  ruled  by  a  Governor,  Lieutenant-Governor, 
and  Admiral,  who  were  empowered  in  case  of  necessity 
to  declare  martial  law.  These  officers  were  already 
appointed:  Sir  Thomas  West,  Lord  Delaware,  was  to 
be  Governor  and  Captam-General ;  Sir  Thomas  Gates, 
Lieutenant-Governor  ;  and  vSir  George  Somers,  Admi- 
ral—  all  of  them  men  of  character.  They  were  to  go 
with  a  considerable  fleet :  nine  vessels,  containing  full 
supplies  and  five  hundred  new  settlers,  men,  women, 
and  children  —  a  great  contrast  to  the  little  trio,  the 
Susan  Constant,  the  Good  Speed,  and  the  Discovery, 
which  had  dropped  down  the  Thames  in  December, 
160G. 

The  fleet  sailed  at  the  end  of  May  (1609)  and  went 
by  the  Azores.  Lord  Delaware  remained  in  England, 
but  was  to  follow  a  little  later,  and  the  ships  were  un- 
der command  of  Smith's  old  enemy,  Newport.  In  the 
same  vessel  with  him  sailed  Sir  Thomas  Gates  and  Sir 
George  Somers  with  the  letters-patent ;  but  this  ship, 
called  the  Sea- Venture,  was  never  to  reach  Virginia. 


THE  SEA-VENTURE.  57 

"When  the  fleet  was  within  about  eight  days'  sail  of 
Virginia,  misfortune  came.  They  were  "  caught  in  the 
tail  of  a  hurricane,"  one  of  the  vessels  was  lost,  and  the 
Sea- Venture,  with  the  rulers  and  one  hundred  and  fifty 
persons,  men,  women,  and  children,  was  separated  from 
the  rest  and  went  on  her  way  elsewhere. 


X. 

THE    SEA-VENTURE. 

Let  us  follow  the  lonely  Sea- Venture  on  her  path- 
way through  the  troubled  waters,  allowing  the  rest  to 
make  their  way  to  Virginia,  where  we  shall  rejoin 
them. 

History  is  after  all  a  story  only  —  the  picture  of  men 
and  their  experiences,  the  scenes  they  passed  through, 
their  hazards,  sufferings,  and  fortunes,  good  or  bad,  in 
their  life  pilgrimage.  "  Purchas  his  Pilgrimmes  "  is 
the  title  of  one  of  the  oldest  collections  of  sea  voyages. 
The  adventurers  of  that  age  were  in  fact  pilgrims  mak- 
ing their  way  through  unknown  lands,  stormy  seas,  and 
new  experiences.  The  very  name  of  the  Sea- Venture 
expressed  the  period  ;  let  us  therefore  glance  at  this 
curious  episode  in  the  early  annals  of  Virginia,  to  which 
it  properly  belongs. 

The  rest  of  the  fleet  had  been  driven  toward  the 
Chesapeake.  The  great  storm  lashing  the  Sea- Ven- 
ture, containing  the  future  rulers  and  the  letters-patent, 
swept  her  off  on  her  separate  way,  and  "  with  the  vio- 
lent working  of  the  seas  she  was  so  shaken  and  torn  " 
that  she  sprung  a  leak  ;  and  then  the  vivid  old  chroni- 
cle by  Jordan  and  others  details  what  followed.     The 


58         VIRGINIA:    A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

crew  pumped  day  and  night,  but  finally  gave  tliein- 
selves  up  for  lost.  They  resolved  to  "  commit  them- 
selves to  the  mercy  of  the  sea,  which  is  said  to  be 
merciless,  or  rather  to  the  mercy  of  Almighty  God, 
whose  mercy  far  exceeds  all  his  works."  But  hope 
came  at  last.  Sir  George  Somers,  the  brave  old  Ad- 
miral, who  was  seated,  like  Gilbert,  at  the  helm,  "  scarce 
taking  leisure  to  eat  nor  sleep,"  saw  land,  toward  which 
the  ship  was  driven.  Would  she  reach  it?  That 
seemed  doubtful.  Their  "  greedy  enemy  the  salt  water 
entered  at  the  large  breaches  of  their  poor  wooden 
castle,  as  that  in  ga[)ing  after  life  they  had  well-nigh 
swallowed  their  death."  At  last  the  Sea- Venture 
struck.  She  lifted,  was  carried  forward  on  the  sum- 
mit of  a  wave,  and  jammed  firmly  between  two  ledges 
of  rock,  where  she  rested. 

They  were  cast  away  on  the  Bermudas,  "  two  hun- 
dred leagues  from  any  continent,"  and  looked  with  fear 
on  the  unknown  realm.  Now  and  then  tiie  buccaneers 
had  landed,  and  another  English  ship  had  once  suffered 
shipwreck  there.  One  and  all  had  agreed  that  the 
islands  were  "  the  most  dangerous,  forlorn,  and  unfor- 
tunate place  in  the  world."  They  were  called  the 
"  Isles  of  Devils,"  says  Henry  May,  and  the  use  has 
been  noticed  of  this  popular  belief  in  regard  to  them  in 
"  The  Tempest."  On  the  moonlit  strand  of  these  "  still 
vext  Bermoothes  "  the  hag -born  Caliban  might  roll  and 
growl ;  Sycorax,  the  blue-eyed  witch,  might  hover  in 
the  cloud  wracks ;  and  the  voices  of  the  wind  whisper 
strange  secrets.^ 

1  The  wreck  of  the  Sea-Venture  certainly  suggested  The  Tempest. 
The  phrase  "the  still  vext  Bermoothes"  indicates  the  stage,  and 
Ariel's  description  of  his  appearance  as  a  flaming  light  on  the  shrouds 


THE  SEA-VENTURE.  59 

Seen  with  the  real  eye  the  faaious  Isles  of  Devils 
were  very  iiiDocent  in  appearance.  They  might  be 
full  of  enchantment,  but  it  was  the  enchantment  of 
tropical  verdure,  sunshine,  and  calm.  The  fury  of  the 
storm  had  passed  away.  The  Sea- Venture  was  held 
fast  between  the  two  ledges  of  rock,  and  the  crew  were 
safely  landed  in  the  boats.  The  summer  was  at  hand, 
and  the  air  was  full  of  balm.  There  was  food  in  abun- 
dance, —  fish,  turtle,  and  wild-fowl,  with  hogs,  left  prob- 
ably by  the  Spanish  buccaneers.  The  stores  of  the  ship 
were  brought  off;  huts  were  built,  and  thatched  with 
palmetto ;  and  then  the  leaders  began  to  devise  means 
of  escape.  The  Sea-Venture  was  going  to  pieces,  but 
the  long-boat  was  fitted  with  hatches,  and  a  party  of 
nine  men  set  out  in  it  for  Virginia.  They  were  never 
again  heard  of.  However  the  eyes  of  the  shipwrecked 
mariners  might  be  strained  toward  the  far-off  continent, 
no  succor  came.  It  might  never  come ;  they  were  no 
doubt  given  up  for  lost.  There  was  nothing  to  do  but 
accept  their  fate  and  bear  it  with  fortitude. 

It  did  not  seem  so  hard  a  fate.  The  voluptuous  airs 
of  the  most  delicious  of  climates  caressed  them.  The 
long  surges  of  the  Atlantic,  rolling  from  far-off  England 
and  Virginia,  had  tossed  them  once,  but  could  not  harm 
them  now.     The  islands  were  green  with  foliage  and 

of  the  King's  ship  is  nearly  identical  with  the  "  little  round  light  like 
a  faint  star  trembling  and  streaming  along  in  a  sparkling  blaze,  on 
the  Admiral's  ship,"  mentioned  by  Strachey  in  his  True  Repertory 
of  the  Wreck  and  Redemption  of  Sir  Thomas  Gates,  Knirjht,  pub- 
lished in  1610.  The  dispersion  of  both  fleets,  their  arrival  in  the 
Chesapeake  and  the  "  Mediterranean  flote,  "  the  safety  of  the  King's 
ship  and  the  Admiral's  ship,  the  Sea-Venture, — these  and  many 
incidental  details  clearly  indicate  that  Shakespeare  based  his  drama 
on  the  real  occurrence,  and  used  Strache^'^'s  True  Repertory,  and  the 
relations  of  Jordan,  May,  and  others,  as  his  material. 


60         VIRGINIA:    A  HISTORY  OF  TEE  PEOPLE. 

alive  with  the  songs  of  birds,  and  we  are  told  that  "  thev 
lived  iu  such  plenty,  peace,  and  ease  "  that  they  never 
wished  to  go  back  to  the  hard  Old  World,  with  its  hard 
work,  any  more.  It  was  an  earthly  paradise,  and  they 
were  content  to  live  for  the  senses ;  but  those  worthy 
gentlemen  and  true  Englishmen,  Gates  and  Somers, 
would  have  them  perform  their  religious  duties.  They 
had  a  clergyman,  Mr.  Bucke,  to  succeed  the  good  Mr. 
Hunt,  who  had  died  in  Virginia,  and  a  bell  was  brought 
from  the  Sea- Venture  and  set  up.  V/hen  this  rang, 
morning  and  evening,  the  people  assembled  and  the  roll 
was  called,  then  prayer  was  offered  up  ;  and  on  Sunday 
there  was  religious  service,  and  two  sermons  were 
preached. 

So  the  days  went  on,  and  it  seemed  that  the  castaways 
were  doomed  to  remain  forever  in  their  enforced  para- 
dise. One  "  merry  English  marriage  "  took  place,  two 
children  were  born,  and  six  persons  died,  among  them 
the  wife  of  Sir  George  Somers,  who  was  to  die  himself 
in  these  strange  islands  where  the  decree  of  Providence 
had  cast  him  ashore.  The  children,  a  boy  and  a  girl, 
received  the  names  Bermudas  and  Bermuda,  and  Ber- 
muda was  the  daughter  of  Mr.  John  Rolfe,  who  after- 
wards became  the  husband  of  Pocahontas. 

At  last  discord  e.ntered  into  the  terrestrial  paradise, 
and  marred  all  the  harmony.  Gates  and  Somers  had  a 
misunderstanding,  and  lived  apart  from  each  other.  The 
men  and  women  were  no  doubt  weary  of  their  sweet  do- 
nothing,  and  longed  to  escape.  A  new  effort  was  made, 
and  Somers  succeeded  in  constructing,  of  cedar  and  the 
bolts  and  timbers  of  the  Sea- Venture,  a  bark  of  eighty 
tons,  and  another  smaller,  which  were  named  the  Pa- 
tience and  the  Deliverance.     A  reconciliation  then  en- 


THE   SEA-VENTURE,  61 

sued  between  Gates  and  Somers,  —  the  one  celebration 
of  the  holy  commnnion  may  have  taken  place  on  this 
occasion,  — and  (May  10,  1610)  the  whole  company 
embarked  for  Virginia,  where  they  arrived  fourteen 
days  afterwards,  nearly  a  year  after  their  departure 
from  England. 

The  wreck  of  the  Sea- Venture  was  long  remembered 
as  one  of  the  most  romantic  incidents  of  a  romantic  age. 
It  caught  the  popular  fancy  as  a  vivid  picture  of  the 
adventurous  experiences  which  awaited  the  mariner  on 
the  unknown  western  sea ;  and  the  lonely  islands  sup- 
posed to  be  the  haunt  of  devils  and  furies,  but  now 
known  to  be  full  of  beauty  and  tropical  delight,  became 
the  talk  of  London,  and  eventually  the  site  of  an  Eng- 
lish .colony.  They  were  called  indifferently  the  Somers 
and  the  Summer  Isles.  Either  name  was  appropriate, 
but  the  brave  Admiral,  "  a  lamb  upon  land  and  a  lion  at 
sea,"  was  entitled  to  have  them  named  after  him. 

Returning  from  Virginia  in  his  cedar  ship,  in  June  of 
the  same  year,  for  supplies,  he  was  taken  ill,  and  "  in 
that  very  place  which  we  now  call  St.  George's  town, 
this  noble  knight  died,  whereof  the  place  taketh  the 
name."  We  are  told  that,  "  like  a  valiant  captain,"  he 
exhorted  his  men  to  be  true  to  duty  and  return  to  Vir- 
ginia, but  they  "  as  men  amazed,  seeing  the  death  of 
him  who  was  even  as  the  life  of  them  all,  embalmed  his 
body  and  set  sail  for  England  ;  "  and  "  this  cedar  ship 
at  last,  with  his  dead  body,  arrived  at  Whitchurch,  in 
Dorsetshire,  where,  by  his  friends,  he  was  honorably 
buried,  with  many  volleys  of  shot  and  the  rites  of  a 
soldier." 

So  the  good  English  soldier  and  admiral  ended. 


02         VIRGINIA:  A  HIBTOIiY  OF  TEE  PEOPLE. 

XL 

THE   LAST    WRESTLE    OF   THE   FACTIONS. 

While  the  castaways  were  idly  dreaming,  all  these 
nine  long  months,  under  the  blue  skies  of  Bermuda,  a 
fierce  drama  was  in  progress  in  Virginia.  The  old  ad- 
versaries, except  Newport,  were  face  to  face  there  once 
more,  and  a  stormy  struggle  was  taking  place,  —  the  old 
struiiirle  of  1607-8  over  asain. 

The  seven  ships  which  had  been  separated  from  the 
Sea-Venture  in  the  storm  managed  to  ride  through,  and 
reach  the  Chesapeake,  though  in  a  fearfully  shattered 
condition.  But  they  were  safe  at  last  in  Hampton 
Roads,  and  made  for  Jamestown.  As  they  were  seen 
coming  up  the  river  they  were  taken  for  Spaniards,  and 
the  settlers  ran  to  arms.  Even  some  Indians  who  were 
at  the  town  volunteered  to  fight  the  supposed  Spaniards, 
which  indicated  the  entente  cordiale  between  them  and 
the  English  now.  The  mistake  was  soon  plain.  The 
culverins  in  the  fort  were  about  to  open  on  the  ships, 
when  they  ran  up  the  English  flag.  The  vessels  came 
to  anchor,  and  a  boat  brought  on  shore  Ratcliffe,  Mar- 
tin, and  a  new  confederate.  Archer. 

Thus  the  bad  old  times  were  coming  back.  It  was 
melancholy  and  exasperating.  Of  the  return  of  these 
people  to  Virginia  to  resume  authority  there,  it  might 
be  said  that  it  could  not  and  it  would  not  come  to  good. 
Tt  is  not  good  for  the  wounded  battle-horse,  when  the 
vultures  have  been  scared  off,  to  have  them  swoop  back. 
These  birds  of  ill-omen  were  now  hovering  again  over 
Jamestown,  or  rather  had  alighted.     One  is  tempted  to 


THE  LAST  WRESTLE   OF  THE  FACTIONS.       63 

thus  characterize  the  ill  crew  who  had  the  fate  of  the 
colony  again  in  their  hands.  Thanks  to  the  vivid  old 
chronicles  we  know  the  men  well.  The  writers  who 
describe  them  are  not  generalizing  historians,  but  paint- 
ers ;  with  their  rude  pen-strokes  they  draw  portraits. 
We  see  the  men  themselves,  their  faces  and  gestures ; 
tlie  very  tones  of  the  voices  come  up  out  of  the  mist 
which  for  nearly  three  centuries  has  wrapped  the  figures  ; 
and  the  combatants  matched  against  each  other  on  the 
old  arena  are  actual  people,  not  mere  ghosts. 

The  men  who  fought  for  the  mastery  in  Virginia,  from 
1607  to  1609,  were  the  hard  workers  and  the  sluijo^ards. 
Smith  was  at  the  head  of  the  first ;  Wingfield,  Ratcliffe, 
and  their  associates  at  the  head  of  the  last.  Of  these, 
Wingfield  was  an  imbecile,  Newport  a  tale-bearer,  Rat- 
clilfe  a  mjntineer,  who  even  bore  a  false  name ;  and 
these  had  drawn  into  their  counsels,  by  a  sort  of  nat- 
ural selection.  Archer  an  agitator,  Martin  a  cat's-f)aw, 
and  all  that  loose  and  floating  element  found  in  every 
society,  which  hangs  on  and  waits,  and  instinctively 
takes  the  side  which,  promises  to  be  the  strongest.  The 
antagonists  had  declared  war  from  the  very  first ;  had 
gone  on  wrangling  with  each  other  all  through  the  years 
1 607  and  1 608,  and  the  hard  workers  and  fighters  had 
crushed  the  sluggards.  One  by  one  they  had  been  shot, 
or  deposed,  or  banished.  They  had  gone  to  England 
then,  and  effected  by  intrigue  what  they  had  failed  to 
effect  by  force.  Ratcliffe  and  Newport  had  taken  their 
revenge  for  Smith's  unceremonious  treatment  of  them. 
They  had  gained  the  ear  of  the  Company,  laid  the  blame 
of  the  whole  failure  in  Virginia  on  his  shoulders,  and 
the  result  was  soon  seen.  Between  the  lobbyists  in 
London,  bowing  low  to  the  Right  Honorables,  and  the 


64         VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

brusque  soldier  in  Virginia,  writing  them  "  rude  an- 
swers" and  rough,  discourteous  intimations  that  they 
were  altogether  absurd  people,  the  choice  was  promptly 
made.  The  Company  listened  to  the  lobbyists,  not  to 
the  fif^htino-  man,  with  his  unkempt  manners.  It  was 
plain  that  all  the  mismanagement  in  Virginia  was  due 
to  him ;  the  incompetent  servant  should  be  discharged, 
and  the  true  men  reinstated. 

This  indication  of  the  state  of  things  in  Virginia  at 
the  moment  (August,  IGOO)  will  explain  what  followed. 
Ratcliffe,  coming  on  shore  from  the  ships,  claimed  au- 
thority in  the  colony  as  the  representative  of  the  new 
rulers,  who  would  soon  arrive.  The  old  government  was 
done  away  with,  he  said ;  Smith  was  no  longer  Presi- 
dent ;  and  he  summoned  all  men  to  yield  to  his  author- 
ity. If  Smith's  "  old  soldiers  "  had  been  left  to  decide, 
tlie  decision  of  the  question  would  doubtless  have  been 
prompt.  Ratcliffe  was  extremely  unpopular,  and  Smith 
extremely  popular ;  but  there  were  the  new-comers. 
These  were  Ratcliffe's  people,  and  were  about  three  hun- 
dred in  number.  There  were  amono;  them  "  divers  ffen- 
tlemen  of  good  means  and  great  parentage,"  but  also 
"  many  unruly  gallants,  packed  thither  by  their  friends 
to  escape  ill  destinies."  These  unruly  gallants  could  be 
counted  on  with  tolerable  certainty  to  oppose  a  hard 
master  like  Smith.  He  was  not  to  their  fancy,  and  they 
promptly  sided  with  Ratcliffe. 

Then  all  Jamestown  was  suddenly  in  commotion. 
Ratcliffe  went  about  the  town  denouncing  Smith  as  a 
usurper.  His  men  followed  him  through  the  narrow 
streets  in  loud  discussion ;  drank  deep  at  the  "  taverne  ;  " 
uttered  threats  and  curses ;  and  their  leader  nursed  the 
storm,  and  inflamed  them  more  and  more  against  the 


,  THE   LAST   WRESTLE   OF   THE  FACTIONS.        Q^ 

tyrant.  Smith  looked  on  and  listened  in  huge  weari- 
ness and  disgust,  —  chaos  had  come  again.  Those 
"  unruly  gallants  would  dispose  and  determine  of  the 
government  sometimes  to  one,  sometimes  to  another : 
to-day  the  old  commission  must  rule ;  to-morrow  the 
new ;  the  next  day  neither ;  in  fine,  they  would  rule 
all  or  ruin  all."  The  soldier  grew  bitter,  and  utter 
hopelessness  took  possession  of  him.  He  would  have 
nothing  further  to  do  with  affairs,  but  "leave  all  and 
return  to  England,"  —  not  before  the  arrival,  however, 
of  some  duly  empowered  successor.  The  term  of  his 
presidency  had  not  yet  expired ;  he  was  still  the  head 
of  the  colony,  and  he  would  hold  to  strict  account  those 
who  disobeyed  his  orders. 

Smith  was  a  man  of  few  words,  and  could  always  be 
counted  on  to  do  what  be  said  he  would  do.  Ratcliffe 
continued  his  agitation,  still  inflaming  the  minds  of  his 
followers,  when  Smith  suddenly  arrested  him  with  other 
leaders  in  the  disturbance,  and  placed  them  in  confine- 
ment to  await  trial.  This  at  once  suppressed  the  disor- 
der, and  there  was  no  further  opposition  to  the  soldier's 
will  ;  but  he  was  weary  of  his  position.  He  surren- 
dered it  to  Martin,  who,  it  seems,  had  taken  no  part  in 
the  riot ;  but  to  this  the  old  settlers  would  not  consent, 
and  he  was  compelled  to  resume  it.  He  was  not  to 
exercise  authority  long.  The  end  was  near,  and  to  the 
very  last  the  vivid  contrast  between  utter  incompetence 
and  real  ability  was  plain  to  all.  An  incident  showed 
the  inefiiciency  of  Martin.  Smith  sent  him  to  Nanse- 
mond  to  form  a  branch  settlement  in  that  region ;  but 
the  Indians  saw  that  he  was  "  distracted  with  fear,"  and 
he  fled  to  Jamestown,  "leaving  his  company  to  their 
fortunes." 

5 


Q6         VIRGIN TA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

Meanwhile  Smith  had  sailed  up  James  River  to  in- 
spect the  site  of  another  subordinate  colony  about  to  be 
established  near  the  present  city  of  Richmond.  Here 
the  last  soldierly  incident  of  a  soldierly  career  took 
place.  He  found  that  the  site  selected  was  on  marshy 
ground  and  unsuitable  :  he  therefore  fixed  on  the  old 
"  place  called  Powhatan,"  ou  a  range  of  hills  a  little 
lower  down  —  a  situation  so  beautiful  that  he  gave  it 
the  name  of  "  Nonsuch."  But  the  men  who  had  prob- 
ably built  huts  on  the  marshy  site  rebelled.  They  were 
stronger  than  his  own  party,  —  probably  friends  of  Rat- 
cliff  e,  —  and  attacked  and  drove  him  back  to  his  boats. 
Then  a  curious  sequel  came.  A  force  of  Indians  at- 
tacked them,  and  they  fled  to  Smith  for  protection. 
He  arrested  the  leaders,  removed  the  colony  to  "  Non- 
such," and  then  left  them  to  their  fortunes.  Worn  and 
weary  with  all  this  dissension  and  bitter  blood,  he  sailed 
down  the  river  again,  bent  on  finally  leaving  Virginia. 

An  incident  hurried  his  departure.  On  his  way  down 
the  James  a  bag  of  gunpowder  exploded  in  his  boat, 
"tearing  the  flesh  from  his  body  and  thighs  in  a  most 
pitiful  manner."  The  pain  so  "  tormented  "  him  that 
he  leaped  overboard,  and  came  near  drowning.  His 
men  dragged  him  back,  and  in  this  state  he  reached 
Jamestown,  where  he  was  taken  to  a  bed  in  the  fort, 
"  near  bereft  of  his  senses  by  reason  of  his  torment." 

His  position  was  now  dangerous.  He  was  entirely 
disabled,  but  his  will  was  unbroken,  and  he  continued, 
in  the  midst  of  the  fierce  pain,  to  issue  his  orders,  "  caus- 
ing all  things  to  be  prepared  for  peace  or  war."  It  was 
obvious  that  if  he  recovered  he  would  surely  bring  Rat- 
cliffe  and  the  rest  to  account  for  their  misdeeds ;  and 
an  attempt  was  made  to  murder  him  in  his  bed.     One 


THE  LAST  WRESTLE   OF  TEE  FACTIONS.       67 

of  the  malcontents  came  into  the  room  and  phiced  the 
muzzle  of  a  pistol  on  his  breast,  but  his  heart,  it  seems, 
failed  him.  When  this  became  known,  Smith's  old 
soldiers  gave  way  to  fierce  wrath.  The}'  offered  to 
*'  take  their  heads  who  would  resist  his  command,"  but 
he  refused  to  permit  violence.  He  was  going  aw^ay 
from  Virginia,  and  meant,  if  he  could,  to  go  in  peace. 

A  pathetic  picture  is  drawn  of  his  situation,  and  the 
sense  of  injustice  rankling  in  his  mind.  He  was  lying 
on  his  bed  suffering  agonies,  with  no  surgeon  to  care 
for  his  hurts.  His  past  services  were  forgotten,  and  his 
enemies  had  triumphed  over  him.  His  commission  as 
head  of  the  colony  was  "  to  be  suppressed  he  knew  not 
why,  himself  and  soldiers  to  be  rewarded  he  knew  not 
how,  and  a  new  commission  granted  they  knew  not  to 
whom.^'  It  was  plain  that  his  day  had  passed,  and  that 
it  was  useless  to  struo^ofle  further.  His  severe  wounds 
required  treatment,  and  there  was  no  one  in  the  colony 
who  was  competent.  To  end  all,  he  would  go  away, 
carrying  with  him  no  more  than  he  had  brought,  —  his 
stout  heart  and  s^ood  sword. 

An  opportunity  to  return  to  England  presented  itself. 
The  ships  were  about  to  sail,  and  Smith  was  carried  on 
board,  still  persisting  in  liis  refusal  to  resign  his  author- 
ity to  the  Ratcliffe  party.  In  this  dilemma  a  compro- 
mise was  resorted  to.  George  Percy,  who  had  also  meant 
to  return  to  England  for  his  health,  consented  to  remain 
and  act  as  President.  Smith  was  hopeless  of  the  ability 
of  this  sick  gentleman  to  control  the  factions,  but  he 
no  longer  made  any  opposition.  "  Witliin  an  hour  was 
this  mutation  begun  and  concluded,"  says  the  chronicle; 
and  then  the  ships  set  sail,  and  Smith  took  his  depar- 
ture, never  again  to  return  to  Virginia. 


68         VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

XII. 
THE    FIRST    AMERICAN    RULER    AND    WRITER. 

Smith  thus  disappeared  from  the  stage  of  affairs  in 
Virginia,  but  he  had  played  a  great  part  in  the  first 
scenes  of  American  history,  and  his  character  and  sub- 
sequent career  deserve  some  notice. 

He  returned  to  London  at  thirty,  and  died  there  at 
fifty-two  ;  but  these  twenty  last  years,  like  his  early  life, 
were  marked  by  restless  movement  or  continuous  toil. 
He  had  left  Virginia  poor,  and  profited  nothing  from 
all  his  toils  and  sufferings  in  the  New  World.  He  said 
with  noble  pride  that  he  "  had  broke  the  ice  and  beat  the 
path,  but  had  not  one  foot  of  ground  there,  nor  the  very 
house  he  builded,  nor  the  ground  he  digged  with  his 
own  hands."  It  does  not  appear,  however,  that  he  had 
ever  expected  to  profit  by  the  Virginia  enterprise.  It 
had  given  him  a  field  for  the  exercise  of  his  energies,  and 
findino;  that  his  services  were  no  lono-er  welcome  there 
he  turned  with  all  his  old  ardor  to  the  life  of  a  voyager 
and  writer.  The  nature  of  the  man  was  unresting,  and 
craved  action.  The  colonization  of  America  was  still 
his  dream,  and  in  the  year  1614  he  made  a  voyage  to 
New  England,  where  he  gave  the  names  of  Boston,  etc., 
to  points  on  the  coast,  and  made  a  partial  exploration 
of  the  country.  The  result  of  this  voyage  was  a  great 
popular  interest  in  New  England,  which  is  said  to  have 
led  to  its  settlement  by  the  Paritan  Pilgrims.  In  the 
following  year  he  set  out  on  a  second  voyage,  but  was 
arrested  by  one  of  those  incidents  which  abounded  in 
his  checkered  career.    Pie  was  attacked  off  the  island  of 


FIRST  AMERICAN  RULER  AND   WRITER.  69 

Flores  by  a  French  squadron,  his  vessel  was  captured, 
and  he  was  taken  as  a  prisoner  to  Rochelle,  whence  he 
escaped  to  England.  Here  he  met  with  a  warm  wel- 
come. On  board  the  French  ship  he  had  passed  his 
time  in  writing  his  "  Description  of  New  England,"  and 
James  I.  now  conferred  on  him  the  title  of  "  Admiral " 
Df  that  country. 

Little  more  is  known  of  him.  He  seems  to  have 
spent  his  last  years  in  London,  industriously  engaged 
on  his  histories;  is  said  to  have  married,  and  died  in 
London  in  the  year  163L  He  was  buried  under  the 
chancel  of  St.  Sepulchre's  church,  and  on  the  slab 
above  his  tomb  was  carved  his  shield  with  three  Turks' 
heads,  conferred  on  him  by  Sigismund,  and  a  poetical 
inscription,  beginning,  "  Here  lies  one  conquered,  that 
hath  conquered  kings,"  and  ending  with  the  prayer  that 
"  with  angels  he  might  have  his  recompense." 

So  snapped  the  chords  of  a  stout  heart,  and  a  remark- 
able life  ended.  The  character  of  the  man  must  have 
appeared  from  his  career.  He  was  brave  as  his  sword, 
full  of  energy,  impatient  of  opposition,  and  had  all  the  ' 
faults  and  virtues  of  the  dominant  class  to  which  he  be- 
longed. His  endurance  was  unshrinking,  and  his  life 
in  Virginia  indicated  plainly  that  he  had  enormous  re- 
coil. Pressure  brought  out  his  strength,  and  showed 
the  force  of  his  organization.  He  was  probably  never 
really  cast  down,  and  seems  to  have  kept  his  heart  of 
hope,  without  an  effort,  in  the  darkest  hours,  when  all 
around  him  despaired.  He  is  said  to  have  been  cordial 
and  winnmg  in  his  manners,  and  even  his  critics  de- 
clared that  he  had  "  a  prince's  heart  in  a  beggar's 
purse ;  "  it  is  equally  certain  that  he  was  impatient  of 
temper,  had  large  self-esteem,  and  was  fond  of  applause. 


70         VJRGINIA:  A   HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

But  his  aims  were  high,  and  his  career  shows  that  he  re- 
garded duty  as  his  watchword.  He  detested  idleness, 
and  was  convinced  that  the  only  way  to  do  a  thing  is  to  do 
it ;  not  to  determine  to  do  it  at  some  future  time  if  con- 
venience permits.  The  result  was  utter  impatience  with 
sloth  in  every  form,  and  he  treated  the  sluggards  with 
little  ceremony.  He  scoffed  at  them  as  "  tuftafFty  hu- 
morists," and  when  they  would  not  work  he  compelled 
them  to  do  so  by  sheer  force  of  will,  setting  them  the 
example  himself.  When  there  was  no  more  work  for 
him  to  do  in  Virginia  he  went  elsewhere,  knowing  that 
everywhere  something  was  to  be  done. 

This  is  the  picture  of  a  vigorous  personality,  and  such 
was  Smith.  He  was  positive  in  all  things,  and  loved 
and  hated  with  all  his  energy.  Those  who  knew  him 
were  either  his  warm  friends  or  his  bitter  enemies. 
I  What  his  "  old  soldiers  "  thought  of  him  may  be  seen 
'  in  the  verses  attached  to  the  "  General  History."  These 
testify  to  his  greatness  as  a  leader  and  the  perfect 
truth  of  his  statements.  One  writer  hails  him  as  his 
"dear  noble  captain  and  loyal  heart;"  another  as 
"  wonder  of  nature,  mirror  of  our  clime  ;  "  another  as 
a  soldier  of  "  valorous  policy  and  judgment ;  "  and  a 
third  exclaims,  "  I  never  knew  a  warrior  but  thee, 
from  wine,  tobacco,  debts,  dice,  oaths,  so  free."  What 
his  enemies,  on  the  contrary,  thought  of  the  soldier  is 
equally  plain.  He  was  a  tyrant  and  a  conspirator,  bent 
on  becoming  "  King  of  Virginia ; "  and  failing  to  crush 
him,  they  returned  to  England  and  vilified  him.  Am- 
ple evidence  remains  that  he  enjoyed  the  friendship  of 
eminent  contemporaries,  among  them  of  Sir  Robert  Cot- 
ton, John  Donne,  Dean  of  St.  Paul's,  the  Earl  of  Pem- 
broke,  Purchas,   the   historian,   and   others.      But  the 


FIRST  AMERICAN  RULER  AND   WRITER.         71 

men  whom  he  had  disgraced  spared  no  effort  to  blacken 
his  name.  He  was  a  boaster  and  pretender ;  his  fame 
rested  on  his  own  statements ;  and  modern  critics  have 
echoed  these  attacks.  One  of  these  describes  his  writ- 
ings as  "  full  of  the  exaggerations  and  self-assertions 
of  an  adventurer,"  and  the  man  himself  as  "  a  Gascon 
and  a  beggar." 

He  was  not  the  author  of  the  "  General  History,"  on 
which  his  fame  rests.  This  was  merely  a  compilation 
made  at  the  request  of  the  London  Company  —  a  fact 
stated  in  the  work.  It  consisted  of  narratives  written 
by  about  thirty  persons  connected  with  the  events, 
many  of  which  had  already  been  published,  and  Smith 
only  contributed  the  description  of  Virginia  and  the 
account  of  his  rescue  by  Pocahontas,  when  no  other 
Englishman  was  present.  This  is  the  main  point  of 
attack.  The  incident  is  declared  to  be  a  mere  invention, 
since  nothing  is  said  of  it  in  Smith's  first  work,  the 
"  True  Relation."  The  reply  is  that  this  pamphlet  is 
not  known  with  absolute  certainty  to  have  been  written 
by  Smith,  since  some  copies  purport  to  be  by  "  Thomas 
Walton,"  and  others  by  "a  gentleman  of  said  colony.' 
He  probably  wrote  it,  but  in  either  case  a  part  of  the 
original  manuscript  was  omitted.  The  statement  of  the 
London  editor  is  :  "  Something  more  was  by  him  written 
which  being  as  I  thought  (fit  to  be  private)  I  would  not 
adventure  to  make  it  public."  There  is  little  doubt 
that  the  omitted  portions  referred  to  Smith's  adven- 
tures on  the  Chickahominy  and  York,  and  that  the 
editor  struck  them  out  in  order  not  to  discouraore  colo- 
uization,  The  first  necessity  was  to  attract  settlers, 
and  these  pictures  of  imminent  peril  were  not  calculated 
to  effect  that  object. 


72        VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF   THE  PEOPLE. 

This  is,  however,  purely  conjecture  ;  other  proofs  of 
the  truth  of  the  incident  seem  unassailable.  Soon  after 
Smith's  return,  Pocahontas,  a  girl  of  thirteen,  made  her 
appearance  at  Jamestown  bringing  food,  and  she  contin- 
ued from  that  time  onward  to  do  all  in  her  power  to  as- 
sist the  colonists.  When  some  Indians  were  arrested  by 
Smith,  Powhatan  sent  Pocahontas  to  intercede  for  them, 
and  they  were  released  at  once  "  for  her  sake  only."  It 
is  necessary  to  account  for  these  incidents,  especially  for 
the  interest  felt  by  Pocahontas  in  the  enemies  of  her 
people.  It  can  only  be  accounted  for  on  the  ground 
that  she  took  a  deep  interest  in  Smith.  His  own  affec- 
tionate attachment  for  her  is  fully  established.  When 
she  visited  London,  he  wrote  to  the  Queen,  recommend- 
ing her  to  the  royal  favor,  on  the  ground  that  she 
had  saved  his  life  and  the  life  of  the  colony  also.  He 
declared  that  she  had  "  hazarded  the  beating  out  of  her 
brains  to  save  his  ;  "  and  if  the  statement  was  untrue, 
Pocahontas,  a  pious  and  truthful  person,  countenanced 
a  falsehood.  On  other  occasions  Smith  referred  to  the 
incidents  of  his  life  in  Virginia  as  occurrences  to  which 
Captain  George  Percy,  and  "other  noble  gentlemen  and 
resolute  spirits  now  living  in  England,"  could  testify.  In 
his  "  New  England  Trials,"  he  wrote,  "  God  made  Poca- 
hontas, the  King's  daughter,  the  means  to  deliver  me ; " 
and  the  "  General  History  "  contained  only  the  fuller 
account  of  an  event  which  had  thus  been  repeatedl}^  re- 
ferred to.  The  only  intelligible  objection  to  the  truth  of 
the  incident  rests  on  the  theory  that  Smith  was  a  wander- 
ing adventurer,  and  invented  it  to  attract  attention  to  him- 
self as  the  hero  of  a  romantic  event.  The  reply  is  that 
he  was  not,  in  an}^  sense,  a  wandering  adventurer,  since 
he  enjoyed  the  favor  of  the  heir-apparent,  afterwards 


FIRST  AMERICAN  RULER  AND   WRITER.       73 

Charles  I.,  and  bad  been  commissioned  by  James  I. 
Admiral  of  New  England. 

Other  objections  to  the  truth  of  the  narrative  con- 
tributed by  Smith  to  the  "  General  History "  refer  to 
points  of  the  least  possible  importance  — the  amount  of 
food  and  the  number  of  guides  supplied  him  by  the  In- 
dians. It  is  not  necessary  to  notice  them.  It  may  be 
said  that  the  Pocahontas  incident  rests  upon  the  highest 
moral  evidence,  and  that  the  assailants  of  the  "  General 
History  "  have  in  no  degree  discredited  it.  It  remains 
the  original  authority  for  the  first  years  of  American 
history,  and  Smith's  character  has  not  suffered,  except 
in  the  estimation  of  a  few  critics,  who  seem  to  feel  a 
personal  enmity  toward  him. 

His  writings  will  be  spoken  of  elsewhere.  They 
bear  the  impress  of  the  voyager  and  soldier,  and,  it 
may  be  added,  of  an  earnest  Christian  man.  It  is  diffi- 
cult to  find  more  serious  and  noble  writing  than  some 
passages  in  his  books.  The  rude  sentences  rise  to  the 
height  of  eloquence,  and  he  exhorts  his  contemporaries 
to  noble  achievements  in  noble  words. 

"  Seeing  we  are  not  born  for  ourselves,  but  each  to 
help  other,"  he  says,  "  and  our  abilities  are  much  alike  at 
the  hour  of  our  birth  and  the  minute  of  our  death  ;  seeing 
our  good  deeds  or  our  bad,  by  faith  in  Christ's  merits, 
is  all  we  have  to  carry  our  souls  to  heaven  or  to  hell ; 
seeing  honor  is  our  lives'  ambition,  and  our  ambition 
after  death  to  have  an  honorable  memory  of  our  life ; 
and  seeing  by  no  means  we  would  be  abated  of  the  dig- 
nities and  glories  of  our  predecessors,  let  us  imitate  their 
virtues  to  be  worthily  their  successors." 

Such  writing  is  irreconcilable  with  the  theory  that 
Smith  was  merely  a  rough  fighting  man.     The  noble 


74        VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

maxim,  "  We  are  not  born  for  ourselves,  but  each  to 
help  other,"  might  have  done  honor  to  the  most  pious 
of  the  English  bishops.  What  the  soldier  insists  upon 
is  the  duty  of  love  and  charity — that  men  should  not 
look  to  themselves  and  their  own  profit,  but  to  the  good 
of  their  neighbors.  Faith  in  Christ,  he  says,  is  the  main 
thing,  and  the  next  is  to  leave  an  honorable  memory 
behind  us.  He  elaborates  his  thought,  and  urges  a  life 
of  noble  action  as  the  only  life  worth  living. 

"  Who  would  live  at  home  idly,"  he  exclaims,  "  or 
think  in  himself  any  wortli  to  live  only  to  eat,  drink, 
and  sleep,  and  so  die ;  or  by  consuming  that  carelessly 
his  friends  got  worthily ;  or  by  using  that  miserably 
that  maintained  virtue  honestly ;  or  for  being  descended 
nobly,  and  pine,  with  the  vain  vaunt  of  great  kindred,  in 
penury ;  or  to  maintain  a  silly  show  of  bravery,  toil 
out  thy  heart,  soul,  and  time  basely  by  shifts,  tricks, 
cards,  and  dice ;  .  .  .  offend  the  laws,  surfeit  with  excess, 
burthen  thy  country,  abuse  thyself,  despair  in  want,  .  .  . 
though  thou  seest  what  honors  and  rewards  the  world 
yet  hath  for  them  that  will  seek  them  and  worthily  de- 
serve them." 

And  elsewhere  we  come  upon  this  earnest  passage, 
which  appeals  directly  to  the  men  of  our  own  time  — 
to  Americans  fretting  under  the  cares  and  poverty  of 
the  older  settlements,  and  to  men  of  every  nationality 
flocking  to  the  shores  of  the  Continent  to  establish  new 
homes  for  themselves  and  their  families  :  — 

"  Who  can  desire  more  content  that  hath  small  means j 
or  hut  only  his  merits  to  advance  his  fortunes^  than  to 
tread  and  plant  that  ground  he  hath  purchased  by  the 
hazard  of  his  life?  If  he  have  but  the  taste  of  virtue 
and  magnanimity,  what  to  such  a  mind  can  be  more 


FIRST  AMERICAN  RULER  AND    WRITER.        75 

pleasant  than  plantiiig  and  huilding  a  foundation  for 
his  'posterity^  got  from  the  rude  earth  by  God's  Messing 
and  his  own  industry,  without  prejudice  to  any  ?  " 

This  is  the  spirit  of  the  American  of  to-day,  —  the 
pioneer  who  goes  West  to  build  a  new  home  for  his 
family  in  the  wilderness.  Smith  tells  his  contemjDO- 
raries  that  the  rude  earth  shall  not  daunt  the  man  with 
that  spirit  in  him.  'By  God's  blessing  and  his  own  in- 
dustry, without  prejudice  to  any,  a  home  for  wife  and 
little  ones  shall  rise  in  the  new  land ;  new  societies  will 
be  founded,  new  States  built  up  in  the  wilds  ;  and  his 
words  are  almost  a  prophecy  of  the  future  United  States. 
"  What  so  truly  suits  with  honor  and  honesty  as  the  dis- 
covering things  unknown,"  he  says,  "  erecting  toivnSy 
peoplijig  countries,  informing  the  ignorant,  reforming 
things  unjust,  teaching  virtue  and  gain  to  our  native 
mother  country  ...  so  far  from  wronging  any  as  to 
cause  posterity  to  remember  thee,  and,  remembering 
thee,  ever  honor  that  remembrance  with  praise." 

Thus,  in  the  voice  of  the  soldier-voyager  of  the  seven- 
teenth century,  speaks  the  man  of  the  last  half  of  the 
nineteenth.  The  new  life  awaits  them ;  they  have  only 
to  set  out  with  good  heart  to  find  it.  They  are  jjoor 
and  humble ;  they  will  be  rich  and  powerful.  They  are 
wasting  with  ignoble  cares;  they  will  prosper  and  be 
happy.  It  is  the  dream  of  the  modern  world,  and  al- 
ready filled  the  mind  of  this  man  of  the  age  of  Eliza- 
beth. He  adds  a  last  exhortation.  What  could  "  a  man 
with  faith  in  relio^ion  do  more  aoreeable  to  God  than 
to  seek  to  convert  these  poor  savages  to  Christ  and  hu- 
manity "  ? 

It  is  impossible  that  this  phrase,  "  Christ  and  human- 
ity "  could  have  been  written  by  a  charlatan.     And  if 


76         VIRGINIA:  A   HISTORY   OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

we  doubt  the  real  character  of  this  man,  who  is  repre- 
sented as  "a  Gascon  and  a  beggar,"  the  full-length 
portrait  drawn  of  him  by  one  of  his  associates  ought  to 
set  the  doubt  at  rest.  "Thus  we  lost  him,"  says  the 
chronicle,  "  that  in  all  our  proceedings  made  justice 
his  first  guide,  and  experience  his  second ;  ever  hating 
baseness,  sloth,  pride,  and  indignity  more  than  any 
dangers  :  that  never  allowed  more  for  himself  than  his 
soldiers  with  him  ;  that  upon  no  danger  would  send 
them  where  he  would  not  lead  them  himself ;  that 
would  never  see  us  want  what  he  either  had  or  could 
by  any  means  get  us  ;  that  would  rather  want  than 
borrow,  or  starve  than  not  pay  ;  that  loved  action  more 
than  words,  and  hated  falsehood  and  covetousness  worse 
than  death  ;  whose  adventures  were  our  lives  and  whose 
loss  our  deaths." 

XIII. 

VIRGINIA    ABANDONED. 

When  Smith  sailed  away  from  Virginia,  in  the  month 
of  September,  1609,  Jamestown  was  a  straggling  as- 
semblage of  fifty  or  sixty  houses.  They  were  built 
of  wood,  some  of  them  two  stories  in  height,  with 
roofs  of  boards,  or  mats,  or  reed  thatch.  There  was  a 
church  and  a  store-house  —  the  whole  inclosed  by  a 
palisade  of  strong  logs,  fifteen  feet  in  height.  At  the 
neck  of  the  peninsula  was  a  fort,  with  cannon  mounted 
on  platforms  ;  in  rear  the  forest,  where  dusky  shadows 
fiitted  to  and  fro  ;  and  in  front  the  broad  river  flowing 
to  the  sea,  toward  which  the  straining  eyes  had  so  often 
been  directed  in  search  of  the  white  sails  coming  from 
the  home  land. 


VIRGINIA   ABANDONED.  77 

There  were  two  hundred  fighting  men  trained  in  In- 
dian warfare,  and,  in  all,  nearly  five  hundred  men, 
women,  and  children  in  the  settlement.  There  seemed 
to  be  no  reason  why  they  should  feel  apprehension. 
They  had  a  sufficiency  of  provisions  if  they  were  only 
used  judiciously ;  five  or  six  hundred  hogs,  horses, 
sheep,  and  goats  ;  fishing  nets  and  working  tools,  three 
ships,  seven  boats,  twenty  cannon,  three  hundred  mus- 
kets, swords,  and  pikes,  and  a  full  supply  of  ammuni- 
tion. It  really  seemed  that  the  Virginia  colony  had 
taken  root  at  last ;  and  we  may  fancy  the  men,  women, 
and  children  of  the  little  society  going  to  and  fro,  in 
and  out  of  the  palisade,  busy  at  their  occupations  or 
assembling  at  their  devotions,  talking  of  England,  no 
doubt,  and  regretting  the  dear  home  over  the  sea,  but 
thankful  that  their  lot  is  cast  in  this  beautiful  land  of 
Virginia. 

Only  one  thing  was  wanting  in  the  bright  fall  days 
at  Jamestown,  but  that  want  was  serious,  —  it  was  a 
head.  There  had  been  up  to  this  time  a  very  strong 
head  in  the  colony  to  direct  affairs,  a  man  of  real 
brains,  who  loved  action  more  than  words,  and  hated 
sloth  worse  than  death.  He  had  disappeared  now,  and 
there  was  no  one  to  take  his  place.  The  old  hatreds  of 
the  factions  still  smouldered,  and  the  new  President 
could  not  control  them.  Percy  was  a  man  of  approved 
courage  and  character,  but  he  was  not  a  man  of  energy, 
and  his  health  was  feeble.  Smith's  sure  eyes  had  fore- 
cast the  future  when  he  objected  to  surrendering  his 
authority  to  him.  The  motley  crew,  ready  to  break 
out  at  any  moment,  required  a  strong  hand  to  control 
them  ;  and  the  hand  holding  the  reins  was  that  of  an 
amiable  invalid,  who  asked  nothing  better  than  to  be 
permitted  to  return  to  England, 


78        VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF   THE  PEOPLE. 

Percy  found  the  work  before  him  too  much  for  his 
streno-th.  The  colony  of  Jamestown  had  become  a  little 
kino-dom,  with  outlying  dependencies,  at  the  Falls  of 
James  River,  Old  Point  Comfort,  and  elsewhere.  These 
all  looked  to  the  central  authority  for  supplies  of  pro- 
visions and  protection  against  the  Indians ;  and  the 
central  authority  was  in  the  hands  of  one  without  the 
health  to  exercise  it.  Events  hastened ;  the  prospect 
before  the  colony  began  to  grow  gloomy.  The  disso- 
lution of  societies  is  rapid  when  it  once  begins.  Like 
the  pace  of  runaway  horses  it  soon  grows  headlong, 
and  the  crash  comes.  The  Indians  saw  their  opportu- 
nity, and  "  no  sooner  understood  Smith  was  gone,  but 
they  all  revolted,  and  did  spoil  and  murther  all  they  en- 
countered." Martin's  men,  at  Nansemond,  and  West's, 
at  the  Falls,  were  attacked,  and  retreated  to  Jamestown  ; 
and  Ratcliffe's  career  ended  in  sudden  tragedy.  He 
went  to  visit  Powhatan,  on  the  York,  with  thirty  com- 
panions, and  used  no  precautions.  Smith  had  escaped, 
Ilatcliffe  perished.  He  was  killed  with  his  whole  party, 
except  one  man  and  a  boy,  who  were  saved  by  Pocahon- 
tas. So  the  long  intrigues  of  this  old  disturber  of  the 
peace  came  to  an  end.  He  had  been  an  agitator  from 
first  to  last ;  an  impostor  down  to  his  name,  for  his  real 
name  was  Sicklemore  ;  and  Raphe  Hamor  wrote  his  epi- 
taph in  a  few  pithy  words.  He  was  "not  worth  re- 
membering, but  to  his  dishonor." 

Having  begun  thus  auspiciously,  Powhatan  resolved 
to  continue  the  war  in  earnest.  He  had  remonstrated 
pathetically  with  the  "  rash  youth  "  Smith  for  troubling 
his  old  age,  but  the  rash  youth  was  gone  now,  and  af- 
fairs had  suddenly  changed  their  aspect.  "  We  all  found 
the  loss  of  Cai)tain  Smith,"  says  one  of  the  contempo- 


VIRGINIA  ABANDONED.  79 

rary  writers  ;  "  yea,  his  greatest  maligners  could  now 
curse  his  loss ; "  and  Beverley,  the  old  historian,  says, 
"  as  soon  as  he  left  them  to  themselves  all  went  to 
ruin."  It  was  plain  that  the  Indians  fully  realized  the 
state  of  things  at  Jamestown,  for  a  bitter  hostility  sud- 
denly took  the  place  of  their  old  friendship. 

As  the  days  passed  on,  the  disorder  increased,  and 
the  dissolution  became  more  rapid.  Percy  was  now 
"  so  sick  that  he  could  neither  go  nor  stand  ;  "  Ratcliffe 
was  a  corpse  on  the  bank  of  York  River ;  and  West, 
in  despair,  sailed  for  England.  Then,  with  every  pass- 
ing hour,  the  prospect  grew  darker.  There  was  no  au- 
thority anywhere,  though  "  twenty  Presidents  "  claimed 
it.  Thirty  men  ran  off  with  one  of  the  vessels,  and  be- 
came buccaneers.  Utter  hopelessness  took  possession 
of  those  left  behind.  Every  day  death  was  in  some 
house,  and  when  the  owner  was  buried  the  house  was 
torn  down  for  firewood.  Even  the  palisades  were 
burned,  and  the  open  gates  swung  to  and  fro  in  the 
winter  wind.  Men,  women,  and  children  were  starv- 
ing, and  had  lost  all  fear  of  Indian  assaults.  The  sup- 
plies were  exhausted ;  "  hogs,  hens,  goats,  sheep,  or 
what  lived,  alL-was  devoured."  When  parties  went 
to  the  savages,  piteously  beseeching  succor,  they  re- 
ceived "  mortal  wounds  with  clubs  and  arrows."  They 
were  forced  to  subsist  on  roots  and  acorns,  and  the 
skins  of  horses.  At  last  they  became  cannibals.  An 
Indian  was  killed  and  buried,  but  '•  the  poorer  sort  took 
him  up  again  and  ate  him,  and  so  did  divers  one  an- 
other, boiled  and  stewed  with  roots  and  herbs."  The 
*'  common  kettel,"  in  these  days,  was  a  fearful  cauldron  ; 
the  fumes  of  boiling  human  flesh  ascended  from  it.  All 
ties  were  sundered  by  the  sharp  edge  of  mortal  famine. 


80        VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY   OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

A  man  killed  his  wife,  and  had  eaten  part  of  the  body 
before  he  was  discovered.  He  was  burned  to  death  for 
his  horrible  deed,  but  that  did  not  help  matters  much. 
Dire  famine  was  stronger  than  the  fear  of  death.  The 
colony  was  tottering  on  the  very  verge  of  destruction. 
"  This  was  that  time,"  the  chronicle  says,  "  which,  still 
to  this  day,  we  call  the  Starving  Time." 

The  horrors  of  this  terrible  period  are  summed  up  in 
a  simple  statement.  Nearly  jive  hundred  persons  had 
been  left  in  the  colony  in  September,  and  six  months 
afterwards  "  there  remained  not  past  sixty  men,  women^ 
and  children,  most  miserable  arid  poor  creatures^  Of 
the  whole  number,  five  hundred,  more  than  four  hundred 
had  perished,  —  dead  of  starvation,  or  slain  by  the  In- 
dian hatchet. 

In  the  last  days  of  May  (1610),  this  is  what  might  have 
been  seen  at  Jamestown  :  a  group  of  men,  women,  and 
children  huddled  together  behind  the  dismantled  pali- 
sade, the  faces  pale,  the  forms  emaciated,  the  thin  lips 
uttering  moans  or  stifled  cries  for  food.  The  end  was 
uear  ;  "  this,  in  ten  days  more,  would  have  supplanted 
us  with  death."  But  help  was  coming.  The  last  agony 
was  uear,  when  sails  were  seen  approaching,  and  doubt- 
less a  shrill,  wild  cry  of  joy  and  amazement  rose  from 
the  throng,  and  mothers  caught  their  children  close  to 
their  bosoms,  and  sobbed  over  them,  thanking  God  for 
mercy  and  succor. 

The  ships  were  the  Patience  and  Deliverance  from 
Bermuda.  The  good  Admiral  Somers  and  Sir  Thomas 
Gates  had  come  in  their  "  cedai-  ship  "  to  bring  help  to 
these  poor  people,  shipwrecked  in  the  wilderness,  as  they 
had  been  shipwrecked  on  the  "  Isles  of  Devils."  They 
had  arrived  just  in  time :  in  a  few  days  the  Virginia 


VIRGINIA  ABANDONED.  81 

colony  would  have  perished  of  famine  ;  but  "  God,  that 
would  not  this  country  should  be  unplanted,"  sent  them 
deliverance  in  the  shape  of  the  Deliverance  ship. 

Gates  and  Somers  cast  anchor,  and  at  once  went 
on  shore.  The  shipwrecked  looked  at  the  shipwrecked. 
Jamestown  was  a  scene  of  desolation.  The  torn-down 
palisades,  the  gates  creaking  on  rusty  hinges,  the  dis- 
mantled houses,  the  emaciated  faces,  the  hungry  eyes 
and  babbling  voices,  scarce  able  to  articulate  the  prayer 
to  be  taken  home  to  die,  —  these  were  the  piteous  sights 
and  sounds  which  greeted  Sir  Thomas  Gates  and  the 
Admiral,  as  they  landed  from  their  cedar  ship  and  looked 
and  listened,  in  the  midst  of  the  dreary  throng  gather- 
ing around  them  on  the  shore.  All  was  over  for  the 
Virginia  colony,  it  seemed.  Even  the  stout  souls  who 
had  braved  the  storm  in  the  Sea- Venture  witliout  los- 
ing hope  lost  it  now.  Heavy-hearted  and  despairing 
at  finding  famine  where  they  had  expected  abundance, 
Gates  and  Somers,  who  had  provisions  for  only  fourteen 
days,  resolved  to  sail  for  England  by  way  of  the  New- 
foundland fishing  settlements,  and  take  the  wretched 
remnant  of  the  colony  with  them.  The  cannon  and 
other  arms  were  buried  at  the  gate  of  the  fort,  and  on 
the  7th  of  June  the  drums  rolled,  giving  the  signal  to 
embark.  At  the  signal  the  disorderly  crowd  hastened 
towards  the  ships.  It  was  only  with  great  difficulty 
that  they  were  prevented  from  destroying  the  last  traces 
of  the  settlement.  The  place  was  about  to  be  set  fire 
to,  but  "  God,  who  did  not  intend  that  this  excellent 
country  should  be  abandoned,"  says  the  old  historian 
Stith,  "  put  it  into  the  heart  of  Sir  T.  Gates  to  save  it." 
Gates  remained  on  shore  with  a  party  of  men  to  pre- 
serve order,  and  was  the  last  man  to  step  into  the  boat. 


82         VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

Then  a  volley  was  fired,  the  sails  were  spread,  and  the 
Patience  and  Deliverance,  with  two  other  ships  con- 
taining the  colonists,  sailed  aw^ay  toward  England. 

Such  had  been  the  result  of  the  long,  hard  struggle 
to  found  an  English  colony  in  the  New  World.  Hun- 
dreds of  thousands  of  pounds  had  been  expended  and 
hundreds  of  lives  lost  in  the  effort,  and  now,  after  three 
long  years  of  trial,  a  little  band  of  starving  men,  wo- 
men, and  children  were  sailing  homeward,  leaving  be- 
hind them  at  Jamestown  only  a  few  dismantled  cabins  to 
show  that  the  place  had  been  once  inhabited.  Virginia 
had  been  abandoned ;  but  a  joyful  surprise  was  near. 
On  the  next  morning  the  little  fleet  of  four  small  vessels 
was  about  to  continue  its  way  from  Mulberry  Island, 
in  James  Kiver,  where  it  had  anchored  for  the  night, 
when  a  row-boat  w^as  seen  coming  up  the  river  toward 
them.  It  brought  them  joyful  intelligence.  Lord  Dela- 
ware had  arrived  with  three  vessels  from  p]ngland  ;  had 
heard  at  the  lower  settlement  that  the  colony  was  about 
to  be  deserted  ;  and  had  sent  his  long-boat  with  dis- 
patches directing  Gates  and  Somers  to  return  to  James- 
town, where  he  w^ould  soon  join  them. 

Such  was  the  curiously  dramatic  event  w^hich  pre- 
vented the  New  World  from  being  abandoned  in  1610 
by  the  English.  If  a  writer  of  fiction  had  invented  the 
incident  it  would  have  been  criticised  as  the  most  im- 
probable of  fancies.  The  fleet  under  Delaware  arrived 
in  the  waters  of  Virginia  at  the  very  moment  when  the 
fleet  under  Gates  and  Somers  was  about  to  disappear ; 
and  an  old  writer,  relating  these  events,  bursts  forth 
into  exclamations  of  thanks  and  praise  for  "  the  Lord's 
infinite  goodness."  Never  had  poor  people  more  cause 
to  cast  themselves  at  his  *'  very  footstool."     They  were 


VIRGINIA  ABANDONED.  83 

saved  by  a  direct  interposition  of  liis  providence.  "  If 
they  had  set  sail  sooner  and  launched  into  the  vast 
oceanj  who  would  have  promised  that  they  should  en- 
counter the  fleet  of  the  Lord  La  Warre  ?  If  the  Lord 
La  Warre  had  not  brought  with  him  a  year's  provisions, 
what  comfort  would  these  poor  souls  have  received  to 
have  been  re-landed  to  a  second  destruction  ?  This  was 
the  arm  of  the  Lord  of  Hosts,  who  would  have  his 
people  pass  the  Red  Sea  and  Wilderness,  and  then  to 
possess  the  land  of  Canaan." 

On  the  next  morning,  which  was  Sunday  (June  10, 
1610),  Lord  Delaware  landed  at  the  south  gate  of  the 
fort,  where  Gates  had  drawn  up  his  men  to  receive  him. 
As  soon  as  the  new  Governor  touched  the  shore  he 
knelt  down,  and  remained  for  some  moments  in  prayer. 
He  then  rose  and  went  to  the  church,  where  service 
was  held  and  a  sermon  preached  ;  after  which  he  deliv- 
ered an  address,  encouraging  the  colonists. 

Events  had  followed  each  other  like  scenes  on  the 
stage  of  a  theatre.  The  curtain  had  slowly  descended 
on  the  desolate  picture  of  the  abandoned  colony,  and 
now  it  again  rose  on  a  busy  and  bustling  scene,  —  on  the 
shore  thronged  with  hundreds  of  persons,  the  devout 
worshipers  kneeling  in  the  church,  and  Lord  Delaware 
announcing  to  the  assembled  people  that  all  was  well. 
In  the  space  of  three  days  the  Virginia  colony  had  per- 
ished and  come  to  life  again. 


84        VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  TEE  PEOPLE. 


XIV. 

THE    LORD    DE    LA    WARRE. 

Virginia  under  Lord  Delaware  was  a  very  different 
place  from  Virginia  under  the  "  rule  or  ruin  "  people, 
Ratcliffe,  and  the  rest.  All  the  turmoil  had  suddenly 
disappeared.  Jamestown  was  a  scene  of  tranquillity, 
and  a  well-ordered  society  had  succeeded  the  social 
chaos.  A  stable  government  had  all  at  once  taken  the 
place  of  that  wretched  mockery  of  an  executive  —  the 
old  wrangling  council.  Lord  Delaware,  Governor  and 
Captain  -  General  of  Virginia,  ruled  now,  and  he  had 
power  to  make  his  authority  respected.  This  power 
was  practically  unhampered.  He  was  to  obey  the  in- 
structions of  the  Company,  if  they  chose  to  send  him 
any  ;  but  if  none  were  sent  he  was  to  govern  at  his 
discretion,  under  the  charter.  In  any  time  of  emer- 
gency he  was  not  to  await  orders  from  England.  He 
was  to  strike,  and  strike  quickly  ;  to  declare  martial 
law,  and  put  down  wrong-doers  with  the  sword  or  the 
hal  ter. 

It  was  a  wholesome  state  of  things  for  a  community 
lately  a  prey  to  the  "unruly  gallants,"  shouting  and 
wrangling  in  the  streets,  drinking  at  the  tavern,  and 
making  the  days  and  nights  hideous  with  their  wild 
uproar.  A  single  glance  showed  the  gallants  that  the 
new  ruler  was  their  master.  Lord  Delaware  kept  the 
state  of  a  viceroy.  He  had  his  Privy  Council:  his 
Lieutenant-General,  Sir  Thomas  Gates  ;  his  Admiral, 
Sir  George  Somers  ;  his  Vice-Admiral,  Captain  New- 
port ;  and  his  Master  of  the  Horse,  Sir  Ferdinand  Wy- 


THE   LORD   DE  LA   WARRE.  85 

man.  It  was  an  imposing  simulacrum  of  royalty,  a  lit- 
tle court  in  the  wilderness.  Some  of  the  old  soldiers  of 
Smith,  no  doubt  resenting  the  wrong  done  him,  looked 
sidewise  at  the  fine  pageant.  "  This  tender  state  of 
Virginia,"  one  of  them  growled,  "  was  not  grown  to 
that  maturity  to  maintain  such  state  and  pleasures  as 
was  fit  for  a  personage  with  such  brave  and  great  at- 
tendance. To  have  more  to  wait  and  play  than  worh^  or 
more  commanders  and  oncers  than  industrious  lahorers^ 
was  not  so  necessary.  For  in  Virginia,"  adds  the  grim 
critic,  "  a  plain  soldier  that  can  use  a  pickaxe  and  spade 
is  better  than  five  knights  that  could  break  a  lance." 
It  was  the  old  protest  of  Smith,  who  said  "  nothing 
was  to  be  expected  from  Virginia  but  by  labor."  Give 
us  working-men,  not  drones  —  laboring  people  in  good 
fustian  jackets,  rather  than  fine  gentlemen  in  silk  and 
lace  ! 

So  the  old  settlers  growled  at  my  Lord  Delaware,  that 
"  man  of  approved  courage,  temper,  and  experience, 
distinguished  for  his  virtues  and  his  generous  devotion 
to  the  welfare  of  the  colony."  He  was  wiser  than  the 
critics.  This  splendor  of  which  they  complained  had 
its  advantages  —  it  made  his  authority  respected.  The 
unruly  gallants  had  due  notice,  and  Delaware  was  never 
forced  to  proclaim  martial  law.  He  imposed  and  regu- 
lated. The  colonists  were  ordered  to  go  to  work,  and 
they  went.  The  hours  of  labor  were  fixed,  and  were 
from  six  to  ten  in  the  morning,  and  from  two  to  four 
in  the  afternoon.  At  ten  and  four  the  bells  rang,  when 
labor  ceased,  and  the  settlers  attended  religious  ser- 
vices in  the  church.  Thus  all  in  the  Virginia  colony 
was  well  ordered  at  last. 

The  scenes  at  this  old  Jamestown  church  are  painted 


88         VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

for  us  in  the  chronicles.  It  was  a  building  sixty  feet 
lono-  and  twenty-four  feet  wide,  which  had  narrowly 
escaped  burning  when  the  colony  was  abandoned.  Lord 
Delaware  at  once  repaired  it,  and  would  have  it  deco- 
rated with  flowers.  The  pews  and  chancel  were  of  ce- 
dar, the  communion  table  of  black  walnut.  There  was 
a  baptismal  font  and  a  lofty  pulpit;  and  at  the  west  end 
were  huns  two  bells.  This  was  the  first  church  edifice 
worthy  of  the  name  erected  in  America.  All  about  it 
was  plain  and  decorous,  unless  exception  be  taken  to 
the  presence  of  the  flowers.  The  old  Virginians  did 
not  object  to  them.  They  certainly  were  not  papists, 
and  had  no  intention  of  ever  becoming  such,  but  God 
had  made  the  spring  blooms,  they  were  among  the 
most  beautiful  of  his  creations,  and  it  was  fit  that  they 
should  deck  his  temple.  So,  at  least,  there  is  a  prec- 
edent for  the  poor  flowers  which  to-day  arouse  so  much 
enmity. 

Worthy  Lord  Delaware  set  the  example  of  respect 
for  religion  by  regularly  attending  the  church  services. 
He  went  in  full  dress  at  the  ringing  of  the  bells,  at- 
tended by  the  Lieutenant-General,  the  Admiral,  Vice- 
Admiral,  Master  of  the  Horse,  and  the  rest  of  his 
Council,  with  a  guard  of  fifty  halberd-bearers  in  red 
cloaks  marching  behind  him.  He  sat  in  the  choir  in  a 
green  velvet  chair,  and  had  a  velvet  cushion  to  kneel 
upon.  The  Council  were  ranged  in  state  on  his  right 
and  left ;  and  when  the  services  were  over,  the  Gov- 
ernor, his  dignitaries,  and  hal"berd-bearers  all  returned 
with  the  same  ceremony  to  their  quarters.  It  was  a 
very  great  contrast  indeed  to  the  rude  old  times,  when 
the  colonists  worshiped  under  "  a  rotten  sail  ; "  when 
the  services  were  in  danger  of  interruption  by  a  burst 


THE  LORD  DE  LA   WARRE.  87 

of  war-whoops;  and  when  the  thunder  of  Smith's  can- 
non, summoning  the  mutineers  to  "  stay  or  sink,"  had 
taken  the  place  of  the  Sabbath  bells. 

Lord  Delaware  did  not  remain  long  in  Virginia.  His 
health  became  so  bad  that  he  was  compelled  to  return, 
but  during  his  sojourn  in  the  colony  he  proved  himself 
an  energetic  ruler.  He  built  forts  Henry  and  Charles 
on  Southampton  River ;  sent  Percy  to  punish  some 
depredations  of  the  Paspahegh  tribe  above  Jamestown  ; 
procured  full  supplies  of  corn  from  the  Potomac  Indians  ; 
and  dispatched  Sir  George  Somers  to  the  Bermudas 
for  more  food — a  voyage  from  which,  as  we  have  seen, 
the  good  Admiral  never  returned.  He  commanded  in 
person  in  an  engagement  with  the  Indians  at  the  present 
site  of  Richmond,  and  left  no  doubt  in  any  mind  of  his 
capacity  as  a  soldier  and  ruler.  But  his  strength  gave 
way.  He  was  seized  with  a  violent  ague,  and  (March, 
1611)  sailed  for  England,  on  which  voyage  he  is  said 
to  have  been  driven  northward,  and  named  the  harbor 
in  which  he  took  refuge  Delaware  Bay.  Seven  years 
afterwards  he  set  out  again  for  Virginia,  but  died  on 
the  voyage. 

Delaware  remains  one  of  the  most  popular  of  the 
early  Virginia  Governors.  Between  summer  and  spring 
he  established  the  colony  on  a  firm  basis.  He  ruled 
the  unruly  without  resorting  to  harshness,  added  to  the 
pi  blic  defenses,  inculcated  respect  for  religion,  and  dur- 
ing his  short  stay  in  the  country  all  things  prospered. 
His  sudden  death  on  the  voyage  back  to  Virginia  was 
sincerely  lamented,  and  he  is  remembered  still  as  one 
of  the  most  gallant  and  picturesque  personages  of  the 
early  Virginia  history.  Memory  takes  hold  of  figures 
rather  than  generalities.      The  public  services  of  "  the 


88         VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY   OF   THE  PEOPLE. 

Lord  La  Warre  "  are  unknown  or  forgotten,  but  what 
is  still  remembered  is  the  aifecting  scene  when  he  landed 
at  the  deserted  town,  and  fell  on  his  knees,  thanking 
God  that  he  had  come  in  time  to  save  Virginia. 


XV. 

dale's    "  CITY    OF    HENRICUS." 

In  these  first  years  of  Virginia  history,  the  stalwart 
figures  rapidly  succeed  each  other.  Lord  Delaware 
went  away  in  March,  and  in  May  (1611)  came  Sir 
Thomas  Dale,  "  High  Marshal  of  Virginia." 

He  had  a  hard  task  before  him.  George  Percy  had 
been  acting  in  place  of  Sir  Thomas  Gates,  who  had 
gone  to  England,  and  the  idlers  had  taken  advantage  of 
his  amiable  temper  to  neglect  work.  In  place  of  plant- 
ing corn,  they  resorted  to  the  more  agreeable  occupation 
of  playing  bowls  in  the  grass-grown  streets  of  James- 
town ;  at  which  employment  the  High  Marshal  found 
them,  on  his  arrival.  The  drones  saw  that  they  had  a 
master.  Sir  Thomas  Dale  was  a  soldier  who  had  seen 
hard  service  in  Flanders,  "a  man  of  good  conscience 
and  knowledge  in  divinity,"  but  a  born  ruler  and  un- 
shrinking disciplinarian.  The  "  unrnly  "  class  soon  felt 
his  iron  hand,  upon  which  there  was  no  velvet  glove 
whatever.  He  had  brought  with  him  one  of  the  worst 
"  supplies  "  that  ever  came  to  Virginia,  but  he  had  also 
brought  a  ''  Code  of  Martial  Law,"  and  made  prompt 
use  of  it.  A  conspiracy  was  entered  into  by  a  num- 
ber of  the  malcontents,  but  Dale  promptly  arrested  the 
leaders,  and  crushed  it  by  inflicting  upon  them  the  death 
penalty,  in  a  manner  "  cruel,  unusual,  and  barbarous." 


DALE'S   ''CITY  OF  HENRICUS."  89 

This  is  the  guarded  phrase  of  the  chronicle,  which 
only  adds  that  the  mode  of  punishment  was  one  at  the 
time  customary  "  in  France."  But  many  years  after- 
wards the  mystery  was  cleared  up.  In  1624,  a  num- 
ber of  the  Bursjesses  sio-ned  a  "  declaration  "  of  what 
they  had  witnessed  at  Jamestown.  One  offender  "  had 
a  bodkin  thrust  throuijh  his  tonmie  and  was  chained 
to  a  tree  till  he  perished,"  and  others  were  put  to  death 
"  by  hanging,  shooting,  hreahing  on  the  wheel,  and  the 
like."  The  stran<j;e  fact  is  thus  established  that  this 
horrible  punishment,  inflicted  by  the  Kings  of  France 
for  political  conspiracy,  was  inflicted  by  Sir  Thomas 
Dale  also  for  the  same  offense  on  the  soil  of  Viro^inia. 
But  the  death  penalty,  in  some  form,  seems  to  have 
been  a  necessity,  and  Dale  was  apparently  obliged  to 
be  merciless.  "  If  his  laws  had  not  been  so  strictly 
executed,"  says  one  of  the  fairest  of  the  contemporary 
writers,  ''  I  see  not  how  tlie  utter  subversion  of  the 
colony  should  have  been  prevented."  The  man  of  good 
conscience  and  great  knowledge  of  divinity  did  not 
hesitate.  He  had  to  deal  with  desperate  characters, 
and  thrust  bodkins  through  their  tongues,  broke  them 
on  the  wheel,  and  there  was  no  more  trouble. 

In  the  summer  occurred  an  incident  which  clearly 
indicates  the  ever-present  dread  of  the  Spanish  power. 
The  settlements  in  Florida  were  a  standing  menace  to 
the  English,  and  the  foes  were  ever  watching  each  other, 
and  expecting  an  attack.  At  any  moment  the  Spanish 
hawks  might  swoop  on  the  Jamestown  dove-cote  ;  and 
one  day  in  the  bright  summer  season,  a  fleet  was  seen 
in  the  distance  slowly  coming  up  the  river.  Suddenly 
all  was  in  commotion.  The  ships  were  apparently  Span- 
iards, and  Dale  hastened  to  man  "  the  two  good  ships, 


90        VIRGINIA:   A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

the  Star  and  the  Prosperous,  and  our  own  Deliverance, 
then  riding  before  Jamestown,"  with  plain  intent  to  go 
out  and  fight.  The  heart  of  the  Marshal  was  evidently 
in  the  business,  and  he  "  animated "  his  men  with  a 
brave  speech;  lie  meant  to  attack  the  new  comers,  lie 
said  :  if  they  were  too  strong  for  him  he  would  grapple 
with  them,  and  both  would  sink  together  ;  "  if  God  had 
ordained  to  set  a  period  to  their  lives,  they  could  never 
be  sacrificed  in  a  more  acceptable  service."  It  was  the 
spirit  of  Grenville  in  his  famous  combat  off  the  Azores, 
and  of  the  old  sea  voyagers  in  general ;  there  were  the 
hated  Spaniards,  and  it  was  necessary  to  overcome  them 
or  die.  Dale  was  no  doubt  in  earnest  when  he  said 
that  he  meant  to  do  that,  but  a  "  small  shallop  with 
thirty  good  shot "  was  first  sent  to  reconnoitre.  Soon 
the  shallop  came  back  quietly  —  the  ships  were  Eng- 
lishmen, not  Spaniards.  Sir  Thomas  Gates,  the  Lieu- 
tenant-Governor, was  returning  with  a  supply  of  pro- 
visions and  three  hundred  additional  colonists  ;  and  the 
Marshal  fired  a  salute,  doubtless,  instead  of  opening  upon 
them  with  his  culverins. 

With  the  return  of  the  Lieutenant-Governor,  the 
Pligh  Marshal  found  himself  at  liberty  to  carry  out  a 
favorite  project  —  to  establish  a  new  city.  His  opinion 
of  Virginia  was  enthusiastic.  "  Take  four  of  the  best 
kingdoms  in  Christendom,  and  put  them  all  together," 
he  wrote,  "  they  may  no  way  compare  with  this  country, 
either  for  commodities  or  goodness  of  soil."  Having 
resolved  to  found  his  city,  he  selected  the  plateau  within 
Dutch  Gap,  nearly  surrounded  by  James  River,  above 
the  present  City  Point,  the  centre  of  a  fertile  and  pic- 
turesque domain  called  Varina.  In  September  he  went 
thither  with  three  hundred  and  fifty  men,  built  a  pali- 


DALE'S   "  CITY  OF  IlENRICUS.''  91 

sade  across  the  narrow  neck,  and  another  without,  from 
water  to  water,  and  in  this  strong  position  erected  his 
'•  City  of  Henricus."  It  had  three  streets,  store-houses, 
a  church,  and  reguhir  watch-houses.  Across  the  stream, 
on  the  south  bank,  a  hirge  inclosure,  "  twelve  English 
miles  of  ground,"  was  shut  in  also  by  stout  palisades, 
and  defended  by  forts  Charity,  Patience,  and  others. 
Hope-in-Faith,  the  name  of  a  part  of  this  tract,  sug- 
gests a  Puritan  origin,  and  it  is  not  improbable  that  a 
portion  of  Sh'  Thomas's  settlers  were  of  that  faith.  He 
had  his  official  residence  in  the  town  on  the  plateau, 
and  Rock  Hall,  the  parsonage  of  the  good  Alex-inder 
Whitaker,  the  "  Apostle  of  Virginia,"  was  in  sight 
across  the  river.  The  name  Henrico,  or  City  of  Henri- 
cus,  was  conferred  upon  the  place  in  honor  of  Prince 
Henry,  son  of  James  I.,  of  whom  Dale  wrote  these  noble 
words,  on  his  sudden  death  :  '•  My  glorious  master  is 
gone,  that  would  have  enameled  with  his  favors  the 
labors  I  undertake  for  God's  cause  and  his  immortal 
honor.  He  was  the  great  captain  of  our  Israel  ;  the 
hope  to  have  builded  up  this  heavenly  New  Jerusalem 
be  interred,  I  think  ;  the  whole  frame  of  this  business 
fell  into  his  grave." 

Having  founded  the  City  of  Henricus,  the  High  Mar- 
shal proceeded  to  found  another  at  Bermuda  Hundreds, 
and  the  new  communities  were  illustrations  of  society 
in  its  first  stage  of  social-military  organization.  Each 
group  of  families  had  its  "  commander,"  in  peace  a  magis- 
trate, and  in  war  a  captain.  Excellent  Mr.  Whitaker 
looked  after  the  morals  of  all.  "  Every  Sabbath  day," 
he  writes  to  a  friend  in  London,  "  we  preach  in  the 
forenoon,  and  catechise  in  the  afternoon.  Every  Satur- 
day, at  night,  I  exercise  in  Sir  Thomas  Dale's  house." 


92        VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

The  picture  is  a  cheerful  one.  The  Apostle  of  Virginia 
and  the  High  Marshal  are  excellent  good  friends.  For 
this  "  worthy  and  experienced  soldier,"  who  has  lived 
so  roniijh  a  life  in  Flanders,  who  has  bored  peoples' 
tongues,  and  inflicted  cruel  and  barbarous  death  penal- 
ties, is  not,  after  all,  so  great  a  monster.  He  enjoys 
converse  with  the  mild  clergyman,  who  calls  him  "  our 
reliaious  and  valiant  Governor,"  and  draws  the  full 
portrait  of  the  High  Marshal  in  a  sentence :  "  Sir 
Thomas  Dale,  with  whom  I  am,  is  a  man  of  great 
hnoivledge  in  divinity,  and  of  a  good  conscience  in  all 
things,  both  which  he  rare  in  a  marticd  many  This  was 
said  by  one  of  the  j^urest  of  men,  who  knew  the  Mar- 
shal well,  and  must  be  taken  for  his  true  likeness. 

So  the  City  of  Henricus  was  established  and  went  on 
its  way.  After  a  while  there  was  another  attraction 
there.  Pocahontas  came  to  live  in  the  vicinity.  That 
worthy  gentleman.  Master  John  Rolfe,  who  had  married 
the  maiden,  had  a  plantation  near  the  place,  and  he  and 
his  little  brunette  wife  went  in  and  out  with  their  In- 
dian connections.  Pocahontas,  we  are  told  by  the  old 
historian  Stith,  who  afterwards  lived  at  Henricus,  ''held 
friendly  trade  and  commerce  "  with  her  father  the  Em- 
peror ;  and  thus  Varina  is  full  of  figures,  and  is  a 
charmed  domain  to  the  antiquary  and  romance  lover. 
To-day  the  figures  have  all  disappeared  —  apostles  and 
marshals,  soldiers  and  axe-men,  women  and  children,  and 
the  mild  face  of  the  girl-wife,  Pocahontas.  The  city  is 
gone  also,  with  its  outlying  dependencies,  Coxendale, 
Hope-in-Faith,  and  its  forts.  Patience  and  Charity.  The 
past  has  vanished,  but  here,  nearly  three  centuries  ago, 
the  first  Americans  were  laying  the  foundation  of  the 
republic. 


ROLFE  AND  POCAHONTAS.  93 

XVI. 

ROLFE   AND    POCAHONTAS. 

After  the  departure  of  Smith  from  Virginia,  Poca- 
hontas did  not  reappear  at  Jamestown  —  a  fact  which 
occasioned  surprise,  as  she  had  made  frequent  visits  and 
was  known  to  take  a  warm  interest  in  the  Ensflish.  It 
was  now  discovered  that  she  had  left  Werowocomoco, 
either  in  consequence  of  some  misunderstanding  with 
Powhatan,  or  to  visit  her  rehitives  on  the  Potomac. 
Raphe  Hamor,  the  contemporary  historian,  attributes 
her  absence  from  the  York  River  country  to  the  hitter 
cause.  "  The  Nonparella  of  Virginia  in  her  princely 
progress,"  he  says,  *'  took  some  pleasure  to  be  among 
her  friends  of  Potomac."  Another  account  speaks  of 
her  as  "  being  at  Potomac,  thinking  herself  unknown," 
which  leaves  the  impression  that  she  had  taken  refus^e 
there.     But  this  is  all  conjecture. 

She  was  now  (16l|)  taken  prisoner,  and  conducted  to 
Jamestown  by  that  roving  adventurer,  Captain  Samuel 
Argall,  who  had  brought  Smith  the  intelligence  of  his 
deposition.  Sent  in  a  sloop  to  procure  a  supply  of  corn 
from  the  Potomac  country,  Argall  was  informed  by  a 
chief  named  Japazaws  that  Pocahontas  was  on  a  visit  to 
him  ;  and  the  offer  of  a  copper  kettle  induced  him  to 
betrav  her  into  the  rover's  hands.  She  was  brouffht  on 
board  the  vessel,  and  taken  weeping  to  Jamestown,  — 
Argall's  object  being  to  hold  her  as  a  hostage  for  the 
good  behavior  of  Powhatan. 

When  the  Emperor  heard  of  her  capture  he  was  bitterly 
offended,  and  when  the  English  sent  him  word  that  she 


94        VIRGINIA:   A   HISTORY  OF   THE  PEOPLE. 

would  be  released  as  soon  as  he  restored  some  captured 
men  and  arms  he  took  no  notice  of  the  message.  Poca- 
hontas therefore  remained  at  Jamestown  in  custody  of 
the  English  until  the  spring  of  the  next  year  (1613), 
when  Sir  Thomas  Dale,  the  High  Marshal,  set  out  with 
one  hundred  and  fifty  men  to  visit  Powhatan,  taking 
her  with  him,  to  negotiate  the  proposed  exchange. 
Sailing  down  the  James,  and  then  into  York  River,  the 
Marshal  reached  Werowocomoco,  but  found  the  Em- 
peror absent.  His  reception  was  not  encouraging.  A 
swarm  of  Indians  appeared  on  the  bank  and  shouted 
defiance.  Had  the  English  come  to  fight  ?  they  cried. 
If  so,  they  were  welcome,  and  might  remember  the  fate 
of  Ratcliffe.  A  flight  of  arrows  followed,  and  one  of 
the  Englishmen  was  wounded  ;  whereupon  Dale,  who 
was  a  man  of  decision,  pushed  ashore,  killed  some  of 
the  party,  burned  their  cabins,  and  then,  reembarking, 
sailed  up  the  York,  looking  for  the  Emperor. 

At  Machot,  an  Indian  village  near  the  present  West 
Point,  several  hundred  savages  were  drawn  up  and 
awaited  him.  They  defied  him  to  come  on  shore,  and 
he  promptly  did  so  ;  but  no  fighting  followed.  A  truce 
was  agreed  upon  until  Powhatan  could  be  heard  from, 
and  "  Master  John  Rolfe  and  Master  Sparks "  were 
sent  with  a  message  to  .him.  They  penetrated  to  his 
retreat  in  the  woods,  but  the  Emperor  refused  to  grant 
them  a  personal  interview.  Vague  promises  only  were 
held  out  by  Powhatan's  representatives,  and  the  two 
emissaries  returned  to  Dale  at  Machot. 

A  scene  had  meanwhile  taken  place  there  which 
induced  Sir  Thomas  to  change  all  his  plans.  He  had 
fully  resolved  to  carry  fire  and  sword  into  the  Indian 
realm ;   in  the  comprehensive  phrase  of  the  chronicle, 


ROLFE  AND  POCAHONTAS.  95 

"  to  destroy  and  take  away  all  their  corn,  burn  all  their 
houses  on  that  river,  leave  not  a  fish-wear  standing  nor 
a  canoe  in  any  creek,  and  destroy  and  kill  as  many  of 
them  as  he  could."  From  this  fell  purpose  he  was  now 
diverted,  and  the  change  in  his  plans  is  explained  by 
the  old  writer,  Master  Raphe  Hamor,  who  was  present. 
The  details  of  the  scene  are  entertaining,  and  have  es- 
caped the  historians.  They  are  found  only  in  the  work 
of  Hamor,  until  recently  nearly  unknown.-^ 

Pocahontas  had  landed  at  Macho t,  but  would  scarcely 
take  any  notice  of  her  own  people.  She  complained 
that  "  if  her  father  had  loved  her  he  would  not  value 
her  less  than  old  swords,  pieces,  and  axes  ;  wherefore 
she  would  still  dwell  with  the  Englishmen,  who  loved 
her."  What  this  meant  was  soon  seen.  Two  of  her 
brothers  hastened  to  meet  her,  —  one  of  them  the  Nan- 
taquaus,  whom  Smith  described  as  "  the  most  manliest, 
comeliest,  boldest  spirit  he  ever  saw  in  a  savage,"  —  and 
expressed  the  utmost  delight  at  again  seeing  her.  Poca- 
hontas replied  by  making  them  an  unexpected  confi- 
dence. She  was  going  to  marry  one  of  the  Englishmen 
—  a  Master  John  Rolfe  ;  and  the  affair  was  communi- 
cated to  Sir  Thomas  Dale  at  the  same  moment.  Rolfe  had 
written  a  long  letter  to  Sir  Thomas,  asking  his  "  advice 
and  furtherance,"  and  this  was  now  handed  by  Raphe 
Hamor  to  the  Marshal.  It  produced  a  magical  effect. 
Sir  Thomas  saw  in  the  marriage  the  promise  of  peace 
and  good-will  between  the  two  races,  and  abandoning 
his  hostile  designs  returned  to  Jamestown,  taking  Poca- 
hontas back  with  him. 

This  is  the  first  mention  of  Rolfe  in  Yiroj'inia.     He 

1  Tlie  rare  old  Present  Estate  of  Virr/inla  till  the  ISth  of  June, 
1614,  -was  reprinted  at  Albany,  in  fac-simile,  in  the  present  century. 


96        VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

was  young  ;  "a  gentleman  of  much  commendation,"  ac- 
cording to  Raphe  Hamor ;  "  honest  and  discreet,"  ac- 
cording to  Mr.  Whitaker  ;  and  "  of  good  understanding," 
according  to  Sir  Thomas  Dale.  He  had  been  wrecked 
in  the  Sea- Venture,  and  was  married  at  that  time,  as  a 
dauo-hter  was  born  to  him  on  the  islands,  and  named 
Bermuda.  It  is  to  be  inferred  that  his  wife  died  either 
there  or  in  Virginia,  as  we  now  find  the  honest  and  dis- 
creet sjentleman  paying  his  addresses  to  Pocahontas. 
She  had  impressed  his  fancy,  it  seems,  soon  after  her  ar- 
rival from  the  Potomac  as  a  prisoner.  '•  Long  before 
this  time^''  the  date  of  the  York  River  raid,  "  a  gentle- 
man of  approved  behavior  and  honest  carriage.  Master 
John  Rolfe,  had  been  in  love  with  Pocahontas,"  and  the 
historian  adds,  "  and  she  with  him."  Thus  for  a  whole 
year  the  affair  had  been  in  progress.  The  little  Indian 
maid  had  come  weeping  to  Jamestown,  but  had  soon 
dried  her  tears ;  and  when  she  went  to  the  York 
with  the  Marshal  she  had  made  up  her  mind  to  marry 
Rolfe. 

The  only  hesitation  seems  to  have  been  on  his  part ; 
and  his  scruples,  which  were  of  a  religious  character, 
were  set  forth  in  full  in  the  letter  delivered  by  Hamor 
to  Sir  Thomas.  It  is  a  very  curious  production,  and 
may  be  found  in  Hamor's  work.  Rolfe  lays  bare  his 
whole  heart — "the  passions  of  his  troubled  soul." 
"What  is  he  to  do  ?  he  asks  Sir  Thomas,  that  man  of 
good  conscience  and  great  knowledge  in  divinity.  The 
Scriptures  forbade  marrying  "  strange  wives,"  and  Po- 
cahontas belonged  to  "  a  generation  accursed  ;  "  but  his 
love  caused  "  a  mighty  war  in  his  meditations,"  and  the 
great  question  was  whether  it  was  not  his  solemn  duty 
to  marry  and  convert  this  "unbelieving  creature, namely,^ 
Pokahuntas." 


ROLFE  AND  POCAHONTAS.  97 

What  most  touched  and  decided  him  was  "  her  desire 
to  be  taught  and  instructed  in  the  knowledge  of  God  ; 
her  caj)ableness  of  understanding  ;  her  aptness  and  will- 
ingness to  receive  any  good  impression  ;  and  also  the 
sjjiritual  besides  her  own  incitements  stirring  me  up 
hereunto."  Doubtless  the  latter  were  the  main  incen- 
tives. Rolfe  seems  to  have  conceived  a  genuine  passion 
for  the  Indian  maid,  now  eighteen  and  in  the  early  flower 
of  womanhood ;  and,  no  doubt,  seeing  what  all  this  dis- 
course meant,  Sir  Thomas  Dale  at  once  advised  that 
the  marriage  should  take  place. 

The  ceremony  was  performed  without  delay,  the  Em- 
peror having  given  his  consent.  He  would  not  come 
to  Jamestown  in  person,  but  sent  an  uncle  and  two 
brothers  of  Pocahontas  to  attend  in  his  place.  The 
scene  was  the  church  at  Jamestown,  and  the  time  the 
month  of  AjDril  (1613).  Sir  Thomas  Dale  had  assidu- 
ously labored  to  impress  the  truths  of  Christianity  on 
the  Indian  maid,  and  she  had  renounced  her  "  idolatry," 
and  been  baptized.  The  name  of  Eebecca  was  selected 
for  her,  no  doubt  in  allusion  to  the  Rebekah  of  Genesis, 
and  the  verse,  "  The  Lord  said  unto  her,  two  nations 
are  in  thy  womb,  and  two  manner  of  people  shall  be 
separated  from  thy  bowels."  The  "Apostle  of  Vir- 
ginia," the  good  Whitaker,  seems  to  have  performed 
the  marriage  ceremony,  which  was,  no  doubt,  attended 
by  the  colonists  from  far  and  near.  The  scene  must 
have  been  picturesque.  The  church  was  probably  dec- 
orated with  the  first  flowers,  as  Lord  Delaware  had 
brought  that  into  fashion,  and  the  bride's  dusky  rela- 
tives mingled  with  the  adventurers. 

As  Sir  Thomas  Dale  had  anticipated,   the  alliance 
brought  the  blessing  of  peace.    The  tribe  of  Chickahom- 
7 


98        VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

inies,  the  fiercest  of  all  the  Indians,  sent  an  embassy  to 
conclude  a  treaty  by  which  they  were  to  become  Eng- 
lishmen and  subjects  of  the  English  King,  and  this  union 
of  the  two  races  was  consummated  in  the  midst  of  gen- 
eral rejoicing.  John  Rolfe  and  his  bride  "  lived  civilly 
and  lovingly  "  together,  we  are  informed,  first  at  James- 
town, then  at  Rolfe's  plantation,  near  the  City  of  Hen- 
ricus.  Yarina  was  possibly  the  birthplace  of  her  child, 
"  which  she  loved  most  dearly,"  says  a  contemporary 
writer ;  and  the  latter  spot  continued  to  be  her  resi- 
dence until  she  left  Virginia.  The  most  cordial  rela- 
tions continued  to  exist  between  herself  and  Powhatan. 
He  would  not  visit  her,  having  apparently  made  a  vow 
not  to  put  himself  in  the  power  of  the  English  ;  but  he 
sent  her  messages  and  presents,  which  indicated  his  af- 
fection for  her.  This  was  also  seen  from  an  incident 
of  the  time,  which  affords  a  last  glimpse  of  the  eccentric 
old  ruler  in  his  sylvan  court. 

Sir  Thomas  Dale  sent  an  embassy  to  Powhatan  with 
a  singular  proposal :  to  confer  upon  him  the  hand  of  a 
favorite  daughter  in  marriage.  The  request  was  strange 
indeed,  more  especially  on  the  part  of  one  with  a  good 
conscience  and  a  great  knowledge  in  divinity,  since  the 
girl  was  less  than  twelve,  and  Sir  Thomas  had  a  Lady 
Dale  in  England.  Raphe  Hamor,  the  ambassador  and 
a  truthful  gentleman,  is,  however,  explicit.  He  was 
sent  to  Machot  to  inform  the  Emperor  that  his  Brother 
Dale  had  heard  "  the  bruit  of  the  exquisite  perfection 
of  his  youngest  daughter,  and  would  gladly  make  her 
his  nearest  companion,  wife,  and  bedfellow.''  He  meant 
to  live  for  the  rest  of  his  life  in  Virginia,  he  said,  and 
his  object  was  to  conclude  with  Powhatan  a  "  perpetual 
friendship." 


ROLFE  AND  POCAHONTAS.  99 

It  is  impossible  to  regard  the  incident  otherwise  than 
as  a  ruse  ;  and  it  is  a  very  curious  commentary  upon 
the  men  of  that  time.  The  message  was  delivered  on 
the  York  to  the  Emperor,  who  solaced  himself  with  a 
pipe,  and  listened  in  grave  silence,  but  with  manifest 
impatience.  Then  he  briefly  responded :  he  could  not 
give  Brother  Dale  his  daughter ;  she  was  "  as  dear  as 
his  own  life  to  him,  and  he  delighted  in  none  so  much 
as  in  her."  Besides,  he  had  sold  her  to  a  great  werow- 
ance  for  two  bushels  of  roanoke,  and  she  had  "  already 
gone  with  him  three  days'  journey."  The  ambassador 
urged  Powhatan  to  annul  the  marriage,  but  he  refused, 
and  there  the  strange  proposition  ended.  The  Emperor 
asked  particularly  after  Pocahontas  and  Rolfe,  "  his 
daughter  and  unknown  son,  and  how  they  lived,  loved, 
and  liked."  Informed  that  they  were  well,  and  that 
Pocahontas  was  so  happy  that  she  never  wished  to 
return  to  her  own  people,  the  philosophic  old  ruler 
"  laughed  heartily,  and  said  he  was  very  glad  of  it ; " 
and  Master  Raphe  Hamor  soon  afterwards  took  his  de- 
parture. 

Powhatan's  message  to  his  Brother  Dale  was  emi- 
nently reasonable,  and  full  of  wild-wood  dignity.  The 
English  already  had  one  of  his  daughters,  he  said ; 
when  she  died  they  should  have  another,  "  but  she  yet 
liveth."  He  wished  to  remain  friends  with  the  white 
people  ;  he  was  old,  and  would  "  gladly  end  his  days 
in  peace."  If  the  English  wronged  him,  his  country 
was  large,  and  he  would  remove  to  a  distance  from 
them.  None  of  his  own  people  should  annoy  them,  or 
in  any  manner  disturb  them  ;  and  he  added  the  kingly 
assurance,  "  I,  which  have  power  to  perform  it,  have 
said  it." 


100     VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

Such  is  the  last  scene  in  the  old  chronicles  in  which 
Powhatan  appears  as  one  of  the  dramatis  personce  of 
Virginia  history. 

XVII. 

LAST    DAYS    OF    POCAHONTAS    AND    POAVHATAN. 

The  narrative  of  the  career  of  Pocahontas  in  Vir- 
ginia here  ends  ;  but  her  last  years  and  those  of  the 
Emperor,  Powhatan,  ought  to  be  briefly  noticed.  These 
two  figures,  with  a  third,  the  figure  of  Smith,  dominate 
the  early  annals.  His  after  life  has  been  spoken  of ; 
let  us  say  a  few  words  also  of  the  last  days  of  the  two 
persons  with  whom  he  was  so  closely  associated. 

About  three  years  after  her  marriage,  Pocahontas 
accompanied  her  husband  on  a  visit  to  England.  She 
arrived  in  London  early  in  the  summer  of  1616,  and 
was  received  with  great  distinction  at  court.  She  was 
treated  as  "  the^daughter  of  a  king,"  and  Stith,  one  of 
the  oldest  of  the  Virginia  historians,  says  that  it  was  a 
"constant  tradition"  in  his  time  that  "the  King  became 
jealous,  and  was  highly  offended  at  Mr.  Rolfe  for  mar- 
rying a  princess."  The  statement  seems  absurd,  but 
according  to  the  theory  of  the  time  the  alliance  was 
important.  If  Virginia  descended  to  Pocahontas,  as  it 
might  do  at  Powhatan's  death,  at  her  own  death  the 
kingdom  would  be  "vested  in  Mr.  Rolfe's  posterity." 
The  constant  tradition  is,  therefore,  not  improbable. 
It  exactly  accords  with  the  character  of  James  I.,  and 
has  the  right  to  exist.  It  is  certain  that  the  arrival  of 
Pocahontas  caused  a  great  sensation  in  London.  She 
was  the  New  World  personified  in  the  gracious  form  of 
a  little  beauty  of  twenty-one.     It  is  true  that  she  was  a 


LAST  DAYS   OF  POCAHONTAS  AND  POWHATAN.  101 

brown  beauty,  and  her  black  hair  was  too  straight  for 
the  English  taste,  but  this  was  not  noticed.  She  sud- 
denly became  the  fashion.  The  courtiers  called  on  her, 
and  went  away  with  the  declaration  that  they  had  seen 
a  great  many  English  ladies  who  were  less  attractive  in 
face  and  manners.  The  curious  eyes  of  the  fine  gentle- 
men and  ladies  of  London  noticed  the  fact  that  there 
was  no  trace  of  awkwardness  or  embarrassment  in  her 
demeanor.  Lady  Delaware  presented  her  at  court, 
where  she  was  "  graciously  used  "  by  the  King  and 
Queen.  They  invited  her  to  be  present  at  the  masques, 
and  the  Bishop  of  London,  who  was  delighted  at  the 
conversion  of  the  young  Indian  princess  to  Christianity, 
gave  an  entertainment  in  her  honor,  which  Purchas,  the 
historian,  described  as  full  of  splendor.  It  was  a  curi- 
ous contrast  to  the  first  years  of  Pocahontas,  in  the 
Virginia  woods  —  this  fine  life  of  London,  with  its  rich 
costumes  and  brilliant  flambeaux,  its  gilded  coaches  and 
high  revelry  ;  but  it  does  not  seem  to  have  affected  in 
any  degree  the  simplicity  of  her  character. 

The  proof  of  this  is  seen  in  the  details  of  her  last  in- 
terview with  Smith,  who  was  in  England  at  the  time  of 
her  arrival.  The  wandering  soldier,  whom  she  had 
known  in  Virginia,  was  now  a  celebrity.  He  had  just 
returned  from  France,  after  his  capture  off  the  Azores, 
had  received  from  the  King  the  appointment  of  "  Ad- 
miral of  New  England,"  and  was  a  favorite  with  Prince 
Charles,  afterwards  the  unfortunate  Charles  I.  He 
was  making  preparations  to  sail  for  New  England  when 
Pocahontas  arrived  at  Gravesend,  and  her  presence  in 
England  revived  all  his  old  affection  for  her.  He  wrote 
a  letter  to  Queen  Anne,  warmly  recommending  her  to 
the  royal  favor,  and  declared  that  he  would  be  guilty  of 


102      VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

"  the  deadly  poison  of  ingratitude  "  if  he  omitted  any 
occasion  to  record  her  merit.  More  than  once  she  had 
preserved  his  life,  first  by  ''  hazarding  the  beating  out  of 
her  brains  to  save  his,"  and  again  by  stealing  through 
"  the  dark  night  and  irksome  woods  "  to  warn  him  of 
an  intended  attack.  Her  services  to  Virginia  had  been 
as  great  as  those  to  himself ;  she  had  been  the  instru- 
ment, under  God,  to  preserve  the  colony  from  destruc- 
tion, and  he  invoked  the  roval  favor  as  due  to  her  "oreat 
spirit,  her  desert,  birth,  want,  and  simplicity."  The 
letter  hud  the  desired  result,  and  attracted  attention  to 
Pocahontas ;  and  Smith  went  to  call  on  her  near  Lon- 
don. 

The  interview  was  brief,  but  of  a  very  curious  nature. 
Smith  approached  her  with  deep  respect,  addressing  her 
as  '*  Lady  Rebecca ; "  but  this  seemed  to  offend  her,  and, 
covering  her  face  with  her  hands,  she  remained  for  some 
time  silent.  When  she  spoke,  it  was  to  reproach  him 
for  his  formality. 

"  You  did  promise  Powhatan,"  she  said,  "  that  what 
was  yours  should  be  his.  You  called  him  Father,  being 
in  his  land  a  stranger  —  and  fear  you  here  1  should  call 
you  Father  ?  I  tell  you,  then,  I  will ;  and  jow  shall 
call  me  child."  And  she  added,  "  They  did  tell  me  al- 
ways you  were  dead,  and  I  knew  no  other  till  I  came  to 
Plymouth." 

These  latter  words  have  suggested  the  curious  ques- 
tion whether  Pocahontas  had  been  designedly  deceived, 
either  by  Rolfe  or  his  friends,  on  the  subject  of  Smith's 
death.  Had  she  conceived  for  the  young  soldier  a 
warmer  sentiment  than  simple  regard,  and  had  that 
fact  explained  her  absence  from  Jamestown  after  his 
departure  ?      Her  age    might  seem    to  contradict  the 


LAST  DAYS   OF  POCAHONTAS  AND  POWHATAN.  103 

supposition ;  but  the  Indian  girls  married  young,  and 
when  Smith  left  Virginia  Pocahontas  was  fifteen.  Of 
her  real  feelings  we  know  nothing ;  but  some  one  had  cer- 
tainly produced  the  conviction  in  her  mind  that  Smith 
was  dead.  She  fully  believed  it  up  to  the  time  of  her 
arrival  in  England  ;  and  she  had  married  Rolfe  under 
that  belief.  The  romantic  view  will  commend  itself 
to  youthful  readers,  and  may  be  the  truth.  As  to  the 
sentiment  of  Smith,  there  is  no  reason  to  suppose  that 
he  ever  indulged  in  any  romance  in  relation  to  the  In- 
dian maid.  His  life  at  Jamestown  was  hard  and  pas- 
sionate ;  his  days  were  spent  in  fighting  the  factious 
and  defending  himself  from  mutineers,  and  such  a  life 
is  not  propitious  to  love  dreams. 

Pocahontas  died  suddenly  at  Gravesend,  in  March, 
1617,  just  as  she  was  on  the  point  of  sailing  for  Vir- 
ginia. She  made  "  a  religious  and  godly  end,"  and 
was  buried  in  the  parish  church,  where  her  name  was 
registered,  after  the  careless  fashion  of  the  time,  as  ''  Re- 
becca Wrothe."  The  church  was  afterwards  burned, 
and  the  exact  spot  of  her  grave  is  unmarked.  Only  a 
few  additional  details  are  known  of  this  beautiful  and 
romantic  character.  She  bore  three  names  —  Pocahon- 
tas, Amonate,  and  Matoax,  the  last  being  her  "  real 
name."  It  was  rarely  uttered,  as  the  Indians  believed 
that  a  knowledge  of  the  real  names  of  persons  gave  their 
enemies  power  to  cast  spells  upon  them.  Pocahontas, 
signifying,  it  is  said,  "  Bright  Stream  between  two 
Hills,"  was  her  household  name,  and  she  was  Pow- 
hatan's "  dearest  daughter."  Her  brother,  Nantaquaus, 
and  her  sisters,  Matachanna  and  Cleopatre,  are  men- 
tioned. As  she  was  probably  born  in  1595,  she  was 
only  twenty-two  when  she  died  —  a  brief  and  pathetic 


104      VIRGINIA:   A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

career,  which  has  appealed  to  the  human  heart  in  every 
generation. 

John  Kolfe  returned  to  Virginia,  where  he  became  a 
prominent  official  of  the  colony  ;  and  his  son,  Thomas 
Eolfe,  was  taken  to  London,  where  he  was  brought  up 
by  an  uncle.  When  he  was  a  young  man  he  came  to 
Virginia,  and  as  "  Lieutenant  Rolfe  "  commanded  Fort 
James,  on  the  Chickahominy.  Only  one  other  trace  is 
found  of  him.  When  he  was  about  twenty-six  (1641), 
we  hear  of  his  petition  to  the  Governor  for  permis- 
sion to  visit  his  grand-uncle  Opechancanough,  and  his 
aunt  Cleopatre  —  denizens  still,  it  would  seem,  of  the 
woods  on  York  River.  He  married,  before  this  time 
or  afterwards,  a  young  lady  in  England,  became  a 
gentleman  of  "  note  and  fortune  "  in  Virginia,  and  some 
of  the  most  respectable  families  in  the  State  are  de- 
scended from  him.  One  of  his  descendants  was  John 
Randolph,  of  Roanoke,  who  was  proud  of  his  Indian 
blood.  His  manner  of  walking  and  the  peculiar  bright- 
ness of  his  eyes  are  said  to  have  betrayed  his  origin, 
and  he  once  said  that  he  came  of  a  race  who  never  for- 
got or  forgave  an  injury.  He  was  sixth  in  descent 
from  Pocahontas  through  Jane  Rolfe,  her  granddaugh- 
ter ;  and  it  is  curious  that  the  blood  of  Powhatan  should 
thus  have  mingled  with  that  of  his  old  enemies.  Dead 
for  many  a  day,  and  asleep  in  his  sepulchre  at  Orapax, 
the  savage  old  Emperor  still  spoke  in  the  voice  of  his 
great  descendant,  the  orator  of  Roanoke. 

Powhatan  does  not  again  appear  upon  the  stage  in 
Virginia.  He  had  abdicated,  some  time  before,  in  favor 
of  his  brother,  Opitchapan,  and  lived  the  life  of  a  re- 
tired sovereign,  going  from  place  to  place  at  his  pleas- 
ure, still  venerated  by  his  people,  but  taking  no  part  in 


LAST  DAYS  OF  POCAHONTAS  AND  POWHATAN.  105 

public  jiffairs.  It  was  Charles  V.  in  private  life,  —  an 
ex-emperor  awaiting  the  end.  The  end  soon  came. 
Powhatan  was  now  past  seventy,  and  the  death  of  Poca- 
hontas had  been  a  severe  blow  to  him.  He  went  about 
from  Werowocomoco,  to  Machot,  to  Orapax,  to  Pow- 
hatan, lamenting  her.  It  was  some  comfort  that  her 
child  was  living,  and  he  expressed  a  deep  interest  in  the 
boy,  but  was  never  to  see  him.  He  finally  ceased  his 
journeys,  and  retired  to  Orapax  '•  in  the  desert."  Here 
he  spent  his  last  days,  and  died  in  1618,  —  a  year  fur- 
ther remarkable  for  the  death  of  Sir  Walter  Raleigh 
and  Lord  Delaware,  — just  one  year  after  the  death  of 
Pocahontas.  He  was  no  doubt  buried  m  the  immedi- 
ate vicinity,  for  about  a  mile  from  Orapax  was  an  ar- 
bor in  the  woods,  where  he  kept  his  treasures  "  against 
the  time  of  his  death  and  burial ;  "  and  here,  near  the 
present  Cold  Harbor,  his  dust  probably  reposes. 

Powhatan  was  a  man  of  ability,  and  rises  to  the  height 
of  an  important  historical  personage.  He  was  a  war- 
rior and  statesman  both,  and  may  be  described  in  gen- 
eral terms  as  a  subtle  diplomat  and  a  relentless  enemy. 
He  butchered  one  of  his  tribes,  the  Pianke tanks,  who 
rebelled  against  him,  reducing  the  women  and  children 
to  slavery,  and  hanging  the  scalps  of  the  warriors  on  a 
cord,  between  two  trees,  near  his  royal  residence.  On 
other  occasions  he  burned  his  enemies  alive,  or  beat 
them  to  death,  and  was  thus  not  a  model  of  the  Chris- 
tian virtues.  He  was  simply  a  type  of  the  Indian  race 
in  its  strongest  and  harshest  development.;  cunning  and 
treacherous,  but  a  man  of  large  brain  and  a  certain  re- 
gal dignity ;  full  of  pride,  persistent  resolve,  and  a  born 
ruler.  He  loved  his  children,  and  was  profoundly  re- 
spected by  his  people,  who  recognized  his  jus  divinum. 


106     VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

Throughout  his  land  of  Powhatan,  with  his  eight  thou- 
sand subjects  and  thirty  under-kings,  he  was  absolute 
master,  and  controlled  all  things  by  unwritten  custom 
and  the  force  of  his  will.  He  opposed  the  English  as 
lono-  as  possible;  made  every  effort  to  overcome  them 
and  put  them  to  death,  or  drive  them  from  the  country  ; 
and  finding  it  impossible  to  do  so,  silently  gave  up  the 
struggle.  At  last,  old  and  weary  of  authority,  and 
mourning  his  dead  daughter,  he  surrendered  the  sceptre 
and  the  rule,  and  retired  to  Orapax  to  die. 

It  is  a  picturesque  figure  of  the  old  years  of  Virginia, 
and  takes  its  place  beside  the  figure  of  Smith,  his  per- 
sistent adversary.  The  one  was  the  representative  In- 
dian of  the  American  forest ;  the  other,  the  representa- 
tive Caucasian  of  the  great  age  of  Elizabeth.  Between 
the  two  hardy  forms  thus  standing  on  the  threshold  of 
Virginia  history,  we  have  a  third  and  more  gracious 
figure,  —  the  Indian  girl,  whose  kind  heart  and  brave 
spirit  belong  to  no  clime  or  race. 


XVIII. 

VIRGINIA    UNDER    A    WATCH-DOG    AND    A    HAWK. 

These  personal  details  relating  to  Pocahontas  and 
Powhatan  have  carried  us  forward  in  the  narrative. 
Let  us  now  go  back  to  the  days  of  the  valiant  and  re- 
ligious Sir  Thomas  Dale,  High  Marshal  of  Virginia, 
who,  when  Gates  returned  to  England,  became  Gov- 
ernor of  the  colony. 

It  is  a  very  singular  figure,  that  of  the  hardy  knight, 
with  his  martial  instincts  and  love  of  divinity  harmo- 
niously combined.     He  was  a   rude   antagonist,  but  a 


UNDER  A  WATCH-DOG  AND  A  HAWK.         107 

devout  Christian.  He  "labored  long  to  ground  the 
faith  of  Jesus  Christ "  in  Pocahontas,  and  wrote  to  a 
friend  in  London  that  all  his  work  in  the  plantation  of 
Virginia  was  undertaken  "  for  God's  cause  and  his 
immortal  honor."  Such  is  the  curious  picture.  The 
character  of  the  Marshal  exhibited  the  sharpest  con- 
trasts. He  was  a  stalwart  soldier  and  ruler,  a  student 
of  divinity,  and  a  man  of  good  conscience  ;  but  he  was 
a  wily  diplomatist  also,  and  not  above  intrigue.  He  no 
doubt  meant  to  practice  a  trick  when  he  applied  to 
Powhatan  to  give  him  his  daughter  in  marriage ;  and 
the  cruelties  inflicted  on  the  conspirators  paint  the 
harsher  phase  of  the  man.  But  all  these  singular  con- 
trasts mingled  in  the  High  Marshal's  character,  which 
was  brave  and  politic,  harsh  and  devout,  mildly  courte- 
eous  and  pitilessly  stern.  He  carried  fire  and  sword 
into  the  land  of  Powhatan ;  labored  to  convert  Poca- 
hontas, of  whom  he  wrote,  "  Were  it  but  for  the  gain- 
ing of  this  one  soul,  I  will  think  my  time,  toils,  and 
present  stay  well  spent ; "  established  the  new  colony 
of  Varina ;  ruled  all,  high  and  low ;  and  was  now  going 
to  give  an  additional  proof  of  his  energy,  if  not  of  his 
good  conscience. 

The  rumor  came  that  the  French  had  intruded  on 
the  soil  of  Virginia.  The  intrusion  was  a  long  way  off, 
it  is  true,  as  far  away  as  Nova  Scotia ;  but  for  the 
French  or  any  others  to  settle  south  of  the  forty-fifth 
parallel  was  an  encroachment  on  the  sacred  soil.  At 
least.  Sir  Thomas  Dale  took  that  view  of  the  matter, 
and  sent  an  expedition  to  expel  the  intruders.  It  was 
commanded  by  Captain  Argall,  the  energetic  adventurer 
who  had  captured  Pocahontas.  He  sailed  for  Acadia 
in  1613,  found  the  French  had  made  a  settlement  at 


108      VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

Mount  Desert  Island,  fell  suddenly  on  them  when  they 
least  suspected  the  presence  of  danger,  and,  pursuing 
them  through  the  woods,  shot  down  or  captured  the 
whole  body.  At  one  blow  the  Mount  Desert  colony 
was  exiterminated.  Argall  carried  away  with  him  about 
fifteen  prisoners ;  the  rest  he  generously  permitted  to  re- 
turn to  France  in  a  fishing  vessel. 

It  would  be  a  waste  of  time  to  comment  upon  this 
proceeding.  It  was  simple  buccaneering.  The  French 
had  settled  in  Acadia  as  early  as  the  year  1604,  and  by 
the  charter  of  1606  the  English  claimed  in  the  New 
World  only  such  territory  as  was  not  "  actually  pos- 
sessed by  any  Christian  prince  or  people."  Now,  as  the 
King  of  France  was  a  Christian  prince,  and  did  actually 
possess  Acadia  in  the  year  1606,  Argall's  expedition 
was  no  more  defensible  than  the  expeditions  of  Morgan 
or  any  other  marauder  of  the  West  Indies.  But  nice 
scruples  no  more  controlled  men  in  that  age  than  they 
control  them  to-day.  The  Spaniards  and  French  were 
enemies,  and  were  to  be  driven  from  Virginia  soil,  which 
for  convenience  meant  the  whole  of  North  America. 

Argall  raised  the  English  flag,  and  sailed  away  in 
triumph.  On  his  way  he  found  other  intruders  on  Vir- 
ginia territory  :  some  Dutch,  who  had  presumed  to  erect 
a  trading  settlement  at  the  present  site  of  Albany,  in 
New  York.  He  sailed  up  the  Hudson,  summoned  the 
commandant  to  surrender,  and  the  demand  was  at  once 
complied  with.  But  the  worthy  Hollanders  had  no  in- 
tention to  go  away.  As  soon  as  Argall's  sails  disap- 
peared on  their  way  to  Virginia,  the  Dutch  flag  was 
raised  again,  and  all  went  on  as  before.  Tiie  intruders 
even  extended  their  sway  southward.  Soon  afterwards 
(1614),  they  founded  a  second  trading  settlement  on. 


UNDER  A   WATCH-DOG  AND  A  HAWK.         109 

Maiiliattan  Island,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Hudson,  which 
in  due  time  was  to  become  the  great  city  of  New  l^ork. 

Dale  was  an  excellent  Governor.  Under  his  firm 
administration  the  colony  prospered.  He  was  the  au- 
thor, especially,  of  a  new  system,  which  changed  the 
whole  aspect  of  affairs  in  Virginia.  Up  to  this  time,  the 
old  bad  practice  of  bringing  all  things  to  "  the  common 
store  "  had  continued.  Through  all  the  first  years  the 
colony  had  groaned  under  it.  It  was  a  premium  for  idle- 
ness, and  just  suited  the  drones,  who,  "  presuming  that, 
however  the  harvest  prospered,  the  general  store  must 
maintain  them,"  promptly  decided  that  it  was  unneces- 
sary to  work  themselves,  since  others  would  work  for 
them.  Thirty  or  forty  industrious  people  had  thus  been 
compelled  to  support  four  times  their  number,  and  a  worse 
evil  still  had  resulted.  Virginia  was  evil  spoken  of : 
"  from  the  slothful  and  idle  drones  had  sprung  the  man- 
ifold imputations  Virginia  had  innocently  undergone." 
This  was  now  done  away  with ;  the  working  bees  were 
no  longer  to  provide  for  the  drones.  The  old  homeless 
system  was  abolished  at  one  blow.  Every  man  was  to 
have  his  own  hearth-stone  and  his  own  private  tract,  — 
three  acres  of  cleared  ground,  which  he  was  to  cultivate 
himself,  bringing  two  barrels  and  a  half  of  corn  from 
it  to  the  public  granary.  All  above  this  was  to  be  his 
own,  and  the  result  was  soon  seen.  Having  an  indi- 
vidual interest,  the  settlers  labored  honestly,  and  instead 
of  a  deficiency  there  was  a  surplus.  In  the  past  they 
had  been  forced  to  apply  to  the  Indians  in  time  of  need ; 
now  the  Indians  applied  in  turn,  and  were  supplied. 

In  1615  this  system  was  extended  further.  Dale  in- 
duced the  Loudon  Company  to  grant  fifty  acres  in  fee 
simple  to  each  colonist  who  would  clear  and  settle  them. 


110      VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

and  pay  a  nominal  rent  to  the  King  yearly  "at  the  feast 
of  St.  Michael  the  Archangel,"  as  the  old  deeds  ran. 
Any  one  paying  into  the  treasury  the  sum  of  twelve 
pounds  ten  shillings  should  be  entitled  to  one  hundred 
acres,  to  be  located  where  he  pleased.  And  whoever 
performed  a  public  service  to  the  Company  or  the  col- 
ony was  to  be  rewarded  with  a  grant  not  to  exceed  two 
thousand  acres. 

Thus  began  in  Virginia  the  absolute  tenure  of  real 
estate.  It  rested  on  a  respectable  basis  :  the  men  who 
labored  and  did  the  state  service  were  to  be  the  land- 
holders. 

When,  in  1616,  Sir  Thomas  Dale  returned  to  Eng- 
land, in  the  same  ship  vrith  Pocahontas,  his  strong  hand 
had  left  its  impress  on  the  whole  fabric  of  Virginia 
society.  Order  everywhere  reigned,  and  the  land  was 
at  peace.  It  contained  three  hundred  and  fifty  inhab- 
itants,—or,  probably,  heads  of  families,  —  and  a  chain 
of  settlements  extended  from  Varina  to  the  ocean : 
Henrico,  Bermuda,  West  and  Shirley  Hundreds,  James- 
town, Kiquotan,  and  Dale's  Gift  on  the  sea-coast,  near 
Cape  Charles.  There  was  a  college  for  Indian  children 
at  the  City  of  Henricus,  where  the  Rev.  William  Wick- 
ham  officiated  as  minister ;  and  Governor  George  Yeard- 
ley,  left  in  charge  of  the  colony,  had  a  house,  and  for 
the  most  part  of  the  time  resided  there.  At  the  capi- 
tal, Jamestown,  were  fifty  settlers,  under  Captain  Fran- 
cis West,  and  the  Rev.  Mr.  Bucke,  of  the  Sea-Venture, 
was  the  minister. 

Thus  Virginia  was  growing  and  developing.  The 
new  Governor,  Yeardley,  was  a  man  of  mild  character 
and  respectable  ability;  and  in  the  year  1616  introduced 
the  cultivation  of  tobacco,  which  John  Rolfe  had  experi- 


UNDER  A   WATCH-DOG  AND  A   HAWK.  HI 

mented  with  some  years  before.  The  Indians  smoked 
it,  but  were  obliged  to  cultivate  it,  as  it  did  not  grow 
wild ;  and  finding  that  it  was  prized  in  Europe,  the 
settlers  began  to  plant  it.  The  demand  steadily  in- 
creased with  the  habit  of  using  it,  and  a  few  years 
afterwards  it  became  the  great  staple  of  Virginia. 

Suddenly  Yeardley's  rule,  which  had  been  "  temperate 
and  just,  too  mild  indeed  for  many  of  this  colony," 
ended.  He  was  replaced  by  a  personage  whose  rule 
was  not  going  to  be  temperate  or  mild  —  Captain  Sam- 
uel Argall,  of  Acadian  memory.  Argall  is  one  of  the 
most  dramatic  figures  of  that  dramatic  age  —  wily, 
energetic,  rapacious,  a  human  hawk,  peering  about  in 
search  of  some  prey  to  pounce  on.  He  was  trader, 
fisherman,  intriguer,  and  a  little  of  the  buccaneer  ;  ever 
going  to  and  fro  in  search  of  something  to  profit  by ; 
ready  to  capture  Indian  girls,  or  burn  settlements,  or 
"  run "  a  cargo  of  slaves.  He  performed  this  hitter 
exploit,  and  was  nearly  the  author  of  the  introduction 
of  slavery  into  America ;  for  he  had  sailed  to  the  West 
Indies,  captured  a  number  of  negroes  from  the  Span- 
iards, and  they  were  landed  in  the  Bermudas  instead 
of  Virginia,  only  by  accident.  Argall's  restless  spirit 
had  carried  him  back  to  England,  after  the  Acadian 
business.  There  he  had  intrigued  with  the  Earl  of 
.Warwick,  the  head  of  the  court  party,  and  the  result 
was  that  in  1617  he  was  sent  to  supersede  Yeardley, 
with  the  title  of  Deputy  Governor  and  Admiral  of 
Virginia. 

When  he  took  the  reins  it  was  seen  that  the  days  of 
"  temperate  and  mild  "  rule  had  passed  away.  He  re- 
vived martial  law,  and  ruled  the  colony  witli  a  rod  of 
iron.     He  fixed  the  percentage  of  profit  on  goods  and 


112     VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

regulated  the  price  of  tobacco,  attaching  the  penalty  of 
three  years'  "  slavery  to  the  colony,"  or  public  labor,  to 
violations  of  his  edicts.  For  teaching  the  Indians  the 
use  of  fire-arms,  the  punishment  was  death  to  teacher 
and  i:)upil.  Absence  from  church  was  visited  with  a 
night's  imprisonment  and  a  week's  "  slavery ; "  for  the 
second  offense,  a  month  of  slavery  ;  and  for  the  third, 
a  year  and  a  day.  These  regulations  were  severe,  but 
the  "  unruly  "  element  probably  required  severity,  and 
Argall  was  not  the  man  to  shrink  from  it.  Unfortu- 
nately for  his  good  name,  he  was  grasping  and  unscru- 
pulous in  whatever  concerned  his  own  private  interests. 
The  case  of  Brewster,  manager  of  Lord  Delaware's 
Virginia  estates,  is  an  example.  Argall  ordered  the 
laborers  on  the  estate  to  labor  on  his  own,  and  when 
Brewster  demurred  Argall  arrested  him  for  mutiny, 
tried  him  by  court-martial,  and  condemned  him  to 
death.  He  barely  escaped  from  the  hawk's  clutches, 
and  got  back  to  England  ;  but  once  there,  he  made 
such  an  outcry  that  the  Company  lost  all  patience  with 
Argall.  He  was  superseded,  but  acted  with  his  usual 
decision.  Before  the  arrival  of  the  new  Governor,  he 
loaded  a  vessel  with  the  proceeds  of  his  "  plunder," 
and  sailed  away  from  the  colony.  To  the  last,  fortune 
befriended  him.  He  was  knighted  by  James  I.,  as  a 
reward  for  his  public  services  —  otherwise  his  close 
adherence  to  the  court  party  in  the  Company.  The 
portrait  drawn  of  him  here  is  that  which  appears  on 
the  face  of  the  record.  There  is  no  doubt  at  all  that 
he  was  rapacious  and  despotic,  but  both  Dale  and 
Hamor  had  a  high  opinion  of  him.  His  ability  and 
energy  were  unquestionable ;  and  he  was  perhaps  only 
another  example  of  the  singular  contrasts  presented  in 
the  characters  of  the  strong  men  of  that  strong  age. 


THE  FJRST  AMERICAN  ASSEMBLY.  113 

George  Yeardley  came  back  (April  19,  1619)  as 
Sir  George  Yeardley,  Governor-General  of  Virginia. 
His  friends  must  have  welcomed  his  mild  and  honest 
face,  after  the  hawk  visage  of  Argall ;  but  he  brought 
with  him  certain  documents  which  made  him  thrice 
welcome  in  Virginia.  When  their  contents  were  pro- 
claimed, a  thrill  ran  through  the  colony,  and  shouts  and 
cheers  must  have  risen  from  the  Varina  settlement  all 
along  James  River  to  Dale's  Gift  on  the  ocean. 

Virginia,  thenceforward,  was  to  have  representative 
government. 

XIX. 

THE     FIRST    A3IERICAN    ASSEMBLY    AND    CONSTITUTION. 

This  wonder  was  the  unconscious  work  of  that  bit- 
ter enemy  of  free  discussion  and  jDopular  right.  King 
James  I. 

When  the  ship  bearing  the  body  of  the  good  Ad- 
miral Somers  from  Bermuda  reached  England,  the  crew 
brought  with  them  a  large  lump  of  ambergris,  which 
they  had  found  on  the  islands,  and  gave  glowing  de- 
scriptions of  their  fertility  and  value.  This  account 
excited  the  Company,  and  they  petitioned  the  King  to 
include  the  Bermudas  in  the  territory  of  Virginia.  He 
did  so  by  a  new  charter  in  March,  1612,  and  this  was 
the  remote  cause  of  free  government  in  Virginia.  The 
charter,  which  was  the  old  one  of  1609  remodeled,  had 
far  more  important  provisions  than  the  concession  of 
the  right  to  the  Bermudas.  Virginia  had  hitherto  been 
governed  by  the  London  Council.  The  Company  met 
only  at  long  intervals,  and  thus  the  Council  were  the 
real  administrators.     Now  all  was  changed.  *  Authority 


114     VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

was  given  the  Company  to  sit  once  a  week,  or  as  often 
as  they  chose,  and  to  hold  four  "  General  Courts  "  in 
the  year  for  the  consideration  of  affairs.  It  was  a 
dangerous  force  which  the  King  had  unloosed.  A  lit- 
tle reflection  might  have  shown  him  that  the  times 
were  dangerous ;  that  the  royal  prerogative  and  popu- 
lar right  were  at  issue  ;  and  that  the  creation  of  a  great 
democratic  assembly  for  free  discussion  was  a  perilous 
step.  By  the  charter  the  Company  had  "  full  powers 
and  authority  to  make  such  laws  and  ordinances  for  the 
good  and  welfare  of  the  said  plantation  as  to  them, 
from  time  to  time,  should  be  thought  requisite  and 
meet,"  always  provided  that  the  laws  and  ordinances 
were  not  contrary  to  "  the  laws  and  statutes  of  this  our 
realm  of  England." 

The  occasion  was  tempting.  A  great  question  was 
then  agitating  the  realm  of  England  :  whether  the  will 
of  the  King  or  the  rights  of  the  people  were  to  be  the 
"law."  The  new  world  was  coming,  and  its  shadow 
ran  before.  The  great  quarterly  courts  met,  and  the 
aspiring  spirits  of  the  Company,  restive  under  the  old 
order  of  things  and  sworn  foes  to  the  absolutist  prin- 
ciple, proceeded  to  open  and  turbulent  discussion  of  the 
great  issue.  The  King  had  raised  a  storm  which  he 
could  not  control.  London  rang  with  the  proceedings 
of  this  great  parliament  of  Virginia  adventurers.  The 
meetings  were  thronged,  and  the  debates  were  tumult- 
uous. It  was  a  power  within  a  power,  and  foretold  the 
Long  Parliament.  "  The  Virginia  Courts  are  but  a  semi- 
nary to  a  seditious  parliament,"  the  Spanish  ambassa- 
dor told  James ;  and  twenty  years  afterwards  the  words 
were  seen  to  be  true. 

The  result  of  the  struggle  was  a  triumph  of  the  Vir- 


THE  FIRST  AMERICAN  ASSEMBLY.  115 

giDia  party  over  the  court  party  —  of  popular  right 
over  the  prerogative  of  tlie  King.  Virginia  thencefor- 
ward was  to  have  wliat  was  substantially  free  govern- 
ment. The  new  Governor,  Sir  George  Yeardley,  was  to 
summon  a  "  General  Assembly,"  elected  by  the  inhab- 
itants, every  free  man  voting,  which  was  to  make  laws 
for  the  government  of  the  country.  Yeardley  arrived 
in  April,  J619,  and  issued  his  summons  in  June;  and 
on  July  30,  1619,  the  first  legislative  body  that  ever  sat 
in  America  assembled  at  Jamestown. 

The  event  was  a  portentous  one.  The  old  world  had 
passed  away,  and  the  new  was  born.  Popular  right  in 
America  had  entered  on  life  and  the  long  struggle  to 
hold  its  own.  It  might  be  strangled  in  the  cradle,  or 
done  to  death  before  it  reached  full  manhood,  but  the 
blessed  fact  remained  that  at  least  it  had  been  born. 

We  have  the  list  of  the  old  plantations,  towns,  and 
hundreds  which  sent  the  Burgesses,  or  borough  repre- 
sentatives. They  were  James  City,  Charles  City,  the 
City  of  Henricus,  Kiccowtan  {sic)  or  Hampton,  Martin- 
Brandon,  Smythe's  Hundred,  Martin's  Hundred,  Ar- 
gall's  Gift,  Lawne's  and  Ward's  Plantations,  and  Flow- 
erdieu  Hundred.  As  two  Burgesses  were  sent  by  each, 
the  Assembly  consisted  of  twenty-two  members  ;  and 
the  body  held  their  session  in  the  old  church  at  James- 
town until  they  could  provide  more  suitable  quarters. 
We  have  a  few  details  relating  to  the  appearance  of 
tliis  first  Virginia  Assembly.  They  sat  with  their  hats 
on,  as  in  the  English  Commons,  the  members  occupy- 
ing "  the  choir,"  with  the  Governor  and  Council  in 
the  front  seats.  The  speaker.  Master  John  Pory,  with 
clerk  and  sergeant,  faced  them,  and  the  session  was 
opened  with  prayer  by  Mr.  Bucke,  after  which  the 
Burgesses  took  the  oath  of  supremacy. 


116      VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

The  proceediDgs  were  business-like,  the  era  of  talk 
havino-  not  yet  arrived.  The  charter  brought  by  Yeard- 
ley  was  read  and  referred  to  a  committee,  who  were 
to  report  whether  it  contained  anything  "  not  perfectly 
squaring  with  the  state  of  the  colony,  or  any  law  press- 
in  o-  or  binding  too  hard."  This  was  the  matter  of 
prime  importance,  "  because  this  great  charter  is  to 
bind  us  and  our  heirs  forever,"  the  Burgesses  said. 
Certain  members,  irregularly  chosen,  were  excluded 
from  their  seats  ;  then  the  Assembly  passed  to  regular 
business.  Laws  were  enacted  regulating  intercourse 
with  the  Indians,  on  matters  of  agriculture  and  on  re- 
ligious affairs.  Divine  services  were  to  be  according 
to  the  ritual  of  the  English  Church,  and  all  persons 
were  to  attend  church  on  Sunday,  bringing  their  arms 
with  them.  Every  male  above  sixteen  was  to  pay  one 
pound  of  the  best  tobacco  to  discharge  the  salaries  of 
the  Burgesses  ;  and  a  number  of  private  bills  were 
promptly  passed.  One  of  these  was  that  Captain  Pow- 
ell's "  lewd  and  lecherous  servant "  should  be  whipped 
and  nailed  to  the  pillory  ;  and  this,  with  the  rest,  was 
to  be  submitted  to  the  home  authorities,  who  were 
prayed  not  to  take  it  in  bad  part  if,  meanwhile,  the 
laws  "  do  pass  current.'' 

The  spirit  inspiring  the  Assembly  may  be  seen  from 
their  petition  to  the  Company  to  grant  them  authority 
''to  allow  or  disallow  of  their  orders  of  court,  as  his 
Majesty  hath  given  them  power  to  allow  or'  disallow 
our  laws."  This  was  the  great  original  American 
claim  of  right  —  the  authority  to  govern  themselves; 
and  Henry's  protest  against  the  Stamp  Act,  a  century 
and  a  half  afterwards,  was  simply  its  repetition. 

The  Assembly  adjourned  in  August  (1619),  and  the 


THE  FIRST  AMERICAN  ASSEMBLY.  117 

laws  were  sent  to  England,  where  they  were  regarded 
as  "judiciously  carried,  but  exceeding  intricate."  They 
were  in  truth  similar  to  all  regulations  passed  in  new 
societies,  and  dealt  with  local  questions  which  it  was 
necessary  to  settle ;  but  under  all  the  petty  details  was 
the  vital  fact  that  at  last  the  representatives  of  the 
people  had  assembled  to  declare  the  popular  will.  A 
new  power  was  resolutely  asserting  itself,  and  even  the 
savages  recognized  its  existence.  Opechancanough,  who 
had  become  Emperor  now,  sent  his  petition  to  the  new 
authority  that  some  corn  taken  from  his  people  on  the 
Chesapeake  might  be  paid  for.  That  was  the  past  and 
present  face  to  face  —  the  age  of  Powhatan  and  the 
modern  world  confronting  each  other.  The  old  Era- 
i^eror  had  appealed  to  club-law  and  flint-pointed  ar- 
rows. The  new  Emperor  appealed  for  protection  to 
an  "  act  of  Assembly." 

Smith  went  away  with  a  depressed  heart  in  1609, 
giving  up  all  as  lost,  and  mourning  over  his  futile  at- 
tempt to  found  a  new  society.  But  he  builded  better 
than  he  knew.  Long  mouldering  under  ground,  and 
fated,  it  seemed,  to  rot  and  perish  there,  life  had  still 
lingered  in  the  grain,  and  here  was  the  result.  All 
the  old  adversaries  hampering  him  at  every  step  had 
disappeared.  Powhatan,  his  most  dangerous  enemy, 
was  dead.  The  London  Council,  which  he  had  so  long- 
wrangled  with,  had  yielded  up  its  powers  to  the  Com- 
pany. Virginia  was  a  fact  at  last,  not  the  mere  dream 
of  an  enterprising  spirit.  At  Jamestown,  where  he  had 
cannonaded  the  rebels,  and  fed  the  starving  handful, 
and  lived  days  and  nights  of  peril  and  anxiety,  a  peace- 
ful body  of  legislators  had  assembled  to  make  laws  for 
a  thriving  society.  In  less  than  ten  years  from  the 
autumn  of  1609  this  marvel  had  been  accomplished. 


118     VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY   OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

The  meeting  of  the  first  Assembly  in  1619  was  fol- 
lowed in  1621  by  the  formal  grant  to  the  Virginians 
of  free  government  by  written  charter:  "a  constitu- 
tion after  their  heart's  desire,"  says  Beverley.  This 
was  the  work  of  Sir  Edwin  Sandys,  the  head  of 
the  Virginia  party,  of  whom  James  I.  said,  when  he 
was  spoken  of  as  treasurer,  "  Choose  the  devil  if  you 
will,  but  not  Sir  Edwin  Sandys."  IJnder  his  leader- 
ship the  Company  persisted  in  their  liberal  policy. 
Yeardley's  ill  health  forced  him  to  decline  a  new  ap- 
pointment. Sir  Francis  Wyat,  a  young  gentleman  of 
high  character,  was  sent  out  as  Governor  ;  and  when 
he  reached  Virginia,  in  October,  1621,  he  brought  the 
new  charter  with  him. 

This  old  "  Ordinance  and  Constitution  "  for  a  Council 
of  State  and  General  Assembly  in  Virginia  is  still  pre- 
served. Its  tone  is  large  and  noble.  The  intent  is  "  by 
the  divine  assistance  to  settle  such  a  form  of  govern- 
ment as  TUdjf  be  to  the  greatest  benefit  and  comfort  of 
the  peopl-^and  whereby  all  injustice,  grievances,  and 
oppression  may  be  prevented  and  kept  off  as  much  as 
j)ossible  from  the  said  colony."  The  Governor  is  to 
have  a  Council  to  assist  him  in  the  administration.  He 
and  the  Council,  together  with  Burgesses  chosen,  two 
from  every  town,  hundred,  and  plantation,  by  the  in- 
habitants, are  to  constitute  a  General  Assembly.,  who  are 
to  meat  yearly,  and  decide  all  matters  coming  before 
them  by  the  greatest  number  of  voices  ;  but  the  Gov- 
ernor is  to  have  a  neo;ative  voice.  No  law  of  the  As- 
sembly  is  to  be  or  continue  in  force  unless  it  is  ratified 
by  a  General  Court,  and  returned  to  them  under  the 
Company's  seal.  But  when  the  government  of"  the 
colony  is  once  "  well  framed  and  settled  accordingly 


THE   MAIDS   AND  FIRST  SLAVES.  119 

...  no  orders  of  court  afterwards  shall  hind  the  said 
colon?/  unless  they  be  ratified  in  like  manner  in  the  Gen- 
eral Assemblies.^' 

This  paper  bore  date  July  24,  1621,  and  is  the  first 
charter  of  free  government  in  America. 

XX. 

THE    MAIDS    AND    FIRST    SLAVES. 

About  the  moment  when  Virginia  thus  secured  the 
immense  boon  of  virtual  free  government,  slavery  came. 
This  ominous  event  was  preceded  by  another,  which 
created  a  great  social  change  —  the  arrival  of  a  ship's 
cargo  of  "  maids "  to  become  wives  of  the  colonists. 
Let  us  notice,  in  the  first  place,  the  more  agreeable 
incident  of  the  two. 

The  "maids,"  as  the  chronicle  styles  them,  came  at 
the  instigation  of  Sir  Edwin  Sandys.  This  wise  states- 
man, now  at  the  head  of  the  Company,  devised  the  plan 
of  sending  out  a  number  of  respectable  young  women 
to  marry  the  Virginia  adventurers.  He  had  shown  his 
warm  interest  in  the  colony  in  many  ways.  What  it 
wanted  was  immigration,  and  he  took  energetic  steps  to 
supply  it.  In  one  year  he  sent  out  twelve  hundred  and 
sixty-one  new  settlers,  to  whom  King  James  I.  added  a 
hundred  convicted  felons.  The  Virginia  party  in  the 
Company  protested  against  this  outrage,  and  the  Vir- 
ginians were  bitterly  indignant  when  they  found  that 
this  poisonous  element  was  to  be  infused  into  their  so- 
ciety even  as  servants.  But  the  King  persisted,  and  the 
felons  came.  And  now  with  the  increasins:  immigration 
came  a  more  urgent  demand  than  ever  that  social  order 


120      VIRGINIA:  A   HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

in  the  colony  should  be  established  on  a  firm  basis.  A 
great  change  had  taken  place.  In  the  early  years  the 
voyagers  to  far-off  Virginia  had  been  simply  "  adven- 
turers "  —  men  adventuring  to  seek  their  fortunes,  but 
with  no  intention  of  settling  and  passing  the  remainder 
of  their  lives  in  the  new  land.  They  looked  upon  the 
country  as  a  place  in  which  they  would  make  no  long 
tarrying,  and  neither  brought  their  families  with  them 
nor  established  their  homes  there.  They  hoped  to  re- 
turn in  a  few  years,  with  improved  fortunes,  to  Eng- 
land ;  but  this  was  not  the  spirit  that  founds  new  com- 
monwealths. Sandys  clearly  saw  that  unless  Virginia 
was  looked  upon  as  home  the  enterprise  would  miscarry, 
and  the  best  means  of  making  it  such  was  plain  to  him. 
What  the  Virginians  required  as  a  stimulus  to  exertion 
was  to  have  wives  and  children  depending  upon  them. 
With  these  they  would  perform  honest  labor  cheerfully, 
and  not  look  back  toward  England  when  the  hand  was 
on  the  plow.  Wife  and  child  would  make  the  home  in 
the  new  land  what  home  had  been  in  the  old. 

The  result  was  that  ninety  young  women  were  sent 
out  by  Sandys  as  wives  for  the  settlers  —  persons  of 
unexceptionable  character,  who  had  volunteered  for  the 
purpose.  A  singular  featm^e  of  the  arrangement  was 
that  their  husbands  were  to  purchase  them.  The  ex- 
penditure of  the  Company  in  sending  them  was  con- 
siderable, and  it  was  required  that  those  who  selected 
them,  or  were  selected  by  them,  should  repay  the  cost 
of  their  outfit  and  passage.  This  was  fixed  at  one 
hundred  and  twenty  pounds  of  tobacco  —  about  eighty 
dollars.  On  payment  of  that  amount  the  settler  was 
entitled  to  a  wife. 

The  whole  scheme,  which  is  apt  to  strike  the  reader 


THE  MAIDS  AND  FIRST  SLAVES.  121 

of  to-day  as  somewhat  comic,  was  entered  into  by  San- 
dys and  his  associates  in  the  most  earnest  spirit.  In 
their  regulations  for  the  government  of  the  colony,  the 
Company  made  strong  distinctions  in  favor  of  married 
men.  To  prevent  all  objection,  the  purity  of  the  femi- 
nine supply  was  jealously  guarded,  and  two  of  the 
number  who  transgressed  were  sent  back  to  England. 
Every  safeguard  was  thrown  around  them  to  make  them 
happy  in  their  new  homes.  It  was  ordered  :  "  In  case 
they  cannot  be  presently  married,  we  desire  that  they 
may  be  put  with  several  householders  that  have  wives 
until  they  can  be  supplied  with  husbands.  .  .  .  We  de- 
sire that  the  marriage  be  free,  according  to  nature,  and 
we  would  not  have  these  maids  deceived  and  married 
to  servants,  but  only  such  freemen  or  tenants  as  have 
means  to  maintain  them,  .  .  .  not  enforcing  them  to 
marry  against  their  wills." 

These  orders  went  in  the  ship  with  the  maids,  and 
seem  to  have  been  strictly  obeyed.  The  scheme  suc- 
ceeded to  a  marvel :  there  was  no  difficulty  at  all  in 
the  way  of  being  "  presently  married."  On  the  arrival 
of  the  ship  the  settlers  flocked  to  Jamestown,  and  the 
curious  spectacle  was  presented  of  suitors  going  about 
in  the  crowd  of  maids,  and  selecting  or  being  selected 
by  their  future  wives.  The  arrangement  seems  to  have 
caused  no  embarrassment,  and  the  odd  wooing  was  soon 
ended.  Offers  were  made  and  matches  agreed  to  with- 
out loss  of  time.  The  men  paid  for  their  partners,  and 
were  married  to  them  at  once ;  and  the  happiest  results 
followed.  "These  new  companions  were  received  with 
such  fondness "  that  they  wrote  to  England,  and  in- 
duced sixty  other  maids,  "young,  handsome  and  chaste," 
to  come  out  to  Virginia  for  the  same  purpose. 


122     VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

Soon  the  wise  device  of  Sir  Edwin  Sandys  bore  its 
fruit.  The  careless  adventurers  became  "provident 
fathers  of  families,  solicitous  about  the  prosperity  of 
a  country  which  they  now  considered  as  their  own." 
The  colony,  under  the  effect  of  these  virtuous  home  ties, 
grew  to  be  a  settled  and  well-ordered  society ;  immi- 
gration increased ;  new  land  patents  were  constantly 
applied  for ;  and  in  three  years  no  less  than  three 
thousand  five  hundred  persons  went  from  England  to 
cast  their  lot  in  Virginia. 

And  now,  at  the  very  time  when  Sir  Edwin  was 
executing  his  original  project  of  infusing  fresh  and 
lusty  blood  into  the  depleted  colony,  blood  of  another 
sort  was  coming,  and  coming  to  stay.  Up  to  this 
period  the  only  servitude  known  in  Virginia  was  that 
of  "  indented  servants."  This  servitude  was  tempo- 
rary and  conditional,  even  in  the  case  of  felons  like 
those  sent  to  Virginia  by  James  I.  Sometimes  the  ser- 
vant entered  into  the  arrangement  himself.  H.e  was  not 
a  slave,  but  a  debtor  bound  to  serve  for  a  term  of  years, 
to  repay  the  cost  of  bringing  him  to  Virginia.  But  a 
class  of  persons  in  England,  nicknamed  "  spirits,"  beat 
up  recruits,  sold  them  off  to  the  colonies,  and  they 
were  transferred  there  to  new  masters  at  a  large  ad- 
vance. This  was  protested  against,  but  the  system 
went  on.  Prisoners  taken  .at  the  battles  of  Dunbar  and 
"Worcester  were  also  sent  as  servants  to  New  England 
and  Virginia,  and  as  late  as  1685  men  condemned  as 
adherents  of  Monmouth  were  disposed  of  in  the  same 
manner.  The  system  was  soon  regulated  by  law.  The 
labor  of  the  indented  servant  was  due  to  his  master  for 
the  term  of  the  indenture ;  if  cruelly  treated  he  had 
his  recourse  to  the  "  Commissioner,"  or  Justice  of  the 


THE  MAIDS  AND  FIRST  SLAVES.  123 

Peace.  He  could  not  marry  without  his  master's  per- 
mission on  penalty  of  a  year's  additional  service.  Har- 
boring runaways  was  a  misdemeanor,  and  the  runaway 
was  to  serve  double  the  time  lost.  If  he  offended  a 
second  time  he  "  passed  under  the  statute  of  incorri- 
gible rogues,"  and  was  branded.  This  brand  was  the 
letter  R,  signifying  Runaway,  burned  into  his  cheek. 
If  he  went  to  the  Indians  with  fire-arms,  and  left  them, 
he  was  to  suffer  death. 

This  is  sufficient  to  define  the  social  status  of  the  in- 
dented servants.  They  were  similar  to  the  "  redemp- 
tioners  "  of  the  banks  of  the  Hudson  in  the  next  gen- 
eration—  persons  "brought  over  free,  not  being  able 
to  pay  their  passage  money,  and  sold  to  the  landed  pro- 
prietors for  a  certain  number  of  years."  At  the  end 
of  their  terms  of  service,  both  the  indented  servants 
of  the  Virginia  planter  and  the  redemptioners  of  the 
New  York  patroon  became  free  citizens. 

Now  (August,  1619),  a  portentous  personage  ap- 
peared on  the  soil  of  North  America — the  African 
slave. -^  A  Dutch  ship  sailed  up  James  River,  and  of- 
fered for  sale  to  the  planters  twenty  negroes  as  slaves. 
There  was  to  be  no  trouble  about  an  indenture,  or  any 
limitation  of  the  term  of  service.  The  negroes  were  cap- 
tives, and  their  owners  sold  them  to  repay  themselves 
for  their  trouble  and  expense.  There  seems  to  have 
been  no  difference  of  opinion  as  to  their  right  to  do  so. 
The  negroes  were  probably  regarded  as  substantially  the 

1  The  year  of  the  arrival  of  the  first  slaves  is  sometimes  stated  to 
have  been  1620.  The  correct  date  is  here  given.  Rolfe,  then  at  James- 
town, says  :  "  To  begin  Avith,  tliis  year.  1619,  about  the  last  of  August, 
came  in  a  Dutch  man-of-war  that  sold  us  twenty  negars."  The  first 
Assembly  had  met  in  July.  Thus  free  government  and  African  slav- 
ery were  introduced  into  America  nearly  at  the  same  moment. 


124     VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

same  as  indented  servants,  with  the  important  exception 
that  the  servitude  was  to  last  during  their  lives.  The 
planters  readily  purchased  them  to  cultivate  tobacco  ; 
they  were  scattered  among  the  plantations  ;  and  from 
this  small  nucleus  widened,  year  by  year,  the  great 
African  shadow,  out  of  which  were  to  issue  the  light- 
ning and  thunder  of  the  future. 


XXL 

THE    MASSACRE. 

With  the  opening  of  the  year  1622  Virginia  seemed 
to  be  on  the  highroad  to  prosperity.  There  were  more 
than  four  thousand  people  in  it.  The  old  huddle  of 
huts  at  Jamestown  had  streamed  away  into  new  settle- 
ments everywhere.  Along  the  banks  of  James  River, 
from  a  point  just  below  the  falls  down  to  Chesapeake 
Bay,  were  numerous  "  plantations,"  the  residences  of 
little  groups  of  settlers,  varying  from  a  few  families  to 
a  hundred  persons  ;  and  adventurous  people  had  pene- 
trated the  country  and  established  "  forts  "  toward  the 
Potomac.  The  fields  smiled  with  plenty  ;  there  was 
no  trace  now  of  the  old  starving  era.  Tobacco  had 
suddenly  become  a  great  source  of  revenue,  and  was 
assiduously  cultivated.  Glass  and  other  works  were 
in  process  of  erection.  An  Indian  college  had  been 
founded  at  the  City  of  Henricus.  Virginia  had  repre- 
sentative government,  and  law  and  order  reigned.  To 
human  eyes  the  foundation  of  a  thriving  state  had  been 
firmly  laid. 

Suddenly  the  one  leader  among  the  Indians  who 
seemed  to  have  inherited  the  brains  and  courage  of 


THE   MASSACRE.  125 

Powhatan  struck  a  heavy  blow  at  all  this  prosperity. 
And  it  was  struck  at  a  moment  when  there  was  a  feel- 
ing of  profound  security  everywhere.  The  Indians 
were  no  longer  feared,  and  a  lasting  peace  between 
the  two  races  seemed  to  have  followed  the  old  tur- 
moil. The  red  men  went  in  and  out  of  the  houses. 
The  whites  visited  them  at  their  scattered  villages,  and 
traded  with  them  for  the  proceeds  of  their  hunting. 
They  were  supplied  with  fire-arms,  and  had  become  ex- 
cellent shots ;  Sir  George  Yeardley  had  an  Indian  ser- 
vant to  shoot  game  for  him.  In  the  eyes  of  the  Vir- 
ginians, these  red  people  were  a  conquered  race  —  an 
inferior  people,  who  had  at  last  accepted  their  fate  with 
resignation,  and  from  whom  nothing  more  was  to  be 
feared,  since  events  had  decided  to  whom  Virginia  be- 
longed. 

From  this  dream  they  now  had  a  rude  waking. 
Powhatan  had  died  in  1618,  and  had  been  succeeded  by 
his  brother,  Opitchapan,  an  old  and  inert  man,  who  was 
quickly  deposed  by  Opechancanough.  The  Indian  tra- 
dition in  the  time  of  Beverley  was  that  Opechancanough 
was  not  Powhatan's  brother,  nor  a  Virginian  at  all,  but  a 
mysterious  stranger  from  Mexico  or  some  southwestern 
country.  But  he  became  the  Virginia  ruler,  and,  as 
soon  as  he  found  himself  in  authority,  formed  a  plot  for 
the  extermination  of  the  English.  It  was  laid  with 
great  secrecy  and  skill.  The  essential  point  was  to 
wait,  and  lull  the  colonists  to  a  sense  of  security ;  and 
this  was  thoroughly  effected.  For  four  years  Opechan- 
canough was  maturing  his  scheme,  and  bringing  tribe 
after  tribe  into  it ;  and  during  this  time  no  one  of  the 
many  Indians  acquainted  with  it  betrayed  him.  He 
himself  acted  his  part  of  friend  of  the  English  with  the 


126      VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE, 

utmost  skill.  When  Argall  came  he  visited  Jamestown, 
and  accepted  the  presents  made  him  with  effusion. 
When  Yeardley  invaded  the  Chickahominy  tribe,  Ope- 
chancanongh  appeared  as  a  peacemaker.  This  went  on 
until  the  early  spring  of  1622,  by  which  time  his  plans 
were  all  matured  and  he  was  ready  to  strike. 

A  pretext  was  suddenly  afforded  him  for  making  the 
attack.  An  Indian  named  Nemattanow,  called  "  Jack 
o'  the  Feather  "  by  the  English,  murdered  one  of  the 
settlers,  and  was  killed  in  turn.  Opechancanough  in- 
flamed his  people  by  representing  the  death  of  this 
Indian  as  a  wanton  outrage,  and  the  day  of  the  mas- 
sacre was  fixed  upon.  To  the  last  moment  there  was 
not  a  cloud  to  foretell  the  coming  storm.  When,  about 
the  middle  of  March,  one  of  the  English  visited  Ope- 
chancanough, he  sent  word  to  Governor  Wyat  that  he 
held  so  firmly  to  peace  that  "  the  sky  should  fall  be- 
fore he  broke  it."  Some  English  lost  in  the  woods 
were  furnished  with  Indian  guides.  Some  of  the  set- 
tlers who  had  lived  with  them  were  allowed  to  return  ; 
and  on  the  very  morning  of  the  outbreak  the  Indians 
came  to  the  various  plantations  with  presents  of  game, 
and  breakfasted  with  the  English  in  the  friendliest 
manner. 

The  blow  fell  everywhere  at  the  same  hour  of  the 
same  day,  over  an  extent  of  one  hundred  and  forty 
miles.  Berkeley's  Plantation,  at  the  present  "  Amp- 
thill,"  a  few  miles  below  Richmond,  was  attacked  at  the 
same  instant  with  Southampton  Hundred  on  the  Bay. 
There  was  no  means  of  resistino;  in  the  furthest  settle- 
ments,  and  the  central  authority  at  Jamestown  had  only 
been  warned  at  the  last  moment.  A  converted  Indian, 
living  with  one  of  the  colonists,  had  revealed  the  plot  on 


THE  MASSACRE.  127 

the  night  before  its  execution,  and  his  master  hurried 
to  Jamestown  with  the  intelligence.  This  saved  many 
lives,  but  there  was  no  time  to  warn  the  settlers  in  re- 
mote places.     The  result  was  a  wholesale  butchery. 

The  Indians  savagely  attacked  them  when  they  least 
expected  it,  and  no  more  spared  the  women  and  chil- 
dren than  the  men.  Of  twenty-four  persons  at  Falling 
Creek,  near  Richmond,  only  a  boy  and  girl  escaped. 
In  the  upper  plantations  toward  the  Falls,  including 
the  Henrico  settlements,  more  than  eighty  were  put  to 
death.  At  Berkeley,  afterwards  the  seat  of  the  Harri- 
son family,  they  killed  the  pious  George  Thorpe,  one  of 
the  most  prominent  men  of  the  colony,  who  had  been 
their  warm  friend,  and  had  built  Opechancanough  "  a 
fair  house,  after  the  English  fashion."  He  had  been 
warned  by  his  servant,  but  would  not  believe  there  was 
real  danger,  and  was  killed,  and  his  "  dead  corpse  " 
hacked  in  a  manner  "  unfitting  to  be  heard  with  civil 
ears."  At  Appomattox,  Flower  de  Hundred,  Macocks, 
Wyanoke,  Westover,  Powell's-Brooke,  Martin's-Bran- 
don,  everywhere,  the  Indian  guns,  clubs,  and  tomahawks 
did  their  bloody  work.  Captain  Powell,  one  of  Smith's 
old  soldiers,  was  slain,  with  his  whole  family,  and  his 
head  was  cut  off.  Nathaniel  Causie,  another  of  the  old 
first  settlers,  escaped  by  dashing  out  the  brains  of  an 
Indian  who  attacked  him.  Near  Warrasqueake,  Cap- 
tain Ralph  Hamor,  apparently  the  author  of  the  "  True 
Discourse  of  Virginia,"  defended  his  home  and  succeeded 
in  beating  off  the  assailants  ;  as  did  Daniel  Gookin,  on 
the  epstern  shore.  Toward  the  Bay  the  colonists  fought 
with  desperation  in  the  midst  of  their  burning  homes, 
but  large  numbers  were  killed.  At  Martin's  Hundred, 
seventy-three   people   were  butchered.      Before  sunset 


128      VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

three  hundred  and  forty-seven  i3ersons  were  slain,  in- 
cluding six  members  of  the  Governor's  Council.  It  was 
a  terrible  blow.  From  the  Falls  to  the  Bay,  many  of 
the  plantations  were  entirely  destroyed,  and  there  was 
mourning  over  husband,  or  wife,  or  child,  or  brother,  in 
almost  every  house. 

Bitter  rage  succeeded,  and  a  fixed  resolve  to  exter- 
minate these  wild  beasts.  The  colonists  rose  in  mass, 
full-armed,  and  thirsting  for  blood.  They  have  been 
denounced  for  inhumanity  for  what  followed ;  but  the 
historians,  composing  their  histories  in  comfortable  stud- 
ies, in  the  midst  of  law  and  order,  have  failed  to  do 
what  it  seems  they  ought  to  have  done  —  put  them- 
selves in  the  place  of  those  early  Virginians.  They 
had  merciless  adversaries.  Opechancanough  had  spared 
nobody.  He  had  even  before  the  massacre,  according 
to  a  contemporary  writer,  "  practiced  with  a  King  on 
the  Eastern  Shore  to  furnish  him  with  a  kind  of  poison 
to  poison  us."  He  had  preferred  the  bludgeon ;  and 
poison  and  bludgeons  were  weapons  that  it  was  neces- 
sary to  meet  with  something  stronger  than  rose-water. 
An  indiscriminate  butchery  of  the  Indians  followed. 
They  were  hunted  down  in  all  quarters,  as  far  as  the 
Potomac ;  and  at  harvest,  by  an  act  of  treachery,  they 
were  thrown  off  their  guard,  and  a  massacre  took  place 
similar  to  the  massacre  of  the  white  people  in  the  spring. 

When  intelligence  reached  England  of  the  bloody 
"  Indian  Massacre,"  it  caused  a  great  sensation,  and  a 
spasmodic  effort  was  made  to  supply  the  Virginians 
with  arms.  It  came  to  nothing,  and  a  proposition  made 
by  Smith  to  the  Company,  to  go  out  and  completely 
subject  the  tribes,  was  not  acted  upon.  His  plan  was 
the  device  of  a  soldier :    to  contract  the  settlements  for 


THE  FALL   OF  THE   COMPANY,  129 

the  time  into  the  peninsula  between  the  James  and 
York,  with  the  Chickahominy  for  the  western  frontier ; 
establish  forts  on  the  outposts  toward  the  Rappahannock 
and  Potomac  ;  and  patrol  the  country  with  flyino-  de- 
tachments, to  discover  and  break  up  further  plots.  But 
the  colonists  were  strong  enough  of  themselves.  Hav- 
ing recovered  from  the  effect  of  the  blow,  they  acted 
with  vigor,  and  the  armed  parties  harrying  the  woods 
completely  paralyzed  any  further  efforts  which  the  In- 
dians could  make. 

It  was  a  harsh  and  bloody  business,  as  such  affairs 
always  are,  and  it  was  not  to  be  the  last.  When  nearly 
a  hundred  years  old,  and  so  weak  that  he  was  obliged  to 
be  carried  in  a  litter,  the  old  ruler  Opechancanougli  was 
going  to  strike  again. 

XXII. 

THE    FALL    OF    THE    COMPANY. 

One  other  notable  event  will  conclude  the  history  of 
the  Plantation  period.  While  these  bloody  scenes  were 
in  progress  in  Virginia,  a  great  turmoil  was  going  on  in 
London. 

At  last  the  King  and  Company  were  at  dagger's  draw. 
The  antagonism  between  them  was  radical,  and  not  to 
be  healed  by  any  compromise.  Under  the  old  chaos  of 
commissions  and  conferences  and  disputes  of  every  de- 
scription, we  can  see  one  plain  fact  —  that  the  growing 
spirit  of  popular  freedom  and  the  jus  divinum  of  the 
past  were  at  deadly  issue.  The  London  Company  was 
worse  than  the  House  of  Commons.  At  their  great 
quarterly  "courts,"  the  hall  resounded  with  bold  dis- 
cussions, and  the  demand  for  free  inquiry  in  all  direc- 
9 


130     VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

tioiis.  The  Court  party,  headed  by  the  Earl  of  Warwick 
and  representing  the  King,  were  in  close  grapple  with 
the  Country  party,  headed  by  the  Earl  of  Southampton 
and  representing  the  opposition  —  that  is,  Virginia. 
This  last  had  recently  triumphed,  and  the  Plantation  of 
Virginia  had  representative  government  in  consequence 
of  the  fact.  But  this  triumph  was  short-lived.  James 
I.  was  not  a  man  of  ability,  but  he  was  opinionated  and 
obstinate.  Soon  the  struggle  began  again,  and  this 
time  it  was  to  end  in  the  manner  in  which  all  struggles 
between  kings  and  people  generally  ended  at  that  time. 
James  was  looking  for  a  jDretext  to  crush  the  Com- 
pany, when  it  was  suddenly  supplied.  A  certain  captain, 
Nathaniel  Butler,  a  second  edition  of  Argall,  had  been 
Governor  of  Bermuda,  visited  Virginia  in  the  winter 
of  1622,  and  on  his  return  to  England  published  "The 
Unmasked  Face  of  our  Colony  in  Virginia,"  a  bitter 
libel  on  the  country.  At  this  the  Court  party  caught 
with  avidity.  They  appeared  before  the  King,  and  ar- 
raigned the  Company  for  gross  maladministration  of 
Virginia  affairs.  The  representatives  of  the  Virginia 
or  Country  party  defended  the  Company,  and  the  inter- 
view was  a  stormy  one ;  but  James  had  already  made  up 
his  mind.  He  ordered  the  records  of  the  Company  to 
be  seized,  appointed  a  commission  to  examine  them,  and 
arrested  and  imprisoned  the  Deputy  Treasurer,  Nicho- 
las Ferrar.^ 

1  This  was  the  excellent  man  who,  after  distinguishing  himself  in 
the  House  of  Commons,  retired  to  Huntingdonshire,  and,  "in  obedi- 
ence to  a  religious  fanc}'  which  he  had  long  entertained,"  established 
there,  at  Little  Gidding,  the  singular  monastic  retreat  of  Avhich  so  much 
has  been  written.  In  his  house  eighty  persons,  sworn  to  a  life  of  celi- 
bacy, passed  their  time  in  religious  duties,  acts  of  charity,  and  a  con- 
stant repetition,  day  and  night,  of  the  English  Liturg}',  by  the  light  of 
candles  which  were  never  suffered  to  go  out. 


THE  FALL   OF  THE   COMPANY.  131 

This  occurred  in  the  spring  of  1623,  and  in  the  au- 
tumn of  that  year  the  King  sent  out  a  commission  to 
Virginia  to  collect  evidence  against  the  Company.  One 
of  these  was  the  Master  John  Pory,  who  had  been 
Speaker  of  the  first  Virginia  Assembly,  a  roving  Bohe- 
mian, good-natured,  but  much  too  fond  of  drink,  who 
had  traveled  in  Virginia,  and  written  an  account  of  an 
interview  with  "  the  laughing  King  of  Accomac,"  on  the 
Eastern  Shore.  He  and  his  fellow  commissioners  duly 
arrived  at  Jamestown,  and  demanded  that  the  Assembly 
should  declare  their  approval  of  the  intended  revocation 
of  the  Company's  charter.  The  Assembly  refused  to 
do  so,  and  denied  the  authority  of  the  commissioners. 
When  they  demanded  access  to  the  records,  the  Assem- 
bly would  not  consent  to  it,  and  when  Pory  bribed  the 
clerk  to  furnish  him  with  copies  the  Burgesses  con- 
demned the  clerk  to  the  pillory,  with  the  loss  of  his  ears, 
one  of  which  was  cut  off.  Then  they  entered  their  for- 
mal protest  against  what  they  saw  all  this  meant.  They 
sent  a  member  of  the  Council  to  the  Privy  Council  in 
England,  to  pray  that  in  Virginia  "  the  Governors  may 
not  have  absolute  power ;  that  they  might  still  retain  the 
liberty  of  popular  assemblies,  than  which  nothing  could 
more  conduce  to  the  public  satisfaction  and  public  util- 
ity," —  the  protest  which,  from  that  time  forward,  the 
Virginia  Burgesses  continued  to  make  against  every 
successive  invasion  of  their  rights. 

The  King's  commissioners  gained  nothing.  They 
could  only  go  back  to  England  and  report  that  the  col- 
ony was  badly  managed,  and  that  all  the  ills  of  Virginia 
sprung  from  popular  government  there.  It  was  a  gen- 
eral but  sufficient  report,  since  it  pleased  the  King  and 
bis  party.    It  was  not  of  much  importance,  however ;  he 


132     VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

had  already  struck  at  the  Company.  He  had  suddenly 
issued  a  writ  of  quo  warranto  against  them,  and  sup- 
pressed the  meetings  of  the  great  courts.  The  writ  was 
tried  in  the  King's  Bench,  at  Trinity  term,  1624;  de- 
cided by  the  King's  judges,  as  all  the  world  foresaw  it 
would  be,  in  favor  of  the  King  ;  and  the  London  Com- 
pany fell. 

It  was  a  heavy  fall  for  the  great  party  in  England 
representing  popular  rights.  In  all  London  there  had 
been  no  doubt  at  all  what  the  issue  meant.  Royal  pre- 
rogative and  liberal  ideas  were  in  direct  conflict;  the 
decision  of  the  judges  was  to  decide  which  should  rule 
in  England,  and  the  judges  declared  that  the  royal  pre- 
rogative should  rule.  It  was  only  twenty-five  years 
afterwards,  when  the  head  of  Charles  I.  went  to  the 
block,  that  the  Royalists  in  the  halls  of  the  London 
Company  in  the  year  1624  found  what  harvest  had 
sprung  up  from  the  seed  thus  sown. 

It  was  a  very  great  corporation  which  thus  fell,  and 
was  destroyed  at  one  blow.  Its  stockholders  were 
about  a  thousand  in  number,  and  embraced  fifty  noble- 
men, several  hundred  knights,  and  countless  gentlemen, 
merchants,  and  citizens  of  the  highest  rank  —  the  very 
flower  of  the  kingdom.  They  had  spent  one  hundred 
and  fifty  thousand  pounds  on  Virginia,  sent  nine  thou- 
sand colonists  thither,  and  granted  the  colony  free  gov- 
ernment. Thus  America  owes  them  a  great  debt;  but 
the  fact  ought  not  to  blind  us  to  the  further  fact  that, 
in  the  nature  of  things,  their  time  had  come.  A  stock- 
company  could  not  continue  to  rule  a  continent  three 
thousand  miles  off.  If  we  imagine  such  a  company  in 
London  ruling  the  United  States  of  to-day,  passing  laws 
for  its  government,  and  issuing  regulations  for  the  con- 


THE  FIRST  VIRGINIA  AUTHORS.  138 

duct  of  the  most  intimate  affairs  in  America,  we  shall 
have  an  idea  of  the  anomaly  which  such  a  state  of  things 
began  to  present  in  1 624.  The  Company,  with  such 
men  as  Edwin  Sandys  and  Southampton  at  the  head  of 
it,  no  doubt  realized  that  it  was  an  anomaly,  and  has- 
tened to  provide  for  coming  trouble  by  the  gift  of  the 
Assembly  to  Virginia.  With  that  very  great  gift,  which 
drew  upon  its  head  the  mortal  displeasure  of  the  King, 
its  career  ended,  and  ended  nobly. 

The  career  of  James  was  suddenly  to  end,  too  ;  he 
and  the  Company  were  to  go  together.  He  set  about 
composing,  with  his  own  pen,  a  new  code  of  laws  for 
Virginia,  but,  in  the  midst  of  his  work,  death  stopped 
him.  He  died  in  March,  1625,  and  Charles  I.  became 
King  of  England. 

XXIII. 

THE    FIRST    VIRGINIA    AUTHORS. 

The  books  written  by  Virginians  during  the  period  of 
the  Plantation  demand  notice.  The  literature  of  a  coun- 
try is  a  part  of  its  history,  since  the  printed  thought 
moulds  opinion  ;  and  these  writings  by  the  early  adven- 
turers have  an  importance  of  their  own.  They  are  the 
sole  authorities  for  the  first  years  of  American  history. 
What  is  not  found  in  them  remains  unknown.  Until 
the  comino^  of  the  New  England  Pilo-rims  there  is  no 
American  historic  writing  but  that  by  Englishmen  liv- 
ing in  Virginia. 

The  writers  are  properly  classed  as  Virginia  authors, 
since  the  character  of  a  book  does  not  depend  on  the 
writer's  birthplace.  It  depends  much  more  on  his  en- 
vironment.    The  men  of  the  seventeenth  century  who 


134     VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE, 

set  out  ill  search  of  adventures  had  a  new  experience 
as  they  came  into  the  great  Chesapeake  Bay  from  the 
ocean.  Right  and  left  were  wooded  capes,  thrusting 
their  low  cut-waters  into  the  crawling  foam  ;  beyond 
was  the  "  Mother  of  Waters,"  a  sea  of  itself,  and  the 
mouths  of  great  rivers  descending  from  blue  mountains  ; 
and  going  up  the  largest  of  these  streams,  between  the 
tree-fringed  shores,  the  new-comers  saw  at  last  the  little 
group  of  reed-thatched  huts  called  Jamestown. 

Virginia  was  a  new  land,  and,  coming  to  live  in  it, 
the  English  adventurer  was  forced  to  adapt  himself  to 
new  conditions,  which  shaped  the  development  of  all  his 
faculties.  Every  object  fertilized  and  planted  new  ideas 
in  his  mind.  He  was  face  to  face  with  nature  in  her 
freshest  loveliness  ;  with  pathless  woods,  broad  rivers, 
and  long  lines  of  blue  mountains ;  with  sunsets  burning 
with  a  richer  splendor  than  the  sunsets  of  England,  and 
storms  of  thunder  and  lightning  such  as  were  "  seldom 
either  seen  or  heard  in  Europe."  Pie  was  face  to  face 
with  peril,  too.  This  group  of  cabins  on  the  banks  of 
James  River  was  the  advance  guard  of  civilization  — 
a  sentinel  posted  on  the  look-out.  It  would  not  do  for 
the  little  band  of  English  to  relax  their  vigilance.  Hu- 
man wolves  were  lurking  around  them,  ready  to  spring 
upon  them  at  any  moment,  and  life  was  a  hard  struggle 
with  disease  and  famine. 

In  the  midst  of  such  surroundings  the  characters  of 
the  adventurers  grew  robust  and  earnest,  and  their  traits 
are  reflected  in  their  writings.  They  are  such  as  might 
have  been  expected :  rude  and  forcible  compositions, 
without  the  polish  and  nice  finish  which  are  the  results 
of  a  ripe  civilization,  but  full  of  passion  and  a  brusque 
vigor.     The  involved  sentences  often  stumble,  but  the 


THE  FIRST  VIRGINIA  AUTHORS.  135 

thought  is  there,  and  not  to  be  mistaken.  The  sharp 
phrases  cling  to  the  memory  ;  for  the  writers  have  had 
no  time  to  round  their  periods  and  dihite  their  mean- 
ing. Earnest  men  are  seen  scratching  the  quick  pao-es 
in  the  huts  at  Jamestown.  Their  swords  are  lying  be- 
side them,  and  what  they  write  is  to  go  in  the  ships 
which  will  sail  to-morrow  for  England.  They  must 
hurry  and  fold  the  sheets.  They  will  be  fortunate  if 
the  Indian  war-whoop  does  not  burst  in  suddenly,  and 
terminate  their  literary  occupations. 

At  the  head  of  these  vigorous  writers  stood  John 
Smith.  He  was  the  author  of  the  lEirst  books  which 
gave  Englishmen  an  idea  of  Virginia,  and  collected  the 
detached  narratives  of  his  companions  in  the  "  General 
History  of  Virginia,  New  England,  and  the  Summer 
Isles,"  covering  the  w^hole  history  of  the  colony  to 
1624.     His  works,  with  the  dates  of  publication,  were: 

I.  A  True  Relation  of  Virginia.     1608. 

II.  A  Map  of  Virginia  with  a  Description  of  the 
Country,  Commodities,  People,  Government,  Religion, 
etc.     1612. 

III.  New  England's  Trials.     1620. 

IV.  The  General  History  of  Virginia,  New  Eng- 
land, and  the  Summer  Isles.     1624. 

V.  An  Accidence  or  the  Pathway  to  Experience  nec- 
essary to  all  Young  Seamen.     1625.     A  Sea  Grammar. 

VI.  The  True  Travels,  Adventures,  and  Observa- 
tions of  Captain  John  Smith  in  Europe,  Asia,  Afric, 
and  America.     1630. 

VII.  Advertisements  for  the  Inexperienced  Planters 
of  New  England  or  Anywhere.     1631. 

At  the  time  of  his  death  he  was  ensacjed  on  his  "  His- 
tory  of  the  Sea." 


136     VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

Smith's  writings  bear  the  impress  of  a  man  of  large 
nature,  and  have  the  tone  of  the  actor  rather  than  the 
student.  The  soldier-author  exjDresses  his  meaning  in 
the  directest  manner,  with  a  rugged  force  often,  some- 
times with  humor,  always  honestly  and  without  mincing 
his  phrases.  Many  passages  of  his  works  are  charac- 
terized by  a  noble  and  lofty  eloquence,  like  his  descrip- 
tion of  the  causes  of  the  rise  and  fall  of  the  ancient 
monarchies,  which  he  holds  up  as  an  example  and  warn- 
ing to  his  contemporaries.  But  his  books  are  nearly 
all  narrative,  except  his  "Sea  Grammar"  and  the  de- 
scription of  Virginia,  and  reflect  the  character  of  the 
writer,  especially  in  the  prefaces  and  dedications.  More 
than  once  he  explains  why  he  has  taken  up  his  "rough 
pen,"  and  apologizes  for  his  "  poor  ragged  lines."  Sir 
Robert  Cotton  and  many  others  had  requested  him 
to  write  an  account  of  his  "fatal  tragedies,"  which 
the  playwrights  had  "  racked  at  their  pleasure."  So 
he  wrote  "for  the  satisfaction  of  his  friends  and  of 
all  generous  and  well  disposed  readers,"  and  meant 
to  give  his  old  comrades  their  just  dues.  "I  cannot 
leave  them  unburied  in  the  fields,"  he  says,  "  whose 
lives  begot  me  the  title  of  a  soldier ;  for  as  they  were 
companions  with  me  in  my  dangers,  so  shall  they  be  par- 
takers with  me  in  this  Tombe."  Elsewhere  he  writes  : 
"I  have  deeply  hazarded  myself  in  doing  and  suffer- 
ing, and  why  should  I  stick  to  hazard  my  reputation  in 
recording?  .  .  .  Let  emulation  and  envy  cease;  I  ever 
intended  my  actions  should  be  upright." 

The  works  of  Smith,  original  and  compiled,  occupy 
a  prominent  place  in  the  literature  of  his  time.  They 
were  used  by  the  historian  Purchas  and  others  as  the 
basis  of  their  own  narratives,  and  are  the  most  impor- 


THE  FIRST   VIRGINIA  AUTHORS.  137 

tant  authorities  on  the  early  history  of  America.  The 
first  accounts,  both  of  Virginia  and  New  England,  are 
contained  in  the  "General  History;"  and  Smith's  name 
as  ruler  and  writer  is  inseparably  connected  with  the 
first  years  of  the  country. 

One,  of  the  earliest  of  the  old  relations  is  "  A  Dis- 
course of  the  Plantation  of  the  Southern  Colony  in 
Virginia,"  by  George  Percy,  a  brother  of  the  Earl  of 
Northumberland,  and  one  of  the  original  adventurers. 
His  work  is  a  fragment,  but  is  interesting  for  its  striking 
description  of  the  sufferings  of  the  colonists  in  1607.  The 
writings  collected  by  Smith  in  the  "  General  History  " 
refer  to  the  same  time.  The  authors  were  rough  sol- 
diers, for  the  most  part,  and  write  vigorously.  They 
have  strong  loves  and  hates  ;  praise  warmly  or  de- 
nounce bitterly ;  and  having  seen  what  they  relate, 
they  describe  it  vividly.  Hence  the  value  of  their  nar- 
ratives, which  are  history  in  its  original  essence,  and 
remain  the  chief  original  authorities  for  the  events  of 
the  settlement. 

These  first  annalists  are  succeeded  by  William  Strach- 
ey,  author  of  a  "  History  of  Travel  in  Virginia  Britan- 
nia "  and  "  A  True  Repertor^^  of  the  Wrack  and  Re- 
demption of  Sir  Thomas  Gates."  Strachey  was  a  pious 
man,  and  takes  for  his  motto,  "  This  shall  be  written 
for  the  generations  to  come,  and  the  people  that  shall 
be  created  shall  praise  the  Lord."  The  "  History  of 
Travel"  was  .dedicated  to. Sir  Allen  Apsley,  the  father 
of  Lady  Hutchinson,  and  induced  him,  it  is  said,  to 
advise  the  Pilgrim  emigration  to  America.  The  "  True 
Repertory  "  ouggested  "  The  Tempest,"  which  entitles 
it  to  a  place  in  literary  history,  and  is  remarkable  for 
the  force,  almost  the  magnificence,  of  its  picture  of  the 
storm  which  wrecked  the  Sea- Venture. 


138     VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

Among  the  earliest  and  most  interesting  works  writ- 
ten in  the  colony  was  Raphe  Haraor's  "  True  Discourse 
of  the  Present  Estate  of  Virginia."  This  reaches  to 
the  summer  of  1614,  and  contains  an  account  of 
affairs  in  the  colony,  and  of  the  expedition  of  Sir 
^Thomas  Dale  to  restore  Pocahontas.  Hamor,  like 
Strachey,  was  wrecked  in  the  Sea- Venture,  and  came 
to  Virginia  in  1610,  where  he  became  secretary  of  the 
Council.  He  was  "  for  five  years  a  personal  workman 
there,"  and  writes  :  "  I  know  no  one  country  yielding 
without  art  or  industry  so  many  fruits  —  sure  I  am, 
England  doth  not."  Many  of  his  descriptions  are  en- 
thusiastic. He  is  struck  by  "  the  great  fields  and  woods 
abounding  in  strawberries,  much  fairer  and  more  sweet 
than  ours ;  maricocks  of  the  fashion  of  a  lemon,  whose 
blossom  may  admit  comparison  with  our  most  delight- 
some and  beautiful  flowers;  "  and  on  the  subject  of  con- 
verting the  Indians,  he  breaks  forth  with,  "  When  these 
poor  heathen  shall  be  brought  to  entertain  the  honor  of 
the  name  and  glory  of  the  Gospel  of  our  blessed  Sav- 
viour  they  shall  cry  with  the  rapture  of  so  inexplicable 
mercy  'Blessed  be  the  King  and  Prince  of  England, 
and  blessed  be  the  English  nation  and  blessed  forever 
be  the  Most  High  God,  possessor  of  heaven  and  earth, 
that  sent  these  English  as  angels  to  bring  such  glad 
tidings  amongst  us ! '  "  It  was  rather  a  flight  of  fancy 
to  imagine  the  poor  heathen  bursting  forth  in  that  man- 
ner. At  the  time  the  English  angels  were  destroy- 
ing angels,  pursuing  them  with  fire  and  sword,  burn- 
ing their  towns  and  fishing-wears,  and  putting  them  to 
death. 

Some  good  men,  however,  had  the  better  aim  in 
view;  and  while  Dale  and  Argall  were  sailing  to  and 


TEE  FIRST    VIRGINIA  AUTHORS.  139 

fro,  doing  the  hard  work  of  rulers  in  the  new  country 
a  quiet  student  in  the  "Rock  Hall"  parsonage,  at  the 
City  of  Henricus,  was  writing  "Good  News1[rom  Vir- 
gmia,"  — an  apjDcal  for  the  conversion  of  the  Indians, 
which  appeared  in  London  in  1613.     The  author  was 
that  worthy  "Apostle  of  Virginia,"  Alexander  Whita- 
ker,  who  had  left  a  good  estate  ("his  warm  nest")  and 
a  quiet  parish  in  England,  to  come   out  and  do  his  life- 
work  in  Virginia,  where  work  was  most  needed.     We 
have  caught  a  glimpse  of  him  "exercising"  on  Saturday 
nights  at  Sir  Thomas  Dale's  house,  preaching  and  teach- 
ing the  catechism  on  Sunday  in   the  church ;   and  we 
read  his  words  now,  "I  will  abide  in  my  vocation  until 
I  be  lawfully  called  from  hence."     Three  years  after- 
wards he  was  called.    He  was  drowned  in  James  River ; 
and  his  title  of  "Apostle"  and  this  "Good  News  from 
Virginia,"   with  its  earnest   cry:    "Awake,  you    true- 
headed  Englishmen!  remember  that  the  plantation  is 
God's,  and  the  reward  your  country's,"  are  his  epitaph. 
Finally,  there  came  to  Virginia  with  Governor  Wyat 
in  1621,  George  Sandys,  brother  of   Sir  Edwin,   tvho 
translated  Ovid's  '^Metamorphoses,"   on   the   banks  of 
James  River.     Dryden  calls  him  "  the  best  versifier  of 
the  former  age,"  and  his  friend  Drayton,  when  he  sailed 
from  England,  sent  this  salute  and  farewell  after  him : 

"  And  worthy  George,  by  industry  and  use 
Let  's  see  what  Jines  Virginia  will  produce, 
Entice  the  muses  thither  to  repair, 
Entreat  them  gently ;  train  them  to  that  air  : 
For  they  from  hence  may  thither  hap  to  fly." 

This  prophecy  that  Virginia  might  one  day  shine  in 
poesy,  had  at  least  a  beginning  of  fulfillment.  George 
Sandys  enticed  his  muse  to  the  virgin  land,  but  it  was^a 


140      VIRGINIA:    A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

bad  time  for  poetic  dreams.  The  very  year  after  his 
arrival  came  the  Indian  massacre.  The  poet,  lost  in  a 
dream  of  Ovid  and  the  fine  shapes  of  Greece,  was 
startled  by  savage  yells.  He  tells  of  the  interruption, 
and  the  conditions  under  which  he  wrote.  His  book  was 
"  limned  by  that  imperfect  light  which  was  snatched  from 
the  hours  of  night  and  repose  —  sprung  from  the  stock 
of  the  ancient  Romans  but  bred  in  the  new  world  —  hav- 
ing wars  and  tumults  to  bring  it  to  light  instead  of  the 
muses."  Nevertheless  it  was  brought  to  light,  taken 
to  England  and  printed  there,  and  admired  by  the 
greatest  poets  of  the  time.  Sandys  also  translated  a 
part  of  the  ^neid,  and  wrote  "  A  Paraphrase  of  the 
Psalms  of  David,"  which  Charles  I.  "delighted  to  read 
in,  while  prisoner  in  Carisbrooke  Castle."  He  was 
treasurer  of  the  colony;  miYodi\xQQ(\.  the  first  water-mill 
into  America;  and  his  portrait  is  attractive.  He  was 
"an  accomplished  gentleman,  with  sable  silvered  hair, 
eyes  mild  and  intelligent,"  and  in  his  "  slashed  doublet 
and  lace  collar,  was  a  combination  of  the  scholar,  the 
courtier,  and  the  soldier."  Thus  the  rude  first  years 
with  their  rude  soldier-authors  writing  prose  relations 
had  flowered  into  an  Augustan  era  of  lace  collars  and 
poesy. 

This  glance  at  some  of  the  works  written  in  Virginia 
during  the  Plantation  period  will  convey  a  general  idea 
of  their  character.  It  is  impossible  to  speak  of  them 
in  more  detail  in  this  place,  and  only  a  careful  exam- 
ination will  indicate  their  merit.  They  possess  not  only 
a  special  value  as  the  original  authorities  for  the  earliest 
American  history,  but  a  virile  and  sinewy  force,  which 
entitles  them  to  rank  with  the  best  English  literature 
produced  during  the  seventeenth  century. 


OUTLINE  OF   VIRGINIA    UNDER  JAMES  I.     141 

XXIV. 
OUTLINE    OF    VIRGINIA.    UNDER    JAMES    I. 

Before-  passing  from  the  period  of  the  Plantation  to 
that  of  the  Colony,  let  us  see  what  Virginia  was  like  at 
the  end  of  the  first  quarter  of  the  seventeenth  century. 
It  is  only  by  going  away  from  the  world  of  the  present 
into  the  world  of  the  past,  that  we  are  able  to  under- 
stand the  past,  to  live  again  in  its  scenes,  and  learn 
any  lesson  which  it  has  to  teach  us.  Mere  statements 
of  historical  events  in  the  annals  of  a  people  are  of 
secondary  value.  Wliat  we  wish  is  to  have  a  picture 
of  the  men  themselves  ;  of  their  daily  lives,  their  oc- 
cupations, their  peculiar  views,  and  all  that  makes 
them  a  distinct  study.  Any  other  theory  of  history 
is  commonplace   and  conventional. 

Let  us  attempt  then  to  catch  a  glimpse  of  this  old 
land  and  people,  —  of  Virginia  and  the  Virginians  at  the 
death  of  James  I.  Only  a  silhouette  is  possible  here  ; 
but  the  outline  will  be  accurate,  and  based  on  ample 
authority.-^  If  we  take  the  chronicles  for  guide-books, 
and  descend  James  River  from  near  the  present  city  of 
Richmond  to  Chesapeake  Bay,  we  shall  see,  as  we  float 
on  the  broad  current,  nearly  the  whole  of  what  was  then 
Virginia  pass  before  us. 

This  up-country  is  the  frontier.  Around  the  "  Falls  " 
on  the  seven  hills,  where  the  capital  of  Virginia  is  going 
to   be   built  in   time,  adventurous  settlers  have  erected 

1  The  details  in  this  chapter  are  derived  from  the  inestimable  vol- 
umes of  Hening,  and  the  old  cotemporary  publications  which  present 
many  indications  of  the  life  of  the  time. 


142      VIRGINIA:    A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

their  cabins,  encircled  with  stockades  as  a  defense 
ao"ainst  Indians.  Below,  are  the  plains  of  what  will  be 
Chesterfield,  clothed  with  forest ;  in  front  verdurous 
islands  dipping  their  foliage  in  the  foam  of  the  falls  ; 
behind  toward  the  mountains  is  the  Monacan  country, 
that  is  the  unknown.  As  we  float  down  James  River, 
which  is  the  great  artery  of  the  colony,  we  see  first  the 
ransfe  of  hills  on  the  left  bank,  once  the  site  of  the 
Emperor  Powhatan's  summer  court,  and  then  of  "Non- 
such," the  settlement  begun  by  Smith.  Here,  about 
fifteen  thousand  acres  are  laid  out  as  public  land  for 
the  use  of  the  " University  of  Henrico;"  but  as  yet 
there  are  few  tenants.  Passing  "  Powhatan  "  or  Non- 
such, on  its  hill,  we  see  yonder  on  the  right  bank  the 
settlement  of  Falling  Creek,  or  rather  the  blackened 
brands  of  the  burnt  buildings,  for  the  Indians  recently 
destroyed  it.  Master  Berkeley  was  erecting  a  furnace 
here  to  smelt  iron  and  lead,  before  the  massacre ;  but 
he  is  dead  now,  and  the  exact  locality  of  his  valuable 
lead-mine  is  a  secret  which  has  died  with  him.  More 
than  a  hundred  years  hence,  an  enterprising  Virginian, 
Colonel  Byrd  of  Westover,  will  be  curious  about  this 
mine ;  will  bribe  a  vagrant  Indian  to  secretly  drop  his 
tomahawk  on  the  spot,  which  the  Indian  declares  he 
can  point  out ;  but  the  tomahawk  is  not  dropped,  or 
drops  in  the  wrong  place,  and  the  lead-mine  will  not  be 
found  then,  or  afterwards. 

Passing  this  old  locality,  to  become  the  site  of 
"  Ampthill,"  the  residence  of  Archibald  Cary,  who  will 
threaten  to  stab  Patrick  Henry,  we  glide  on  by  the 
present  Drury's  Bluff,  which  is  going  to  jar  one  day 
with  the  thunder  of  cannon,  and  come  to  the  "  Cork- 
screw "  and  the  "  Dutch   Gap."     Here  is  the  City  of 


OUTLINE   OF   VIRGINIA    UNDER  JAMES  I.     143 

Henricus.  It  has  not  suffered  much  from  the  massacre 
of  1622;  the  place  was  too  strong.  Without,  in  "the 
mam,"  is  a  palisade  two  miles  in  length,  reaching  from 
river  to  river,  dotted  here  and  there  with  the  stockade 
forts  of  the  "  commanders  ;  "  and  across  the  narrow 
neck  is  another  palisade  still  stronger.  On  the  plateau 
\  within  the  'peninsula  is  the  city  with  its  three  streets, 
•its  Indian  college,  its  church,  and  Dale's  old  residence 
rising  above  the  rest.  If  we  follow  the  winding  cur- 
rent, we  shall  see  pass  before  us  Coxendale  and  Hope- 
in-Faith ;  forts  Charity,  Elizabeth,  Patience,  and  Mount 
Malado  ;  and  Rock  Hall,  the  parsonage  of  the  good 
Apostle  of  Virginia,  drowned  some  years  since  in  the 
James.  Here  he  and  the  martial  Dale  talked  of  con- 
verting Pocahontas,  catechised  the  Indian  children,  and 
Pocahontas  herself  came  often,  no  doubt,  when  she 
lived  in  the  neighborhood.  All  are  dead  now  but  the 
High  Marshal,  who  has  gone  away  to  England ;  and 
we  pass  on,  catching  sight  of  the  third  settlement  at 
Bermuda,  of  Flower  de  Hundred,  Wyanoke,  Westover, 
and  all  the  old  plantations  which  keep  the  same  names 
to-day,  nearly  three  centuries  afterwards. 

AVhen  we  look  at  these  old  localities  in  the  first  quar- 
ter of  the  seventeenth  century,  they  are  rude  settle- 
ments nearly  encircled  by  forest.  The  houses  are 
primitive,  and  sentinels  are  posted,  according  to  law,  to 
watch  against  an  Indian  attack.  The  stalwart  planters 
go  to  and  fro  on  horseback,  looking  at  their  grain  and 
tobacco  fields ;  stopping  to  exchange  words  with  some 
vagrant  Indian,  who  has  ventured  into  the  settlements  ; 
or  to~give  directions  to  the  uncouth  laborers  with  black 
faces  purchased  from  the  Dutch  ship  at  Jamestown. 
For  the  African  has  arrived,  and  three  races  are  now 


144      VIRGINIA:    A  HISTORY   OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

on  the  soil  of  Virginia  :  the  whites,  to  remain  the  domi- 
nant race ;  the  blacks,  to  increase  in  numbers  and  enter 
into  politics  after  a  while  ;  the  red-faces  to  fade  away 
toward  the  sunset,  until  the  Pacific  stops  them,  wliich 
will  not  be  for  a  long  time. 

Here  is  the  homestead  of  the  planter,  on  the  bank  of 
the  river.  Let  us  land  and  look  at  the  place  and  its 
master.  It  is  a  house  built  of  wood,  protected  by  a 
palisade,  and  the  windows  have  stout  shutters,  —  the 
palisade  is  prescribed  by  law.  The  interior  is  ample 
and  conveniently  furnished,  but  Virginia  has  supplied 
little.  The  furniture,  the  table-service,  the  books,  and 
almost  every  article  have  been  imported  from  England. 
The  books  are  not  paper-bound  novels,  but  ponderous 
folios  or  stout  duodecimos  encased  in  embossed  leather. 
There  is  "  Purchas  his  Pil^rimmes  "  and  the  "  General 
History  of  Virginia,  New  England,  and  the  Summer 
Isles,"  which  have  recently  appeared  in  London.  Less 
pretending  works  are  lying  near  the  larger :  Master 
Hamor's  "  True  Discourse  of  the  Present  Estate  of  Vir- 
ginia," and  Master  Strachey's  "  True  Repertory  "  of  the 
wreck  of  the  Sea- Venture,  which  is  said  to  have  fur- 
nished material  to  Master  William  Shakespeare  for  his 
fine  drama  of  "  The  Tempest."  This  excellent  play- 
writer  is  now  dead,  but  yonder  is  the  folio  containing 
his  dramas,  collected  by  his  fellow-actors,  Heminge  and 
Condell,  and  brought  over  in  the  last  ship.  This 
Shakespeare  was  only  a  writer  of  plays,  but  his  plays 
are  entertaining,  and  will  probably  remain  popular  for 
years  to  come.  The  Virginia  planters  are  fond  of  the 
drama,  and  'Master  Jordan,  at  Jordan's  Point,  has 
named  his  house  "  Beggar's  Bush,"  after  the  play  by 
Fletcher. 


OUTLINE  OF   VIRGINIA    UNDER  JAMES  I.     145 

Here  is  the  smiling  lady  of  the  manor  in  a  huge  ruff, 
with  high-heeled  shoes  and  a  short  skirt,  coming  to  wel- 
come us  ;  and  behind  her  is  her  spouse,  the  hearty 
planter  himself.  He  is  a  commander,  and  head  of  a 
hundred,  so  he  wears  "  gold  on  his  clothes  "  as  the  law 
entitles  him  to  do  (1621),  —  others  are  forbidden  that. 
His  official  duties  are  responsible  ones.  They  are  to 
*'  see  that  all  such  orders  as  heretofore  have  been,  or 
hereafter  shall  be  given  by  the  Governor  and  Council, 
be  duly  executed  and  obeyed  "  in  the  hundred  which  he 
commands  (1624).  He  is  also  a  "  commissioner,"  or 
justice  of  the  peace,  to  determine  all  controversies  under 
the  value  of  one  hundred  pounds  of  tobacco.  Thus  the 
worthy  who  advances  to  meet  us  is  military  commander 
and  civil  magistrate,  executive  and  judge  of  the  little 
community  :  a  royalist  in  sentiment,  as  everybody  is,  a 
'^Church  of  England  man,  and  hearty  hater  of  things 
papistical  and  of  dissent. 

He  meets  us  with  friendly  smiles,  and  offers  us  the 
best  he  has  :  beef,  bacon,  a  brown  loaf,  Indian  corn- 
cakes,  strong  ale  and  strong  waters  —  there  is  no  tea  or 
coffee  as  yet.  A  pipe  of  tobacco  is  also  presented,  and 
you  are  requested  to  drink  it,  which  is  the  phrase  of  the 
time.  Sir  Walter  Raleigh,  you  are  informed,  drank  a 
pipe  before  his  execution.  This  Indian  weed  is  a  great 
solace.  The  proper  manner  of  preparing  and  using  it 
is  to  cut  it  upon  a  maple  log,  to  keep  it  in  a  "  lily  pot," 
which  is  a  jar  of  white  earth,  and  to  light  the  pipe 
with  a  splinter  of  juniper,  or,  if  you  prefer,  with  a 
coal  of  fire  in  a  pair  of  silver  tongs,  which  are  made 
for  the  purpose.  The  weed  has  had  its  enemies.  In 
his  "Counter-blast  to  Tobacco"  (1616),  which  is  lying 
yonder,  his  majesty  King  James  I.  writes  ;  "  Is  it  not 
10 


146      VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY   OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

tlie  greatest  sin  of  all  that  you  should  disable  yourself 
to  this  shameful  imbecility,  that  you  are  not  able  to 
ride  or  walk  the  journey  of  a  Jew's  Sabbath,  but  you 
must  have  a  reeky  coal  brought  you  from  the  next  pot- 
house, to  kindle  your  tobacco  with  !  "  But  kings  are 
not  infallible,  and  the  jus  divinum  gives  no  laws  to 
taste.  A  thousand  pounds  of  the  imbecility-producing 
weed  are  consumed  in  England  every  day  now,  and  iu 
one  year  (1619)  Virginia  sent  over  twenty  thousand 
pounds  of  it. 

If  you  will  tarry  with  him,  the  worthy  planter  tells 
you,  he  will  show  you  some  good  sport.  There  are 
plenty  of  bears,  deer,  and  wolves,  in  the  woods  of  the 
Blackwater  and  Chickahominy,  and  there  is  no  finer  di- 
vertisement  than  to  tie  a  live  wolf  to  your  horse's  tail, 
and  drag  him  at  full  gallop,  "  never  faltering  in  pace,'* 
until  he  is  dead.  There  is  little  danger  now  of  meeting 
Indian  enemies  in  the  woods ;  the  massacre,  following 
the  massacre,  has  quite  cowed  them,  and  the  bloody  on- 
slaught of  1622,  by  the  savages,  was  not  so  unfortunate, 
—  "  it  will  be  good  for  the  Plantation,, because  now  we 
have  just  cause  to  destroy  them  by  all  means  possible." 
They  ought  to  be  converted,  of  course,  if  practicable, 
and  made  members  of  the  Church  of  England  ;  and  that 
was  an  excellent  deed  of  Master  Gabriel  Barber,  one  of 
the  Company,  to  secretly  bestow  five  hundred  and  fifty 
pounds  sterling  for  the  purpose,  signing  his  name 
"  Dust  and  Ashes."  But  the  savas^es  are  hard  material. 
"  Though  many  have  endeavored  by  all  means  they 
could  by  kindness,  to  convert  them,  they  find  nothing 
from  them  but  derision  and  ridiculous  answers  ;  and  till 
their  priests  or  ancients  have  their  throats  cut,  there  is 
no  hope  to  bring  them  to  conversion"  (1621). 


OUTLINE   OF   VIRGINIA    UNDER  JAMES  I.     147 

As  to  these  new  African  people  with  their  sooty  faces, 
their  introduction  is  a  doubtful  good,  and  about  bujino- 
and  selling  people  there  is  a  difference  of  opinion.  At 
home,  in  England,  they  cry  out  against  it  and  go  on  en- 
couraging it.  There  are  "  many  complaints  against  the 
governors,  captains,  and  officers  in  Virginia,  for  buyino- 
and  selling  men  and  boys ; "  and  luring  them  to  Viro-inia 
is  "held  in  England  a  thing  intolerable"  (1620).  But 
then  the  hiring  goes  on,  and  the  home  rulers  are  goino- 
to  encourage,  nay,  take  open  part  in  this  new  African 
business,  —  and  afterwards  denounce  the  Virginia  slave- 
holders as  monsters. 

As  to  the  indented  servants,  no  one  can  find  fault 
with  that  system.  The  Company  sends  them  over,  and 
they  labor  for  a  term  of  years  to  repay  the  expense. 
So  the  Governor  is  to  have  one  hundred,  the  Deputy 
Governor  fifty,  the  Treasurer  the  same,  and  the  Mar- 
shal more,  which  pass,  at  the  end  of  their  terms  of  office, 
to  their  successors.  It  is  an  excellent  means  of  paying 
the  salaries  of  the  officials,  and  "  we  may  truly  say, 
in  Virginia,  we  are  the  happiest  people  in  the  world " 
(1620).  Why,  indeed,  should  we  not  be?  We  have 
"  a  country  that  may  have  the  prerogative  over  the  most 
pleasant  places  known,  for  large  and  pleasant  navigable 
rivers  ;  and  heaven  and  earth  never  agreed  better  to 
frame  a  place  for  man's  habitation."  The  colony  is 
now  firmly  established  ;  the  Church  of  England,  the 
only  true  worship  ;  we  are  ready  to  deal  summarily 
with  papists  and  the  dissenting  people  ;  law  and  order 
prevail,  and  every  freeman,  by  ancient  usage,  has  a 
voice  in  electing  the  Burgesses,  —  for  which,  Virginia 
House  of  Burgesses,  Heaven  be  thanked  !  How  did 
men  live   without   it  once?      They  were  mere   slaves 


148      VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

of  the  London  Council,  the  King,  and  the  people  sent 
out  as  Governors.  Now  these  gentlemen  know  their 
place.  If  they  attempt  to  obstruct  the  laws,  or  enact 
laws  of  their  own  for  the  colony,  they  will  do  it  at  their 
peril ;  not  his  majesty  himself  shall  invade  the  rights 
of  the  Virginians ! 

If  we  must  leave  him  the  worthy  commander  offers 
his  bar<re,  and  indented  or  black  servants,  to  row  us 
down  the  stream.  But  the  west  wind  will  waft  us  and 
we  continue  to  float  on  the  James,  watching  the  barges 
of  the  planters  shooting  to  and  fro,  driven  by  lusty  oar- 
strokes  between  the  landings.  These  are  officers  of  the 
government  and  are  rowed  by  their  indented  servants, 
who  "  ought  to  be  laboring  on  the  public  lands."  But 
then  Virginia  is  a  long  way  from  England,  and  their 
honors,  the  governors,  and  the  rest,  are  high  dignitaries 
who  are  not  to  be  meddled  with.  As  to  the  indented 
people,  they  are  little  to  be  considered.  They  are 
servants  who  have  no  voice  in  elections.  If  they  run 
away  they  will  soon  (1642)  be  whipped  and  branded 
with  the  letter  R  on  the  cheek,  signifying  their  offense. 
They  are  to  work  in  the  fields,  to  take  their  caps  off  to 
their  masters  ;  but  if  they  save  their  earnings  they  may 
become  landholders  at  the  expiration  of  their  term  ;  and 
tfieu  they  may  have  servants  of  their  own. 

The  stream  is  ruffled  into  silver  crests  by  the  west 
wind  as  we  pass  on  by  all  the  old  plantations  —  Berke- 
ley, where  Master  Thorpe  was  hacked  to  pieces  by  the 
savages,  and  where  a  President  of  the  United  States  will 
be  born  a  hundred  and  fifty  years  hence ;  by  Dale's 
plantation,  where  Captain  Butler,  the  author  of  the  li- 
bellous "  Unmasked  Face  of  Virginia,"  "  plundered  Lady 
Dale's  cattle ;  "  by  little  assemblages  of  manor-houses. 


OUTLINE  OF   VIRGINIA    UNDER  JAMES  /.     149 

all  defeDded  by  palisades,  which  dot  the  banks  of  the 
great  Virginia  highway.  Here  is  a  group  on  the  shore 
by  the  home  of  a  commander.  They  are  whipping  a 
man,  and  when  asked  what  has  been  his  offense,  the 
reply  is  grotesque.  He  has  "  engaged  himself  to  marry 
two  women  at  one  time ;  "  and  the  commander  is  in- 
flicting the  punishment  directed  by  Governor  Wyat's 
proclamation  for  that  offense.  The  said  proclamation 
includes  women  in  the  class  of  offenders  —  is  even 
chiefly  aimed  at  them  and  their  doings.  It  "  forbids 
them  to  contract  themselves  to  two  several  men  at  one 
time  ; "  for  women  are  "  yet  scarce  and  in  much  re- 
quest, and  this  offense  has  become  very  common,  where- 
by great  disquiet  arose  between  parties,  and  no  small 
trouble  to  the  government."  Therefore  it  must  cease, 
and  "  every  minister  should  give  notice  in  his  church 
that  what  man  or  woman  soever  should  use  any  word 
or  speech  tending  to  a  contract  of  marriage  to  two  sev- 
eral persons  at  one  time  ....  as  might  entangle  or 
breed  scruples  in  their  consciences,  should  for  such  their 
offense,  either  undergo  corporal  correction,  or  be  pun- 
ished by  fine  or  otherwise,  according  to  the  quality  of 
the  person  so  offending." 

Thus  the  law  is  duly  proclaimed,  and  offenders  are  to 
take  warning  not  to  cause  disquiet,  or  trouble  to  the 
government  in  that  manner,  on  penalty  of  being  fined 
or  chastised  —  man  or  woman.  But  proper  distinctions 
are  to  be  observed  in  inflicting  the  penalty.  If  persons 
of  "  quality  "  indulge  in  this  dangerous  amusement,  they 
are  only  to  be  fined ;  all  others  are  to  be  corporally  cor- 
rected with  good  lashes  on  the  back.  It  ought  to  be 
added  that  there  is  no  proof  whatever  that  any  Virginia 
"  maid "  was  ever  thus  corporally  corrected  ;   and,   in 


150      VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

fact,  the  probability  is  that  his  excellency's  proclama- 
tion was  suddenly  extinguished  by  a  burst  of  Olympian 
laughter. 

Before  us,  as  we  continue  to  descend  the  James,  are 
Martin-Brandon  and  other  plantations,  and  the  settle- 
ments along  the  Chickahominy,  up  which  Smith  went 
in  his  barge  in  the  ancient  times.  A  party  of  horse- 
men are  winding  along  the  bank  and  disappearing  in 
the  woods.  They  are  armed  with  swords  and  firelocks, 
and  wear  "armor,"  which  is  generally  used.  It  is  a 
"  coat  of  mail "  of  some  tough  material,  made  in  Lon- 
don, and  sufficient  to  turn  an  arrow,  even  a  bullet, 
perhaps.  And  the  horsemen  may  need  protection. 
They  are  going  in  obedience  to  the  law  of  the  Bur- 
gesses (1624),  to  "fall  on  their  adjoining  savages  as 
we  did  the  last  year "  —  those  "  hurt  upon  service  to 
be  cured  at  the  public  charge,"  and  the  lamed  to  "  be 
maintained  by  the  country  according  to  his  jDcrson  and 
quality."  This  warlike  proceeding  of  harrying  the 
savages  is  absolutely  necessary.  They  are  still  danger- 
ous foes,  and  the  law  directs  "  that  every  dwelling-house 
shall  be  palisaded  in  for  defense  against  the  Indians  .  .  . 
that  no  man  go  or  send  abroad  without  a  sufficient  party 
well  armed  .  .  .  and  that  men  go  not  to  work  in  the 
ground  without  their  arms,  and  a  sentinel  upon  them." 
The  danger  of  indulging  a  sense  of  security  was  seen  in 
1622,  and  that  ought  to  teach  a  lesson. 

Now,  all  such  plottings  are  to  be  summarily  crushed. 
The  Virginians  are  to  "go  three  several  marches  on 
the  Indians  at  three  several  times  of  the  year  :  first 
in  November,  secondly  in  March,  thirdly  in  July,  and 
to  do  all  manner  of  spoil  and  offense  to  the  Indians  that 
may  possibly  be  effected  "  —  from  "  Weanocke  to  fflow- 


OUTLINE   OF    VIRGINIA    UNDER  JAMES  I.     151 

erdieu  Hundred,  down  to  Warosquoyacke  and  Nansa- \ 
miuige;  thence  to   Elizabeth   Cittie,  Warwicke   River, 
Niitmegg  Quarter,  and  Accawmacke  ;  thence  to  Kisky- 
acke,  and  places  adjoining  in  Pamunky  and  the  rivers 
of  Chesepeyacke  "  —  once  in  summer  and  once  "  before 
the  frost^ol,  Christmas  "  (1629).      If  we  go  with  the 
party  of  Indian  hunters  toward  Orapax,  where   Pow- 
hatan is  buried,  we  shall  see  them  harry  the   Chicka- 
hominies,  hear  volleys  in  the  woods,  and  witness  an  onset 
near  Cold  Harbour  ending  in  an  Indian  rout.     Then 
the  party  will  come  back  home  to  their  anxious  fami- 
lies, and  the  country  will  take  care  that  "  those  of  the 
poorer  sort"  who  are  "lamed"  are  cured  in  the  Guest 
Houses  at  the  expense  of  the  public. 

The  low  wave-beaten  island  of  Jamestown  now  ap- 
pears, with  two  or  three  white-sailed  ships  lying  in  front 
of  it,  and  another  slowly  approaching,  a  mere  speck  as 
yet,  from  the  direction  of  the  home  land.     The  capital 
is  a  group  of  wooden  houses,  defended  by  a  palisade 
and  cannon,  above  which  rises  the  church  with  its  two 
bells.     In  this  church,  for  want  of  a  State  House,  sits 
the  worshipful  House  of  Burgesses.     As  we  draw  near 
the  famous  island  the  long  wash  of  the  waves  seems  to 
bring  back  the  old  days  when  Smith  and  the  first  ad- 
venturers landed  and  slept  for  months  under  the  boughs 
of  trees  —  when  that  good  soldier  cannonaded  the  mu- 
tineers, and  the  terrible  fever  wasted  the  remnant,  and 
the  long  tragedy  of  the  first  years  was  enacted.     All  is 
now  changed.     In  place  of   the  roughly  clad  soldier 
going  in  his  boat  to  explore  the  Chickahominy,  we  see 
commanders  in  gold-laced  clothes  passing  up  and  down 
in  their  gay  barges  ;  and  the  ferry  yonder  is  bringing 
a  Burgess  and^his  horse  over  to  the  capital.    The  Imrdy 


152      VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

adventurer  of  the  early  time  is  growing  gray  far  off  in 
London,  and  his  cotemporaries  have^'nearly  forgotten 
him,  but  this  Virginia  plantation  is  "  built  onjjis  founda- 
tion." 

If  we  land  and  enter  James  Cittie,  as  they  call  it 
now,  we  shall  h-ave  an  opportunity  of  seeing  the  wor- 
shipful Burgesses  in  session.  They  are  assembled  in 
the  old  church,  with  its  cedar  pews  and  chancel,  and 
the  bells  above  to  summon  them  if  they  disobey  the 
drum-beat.  Yonder  is  the  choir  where  my  lord  De  la 
Warre  used  to  sit  in  his  velvet  chair,  with  the  kneeling- 
cushion  near  it ;  and  in  front  of  the  chancel  Pocahontas 
was  married  to  Master  Rolfe.  Now  the  Burgesses  hold 
their  meetings  here ;  but  it  wounds  their  good  Church 
of  England  consciences  thus  to  profane  the  sacred  edi- 
fice. They  will  soon  pass  a  law  (1624)  that  in  every 
plantation  where  the  people  meet  to  worship  there  shall 
be  "  a  house  or  room  sequestered  for  that  purpose,  and 
not  to  be  for  any  temporal  use  whatsoever." 

As  we  enter,  the  Burgesses  are  in  full  session  —  a 
miniature  parliament  of  about  twenty  members  ;  bluff 
planters  in  silk  coats  who  have  come  to  James  Cittie  in 
their  sail-boats  or  on  horseback,  with  valises  strapped 
behind  their  saddles.  The  Governor  and  Council  sit  in 
the  choir  —  worshipful  personages  brilliant  with  gold 
lace  —  with  the  Speaker,  Clerk,  and  Sergeant-at-Arms 
facing  them  and  the  Assembly.  There  is  very  little  talk 
and  no  filibustering  whatever.  These  ruddy  farmers 
have  come  to  transact  business,  and  they  mean  to  do 
their  duty  as  promptly  as  possible  and  go  back  to  their 
plantations.  They  decree  with  one  voice  (1624)  "  That 
the  Governor  shall  not  lay  any  taxes  or  ^impositions, 
upon   the  colony,   their  lands  or  comodities,  otherway 


OUTLINE   OF  VIRGINIA   UNDER  JAMES  1.     153 

than  hy  the  authority  of  the  General  Assembly,  to  be 
levjed  and  ymployed  as  the  said  Assembly  sha'll  ap- 
poynt ; "  and  this  is  the  spirit  of  the  Virginia  Burgesses 
from  the  earliest  times  to  the  Revolution.  Then  other 
laws  follow.  No  man  in  any  parish  shall  "  dispose  of 
any  of  his  tobacco  before  the  minister  he  satisfied"  The 
proclamations  "  for  swearing  and  drunkenness  are  con- 
firmed by  this  Assembly."  And  "  for  scandalous  speeches 
against  the  Governor  and  Council,  Daniel  Cugley  shall 
be  sentenced  to  be  pilloryd;"  but  he  will  be  pardoned 
that  he  may  go  and  sin  no  more. 

.  The  pillory  is  an  institution.  It  is  good  that  vile 
offenders  against  the  law  or  the  respect  due  to  digni- 
taries should  have  arms  and  head  held  by  it  and  be 
jeered  at  by  the  passers-by.  Often  after  this  public 
exposure  the  criminal  has  his  ears  cut  off.  Edward 
Sharpless,  clerk  of  the  Council,  is  now  (1624)  con- 
demned to  suffer  that  punishment.  His  crime  is  that  he 
has  furnished  Master  John  Pory,  of  the  King's  com- 
mission, with  a  copy  of  the  public  records  after  the 
Assembly  has  resolutely  refused  to  produce  the  orig- 
inals. The  punishment  is  inflicted  in  part  only.  He 
stands  in  the  pillory  for  a  season,  is  taken  away  to 
jail,  and  issues  thence  with  one  ear  and  a  half,  and  so 
that  ends. 

From  this  historic  James  Cittie.  which  the  Virgrinians 
will  at  length  grow  tired  of,  preferring  Williamsburg 
for  a  capital,  we  float  on  the  ever-widening  stream  past 
the  forts,  the  hundreds,  the  lingering  Indian  wigwams, 
across  the  bay  to  Dale's  Gift,  where  Cape  Charles, 
named  from  unfortunate  Charles  I.,  pushes  its  prow 
into  the  Atlantic.  This  is  the  ocean  entrance  to  the 
Mother  of  Waters,  where  Smith  and   his  men  in  the 


154     VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

barge  parted  with  the  Phasoix  ;  and  the  adjacent  islands 
still  bear  his  name.  They  are  making  salt  here,  as  in 
other  places  they  are  '*  trying  glass,"  and  attempting 
the  manufacture  of  silk,  which  the  Virginians  believe  is 
going  to  become  a  source  of  untold  wealth  to  them. 

Crossing  the  Chesapeake,  homeward  again,  we  pass 
the  village  of  the  "  laughing  king  of  Accomac,"  go 
by  Clieskiac,  near  the  present  Yorktown,  and  ascend 
the  York  to  Werowocomoco,  where  the  Emperor  used 
to  live.  The  glories  of  the  chief  place  of  council  have 
departed.  Ichabod  is  written  on  its  hearth-stones,  if  it 
ever  had  any ;  on  the  famous  "  Powhatan's  Chimney," 
and  the  mysterious  shrine  of  Uttamussac,  standing  once 
on  its  sand  hills,  by  which  the  braves  darted  in  their 
canoes,  dropping  copper  into  the  stream,  to  propitiate 
the  "  One  Alone,  called  Kiwassa,"  their  terrible  deity. 
Emperor  Powhatan  is  gathered  to  his  fathers  and  sleeps 
at  Orapax,  but  his  successor,  Opechancanough,  is  still 
the  lord  of  this  country,  and  is  going  to  assert  his  rights. 
He  is  probably  somewhere  in  the  vicinity  of  Machot,  at 
the  head  of  the  river,  but  to  visit  him  would  be  an  im- 
prudence. Bonfires  have  not  gone  out  of  fashion,  and 
cords  between  trees  are  still  ready  to  hold  scalps.  There 
is  little  hope  of  succor  in  this  remote  region  of  the  York. 
It  is  still  the  nest  of  the  imperial  regime,  and  the  Vir- 
ginians have  unpleasant  associations  with  it.  A  few 
adventurous  explorers,  however,  have  pushed  into  the 
country  and  gone  on  toward  the  Potomac.  Traveling 
northward,  we  should  come  on  "  forts "  well  defended 
by  palisades,  behind  which,  and  looking  through  loop- 
holes, keen-eyed  hunter-traders,  rifle  in  hand,  live  on 
the  watch.  The  life  is  dangerous,  but  that  is  an  attrac- 
tion, as  it  will  continue  to  be,  centuries  afterwards,  on 


OUTLINE  OF  VIRGINIA    UNDER  JAMES  I.     155 

the  slopes  of  the  Rocky  Mountains.  Love  of  gold  and 
the  wild  side  of  life  are  strong  passions. 

Passing  from  the  head  of  York  across  the  upper 
Chickahominy,  back  to  the  Falls,  now  Richmond,  we 
have  had  a  glimpse,  at  least,  of  what  was  then  Virginia. 
A  little  society  huddled  together  in  the  peninsula  be- 
tween the  James  and  York ;  dependencies  reaching  into 
the  wilds  ;  on  the  rivers  gold-laced  commanders  rowed 
swiftly  by  indented  servants  ;  on  the  outposts  pioneers 
watching  against  attack  ;  everywhere  strong  contrasts  of 
white,  red,  and  black ;  the  society  composite  but  harmo- 
nious ;  the  Church  of  England  the  only  religion,  though 
dissenters  will  soon  intrude  ;  the  test  oath  against  pa- 
pacy demanded  of  every  new-comer  and  official ;  the 
Assembly  protesting  against  the  claim  of  the  Governor 
to  tax  them  by  proclamation ;  men  in  armor  going  to 
harry  the  Indian  settlements  in  spring  and  autumn  ; 
public  officials  losing  their  ears  ;  double  engagements 
between  men  and  maids  punished  with  fine  or  whipping, 
—  this  is  the  queer  old  society  which  we  have  looked  at. 
The  whole  is  English  in  warp  and  woof.  These  Vir- 
ginians of  the  early  time  read  English  books,  wear 
English  clothes,  eat  from  English  plates  with  English 
knives  and  forks,  and  follow  England  in  all  things. 
Their  church  is  the  Church  of  England  ;  the  Governor 
is  the  representative  of  the  King  of  England  ;  his  Coun- 
cil is  the  English  House  of  Lords,  and  the  Burgesses 
the  English  Parliament. 

But  if  socially  aristocratic,  the  small  society  is  polit- 
ically republican.  The  ancient  usage  holds,  that  "  all 
freemen  "  shall  have  a  voice  in  elections.  The  Virgin- 
ians recognize  the  great  truth  that  the  gold  lace  is  only 
the  guinea  stamp,  —  the  manhood  of  the  free  citizen  is 


156      VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

the  real  gold.  Thus,  in  this  new  society  which  is  going 
to  be  denounced  as  an  "  aristocracy,"  all  free  men  are 
equally  entitled  to  say  who  shall  be  the  law-makers, 
and  what  shall  be  the  law.  Socially  they  are  unequal, 
but  it  is  the  business  of  each  to  see  to  that.  Brains 
and  enerofy  are  free  to  hew  out  the  pathway  to  fortune. 
The  man  who  serves  the  colony  shall  have  two  thou- 
sand acres  of  good  land.  Let  him  build  his  house,  plow 
the  soil,  husband  his  revenue,  purchase  servants,  roll  in 
his  coach,  sit  in  the  Burgesses  —  the  way  is  open. 

In  this  old  Virginia  of  the  days  of  James  I.,  the  pe- 
dantic King,  there  are  few  institutes  of  learning.  The 
"  University  "  of  the  City  of  Henricus  is  in  fact  the 
only  one  in  operation.  Any  culture  which  the  Virgin- 
ians have  they  brought  with  them  from  England,  or 
will  obtain  from  their  parents  or  the  minister  of  the 
parish.  The  planters  have  good  books  and  read  them, 
but  few  of  them  essay  literary  composition.  They  are 
much  fonder  of  the  pursuits  of  agriculture  and  the  man- 
agement of  public  affairs ;  the  tongue  and  sword  are 
more  popular  instruments  than  the  pen.  This  arises 
from  their  isolated  country  life  and  the  absence  of  at- 
trition. Except  Jamestown  and  the  City  of  Henricus, 
there  are  no  towns  in  Virginia.  The  planters,  dislike 
them.  Have  they  not  their  warehouses  at  the  wharves 
on  the  rivers,  approached  by  long  shaky  trestle-works, 
running  out  to  unload  or  load  the  ships  ?  These  ships 
take  away  their  tobacco  to  London,  and  bring  them  back 
every  article  of  convenience  or  luxury.  That  is  enough  ; 
towns  are  useless  ;  they  are  even  hateful  inventions ; 
men  jostle  against  each  other  in  streets  ;  the  freedom  of 
life  is  lost ;  it  is  much  better  to  live  on  a  great  planta- 
tion and  be  monarch  of  all.     In  other  words,  the  Virgin- 


OUTLINE   OF   VIRGINIA    UNDER  JAMES  I.     157 

ian  of  this  time,  and  of  all  times,  guards  his  separate 
individuality,  and  has  the  English  passion  for  landed 
possessions,  and  the  personal  rule  of  the  territorial  lord. 
The  old  historian  Beverley  described  the  people  in  his 
day  as  "  not  minding  anything  but  to  be  masters  of 
great  tracts  of  land  —  lords  of  vast  territory."  To  coop 
up  such  men  in  towns  is  to  do  violence  to  their  instincts. 
So  the  worshipful  House  of  Burgesses  may  create  towns 
and  cities  on  paper  if  they  choose  ;  they  will  have  a 
hard  time  getting  themselves  established. 

This  is  an  outline  of  that  old  race  and  time,  as  the 
records  paint  it.  With  all  its  faults  it  is  picturesque 
and  attractive.  It  has  its  ugly  traits,  intolerance  in  re- 
ligion, class-pride,  and  strong  prejudices ;  but  it  has  also 
the  virtues  of  kindness  and  courage,  of  simplicity,  good- 
faith,  and  hospitality.  The  Virginians  have  been  cen- 
sured as  men  of  impulse  and  a  restive  pride.  Let  the 
other  side  be  seen  too.  Under  the  pride  and  impulse 
were  endurance,  moderation,  and  dignity  in  the  day  of 
calamity.  If  this  is  doubted,  the  history  of  the  people 
since  the  year  1865  ought  to  show  its  justice. 

The  rapid  likeness  here  drawn  of  the  Virginians  dur- 
ing the  Plantation  period  will  serve  for  their  portrait 
during  the  rest  of  the  century.  Growth  followed,  not 
change.  They  were  simply  a  society  of  Englishmen,  of 
the  age  of  Shakesf)eare,  taken  out  of  England,  and  set 
down  in  Virginia.  There  they  worked  out  the  problem 
of  living  under  new  conditions.  But  they  were  English- 
men still,  with  the  vices  and  virtues  of  the  original  stock, 
and  Virginia  was  essentially  what  it  has  been  styled, 
a  continuation  of  England. 


II.    THE   COLONY. 
I. 

THE   NEW   ERA. 

With  the  death  of  James  I.  Virginia  enters  on  a 
new  era.  The  struggling  plantation  has  become  a  pros- 
perous colony.  The  "  hundreds  "  clustering  along  the 
rivers  are  giving  way  to  "  shires "  and  "  counties." 
Better  than  all  other  things,  the  land  has  now  its 
Constitution  for  a  Council  of  State  and  General  As- 
semhly.  His  Majesty  Charles  I.  is  soq|i  going  to  greet 
his  "  trusty  and  well-beloved  Burgesses  of  the  Grand 
Assembly  of  Virginia,"  having  something  to  gain  from 
them ;  and  the  trusty  Burgesses  are  thenceforth  officially 
recognized  as  a  branch  of  the  government. 

Thus  an  enormous  change  had  come.  In  all  the  past 
years  a  few  Englishmen  had  been  struggling  to  obtain 
a  foot-hold  in  the  new  land,  under  many  and  great  dis- 
couragements :  discouragements  of  physical  conditions, 
for  they  were  not  yet  acclimated,  and  fevers  wasted 
them ;  of  a  conflict  of  authority,  for  there  was  no  sure 
knowledge  how  they  were  to  be  ruled ;  of  Indian  on- 
slaughts, threatening  the  very  life  of  the  colony.  Men's 
minds  were  thus  unsettled,  and  they  knew  not  what 
would  be  the  end  of  all  this  turmoil.  Fearful  of  the 
present,  doubtful  of  the  future,  for  a  long  time  without 
wife  or  child  or  the  humanizing  influences  of  home,  these 


THE  NEW  ERA.  159 

men  were  not  laying  the  foundations  of  a  new  common- 
wealth after  the  right  fashion.  They  were  wrano-lino- 
in  Virginia  and  longing  for  old  England  again,  and  that 
was  the  worst  of  all  signs  for  the  future. 

Now  all  this  had  passed  away.  The  old  days  when 
the  turbulent  factions  fought  at  Jamestown  had  gone 
into  oblivion.  The  issue  of  the  Virginia  business  no 
longer  depended  on  the  courage  and  ability  of  one  man, 
hampered  by  ignorant  or  worthless  superiors.  The 
wrangle  was  over,  and  the  furious  combatants  were 
quiet  at  last.  Peace  had  come  and  stable  rule,  fol- 
lowed by  tlie  blessed  boon  of  virtual  free  government ; 
and  the  little  band  of  adventurers,  without  home  ties, 
and  ruled  by  masters  three  thousand  miles  away,  had 
become  a  society  of  honest  husbands  and  fathers,  gov- 
erned by  laws  made  by  their  own  representatives  in 
their  own  capital  of  Jamestown. 

The  change  was  uusiieakable,  and  the  new  era  was 
otherwise  in  vivid  contrast  with  the  old.  The  political 
passions  which  had  been  smouldering  under  the  surface 
in  all  the  years  of  the  past  reign  gathered  hour  by  hour 
a  fiercer  heat.  With  the  reign  of  Charles  I.  begins  the 
definite  conflict  between  the  jus  divinum  and  popular  • 
right,  which,  dividing  England  into  two  great  factions, 
necessarily  extended  its  influence  to  America.  In  the 
New  England  colonies,  by  this  time  established,  the 
people  sided  generally  with  the  opponents  of  Church 
and  King ;  but  in  the  South  public  sentiment  was  very 
different.  "  Whole  for  monarchy  "  was  the  phrase  in 
which  a  writer  of  the  time  described  Virginia  ;  but  the 
description  was  only  roughly  accurate.  Men's  minds 
were  divided  in  Virginia,  as  they  were  divided  in  Eng- 
land.    "  Cavaliers  "  as  the  great  majority  of  the  people 


160     VIRGINIA:   A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE.    . 

were,  a  considerable  minority  sympathized  with  the 
Commonwealth  when  it  came.  As  the  muttering  of 
the  English  storm  swept  across  the  Atlantic,  the  hearts 
of  men  were  stirred.  In  the  rising  tide  the  old  land- 
marks of  opinion  began  to  totter.  The  new  ideas  found 
advocates  even  in  strait-laced  Virginia,  and  the  friends 
of  the  new  order  of  things,  elsewhere,  sought  to  cheer 
on  the  work.  This  narrative  will  show  the  persistent 
effort  made  to  establish  dissent  in  the  colony  of  Vir- 
ginia. Puritan  New  England,  sympathizing  with  the 
Roundheads,  will  send  her  j^astors  to  Church  of  Eng- 
land Virginia,  sympathizing  with  the  King ;  dissenters 
and  churchmen  will  come  ta  hot  quarrel ;  and  the  odium 
theologicum  will  add  a  new  venom  to  political  hatred. 

As  the  days  pass  on,  the  great  change  in  public  senti- 
ment becomes  clearly  defined.  Everywhere  under  the 
events  is  the  fermentation  of  new  ideas.  The  old  and 
new  seem  in  conflict,  but  are  really  in  harmony.  The 
colony  is  firm  for  monarchy,  but  fiercely  jealous  of  its 
rights.  In  defense  of  them  it  will  depose  the  King's 
Governor,  and  train  cannon  on  the  Commonwealth's 
ships.  The  historians  will  not  see  what  this  means, 
though  it  seems  they  might.  Their  attention  is  con- 
centrated on  the  singular  question.  Was  Virginia  "Cav- 
alier "  or  not  ?  Each  paints  those  former  Virginians 
from  his  own  point  of  view.  The  shield  is  silver  or  it 
is  gold  as  they  look  at  it  from  opposite  sides.  The 
Virginians  were  Cavaliers  ;  they  were  not  Cavaliers  at 
all.  They  were  Roundheads  to  a  man  ;  there  were 
no  Roundheads  among  them.  They  were  passionate 
royalists  and  churchmen ;  see  how  they  defied  the 
Commonwealth  and  persecuted  the  dissenters !  They 
were  republicans  and  king-haters ;  see  how  they  fought 


THE  NEW  ERA.  161 

for  free  government,  and  were  ever  wrangling  with 
James  and  Charles,  or  the  viceroys  who  represented 
them!  One  writer,  excellent  Dr.  Hawks,  laboriously 
establishes  what  is  evident,  —  that  the  Cavalier  element 
was  dominant.  Another,  worthy  Mr.  Grigsby,  grows 
angry  at  the  very  intimation,  and  exclaims,  "  The  Cav- 
alier was  essentially  a  slave,  a  compound  slave,  a  slave 
to  the  Kins  and  a  slave  to  the  Church.  I  look  with 
contempt  on  the  miserable  figment  which  seeks  to 
trace  the  distinguishing  points  of  the  Virginia  charac- 
ter to  the  influence  of  those  butterflies  of  the  British 
aristocracy." 

So  the  wrangle  goes  on,  and  yet  there  seems  to  be 
really  nothing  to  wrangle  about.  The  Virginians  were 
simply  English  people  living  in  America,  who  were  re- 
solved to  have  their  rights.  They  were  Cavaliers  if  the 
word  meant  royalists  and  adherents  of  the  Church  of 
England.  They  would  defend  King  and  Church  —  the 
one  from  his  enemies,  and  the  other  from  dissent  and 
popery  ;  but  they  meant  to  defend  themselves  too,  —  to 
take  up  arms  against  either  King  or  Commonwealth,  if 
that  was  necessary  to  protect  their  rights.  It  is  essen- 
tial to  keep  this  fact  in  view,  if  the  reader  wishes  to 
understand  the  history  of  the  people  at  this  period  and 
in  all  periods.  Jealousy  of  right  went  before  all.  The 
dusty  records,  often  so  obscure  and  complicated  with 
small  events,  clearly  demonstrate  that  the  Virginians 
were  ready  to  make  war  on  the  monarchy  and  Parlia- 
ment alike  if  they  were  oppressed.  An  incident  about  to 
be  related  will  show  the  feeling  in  the  reign  of  Charles  I., 
and  Bacon's  rebellion  in  the  next  generation  will  paint 
the  Virginians  of  the  time  of  Charles  II.  They  levied 
war  on  his  Majesty  as  the  English  people  had  done  on  his 
11 


162     VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

father,  and  the  Virghiia  revolution  of  1676  was  nearly 
an  exact  repetition  of  the  English  revolution  of  1640. 

Such  was  the  central  political  idea  and  attitude  to- 
ward England  of  the  Virginians  at  the  beginning  of  the 
reign  of  Charles  I.  Kingsmen  and  churchmen,  they 
had  a  profound  respect  for  Church  and  King ;  but  their 
own  rights  also  must  be  respected.  On  that  point  the 
passionate  jealousy  never  slept,  and  from  this  rooted 
sentiment  resulted,  as  the  years  went  on,  the  long  an- 
tagonism, the  incessant  protests,  and  the  steady  develop- 
ment of  republican  ideas,  which  a  century  and  a  half  aft- 
erwards culminated  in  the  American  Revolution.  Out 
of  that  rose  the  Republic;  but  the  ponderous  corner- 
stone had  been  laid  five  generations  before. 


II. 

THE    THRUSTING    OUT    OF    SIR   JOHN    HARVEY. 

For  many  years  now,  Virginia  is  full  of  commotion. 
Events  and  personages  crowd  each  other,  pushing  to 
the  front  and  demanding  attention,  but  few  deserve  it. 
A  great  writer  has  said  that  the  history  of  a  prince  is 
not  an  account  of  all  that  he  has  performed,  but  of  all 
that  is  worthy  of  being  transmitted  to  posterity.  It  is 
not  desirable  to  study  a  mere  jumble  of  unimportant 
events.  The  mind  becomes  submerged  in  these  minute 
details,  and  all  historic  perspective  is  lost.  The  pic- 
ture which  should  have  its  foreground  and  background 
becomes  a  flat  canvas  —  a  mere  conglomeration  of 
discordant  trifles,  which  thrust  themselves  upon  the  at- 
tention  and  fatally  weary  it.  A  bookful  of  events  is 
not  a  history,  any  more  than  a  wagon-load  of  building 


THE  THRUSTING  OUT  OF  SIR  JOHN  HARVEY.     163 

material  is  a  house.  The  work  of  building  remains, 
with  such  art  as  the  artisan  possesses,  and  it  is  certain 
that  there  is  a  proper  position  for  each  part  of  the  ma- 
terial. 

What  we  stumble  over  in  the  dusty  Virginia  records, 
and  find  neither  profitable  nor  entertaining,  are  the  old 
local  and  temporary  antagonisms  :  the  wrangles  about 
tobacco  monopolies  ;  the  jarring  discussions  as  to  land- 
patents  ;  the  announcement  that,  this  or  that  honorable 
is  appointed  to  this  or  that  ofiice,  and  dies  in  this  or 
that  year.  It  is  not  exciting,  and  does  not  expand  the 
mind.  The  trivial  details  have  no  interest.  A  multi- 
tude of  small  events  rise  like  rockets,  explode,  and  dis- 
appear, leaving  no  traces.  The  figures  of  governors 
come  and  go  in  long  procession ;  they  play  their  parts, 
and  make  their  exits,  and  are  forgotten.  What  they 
perform  is  unimportant  and  may  as  well  remain  unre- 
corded. Life  is  too  short  to  read  all  that.  Only  the 
personages  and  events  rising  to  prominence  are  worthy 
of  notice. 

One  such  specially  prominent  event  of  the  time  ar- 
rests attention,  but,  before  coming  to  it,  another  of 
lesser  importance  will  be  glanced  at.  About  1G25,  for 
the  exact  date  is  lost,  and  the  occurrence  is  "  veiled  in 
singular  obscurity" — Governor  Francis  Wyat  fought 
a  battle  with  the  Indians.  The  only  authority  is  the 
historian  Burk,  who  quotes  his  "  Ancient  MSS." — 
three  folio  volumes  of  historical  papers  collected  by 
the  Earl  of  Southampton,  and  purchased  by  Colonel 
Byrd  of  Westover.  What  may  be  seen  through  the 
"  obscurity  "  is  briefly  this  :  Opitchapan,  brother  of  Pow- 
hatan (we  hear  nothing  of  Opechancanough),  marched 
on  the  Virginians,  or  they  marched  on  him,  and  a  com- 


164      VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

bat  followed.  The  Indian  force  was  "  eight  hundred 
bowmen,"  and  "VYyat  commanded  the  Virginians  in  per- 
son. The  fight  took  jDlace  on  the  York  or  Pamunkey, 
and  sixteen  Virginians  were  killed ;  but  the  Indians 
were  routed  and  pursued  into  the  woods ;  whereupon 
Governor  Wyat  went  back  to  Jamestown.  This  is  all 
that  we  know  of  that  old  transaction.  The  Virginians 
thought  their  history  unimportant,  —  they  think  so  still, 
—  and  rarely  printed  anything.  But  for  the  Earl  of 
Southampton,  who  interested  himself  in  so  trifiiug  a 
subject  as  the  history  of  Virginia,  and  the  master  of 
Westover,  who  thought  bis  descendants  might  like  to 
know  something  of  it,  the  "  singular  obscurity  "  veiling 
Wyat's  battle  would  be  black  darkness. 

The  procession  of  rulers  now  begins  and  goes  on  its 
way.  Francis  Wyat  sails  for  England,  and  mild  George 
Yeardley  resumes  authority.  When  he  dies,  as  he  soon 
does  (1627),  he  is  followed  by  Francis  West,  brother  of 
Lord  Delaware,  who  gives  way  in  turn  (1628)  to  his 
Excellency  John  Pott,  who  is  either  a  doctor  of  laws 
or  of  medicine.  His  rule  is  brief  and  uneventful,  but 
his  name  will  live.  He  was  tried  for  cattle-stealing 
after  bis  term  had  expired  (1630),  and  fought  his  foes 
to  the  last.  He  attempted  to  prove  one  of  the  wit- 
nesses against  him  "  an  hypocrite,  by  a  story  of  Gus- 
man  of  Alfrach,  the  rogue,"  says  the  chronicle.  But 
the  court  was  deaf  to  his  oratory  and  literary  illustra- 
tions. In  the  words  of  an  amiable  historian,  "  we  note 
with  surprise  and  pain  "  that  the  thirteen  jurors  found 
him  guilty;  and  the  question  of  his  punishment  was 
referred  to  his  majesty  in  England.  What  resulted  we 
are  not  informed,  but  "  Dr.  Pott  "  takes  his  place  in 
history. 


THE  THRUSTING  OUT  OF  SIR  JOHN  HARVEY.     165 

In  the  year  1629,  comes  Sir  John  Harvey,  who  is 
worth  more  attention.  He  was  heartily  execrated  by 
the  Virginians,  whom  he  fleeced  like  so  many  sheep  ; 
and  what  followed  is  the  most  significant  event  in  the 
history  of  Virginia  during  the  first  half  of  the  century. 
The  portrait  of  Governor  Harvey  is  accurately  drawn 
in  the  words  of  one  of  the  historians  :  he  was  "  extor- 
tionate, unjust,  and  arbitrary  ;  issued  proclamations  in 
derogation  of  the  legislative  powers  of  the  Assembly  ; 
disbursed  the  Colonial  revenues  without  check  or  respon- 
sibility ;  and  multiplied  penalties  and  exactments  and 
appropriated  fines  to  his  own  use."  Of  his  personal 
deportment  Beverley  says  "  he  was  so  haughty  aud  furi- 
ous to  the  Council  and  the  best  gentlemen  of  the  coun- 
try, that  his  tyranny  grew  at  last  insupportable." 

The  picture  is  sufficiently  black  to  explain  the  sudden 
collision  which  now  took  place ;  but  historians  groping 
about  in  the  obscurity  have  guessed  at  other  causes. 
The  discussion  rests  with  them  on  the  question.  What 
were  Harvey's  real  political  tendencies?  In  the  fa- 
mous Maryland  imbroglio,  soon  to  be  noticed,  was  he 
the  friend  of  Baltimore,  or  of  Clay  borne  ?  The  mys- 
tery seems  no  mystery. 

Sir  John  Harvey  not  only  insulted  everybody  and 
put  the  public  revenues  into  his  own  pocket,  which  was 
exasperating,  but  he  put  his  hands  into  the  pockets  of 
the  Virginia  planters  individually.  He  was  mastered 
by  the  greed  of  gold.  He  granted  lands  to  all  comers, 
for  a  consideration  ;  and  many  of  these  grants  covered 
tracts  belonging  to  individual  planters.  It  was  not  to  be 
expected  that  people  like  the  Virginians  would  submit 
to  that.  They  did  not;  on  the  contrary  they  rose  in 
revolution. 


166      VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

Scarcely  more  than  a  liue  is  given  to  what  followed, 
in  the  old  archives ;  a  chance- discovered  leaf  is  all  that 
records  it.  All  we  know  is  this  :  An  Assembly  was 
called  —  it  is  not  said  by  whom  —  to  "  hear  complaints 
ao^ainst  the  Governor,"  and  this  was  to  meet  in  May 
(1635).  But  swift  action  preceded  it.  Toward  the  end 
of  April  the  Virginians  grew  weary  of  their  miniature 
Charles  I.  The  Council  met,  and  this  is  the  brief  record 
of  what  ensued :  — 

"  On  the  28th  of  April,  1635,  Sr.  John  Harvey 
thrust  out  of  his  government,  and  Capt.  John  West 
acts  as  Governor  till  the  King's  pleasure  known." 

As  to  the  manner  in  which  Sir  John  received  the 
notification  of  this  action,  in  his  executive  mansion  at 
Jamestown,  we  have  no  information.  Probably  with 
scowls  and  improper  expressions,  together  with  threats 
of  certain  consequences  which  would  fall  on  the  traitors 
who  thus  insolently  defied  the  King  by  "  thrusting  out " 
his  representative.  He  would  go  to  England  and  make 
formal  complaint  to  his  majesty  ;  and  in  this  the  As- 
sembly, which  promptly  met,  acquiesced.  They  would 
also  send  their  own  representatives  with  the  evidence 
of  his  Honor's  wrono^-doinors. 

Both  Governor  and  witnesses  went,  and  Harvey  laid 
the  case  before  Charles  I.  The  Kins  did  not  hesitate 
for  a  moment.  To  "  thrust  out "  his  representative  was 
regarded,  as  Sir  John  had  predicted,  in  the  light  of  open 
rebellion.  Only  one  crime  could  be  greater :  to  thrust 
his  own  royal  self  from  the  throne  of  England,  which 
followed  a  few  years  afterwards.  The  King  even  re- 
fused to  admit  the  Virginia  commissioners  to  an  audi- 
ence. He  dismissed  the  whole  inquiry,  and  ordered 
Sir  John  Harvey  to  go  back  and  resume  his  post  of 
Governor. 


THE  PURITANS.  167 

This  is  the  fullest  statement  now  possible  of  the  fa- 
mous old  occurrence  —  "the  thrusting  out  of  Sir  John 
Harvey."  It  was  a  miniature  deposition  of  royalty,  and 
foretold  what  was  coming  on  English  soil.  The  only 
difference  lay  in  the  fact  that  there  was  a  power  too 
strong  for  the  Virginians.  They  were  obliged  to  take 
back  their  hard  ruler,  and  make  the  best  of  a  bad 
business.  But  still  the  incident  had  its  results.  The 
times  were  plainly  growing  dangerous  in  all  parts  of 
his  majesty's  dominions,  and  Harvey  was  soon  removed. 
Sir  Francis  Wyat,  who  had  returned  to  Virginia,  was 
made  Governor,  and  ruled  for  two  years,  when  one  of 
the  most  conspicuous  figures  of  Virginia  history  ap- 
peared upon  the  stage. 

This  was  Sir  William  Berkeley.  His  appearance  was 
another  proof  that  the  unsettled  Plantation  period  was 
finally  at  an  end.  The  procession  of  rulers  stops,  and 
for  more  than  thirty  years  this  one  figure  stands  in  the 
foreground  of  Virginia  history. 


III. 

THE    PURITANS. 

Let  us  look  at  these  people  who  have  just  deposed 
Sir  John  Harvey.  They  and  the  country  are  changing 
outwardly,  but  remain  essentially  the  same.  The  old 
commanders  of  hundreds  are  replaced  now  by  lieuten- 
ants of  shires  ;  the  commissioners,  by  justices  of  the 
peace,  who  hold  monthly  courts ;  and  at  Jamestown, 
four  times  yearly,  sits  the  great  General  Court,  consist- 
ing of  the  Governor  and  the  Council,  to  hear  appeals. 

There  are  eight  "shires"  in  Virginia  now  (1634)  : 


168       VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

James  City,  Henrico,  Charles  City,  Elizabeth  City, 
Warwick  River,  Warrosquoyake,  Charles  River,  and 
Accawmacke.  Over  each  of  these  is  placed  a  "  Lieu- 
tenant, the  same  as  in  England,  to  take  care  of  the 
war  airainst  Indians."  For  no  one  knows  when  these 
wild  people,  lurking  in  the  woods  beyond  the  York,  will 
be  seized  with  another  madness,  to  rise  and  butcher 
the  white  people.  They  are  not  yet  gone  ;  and  re- 
semble "  the  wolves,  which  do  haunt  and  frequent  the 
plantations,"  which  everybody  is  to  be  rewarded  for 
putting  to  death  (1646).  Opechancanough  is  still 
alive,  though  he  is  nearly  a  hundred  years  old  now,  and 
he  is  a  man  of  ability.  If  the  lieutenants  of  shires  do 
not  keep  watch  he  will  some  day  fall  suddenly  on  the 
remote,  perhaps  the  near  settlements  of  thp  colony,  and 
put  all  to  death. 

But  at  present  there  seems  to  be  no  danger  of  that. 
The  whole  land  is  in  repose.  The  indented  servants 
and  slaves  are  working  on  the  great  estates,  which  are 
strictly  entailed  on  the  eldest  son,  by  the  good  old  Eng- 
lish law ;  certain  artisans  are  busy  trying  experiments 
in  making  glass ;  vine-growing  is  in  progress,  with  a 
view  to  Virginia  wine  ;  and  the  rivers  are  full  of  ships 
which  sail  tranquilly  to  and  fro,  bringing  all  that  is 
needed  by  the  peaceful  little  society.  The  country  is 
beautiful,  the  climate  charming,  and  there  are  no  jars  in 
the  social  machinery.  Everybody  knows  his  place,  and 
there  are  no  schools  or  printing  to  make  poor  people 
"  dissatisfied."  It  is  true  that  there  is  some  difference 
of  opinion,  even  upon  a  subject  so  very  plain  ;  and  a 
large-hearted  man  has  endowed  a  free  school,^  but  this 

1  Benjamin  Sym,  who,  in  1G34,  devises  U\o  hundred  acres  of  h\nd 
on  the  Pocoson  River,  with  the  mills,  and  increase  of  eight  milch  cows, 


TEE  PURITANS.  169 

is  a  notable  exception.  There  are  a  few  "  old  field- 
schools,"  log  huts  in  the  fields  or  woods,  and  these  rural 
academies  are  going  to  educate  some  of  the  greatest  men 
of  North  America.  But  the  only  liberal  education  open 
to  all  is  the  teaching  and  catechizing  by  ministers  of 
the  Church. 

These  ministers  have  onerous  duties,  and  are  not  suf- 
ficiently considered  by  the  Virginians.  There  is  a  great 
"  scarcity  of  pastors,"  and  some  of  the  "  cures  "  extend 
over  fifty  miles  ;  but  every  Sunday  they  must  "  preach 
in  the  forenoon  and  catechize  in  the  afternoon  ;  "  and 
they  must  not  "  give  themselves  to  excess  in  drinking, 
or  riot,  playing  at  dice,  cards,  or  any  unlawful  game, 
but  at  all  times  convenient,  hear  or  read  somewhat  of 
the  Holy  S.criptures,  always  doing  the  things  which 
shall  appertain  to  honesty"  (16o2).  Thus  the  clergy 
are  regulated  by  law,  and  the  people  shall  also  do  what 
appertains  to  honesty  and  good  behavior.  Henry  Cole- 
man shall  be  "  excommunicated  for  forty  days,  for  using 
scornful  speeches  and  putting  on  his  hat  in  church,  when, 
according  to  an  order  of  court,  he  was  to  acknowledge, 
and  ask  forgiveness  for  an  offense  "   (1634). 

As  to  conformity  and  "  uniformity  "  in  church  wor- 
ship, that  has  been  settled  for  a  long  time  ;  the  whole 
colony  of  Virginia  is  to  conform  "  both  in  canons  and 
constitution,  to  the  Church  of  England,  as  near  as  may 
be"  (1624-32).  And  when  the  hard  times  come  in 
England,  the  last  Wednesday  in  every  month  is  to  be 

"  for  the  maintenance  of  a  learned  honest  man,  to  keep  upon  the  said 
ground  a  Free  School  for  the  education  and  instruction  of  the  children 
of  the  adjoining  parishes  of  Elizabeth  City,  and  Kiquotan  from  Mary's 
Mount,  downward  to  the  Pocoson  Riv^er."  There  had  been  but  one  • 
other  before  this,  the  "East  India  School,"  begun  in  1G21,  and  the 
first  in  America,  but  the  massacre  paralyzed  it.     This  one  lived. 


170      VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

"  set  apart  for  a  day  of  fasting  and  humiliation,  and 
wholly  dedicated  to  prayers  and  preaching  "  (1645),  lest 
the  Roundhead  people  overthrow  the  Church  and  King. 
They  hold  riot  now  in  England,  but  steps  have  been 
taken,  sometime  since,  to  exclude  these  factionists  and 
the  hated  papists  from  the  "  Kingdom  of  Virginia." 
They  are  not  to  defile  the  soil.  T^he  commander  of  the 
fort  at  Point  Comfort,  on  the  arrival  of  any  ship,  shall 
go  on  board,  take  a  list  of  the  passengers,  "  and  ad- 
minister to  them  the  oath  of  supremacy  and  allegiance, 
which  if  any  shall  refuse  to  take,  that  he  commit  him 
to  imprisonment"  (1632),  to  be  dealt  with  thereafter  as 
the  authorities  shall  determine,  —  most  likely  ordered  to 
depart  as  unfit  for  the  time  and  place. 

The  planters  live  tranquilly  on  their  large  estates 
along  the  banks  of  the  river  ;  entertain  friends  or  stran- 
gers, sit  as  magistrates,  and  choose  their  Burgesses,  — 
every  free  man  voting.  For  they  still  have  their 
"  Grand  Assembly."  There  is  a  hiatus  in  the  records, 
and  the  body  disappears  from  view  from  the  year  1623 
to  the  year  1628.  But  the  provincial  archives  were 
often  lost,  as  in  the  case  of  those  recording  the  proceed- 
ings of  the  old  first  Assembly  of  1619,  which  were 
only  discovered  by  accident.  From  this  time  forward 
we  have  the  records,  and  we  may  see  the  provincial 
Parliament  meeting  "  at  divine  service  in  the  roome 
where  they  sitt,  at  the  third  beatinge  of  the  drum,  an 
hower  after  sunrise,  at  James  Citty."  Those  not  pres- 
ent at  prayers,  are  to  be  fined  one  shilling ;  if  they  do 
not  attend  later,  they  are  to  pay  two  shillings  and  six- 
pence ;  and  if  they  appear  not  at  all,  they  are  to  be 
"fined  by  the  whole  bodie  of  the  Assembly  "  (1632), 
They  are  informally,  soon  to  be  formally,  recognized  by 


THE  PURITANS.  171 

his  Majesty,  the  King.  At  the  beginning  of  his  reign, 
Charles  I.  had  announced  his  intention  of  governing 
Virginia  personally,  as  his  father  had  done  before  him. 
But  this  decision  he  reconsidered.  In  1628,  he  wished 
to  monopolize  the  Virginia  tobacco,  and  wrote  to  the 
Governor  and  Council  proposing  that  arrangement,  to 
consider  which,  a  "  General  Assembly  "  was  to  be  sum- 
moned, —  but  they  were  not  included  in  the  superscrip- 
tion of  the  missive.  Nevertheless,  "  the  Governor  and 
Councell  with  the  Burgesses  of  the  severall  plantations  " 
replied  to  the  King  (March  26,  1628).  They  protested 
against  the  tobacco  monopoly,  and  refused  their  sanc- 
tion, when  no  more  is  heard  of  it. 

These  collisions  with  the  royal  Governors  and  the 
King's  Majesty  himself  produce  little  disturbance  in  the 
daily  lives  of  the  i)lanters.  They  go  about  on  horse- 
back, over  the  bad  country  roads,  attending  to  their  af- 
fairs, or  making  journeys,  —  except  on  Sundays,  when 
"  no  person,  or  persons,  shall  take  a  voyage  uppon  the 
same,  except  it  be  to  church,  or  for  some  other  causes 
of  extreme  necessitie  "  (1643)  ;  or  they  are  rowed  in 
barges,  or  sail  in  "  sloops,"  to  and  from  the  capital,  — 
passing  the  time  in  gay  talk,  or  grumbling,  after  the 
English  fashion,  at  this  or  that  grievance.  They  are 
chiefly  solicitous  about  the  tobacco  crop,  but  take  time 
to  indulge  in  denunciation  of  Governor  Harvey,  who  is 
granting  away  their  lands  ;  at  the  Papists  who  persist  in 
evading  the  laws  against  them ;  and  at  the  Puritan  peo- 
ple who  have  come  to  create  disturbance  in  the  colony. 

These  Puritans,  the  planters  say,  are  as  bad  as  the 
Papists,  and  there  are  too  many  of  them  in  Virginia. 
In  fact  they  begin  to  constitute  a  real  element  in  the 
population.     The  first  came  in   1619,  and  the  Daniel 


172      VIRGINIA:  A  niSTORT  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

Gookin,  who  bravely  defended  his  house  at  "  Mary's 
Mount "  during  the  Indian  massacre,  was  doubtless  a 
Puritan.  His  son  of  the  same  name  was ;  he  was 
driven  away  from  Virginia  for  non-conformity ;  went 
to  Boston,  where  he  became  a  man  of  distinction  ;  and 
thence  to  England,  where  he  consulted  with  Oliver 
Cromwell,  and  no  doubt  gave  a  very  bad  character  to 
the  Virginians.  In  these  years  the  Puritan  people  are 
struggling  to  gain  a  foothold.  They  will  insist  on  in- 
truding themselves  on  the  good  old  cavaliers  of  the 
good  old  cavalier  colony  of  Virginia.  Why  are  they 
not  satisfied  with  their  country  of  New  England  ? 
They  have  been  notified  that  their  presence  in  Vir- 
ginia is  not  desired.  The  pioneers  of  1619  were  to 
have  been  followed  by  a  large  body,  but  his  Grace  the 
Archbishop  of  Canterbury  had  very  properly  induced  his 
Majesty  to  issue  his  proclamation  against  them.  The 
first  comers  had  obstinately  remained  in  spite  of  their 
ill  welcome;  and  now  (1642)  in  response  to  the  peti- 
tion of  these  Virginia  dissenters,  the  Puritan  city  of 
Boston  sends  a  supply  of  "  pastors  "  to  Virginia.  They 
come  with  letters  of  recommendation  to  the  Honorable 
Governor,  Sir  William  Berkeley,  and  are  preaching  in 
all  parts  of  the  colony  to  numbers  of  people  who  fiock 
to  hear  them.  Nevertheless  they  are  not  to  be  toler- 
ated. In  the  next  year  (1643),  the  Assembly  will  de- 
cree that  "  for  the  preservation  of  the  purity  of  doctrine 
and  unity  of  the  church,  all  ministers  whatsoever  which 
shall  reside  in  the  colony,  are  to  he  conformable  to  the 
orders  and  constitutio7is  of  the  Church  of  England  and 
the  laws  therein  established,  and  not  otherwise  to  be 
admitted  to  teach  or  preach  publicly  or  privately ;  and 
that  the  Governor  and   Council  do  take  care  that  all 


THE  PURITANS.  173 

non-conformists  upon  notice  to  them  shall  he  compelled  to 
depart  out  of  the  colony  with  all  convenience.^^ 

This  fulmination  the  Church  of  England  Virginians 
hoped  would  extinguish  the  heresy  and  heretics.  The 
law  was  rigidly  enforced.  The  dissenters,  or  "  Inde- 
pendents," as  they  styled  themselves,  had  a  large  con- 
gregation, probably  in  Nansemond  ;  and  said  that  in 
Virginia  "one  thousand  of  the  people  were,  by  con- 
jecture, of  a  similar  mind."  If  this  conjecture  was 
correct,  about  seven  per  cent,  of  the  people  sympa- 
thized with  dissent.  But  the  pastors  had  to  go  ;  their 
enemies  were  too  strong  for  them.  Some  were  fined, 
others  imprisoned ;  nearly  all  were  driven  out  of 
the  colony  and  retired  to  Maryland  or  New  England  ; 
and  that  was  the  end  of  dissent  for  the  time  in  Vir- 
ginia. 

Why  waste  time  in  comment  ?  That  frightful  intol- 
erance will  no  doubt  shock  the  Virginians  of  to-day  who 
read  of  it.  It  is  a  very  old  story,  which  the  writer  of 
history  has  ever  to  repeat.  That  age  scarcely  knew  the 
meaning  of  the  word  tolerance  ;  scarce  anywhere  did 
anybody  practice  it  —  Catholic  Maryland  was  nearly  its 
only  refuge.  The  Virginia  adherents  of  Monarchy  and 
Episcopacy  fought  the  "Independents"  who  came  to 
their  soil,  just  as  the  Independents  of  New  England 
fought  the  Church  of  England  people  there.  It  was  all 
wretchedly  narrow  and  shallow,  of  course,  and  we  won- 
der at  it  to-day,  seeing  clearly,  now,  that  religious  free- 
dom is  the  corner-stone  not  only  of  good  government, 
but  of  society ;  that  without  it  the  state  grows  gangrened 
and  all  progress  stops.  But  the  old-time  Virginians 
would  not  or  could  not  see  that,  —  then  or  for  long 
years  afterwards. 


174      VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

Would  the  reader  like  to  see  what  they  decreed  even 
in  the  next  century,  when  one  might  have  fancied  that 
''  enlit^-htenment  had  come  ?  "  The  new  thunder  was 
not  aimed  at  the  old  Puritans  now,  but  at  themselves. 
"  If  any  person  brought  up  in  the  Christian  religion," 
said  the  Burgesses  (1705),  "shall  by  writing,  printing, 
teaching  or  advised  speaking  deny  the  being  of  a  God 
or  the  Holy  Trinity^  or  shall  assert  or  maintain  that  there 
ore  more  Gods  than  one,  or  shall  deny  the  Christian  re- 
ligion to  he  true,  or  the  holy  Scripfures  of  the  Old  and 
New  Testament  to  he  of  divine  authority,^''  such  person 
or  persons  should  be  "  disabled  in  law  to  hold  any  office 
or  employment,  ecclesiastical,  civil,  or  military."  And 
if  a  second  time  tried  and  convicted,  the  atheists,  pan- 
theists, evolutionists,  agnostics,  or  infidels  should  be  out- 
lawed ;  should  not  sue  for  their  rights  in  any  court ; 
or  be  guardians  or  executors  ;  or  execute  any  deeds  or 
make  any  wills ;  and  should  "  suffer  three  years'  imprison- 
ment loithout  hail  or  iJiainpriseJ'  The  friends  of  the 
development  and  other  theories  are  fortunate  in  living 
in  the  nineteenth  century.  Skepticism  was  not  in  vogue 
in  those  old  days  of  the  Virginia  colony,  and  Mr.  Mill, 
Mr.  Darwin,  Mr.  Spencer  and  their  disciples  would 
have  had  a  hard  time  of  it. 

So  the  former  Virginians  could  not  bear  the  Puritan 
intruders  —  to  return  to  the  earlier  times.  They  perse- 
cuted them  without  mercy,  and  would  have  them  go  to 
prison,  or  out  of  the  country.  These  honest  people 
thought  that  it  was  their  duty  to  check  the  spread  of 
a  creed  which  they  believed  to  be  false ;  that  the  true 
faith  and  worship  were  so  unspeakably  important  that 
they  ought  to  be  protected  by  force.  That  pernicious 
stuff  deceived  the  first  minds  of  the  time,  not  only  in 


THE  PURITANS.  175 

Virginia,  but  everywhere.  But  even  if  there  had  been 
the  least  semblance  of  truth  in  it,  it  never  attained  its 
end.  Dissent  only  grew  more  embittered  and  struck  its 
roots  deeper,  since  persecution  fertilizes. 

But  in  things  evil  there  is  often  the  good  motive 
stirring  beneath.  Disgust  at  this  black  poison  of  in- 
tolerance ought  not  to  blind  us  to  what  it  sprung  from. 
Here,  as  in  New  England,  it  was  the  rank  outgrowth  as 
of  noxious  weeds  from  a  strong  soil  of  faith.  These 
men  at  least  believed.  Life,  which  in  this  weary  world 
of  to-day  is  so  vain  a  thing  to  many  —  a  flitting  gleam 
fading  away  into  ever-deepening  shadow  —  was  an  earn- 
est affair  to  the  men  of  that  century.  They  were  not 
half  believers  or  no  believers  at  all,  with  the  "sick 
hurry,  the  divided  aims  and  the  strange  disease  of  mod- 
ern life"  as  the  modern  poet  sings.  They  were  very 
far,  indeed,  from  that.  The  flying  mists  and  primor- 
dial germs  gave  them  no  trouble.  Languid  or  fierce 
doubt  never  disturbed  them.  They  believed  with  all 
their  might,  these  intolerant  ancestors  of  the  tolerant 
men  of  to-day  who  believe  in  nothing.  The  vast  and 
wretched  blunder,  and  all  the  sin  and  folly  of  forcing 
their  faith  on  other  people,  are  now  plain.  But  look- 
ing at  the  world  of  this  nineteenth  century  when  Faith, 
the  white  maid,  is  laughed  at  in  the  market-place,  one 
is  tempted  to  envy  the  epoch  when  men  fought  for  her, 
and  committed  crime  for  love  of  her. 


176      VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

IV. 
CLATBOKNE,    "THE    EEBEL." 

Thus  these  excellent  narrow-minded  Virginians,  of 
the  seventeenth  century,  followed  the  wont  of  their  con- 
temporaries, putting  those  who  differed  with  them  in 
jail,  or  ordering  them  to  go  out  of  the  country;  and  it 
was  not  the  Puritan  dissenters  only  who  fell  under 
their  displeasure.  They  were  even  more  severe  on  the 
unlucky  Roman  Catholics,  and  had  already  seized  the 
occasion,  a  little  while  before,  to  show  their  rooted  aver- 
sion for  things  papistical. 

Sir  George  Calvert,  Baron  Baltimore,  a  popish  recu- 
sant of  high  character,  came  to  Virginia  in  1630,  with 
the  object  of  looking  at  the  country  and  securing  a  re- 
treat for  the  free  exercise  of  his  religion.  He  was  not 
a  bigot,  just  the  opposite  in  fact,  and  his  enterprise  was 
not  an  unworthy  one.  Obloquy  and  persecution  were 
the  lot  of  Roman  Catholics  in  England,  and  the  worthy 
Baron  came  to  Virginia,  as  the  Pilgrim  settlers  came  to 
Massachusetts,  —  to  live  in  peace.  But  he  found  only 
enemies  in  Virginia,  as  in  England.  As  soon  as  his  ship 
entered  the  capes,  a  stir  ran  through  the  colony.  How 
he  succeeded  in  passing  that  watch-dog,  the  "  Captain 
of  the  Fort,"  at  Point  Comfort,  without  taking  the  oath 
of  supremacy,  is  not  explained  in  the  archives  ;  but  he 
did  pass  by  safely,  without  being  brought  to  by  the 
thunder  of  cannon,  and  arrived  at  Jamestown. 

Here  he  found  the  Assembly  sitting,  but  they  gave 
him  scant  welcome.  The  same  stubborn  spirit  of  intol- 
erance met  him,  which  afterwards  drove  away  the  Purl- 


CLAYBORNE,   ''TEE  REBEL.''  177 

tan  dissenters.  The  Assembly  required  him  to  take  the 
oath  of  allegiance  and  supremacy,  which  he  naturally 
declined  to  do,  and  a  disgraceful  scene  followed.  A 
crowd  had  assembled,  and  fierce  opposition  was  shown 
to  the  Baron's  further  tarrying  at  Jamestown.  A  man 
insulted  and  threatened  him,  but  at  this  treatment  of  a 
guest,  the  Virginians  suddenly  revolted.  The  records  tell 
us  what  followed:  "March  25,  1630, Thomas  Tindall  to 
be  pilloried  two  hours,  for  giving  my  Lord  Baltimore  the 
lie  and  threatening  to  hnoch  him  down.''^  It  was  the  pen- 
dant of  that  other  decree  of  the  Burgesses  (1640),  that 
Stephen  Reekes  should  be  pilloried,  fined,  and  impris- 
oned, for  uttering  the  puritanic  scoff,  that  "  His  Majesty 
was  at  confession  with  the  Lord  of  Canterbury,"  Arch- 
bishop Laud.  There  was  thus  no  doubt  at  all  about  the 
religious  sentiments  of  the  Virginians.  Papists  were  to 
be  given  the  lie,  and  good  citizens  ought  to  knock  them 
down.  Some  L'ishmen  had  just  been  banished  to  the 
West  Indies,  for  professing  the  Romish  faith,  and  now 
the  presence  of  his  Roman  Catholic  Lordship  was  really 
too  much.  The  Assembly  might  jjut  them  in  the  pillory 
for  insulting  and  threatening  him  ;  but  he  had  warning. 
There  was  some  reason,  on  other  grounds,  for  not 
welcoming  the  good  Baron  Baltimore  very  warmly. 
He  had  come  to  explore  Virginia  with  the  view  of  pos- 
sessing himself  of  a  part  of  it.  After  his  Jamestown 
experience,  he  sailed  up  Chesapeake  Bay,  found  the 
country  attractive,  and  returning  to  England  obtained 
from  the  King  a  grant  of  the  territory,  now  the  State  of 
Maryland.  He  died  in  London  soon  afterwards,  but 
the  patent  was  confirmed  to  his  son  Cecilius,  the  second 
Lord  Baltimore ;  and  Cecilius  sent  out  his  brother 
Leonard  Calvert  (1634)  with  twenty  "gentlemen"  and 


178      VIRGINIA:  A  IlISTOF  ■  IE  PEOPLE. 

two  or  three  hundred  "  laborers  "  who  founded  a  Ro- 
man Catholic  colony  on  the  banks  of  the  Chesapeake, 
and  named  it  Maryland  after  "  Queen  Mary,"  as  the 
Cavaliers  called  Queen  Henrietta  Maria. 

Trouble  followed.  The  Virginians  cried  out  that  the 
Maryland  grant  was  an  invasion  of  their  vested  rights 
under  their  charter.  It  was  impracticable  to  declare 
war  on  the  King  and  drive  out  the  intruders  ;  but  when 
a  great  public  sentiment  moves  a  people,  leaders  are 
ready.  There  was  living  at  the  time,  in  Virginia,  a 
certain  gentleman  named  William  Clayborne,  a  man 
of  resolute  temper  and  great  ability.  That  is  the  true 
portrait  of  the  famous  "  Rebel "  who  now  grew  so 
prominent ;  and  it  would  be  amusing,  if  it  were  not  so 
tiresome,  to  read  all  the  caricatures  of  the  worthy  his- 
torians who  have  professed  to  draw  his  likeness.  In 
the  eyes  of  Mr.  Burk,  he  is  "  an  unprincipled  incendi- 
ary, and  an  execrable  villain  ;  "  in  the  estimation  of 
Mr.  Howison,  "  a  turbulent  character  who  was  captured, 
brought  to  trial,  and  found  guilty  on  the  grave  charges 
of  murder  and  sedition ;  "  and  even  worthy  Dr.  Hawks 
calls  him  "  a  felon-convict  who  had  escaped  from  justice 
in  Maryland  during  the  reign  of  Charles  I." 

It  will  probably  surprise  the  reader  to  hear  that  this 
felon-convict,  found  guilty  of  murder,  piracy,  and  other 
crimes,  was  a  prominent  gentleman  of  the  King's  Coun- 
cil, "  Secretary  of  State  of  this  Kingdom  "  of  Virginia, 
and  the  owner  of  land  in  Maryland,  by  indubitable  pat- 
ent from  King  Charles  L,  addressed  (1631)  to  "our 
trusty  and  well-beloved  William  Clayborne "  of  our 
Council  in  Virginia.  Not  to  busy  ourselves  further 
with  the  historians,  this  William  Clayborne  was  a  gen- 
tleman of  position,  a  man  of  energy,  with  strong  pas- 


CLAYBORNE,    ''THE  REBEL.''  179 

sions,  thought  himself  wronged,  and  never  rested  in 
harrying  his  enemies.  Under  the  King's  patent  he 
made  a  settlement  on  Kent  Island  in  the  Chesapeake, 
opposite  the  present  city  of  Annapolis,  "  with  a  band," 
says  a  modern  writer ;  but  the  object  of  the  band  was 
simply  to  trade  with  the  Indians.  The  band  must  have 
been  numerous,  since  this  "  Isle  of  Kent "  speedily 
(1632)  sent  a  Burgess  to  the  Virginia  Assembly.  But 
suddenly  arose  misunderstandings  between  the  resolute 
"  Rebel "  and  Leonard  Calvert.  The  Rebel  must  go 
away  from  Kent  Island ;  it  •was  part  of  Maryland. 
True,  "  the  right  of  his  Lordship's  patent  was  yet  un- 
determined in  England,"  —  but  the  Rebel  must  go 
away. 

Clayborne  resisted.  He  was  in  his  right,  he  said. 
He  was  on  Virginia  territory  by  the  King's  patent,  the 
owner  of  Kent  Island,  and  he  meant  to  stay  there.  He 
would  also  sail  to  and  fro  in  his  trading-ship,  the  Long- 
tail,  to  traffic  with  the  Indians  ;  if  he  was  attacked  he 
would  defend  himself.  The  moment  came  that  was 
to  decide  matters.  Leonard  Calvert  suddenly  seized 
the  Longtail,  and  Clayborne  sent  a  swift  pinnace  with 
fourteen  fighting  men  to  recapture  her.  A  battle  fol- 
lowed in  the  Potomac  River  (1634).  Two  Maryland 
pinnaces  came  to  meet  Clayborne's  ;  sudden  musket- 
shots  rattled  ;  three  of  his  men  were  killed,  and  the 
Calvert  fleet  went  back  in  triumph,  with  the  captured 
Kent  Island  pinnace,  and  the  remnant  of  its  crew,  to 
St.  Mary's,  the  Maryland  capital. 

Thus  the  fates  had  frowned  on  the  Rebel.  He  was 
driven  from  Kent  Island,  and  escaped  to  Virginia,  but 
Sir  John  Harvey  refused  to  surrender  him.  Then  he 
went  to  England  ;  and  it  was  during  his  absence  there, 


180      VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

that  he  was  indicted  and  tried,  on  the  very  "  grave 
charges  "  indeed,  of  murder  and  piracy,  by  Calvert,  and 
became  a  rebel  and  felon-convict. 

This  is  the  first  act  of  the  drama  of  Clayborne  the 
Rebel ;  the  second  will  not  take  up  much  space ;  and 
the  third  and  last  will  be  reserved  for  its  proper  place 
in  this  narrative.  This  was  the  second  :  the  energetic 
rebel  improved  his  stay  in  England.  He  so  arranged 
matters  there,  that  his  Majesty  warned  Cecilius,  Lord 
Baltimore  (1638),  that  "William  Clayborne  and  other 
planters  in  Kentish  Island,  should  in  no  sort  be  inter- 
rupted by  you,  or  any  other  in  your  right,  but  rather 
encouraged  to  proceed  in  so  good  a  work."  His  Maj- 
esty is  a  little  irate.  His  Lordship's  people  have  "  slain 
three  of  our  subjects  there  "  (in  the  fight  of  the  pin- 
naces), "  and  by  force  possessed  themselves,  by  night, 
of  that  (Kent)  Island,"  —  all  which  sounds  very  much 
as  if  the  Rebel  were  standing  behind  his  Majesty,  and 
prompting  him.  But  the  rosy  dreams  of  Clayborne 
were  as  suddenly  dispelled.  In  the  very  next  year  the 
Lords  Commissioners  of  Plantations  decide  point-blank 
against  his  claims  ;  and  he  is  back  in  Virginia  nursing 
his  wrath  to  keep  it  warm.  Calvert  is  in  possession 
of  Maryland,  but  his  enemy  is  dangerous.  The  times 
in  England  are  out  of  joint,  and  there  is  little  leisure 
there  to  think  of  the  far  colonies.  Also,  Berkeley, 
the  Virginia  Governor,  has  gone  to  see  the  King,  and 
Clayborne  suddenly  strikes  at  Calvert.  At  the  head 
of  a  band  of  "insurgents,"  he  attacks  Maryland  (1645), 
drives  out  Leonard  Calvert,  seizes  the  government  of  the 
province,  and  is  lord  and  master  —  for  a  time.  Calvert 
flies  to  Virginia,  a  poor  viceroy  without  a  kingdom ;  but 
again  the  scenes  shift.    Governor  Berkeley  has  returned, 


CLAYBORNE,    "THE  REBEL."  181 

and  sides  with  Calvert  against  Clayborne.  Calvert  goes 
back  to  Maryland,  and  violently  expels  the  Rebel  Clay- 
borne  :  and  here,  as  we  are  told,  "  this  singular  contest 
ended,"  —  at  least  for  the  time. 

These  incidents  have  been  dwelt  on  in  some  detail. 
If  this  "  singular  contest "  had  been  simply  the  struggle 
of  one  man  against  his  enemies,  for  profit  or  revenge, 
the  subject  would  not  be  worth  so  much  notice.  The 
important  fact  is,  that,  under  the  surface,  was  the  bitter 
antagonism  between  the  Maryland  Roman  Catholics 
and  the  Puritan  refugees  from  Virginia.  The  political 
passions  and  agitations  of  that  time  were  bad  enough, 
but  the  religious  hatreds  were  far  worse.  Never  was 
social  fabric  established  on  a  larger  or  more  liberal 
foundation  than  that  of  Maryland.  All  sects  were  pro- 
tected, and  the  very  oath  of  the  Governor  was  :  "  I  will 
not,  by  myself,  or  any  other,  directly  or  indirectly,  mo- 
lest any  person  professing  to  believe  in  Jesus  Ghrist,for 
or  in  respect  of  religion^  This  had  naturally  attracted 
the  Puritans,  both  of  New  England  and  Virginia ;  and 
their  first  act  in  Maryland  was  to  come  to  blows  with 
their  hosts.  It  was  natural,  if  not  commendable.  In 
England  the  non-conformists  were  attacking  the  Estab- 
lishment and  the  King.  In  Maryland  they  were  attack- 
ing Popery  and  Calvert,  the  King's  friend. 

The  explanation  of  Clayborne's  success  in  his  "singu- 
lar contest "  with  the  Marylanders,  was  simply  the  fact 
that  he  had  become  the  leader  of  the  Puritan  party,  and 
wielded  its  full  power.  He  made  religious  hatred  the 
instrument  of  his  private  vengeance ;  and  whether 
"  rebel "  as  his  enemies  called  him,  or  not,  was  a  far- 
sighted  leader.  His  adversaries  had  triumphed  for  the 
moment,  but  he  was  not  at  all  disheartened.     Far  from 


182      VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

yielding,  he  was  to  nurse  his  enmity  and  reappear  in 
due  time  as  one  of  the  Parliamentary  Commissioners  to 
receive  the  surrender  of  Virginia  ;  then  to  set  out  once 
more,  in  the  bustling  times  of  the  Commonwealth,  for 
Maryland,  thirsting  for  vengeance  for  his  lost  pinnace 
and  his  Kent  Island. 

V. 

THE    LAST    EMPEROR. 

Sir  William  Berkeley  came  to  Virginia  in  1642  — 
the  era  of  convulsions.  He  was  thenceforth  for  about 
thirty-five  years,  with  short  intermissions,  to  be  the 
chief  Virginia  actor.  His  personnel  and  character  are 
thus  interesting. 

He  was  at  this  time  about  forty,  and  a  man  of  charm- 
ing manners.  His  politeness  was  j^roverbial,  and  de- 
lighted the  Virginians,  who  had  a  weakness  for  courtli- 
ness. He  belonged  to  an  ancient  English  family ; 
believed  in  monarchy,  as  a  devotee  believes  in  his 
saint;  and  brought  to  the  little  capital  at  Jamestown 
all  the  graces,  amenities,  and  well-bred  ways  which  at 
that  time  were  articles  of  faith  with  the  Cavaliers.  He 
was  certainly  a  Cavalier  of  cavaliers,  taking  that  word 
to  signify  an  adherent  of  monarchy  and  the  Established 
Church.  YoY  these,  this  smiling  gentleman,  with  his 
easy  and  friendly  air,  was  going  to  fight  like  a  tiger  or 
a  ruffian.  The  glove  was  of  velvet,  but  under  it  was 
the  iron  hand  which  would  fall  inexorably  alike  on  the 
New, England  Puritans  and  the  followers  of  Bacon. 
He  had  the  courage  of  his  convictions,  as  such  men 
generally  have.  Banishment  for  dissenters  ;  shot  and  the 
halter  for  rebels ;  that  was  his  theory  of  right.     In  the 


THE  LAST  EMPEROR.  183 

nature  of  things  such  people  deserved  swift  and  bloody 
punishment,  and  Berkeley  inflicted  it  without  pity. 
For  the  rest,  he  was  a  man  of  culture,  with  a  fondness 
for  literary  composition.  He  wrote  a  "  Discourse  and 
View  of  Virginia,"  and  Pepys  saw  his  tragi-comedy, 
"  The  Lost  Lady,"  acted  in  London.  Thus  the  Cavalier 
ruler  was  an  author  also. 

He  lived  at  "  Greenspring,"  an  estate  of  about  a  thou- 
sand acres,  not  far  from  Jamestown.  Here  he  had  plate, 
servants,  carriages,  seventy  horses,  and  fifteen  hundred 
apple-trees,  besides  apricots,  peaches,  pears,  quinces, 
and '•  mellicottons."  When  afterwards,  in  the  stormy 
times,  the  poor  Cavaliers  flocked  to  Virginia  to  find  a 
place  of  refuge,  he  entertained  them  after  a  royal  fash- 
ion in  this  Greenspring  manor-house.  As  to  tlie  Vir- 
ginians, they  were  all  welcome,  so  that  they  did  not 
belong  to  the  Lidependents,  haters  of  Church  and  King. 
The  "  true  men  "  he  received  gladly,  welcoming  them 
with  courtly  smiles,  bowing  low  in  silk  and  lace  ;  and 
the  portly  planter,  us  much  an  "aristocrat"  perhaps  as 
himself,  would  be  ushered  in  and  feasted  ;  and  over  the 
canary  there  would  be  vituperation  of  the  enemies  of 
his  Majesty  and  the  Cliurch,  which  the  malignants  were 
even  now  seeking  to  overthrow. 

He  was  not  at  all  a  small  or  mean  man,  this  Sir 
William  Berkeley,  who  enjoys  now  but  an  indifferent 
reputation  ;  he  was  simply  a  merciless  zealot.  He  slew 
Bacon's  followers  without  pity,  and  would  have  hung 
Bacon  himself,  —  he  was  the  King's  representative. 
As  a  man  he  was  very  much  liked,  and  some  of  the  best 
of  the  Virginians  were  his  warm  friends.  He  loved  his 
wife  with  a  lasting  affection  ;  she  was  a  lady  of  War- 
wick County  whom  he  had  married  soon  after  his  ar- 


184      VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

rival ;  and  left  all  bis  j^roperty,  real  and  personal,  to 
this  "  dear  and  most  virtuous  wife,  the  Lady  ffrances 
Berkeley  ;  "  adding  in  the  fullness  of  his  heart,  "  If  God 
had  blessed  me  with  a  far  greater  estate  I  would  have 
given  it  all  to  my  Most  Dearly  beloved  wife." 

With  the  coming  of  this  passionate  royalist  came  also 
the  full  and  formal  recognition  of  free  government. 
Both  James  and  Charles  had  looked  sidewise  at  the 
Virginia  Assembly,  and  merely  tolerated  it.  Now  a 
movement  was  begun  to  reestablish  the  old  London 
Company  ;  the  Virginians  protested  hotly  ;  and  Charles 
I.,  who  had  fled  to  York  for  refuge  from  his  angry  Par- 
liament, wrote  (July  5,  1642)  to  his  good  Virginians 
that  they  should  not  be  alienated  from  his  "  immediate 
protection."  This  was  flattering,  but  would  have  been 
unsatisfactory  save  for  a  single  cii-cumstance.  The  King's 
letter  was  addressed  to  "  Our  trusty  and  well-beloved 
our  Governor,  Council  and  Burgesses  of  the  Grand  As- 
sembly of  Virginia.''  Thus  the  grant  of  free  government 
made  to  Virginia  by  the  Company  was  for  the  first  time 
formally  recognized  in  an  official,  paper  from  the  King, 
promising  that  the  Company  should  never  be  restored. 

Soon  Berkeley  gave  the  Puritan  pastors  due  notice 
what  they  had  to  expect  from  him.  He  promptly  issued 
his  proclamation  in  accordance  with  the  act  of  expul- 
sion against  them  passed  by  the  Assembly.  Thence- 
forth he  was  regarded  by  them,  and  very  justly,  as 
their  most  dangerous  adversary.  "  The  hearts  of  the 
people,"  they  said,  "  were  much  inflamed  by  desire  after 
the  ordinances,"  but  the  Governor,  Sir  William  Berke- 
ley, was  "  a  courtier  and  very  malignant  toward  the 
way  of  the  churches."  The  malignant  courtier  was 
unfortunately  the  executive ;  and  had  we  in  those  days 


THE  LAST  EMPEROR.  185 

visited  Nansemond,  on  lower  James  River,  we  might 
have  witnessed  a  singular  spectacle. 

A  crowd  of  stern-faced  people  are  gathered  in  their 
log  meeting-house  around  their  pastors,  who  read  to 
them  the  Governor's  proclamation,  that  they  are  not 
permitted  to  "  teach  or  preach  publicly  or  privately," 
and  shall  "  depart  the  colony  with  all  convenience." 
So  decrees  the  Virginia  Assembly,  and  we  may  see 
the  angry  faces  and  hear  the  muttered  anathemas. 
They  must  go,  but  there  is  a  place  of  refuge,  they  are 
told  by  the  resolute-looking  man  yonder,  William  Clay- 
borne,  the  Rebel,  who  goes  about  among  them.  Mary- 
land is  a  free  country,  for  all  its  Romish  abominations, 
if  Protestant  Virginia  is  so  hostile  to  them.  If  they 
will  come  with  him,  he  will  show  them  where  they  may 
live  in  peace,  —  which  ends  unfortunately,  however,  iu 
hot  conflict  with  the  Marylanders,  Clayborne  leading 
the  oruests  ao^ainst  their  entertainers. 

And  now  an  event  took  place  which  was  to  test  the 
energy  of  the  smiling  courtier  of  Greens23ring.  The 
Indians  had  not  gone  yet.  In  spite  of  all,  they  still 
occupied  the  country  along  the  York  and  Pamunkey. 
They  had  looked  on  at  the  gradual  extension  of  the 
English  power  with  the  old  fierce  jealousy  ;  and  now, 
more  than  twenty  years  after  the  massacre  of  1622, 
resolved  to  repeat  that  stern  protest  against  the  ex- 
tinction of  their  race.  Their  leader  was  the  same  Ope- 
chancanough,  called  the  brother  of  Powhatan  by  some, 
but  by  others  said  to  be  a  mysterious  stranger  from 
Mexico,  or  other  remote  locality.  He  had  wrested  the 
rule  from  old  Opitchapan,  to  whom  Powhatan  had  left 
his  kingdom,  and  though  nothing  is  heard  of  him  in  the 
great  battle  of  the  eight  hundred  bowmen  with  Wyat, 


186      VIRGINIA:   A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

he  was  still  Emperor.  He  was  now  nearly  a  hundred 
years  old,  and  greatly  emaciated.  His  eyes  had  closed 
from  asfe,  and  he  could  only  see  when  one  of  his 
people  raised  his  eyelids.  He  was  not  able  to  walk, 
and  was  carried  about  in  a  litter.  It  is  a  striking  pic- 
ture. His  old  unshrinking  courage  still  burned  in  the 
breast  of  the  savage  Emperor,  and  his  twenty  years  of 
brooding  in  the  York  woods  brought  him  to  the  resolu- 
tion to  make  a  last  attack  on  the  English. 

The  attack  was  made  (April  18,  1644).^  Those 
searching  for  grounds  to  explain  it  have  found  them  in 
the  encroachments  of  Sir  John  Harvey  on  the  Indian 
territories  ;  others  said  that  some  of  the  colonists  told 
Opechancanough  of  the  civil  war  in  England,  and  that 
"  now  was  his  time  or  never,  to  root  out  all  the  Eng- 
lish." The  latter  seems  absurd,  whether  the  crime  is 
attributed  to  Cavalier  or  Puritan,  since  the  Indian 
hatchet  would  have  spared  neither.  No  doubt  the  affair 
was  the  result  of  blind  hatred,  and  Opechancanough's 
age  warned  him  not  to  defer  it.  He  suddenly  threw  him- 
self on  the  settlers  along  the  upper  waters  of  the  York 
and  Pamunkey,  and  before  the  English  could  resist, 
about  three  hundred  of  them  were  killed.  But  that 
was  the  end  of  it.  Either  from  the  resolute  stand 
made,  or  Opechancanough's  loss  of  efficiency,  the  In- 
dians retreated.  Meantime  couriers  had  carried  the 
news  to  Berkeley,  at  Jamestown.  He  got  together  a 
body  of  horse,  marched  rapidly  to  the  scene,  and  pur- 
suing the  savages  into  the  woods,  routed  them  every- 
where, and  captured  Opechancanough.     He  was  carried 

1  The  date  of  this  onslaught  is  variously  given  in  the  histories.  It 
is  verified  by  the  law  of  the  Burgesses  in  the  spring  of  1645  "that 
the  eifiliteanth  day  of  April  be  yearly  celebrated  by  thanksgiving/br 
our  dtlloeraiicej'roin  the  hands  of' the  savagesy 


THE  LAST  EMPEROR.  187 

in  his  litter  to  Jamestown,  and  Berkeley  intended  to 
send  him  to  England  as  a  trophy  of  his  prowess.  But 
this  last  indignity  was  spared  the  old  ruler  :  his  life 
suddenly  ended.  He  was  fierce  and  unsubdued  to  the 
last.  When  a  crowd  gathered  round  him,  at  James- 
town, to  stare  at  him,  he  resented  it  as  an  affront  to  a 
man  of  his  dignity ;  and  said  to  Berkeley,  with  august 
pride,  that  if  it  "  had  been  his  fortune  to  take  Sir  Wil- 
liam Berkeley  prisoner,  he  would  have  disdained  to 
make  a  show  of  him."  He  was,  soon  afterwards,  shot 
in  the  back,  by  one  of  his  guards,  to  revenge  some  per- 
sontd  spite,  it  seems  ;  and  of  this  wound  he  died,  -^  an 
ignoble  fate  for  the  great  successor  of  Powhatan. 

This  ended,  for  the  time  at  least,  the  long  struggle  of 
nearly  forty  years,  between  the  English  and  the  Indians. 

The  man  just  dead  at  Jamestown,  had  seen  the  begin- 
ning and  the  ending,  and  after  him  there  was  no  one  of 
sufficient  ability  to  carry  on  an  offensive  war.  His  suc- 
cessor, Necotowance,  styling  himself  "  Kin^  of  the  In- 
dians," —  for  even  the  old  imperial  title  seemed  to  have 
gone  with  the  last  Emperor,  —  made  a  treaty  by  which 
he  agreed  to  hold  his  authority  from  the  King  of  Eng- 
land, and  deliver  to  Berkeley  an  annual  tribute  of 
twenty  beaver  skins,  at  the  "  going  of  the  geese,"  which 
was  winter.  The  tribes  were  to  hold,  as  their  hunting 
ground,  the  lands  north  of  York  River ;  and  no  Indian 
was  to  come  south  of  it,  except  as  a  messenger,  wearing 
a  badge  of  striped  cloth  ;  if  any  did  so,  the  punishment 
was  death.  It  is  true  that  for  a  white  man  to  be  found 
on  Indian  ground  was  felony  ;  but  that  was  soon  con- 
veniently forgotten.  The  Indian  power  in  Virginia  was 
again  broken  for  the  time,  and  then  all  again  was  quiet 
until  the  Commonwealth  ships  came  to  cannonade 
Jamestown. 


188      VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

VI. 

A   PERFECT    DESCRIPTION    OF   VIRGINIA. 

It  was  a  prosperous  and  thriving  society,  this  little 
colony  of  Virginia,  as  the  half  century  was  coming  to 
an  end.  We  have  a  picture  of  it  in  ''  A  Perfect  De- 
scription of  Virginia"  (London,  1649);  a  full-length 
portrait  drawn  by  one  who  had  lived  in  the  colony. 

The  writer  glows  with  enthusiasm ;  Virginia  is  the 
earthly  Paradise.  It  is  "  full  of  trees,"  and  the  hum  of 
bees  ;  of  "  rare  colored  parraketoes,  and  one  bird  we 
call  the  mochhird,  for  he  will  imitate  all  other  birds' 
notes  ;  yea,  the  owls  and  nightingales."  In  this  happy 
Virginia  there  is  "  nothing  wanting  to  produce  plenty, 
health,  and  wealth."  As  to  the  bleak  outside  country 
of  New  P^ngland,  "  there  is  not  much  in  that  land."  It 
is  so  fearful  a  desert,  that,  "  except  a  herring  be  put  into 
the  hole  you  set  the  corn  or  maize  in,  it  loill  not  come  up  I " 
Why  do  people  continue  to  go  to  this  frightful  region, 
when  the  southern  Paradise  awaits  them  ? 

In  this  Eden  of  Virginia,  according  to  the  enthusiastic 
writer,  there  were  now  (about  1648)  fifteen  thousand 
Englishmen,  and  three  hundred  imported  African  slaves  ; 
twenty  thousand  head  of  cattle,  plenty  of  horses  and 
other  stock  ;  and  the  inhabitants  were  busy  with  their 
large  crops  of  wheat,  tobacco,  and  Indian  corn,  which 
yielded  "five  hundred  fold."  There  were  great  hopes 
of  making  the  best  silk  ;  and  mulberry  trees  must  be 
planted,  and  a  certain  "  George,  the  Armenian,"  was  to 
be  rewarded  by  the  Burgesses,  for  instructing  people  in 
the  silk  manufacture.     A  thousand  colonists    lived   on 


A  PERFECT  DESCRIPTION  OF  VIRGINIA.      189 

the.  Eastern  Shore,  and  the  bay  and  rivers  were  white 
with  ships  :  at  Christmas,  1647,  there  were  in  James 
River,  ten  vessels  from  London,  two  from  Bristol,  twelve 
from  Holland,  and  seven  from  New  England.  A  regu- 
lar trade  had  begun  with  the  northern  Virginians  of 
Massachusetts  Bay.  The  hardy  "  Pilgrims  "  had  come 
thither  in  1620,  and  founded  their  polity,  as  they  had 
the  right  to  do ;  what  the  elder  Virginia  of  the  south 
grumbled  at  was,  that  intruders  had  occupied  the  coun- 
try south  of  Cape  Cod,  her  northern  boundary.  The 
obstinate  Dutchmen  who  had  defied  Argall,  and  re- 
mained at  Albany,  had  come  down  to  Manhattan  Island ; 
and  in  fact  all  that  region,  extending  into  Connecticut, 
was  claimed  by  them.  At  this  the  Virginians  cry  out* 
These  "  Hollanders  have  stolen  into  a  river  called  Hud- 
son's River,  in  the  limits  of  Virginia  ;  have  built  forts 
there,  called  Prince  Maurice  and  New  Netherlands," 
and  defy  all  comers.  Tiiey  trade  in  furs  to  the  value 
of  £10,000  sterling  ;  and  "  thus  are  the  English  nosed 
and  out-traded  by  the  Dutch."  Then  a  colony  of  Swedes 
had  settled  on  the  Dehiware  ;  and  Mai-ylaud,  like  the 
rest,  was  an  invasion  of  Virginia  right. 

Thus  the  once  great  empire  of  Virginia  was  falling  a 
prey  to  these  strangers  ;  dissent  on  one  hand  and  papacy 
on  the  other,  were  attacking  the  Church ;  and  none 
could  tell  how  this  unhappy  state  of  affairs  would  end. 
As  late  as  the  spring  of  1660,  Virginia  makes  her  pro- 
test against  this  disintegration.  Governor  Stuyvesant, 
of  "  Knickerbocker  "  fame,  writes  from  Fort  Amster- 
dam, to  the  Governor  of  Virginia,  proposing  a  friendly 
league,  and  the  acknowledgment  of  the  Dutch  title 
by  Berkeley.  But  that  gentleman  replies,  in  guarded 
phrase,  with  his  most  charming  courtesy,  that  he  shall 


190      VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

be  "  ever  ready  to  comply  with  Governor  Stuyvesant  in 
all  acts  of  neighborly  friendship  ;  but  truly,  Sir,  you 
desire  me  to  do  that,  concerning  your  letter,  and  claims 
to  land,  in  the  northern  part  of  America,  which  I  am  in- 
capable to  do."  He  is  "  the  servant  of  the  Assembly," 
he  says  :  when  God  shall  be  pleased  in  his  mercy  to 
dissipate  the  unnatural  troubles  in  England,  his  Majesty 
will  attend  to  matters,  and  decide  to  whom  Manhattan 
belouo;s. 

Virginia  remains  quiet  and  prosperous  in  spite  of  the 
furious  conflict  in  England.  Hearts  burn,  no  doubt, 
when  those  ships  from  London  and  Bristol  bring  tidings 
of  the  great  wrestle  between  King  and  Parliament, 
which  is  yet  doubtful.  But  the  King's  strength  is 
plainly  failing,  and  the  Virginia  royalists  go  about  with 
hanging  heads,  sad  at  heart ;  and  the  heads  of  the  other 
faction  who  sympathize  with  the  Parliament,  begin  to 
rise  joyfully.  The  times  are  gloomy  for  the  old  Cava- 
liers of  the  King ;  above  all  for  Sir  William  Berkeley, 
who  has  been  to  England  (1644)  to  see  the  King  in  his 
dark  hour,  and  now,  at  his  Greenspring  country  house, 
broods  over  the  coming  fate.  But  he  does  not  lose 
heart,  and  is  going  to  stand  or  fall  for  the  object  of  his 
idolatry,  —  i\\Q  jus  divinum.  When  the  end  comes,  and 
the  great  tide  of  fugitive  cavalierdom  rolls  toward  Vir- 
ginia, he  will  receive  the  desolate  exiles  with  open  arms 
and  purse.  His  friends  will  be  as  ardent ;  for  "  refu- 
gees "  are  the  representatives  of  a  cause,  and  are  to  be 
welcomed.  Colonel  Norwood,  of  the  King's  party,  flies 
from  England  (1649)  and  comes  to  the  Eastern  Shore  ; 
and  thenceforward  makes  a  sort  of  progress  through  the 
old  plantations.  Stephen  Charlton,  of  Northampton, 
dresses  him  up  in  a  suit  of  his  own  clothes.-     Captain 


THE  SURRENDER.  191 

Yearflley  receives  liim  joyfully  ;  so  do  Squire  Ludlow, 
and  Captain  Wormley,  who  makes  him  royally  welcome 
at  his  house  in  York.  A  company  of  guests  are  already 
"  feasting  and  carousing  there  ;  "  Sir  Thomas  Lunsford, 
Sir  Henry  Chicheley,  Sir  Philip  Honeywood,  and  Colo- 
nel Hammond,  —  friends  of  the  Kins^.  All  this  we  read 
in  the  "  Voyage  of  Colonel  Norwood,"  written  by  the 
Colonel  himself,  who  then  goes  on  to  Greenspring,  well 
"  mounted  "  by  his  friend  Wormley,  —  he  knows  he 
will  find  the  friend  of  friends  there.  Berkeley,  his  near 
relation,  takes  him  into  his  house  as  an  honored  guest, 
and  will  soon  send  him  off  to  Holland  to  solicit  from 
his  Majesty,  Charles  the  Second,  the  place  of  Treasurer 
of  Viigiuia ;  which  Clayborne,  the  rebel  and  Puritan, 
shall  hold  no  lono^er. 

For  the  blow  that  struck  a  sudden  chill  to  all  true 
Cavalier  hearts  has  fallen.  In  this  cold  month  of  Janu- 
ary, 1 649,  Charles  I.  has  gone  to  the  block  ;  and  the 
Virginia  Cavaliers  in  fancy,  like  the  little  company  at 
Windsor  in  reality,  follow  the  black  velvet  coffin,  cov- 
ered with  snow-flakes,  to  its  resting-place,  and  are  in 
despair^ 

VII. 

THE    SURRENDER. 

The  execution  of  Charles  I.  was  a  very  great  shock 
to  the  Virginians.  A  shudder  convulsed  society,  and 
few  but  extremists  approved  it.  The  proceeding  in  a 
political  point  of  view  was  a  blunder.  The  character 
of  the  Kino^  as  husband  and  father  was  such  as  to  make 
good  men  respect  him,  and  to  slay  him  was  impolitic, 
since  death  sanctifies. 


192      VIRGINIA:  A  HISTOEY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

In  Virginia,  as  in  England,  men  had  been  arrayed 
against  each  other,  but  the  Virginia  Commonwealth's- 
men  revolted  from  the  scene  in  front  of  Whitehall, 
which  had  reversed  the  Revolution  and  made  the  Res- 
toration possible.  This  sentiment  was  probably  general, 
and  the  royali&t  exiles  flying  to  Virginia  appealed 
strongly  to  the  sympathies  even  of  political  enemies. 
They  were  persons  of  rank  "  among  the  nobility,  clergy, 
and  gentry  .  .  .  men  of  the  first  rate  who  wanted  not 
money  nor  credit,  and  had  fled  from  their  native  coun- 
try as  from  a  place  infected  with  the  plague,"  reduced 
to  "  horrors  and  despairs  at  the  bloody  and  bitter  stroke 
of  the  King's  assassination,  at  his  palace  of  Whitehall." 
So  the  passionate  old  chronicle  runs,  —  and  one  ship 
brought  (September,  1649)  three  hundred  and  thirty. 
This  crowd  of  refugees  met  everywhere,  as  has  been 
shown,  with  the  warmest  reception.  Every  house  was 
"  a  hostelry,"  and  they  had  "  choice  of  hosts  without 
money  or  its  value."  We  have  seen  Sir  Thomas  Luns- 
ford  and  his  companions  "  feasting  and  carousing  "  at 
Captain  Wormley's  ;  and  it  is  easy  to  fancy  the  scenes, 
—  the  disconsolate  Cavaliers  telling  their  stories  of  bat- 
tle and  adventure ;  of  the  fierce  wrestles  with  Crom- 
well's pikemen  ;  the  blood  dropping  through  the  White- 
hall scaffold,  —  and  the  groups  of  Virginians  around 
them,  men,  women,  and  children  listening,  pale  and  in 
tears,  to  the  woful  tale.  Even  those  who  had  no  sym- 
pathy with  the  King's  cause  felt  the  magnetism.  The 
exiles  everywhere  met  with  evidences  of  regard  instead 
of  hostility.  Right  or  wrong,  they  had  fought  for  their 
cause  to  the  end  ;  and  that  has  made  men  admire  even 
their  adversaries  in  all  ages.  There  is  nothing  to  show 
that  any  Virginia  Roundhead  gave  an  ill  reception  to  any 


THE  SURRENDER.  193 

one  Cavalier.  The  men  of  the  opposing  sides  were  often 
of  the  same  blood  ;  and  the  Virginians  of  the  other  fac- 
tion received  them  with  the  welcome  due  to  misfortune. 

When  the  Burgesses  met  in  October,  1649,  they  has- 
tened to  give  voice  to  the  general  horror  and  indigna- 
tion. The  first  act  of  the  session  comes  direct  to  the 
point :  speaks  of  Charles  I.  as  "  the  late  most  excel- 
lent and  now  undoubtedly  sainted  King  ;  "  and  threat- 
ens that  "  what  person  soever  shall  go  about  to  defend 
or  maintain  the  late  traitorous  proceedings  against  the 
aforesaid  King  of  most  happy  memory,  shall  be  ad- 
judged an  accessory  post  factum,  to  the  death  of  the 
aforesaid  King,  and  shall  be  proceeded  against  for  the 
same,  according  to  the  known  laws  of  England."  Thus 
the  execution  of  Charles  was  treason,  and  those  defend- 
ing it  should  be  punished  with  death.  The  same  penalty 
was  denounced  against  all  persons  who  shall  "  by  words 
or  speeches,  endeavor  to  insinuate  any  doubt,  scruple, 
or  question,  of,  or  concerning  the  undoubted  and  inher- 
ent right  of  his  Majesty  that  noio  is  to  the  colony  of  Vir- 
ginia, and  all  other  his  Majesty's  dominions."  His  Maj- 
esty that  now  is,  was  the  boy  who  was  wandering 
about  nearly  shelterless,  on  the  Continent,  afterwards 
Charles  II.  But  the  Virginians  did  not  insert  that 
word  "  afterwards."  From  the  moment  when  the  head 
of  his  father  rolled  on  the  scaffold,  Charles  II.,  King  of 
England,  and  all  other  his  Majesty's  dominions,  sprung 
suddenly  into  existence  ^z^re  divino. 

Looking  back  now  at  this  action  of  the  Virginia  Bur- 
gesses, it  is  impossible  not  to  see  that  the  death  of 
Charles  I.  caused  an  enormous  reaction  in  his  favor, 
and  was  an  immense  blow  struck  in  support  of  the  mo- 
narchic idea.  The  Virginians  had  never  been  bigoted 
13 


194     VIRGINIA;   A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

monarchists.  They  had  resisted  the  King's  demand  for 
the  tobacco  monopoly  ;  had  "  thrust  out  "  his  representa- 
tive Harvey  ;  and  made  their  protest  against  his  illegal 
assumptions  as  systematically  as  his  hostile  Parliament 
had  done.  But  his  tragic  end  suddenly  buried  these 
old  animosities  in  the  profoundest  oblivion.  The  ruler 
whom  they  had  resisted  so  obstinately,  was  now  "  sa- 
cred "  and  "  sainted."  Whosoever  said  he  was  not 
should  be  put  to  death.  And  whosoever  went  about 
maintaining  that  the  boy  at  the  Hague  was  not  the  real 
King  of  England  and  Virginia,  should  be  punished  in 
like  manner,  as  a  traitor. 

This  proceeding  was  dangerous.  England  was  in  the 
hands  of  the  revolutionists,  and  at  their  head  was  Crom- 
well. That  great  ruler  had  a  long  arm  and  was  not 
to  be  trifled  with.  From  the  moment  that  the  Virginia 
Burgesses,  speaking  for  Virginia,  declared  that  Charles 
II.  was  King  of  England  and  Virginia,  they  were  in 
contumacy,  and  the  English  cannon  were  ready  to  argue 
with  them.  It  seemed  that  their  action  could  come  to 
nothing.  No  persons  elsewhere  on  the  North  Ameri- 
can continent  moved  to  support  it  or  had  the  least  idea 
of  doing  so.  New  England,  to  a  man  nearly,  sympa- 
thized with  the  new  authority  in  England.  The  Dutch 
and  Swedes  were  not  English,  and  cared  little  for  Eng- 
lish affairs.  Maryland  shuddered  for  a  moment,  but 
gave  assurances  of  fidelity  to  the  Parliament.  Thus 
Virginia  stood  alone,  and  spoke  for  herself  ;  and  what 
she  said  was,  that  the  execution  of  Charles  I.  was  trea- 
son, and  that  the  person  entitled  to  authority  in  Vir- 
ginia was  his  son  Charles  II. 

The  reply  of  Parliament  to  the  Virginia  defiance  duly 
came.     In  October,  1650,  just  a  year  after  the  law  of 


THE  SURRENDER.  195 

the  Burgesses,  the  Long  Parliament  passed  an  act  pro- 
hibiting trade  with  Virginia  and  tlie  West  Indies ;  and 
as  many  persons  inhabiting  Virginia  had  been  guilty  of 
rebellion  against  the  English  Commonwealth,  such  per- 
sons were  declared  to  be  notorious  traitors,  and  a 
fleet  was  sent  to  suppress  them.  Every  provision  was 
made.  Four  Commissioners  were  appointed  to  go  out 
and  receive  the  surrender  of  Virginia  ;  and  among  these 
was  the  persistent  Clayborne  "  the  rebel,"  now  a  full- 
fledged  Commonwealth's  man,  who  came  with  one  eye 
on  Virginia  and  the  other  upon  Maryland.  There  was 
nothing  of  extreme  severity  in  the  instructions  of  the 
Commissioners.  If  the  recalcitrant  Virginians  submitted 
quietly  they  were  to  be  treated  as  brethren.  All  who 
acknowledged  the  Commonwealth  were  to  receive  full 
pardon  for  past  acts.  If  Virginia  resisted,  then  war. 
An  appeal  was  to  be  made  to  the  friends  of  the  Parlia- 
ment to  rise  in  arms  ;  and  the  slaves  and  indented  ser- 
vants of  the  King's  adherents,  on  joining  the  forces, 
were  to  be  discharged  and  set  free  from  their  former 
masters. 

It  was  not  until  March,  1652,  that  the  English  ships 
reached  the  Virginia  waters,  when  one  of  them,  a  frig- 
ate, sailed  up  to  Jamestown,  to  demand  the  surrender 
of  the  colony.  This  did  not  seem  to  be  the  purpose  of 
the  Virginians.  The  approach  of  the  ships  was  known, 
and  the  friends  of  the  King  had  been  notified.  At 
Berkeley's  summons  they  had  hastened  to  Jamestown, 
and  the  place  was  put  in  a  state  of  defense.  Cannon 
were  posted,  muskets  distributed,  and  some  Dutch  ships 
at  the  port  used  as  forts.  By  the  Act  of  Parliament 
prohibiting  foreign  trade  with  Virginia,  these  were  lia- 
ble to  capture  by  the  English  fleet,  and  their  cargoes 


196      VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

were  taken  on  shore,  and  replaced  by  cannon.  Then 
Berkeley  and  his  men  awaited  what  was  to  follow. 

At  the  moment  when  the  broadsides  seemed  about  to 
begin,  the  captain  of  the  frigate  sent  a  boat  ashore  to 
demand  a  surrender.  A  long  discussion  took  place  be- 
tween him  and  the  Virginians,  and  a  curious  circum- 
stance is  said  to  have  ended  it.  The  English  captain 
privately  informed  two  members  of  the  Council  that  he 
had  on  board  his  frigate  valuable  goods  consigned  to 
them.  If  there  was  no  trouble  these  would  reach  their 
owners,  if  there  was  trouble  they  would  not.  Was  this 
bribery,  or  is  it  true?  It  is  impossible  now  to  say.  The 
only  authority  for  it  is  Beverley,  and  he  is  often  in- 
accurate. What  is  certain  is,  that  the  Virginians,  after 
solemn  and  prolonged  discussion,  determined  to  sur- 
render. We  have  official  authority  for  this  hesitation. 
The  Commissioners  themselves  reported  that  the  "  Bur- 
gesses of  all  the  several  plantations  being  called  to  ad- 
vise and  assist  therein,  upon  long  and  serious  debate,  and 
in  sad  contemplation  of  the  great  miseries  and  certain 
destruction,"  etc.  In  a  word,  the  chief  men  of  Virginia 
having  considered  the  demand  of  the  Parliament,  agreed, 
much  against  their  will,  and  only  "  to  prevent  the  ruin 
and  destruction  of  the  Plantation,"  to  surrender  to  the 
Commonwealth. 

This  would  seem  to  be  a  plainly  stated  historical  oc- 
currence ;  and  yet  some  historians  cannot  understand  it. 
Even  Mr.  Bancroft,  followed  by  Mr.  Campbell,  adopts 
the  statement  of  Clarendon,  and  says  that  "  no  sooner 
had  the  Guinea  frigate  anchored  in  the  ivatei's  of  the 
Chesapeake,  than  all  thoughts  of  resistance  were  laid 
aside."  Opposed  to  them  we  have  Beverley,  Marshall, 
Robertson,  and  others,  —  above  all,  the  English  Commis- 


THE  SURRENDER.  197 

sioners  who  were  present.  If  the  Virginians  suddenly- 
lost  heart  when  the  English  ships  anchored  in  the  Chesa- 
peake, they  must  have  regained  it  as  suddenly,  since  the 
Commissioners  reported  that  "having  brought  a  fleet 
and  force  before  James  Cittie,  in  Virginia,"  they  found 
"  a  force  raised  by  the  Governor  and  country  to  make  op- 
position against  the  said  fleet.''  ^  It  seems  so  plain,  from 
the  record,  that  the  Virginians  meant  to  fight,  and  only 
gave  up  the  intent  after  long  and  serious  consultation, 
that  one  is  surprised  to  find  the  contrary  stated  as  the 
truth.  There  seems  no  trouble  at  all  in  understanding 
the  transaction.  The  Virginians  did  not  wish  to  sur- 
render to  the  Parliament,  preferring  to  fight,  but  find- 
ing that  their  enemy  was  too  powerful,  they  surren- 
dered. 

The  "  Articles  at  the  Surrender  of  the  Country "  is 
a  remarkable  paper.  The  parties  treat  as  between 
crowned  heads.  Virginia  was  to  obey  the  Common- 
wealth, but  this  submission  was  to  "  be  acknowledged  a 
voluntary  act,  not  forced  nor  constrained  by  a  conquest 
upon  the  country."  The  people  were  "  to  enjoy  such 
freedoms  and  privileges  as  belong  to  the  freeborn  peo- 
ple of  England  ;"  the  Grand  Assembly  was  to  continue  ; 
there  was  to  be  a  "  total  indemnity  for  all  acts,  words, 
or  writings,  done  or  spoken  against  the  Parliament  of 
England  "  ;  the  colony  was  to  have  free  trade  with  all 
nations,  in  spite  of  the  Navigation  Act;  the  Virginia 
Assembly  alone  was  to  have  the  right  to  tax  Virginia ; 
and  all  persons  refusing  to  take  the  oath  of  allegiance 
to  the  English  Commonwealth  should  have  a  year  to 

1  The  report  of  the  Commissioners  and  other  documents  relating  to 
the  surrender,  are  preserved  in  Hening's  Statutes  at  Large,  and  set 
all  doubt  at  rest. 


198      VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY   OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

dispose  of  their  property  and  depart  out  of  the  colony. 
The  strang^est  article  of  all  was  that  in  reference  to  the 
hated  Prayer-Book.  The  Virginians  were  to  go  on  using 
it  for  the  space  of  one  year,  only  provided,  that  "  those 
things  which  relate  to  Kingship  be  not  used  publicly." 
As  to  the  "  total  remission  and  indemnity,"  to  be  ex- 
tended to  everybody,  Sir  William  Berkeley  and  his  ad- 
visers were  expressly  included  in  it.  Neither  he  nor 
his  Council  were  to  be  obliged  to  swear  fealty  to  the 
Commonwealth  for  a  year  ;  nar  be  "censured  for  pray- 
ing for,  or  speaking  well  of,  the  King  in  their  private 
houses  ;  "  and  were  to  be  allowed  to  sell  their  property 
and  go  whither  they  pleased.  Then  this  grand  finale 
comes,  signed  by  Bennett,  Clayborne,  and  Curtis,  the 
Parliamentary  Commissioners :  "  We  have  granted  an 
act  of  indemnity  and  oblivion  to  all  the  inhabitants  of  this 
Colony,  from  all  words,  actions,  or  writings,  that  have 
been  spoken,  acted,  or  writ  against  the  Parliament,  or 
Commonwealth  of  England,  or  any  other  person,  from 
the  beginning  of  the  world  to  this  day." 

Some  of  these  articles  were  not  ratified  by  the  Long 
Parliament,  which  was  dissolved  soon  afterwards  ;  nota- 
bly that  engaging  that  no  taxes  or  impositions  should 
be  laid  on  Virginia  without  the  consent  of  the  Assem- 
bly. Otherwise  they  remained  the  terms  on  which  the 
surrender  was  made,  and  were  respected.  If  any  per- 
sons fancied  that  the  Virginia  royalists  would  be  pro- 
scribed, and  their  leader.  Sir  William  Berkeley,  be- 
headed like  Charles  I.,  for  his  armed  resistance  to 
Parliament,  they  were  agreeably,  or  disagreeably  dis- 
appointed. Since  the  scene  in  front  of  Whitehall,  be- 
heading was  out  of  fashion,  and  there  was  to  be  no  con- 
fiscation of  property,  or  any  vengeance  whatever,  since 


VIRGINIA    UNDER   THE   COMMONWEALTH.      199 

there  was  little  to  avenge.  A  general  amnesty  covered 
all.  A  single  ceremony  sufficed  to  blot  out  all  the  mis- 
deeds of  the  past,  —  an  oath  of  allegiance  to  the  Parlia- 
ment. As  to  that  there  was  to  be  no  discussion.  Those 
refusing  to  take  it  were  to  go  away  and  stay  away  from 
Virginia. 

VIII. 

VIRGINIA   UNDER    THE    COMMONWEALTH. 

Thus  in  the  short  hours  of  a  March  day  Virginia 
passed  from  the  King  under  the  Commonwealth.  By 
the  scratch  of  a  pen  in  the  fingers  of  a  few  men  in  black 
coats,  this  ancient  dominion  of  royalty  had  become  the 
new  dominion  of  the  Parliament. 

There  was  no  sudden  convulsion  of  society,  or  even 
the  least  confusion.  The  old  went  and  the  new  came 
as  mildly  and  peacefully  as  one  hour  succeeds  another  on 
a  May  morning.  The  haughty  Cavalier  Berkeley,  in  his 
silk  and  lace,  goes  away  to  Greenspring,  and  the  short- 
haired  people,  called  by  their  enemies  "  Roundheads  " 
for  that  reason,  are  the  masters.  Berkeley  afterwards 
spoke  bitterly  of  these  scenes  at  Jamestown.  He  burst 
forth  in  his  address  to  the  Burgesses,  speaking  of  the 
Parliamentarians,  with,  "  they  sent  a  small  power  to 
force  my  submission,  which,  finding  me  defenseless,  was 
quietly  (God  pardon  me !  )  effected."  And  one  of  his 
followers  growled  out  that  the  Parliament  ships  had 
"  reduced  the  colony  under  the  power  {but  never  to  the 
obedience)  of  the  Usurper."  But  there  was  absolutely 
nothing  for  the  fiery  old  Cavalier  to  do  but  to  submit. 
He  sold  his  "  house  in  James  Cittie,  the  westernmost  of 
the  three  brick  houses  I  there  built,"  and  went  away  to 


200     VIRGINIA:  A   HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

his  Greenspring  manor,  and  on  one  pretext  or  another 
remained  in  Virginia.  Every  poor  friend  of  the  King 
found  his  house  and  purse  open  ;  the  days  were  spent, 
no  doubt,  in  lamenting  the  hard  times  and  in  drinking 
confusion  to  Noll  and  his  traitorous  crew ;  and  all 
throuo-h  the  times  of  the  Commonwealth,  the  bitter  Cav- 
alier  was  permitted  to  remain  undisturbed. 

This  was  strange,  it  may  be  said,  since  this  man  had 
hated  the  very  names  of  Puritan  and  Commonwealth, 
with  a  perfect  hatred ;  had  issued  his  proclamation  de- 
nouncing the  friends  of  the  party  now  in  power ;  had 
fully  approved  when  they  were  pilloried  for  deriding 
the  King  ;  and  had  risen  in  armed  defiance  of  the  Par- 
liament. The  same  party  in  England  had  beheaded 
the  Kina:  and  confiscated  the  estates  of  his  followers. 
Why  was  Berkeley,  the  King's  viceroy,  left  in  peace, 
and  none  of  his  adherents  persecuted  ?  The  true  ex- 
planation may  be  indicated  in  a  very  few  words.  The 
mass  of  the  Virginia  population,  and  a  vast  preponder- 
ance of  the  wealth  and  influence  of  the  colony  were 
Cavalier,  —  always  taking  the  word  to  mean  friendly  to 
Church  and  Kins^.  The  Commonwealth's  men  now  in 
power  had  little  personal  enmity  toward  their  oppo- 
nents, as  in  England.  There  were  few  vengeances  to 
wreak,  or  old  scores  to  settle ;  and  to  have  attempted 
to  outrage  the  great  body  of  Cavalier  planters  would 
have  been  absurd.  Such  outrage  might  be  dangerous. 
Revolutions  were  uncertain.  The  Roundheads  were 
up  to-day,  but  they  might  be  down  to-morrow.  The 
King's  friends  might  regain  the  ascendency.  But 
strongest  perhaps  of  all,  was  the  feeling  that  their  ad- 
versaries were  good  Virginians  like  themselves.  They 
were  willing   to  accept  rule  under   Cromwell   or   the 


VIRGINIA    UNDER   THE   COMMONWEALTH.      201 

Parliament,  but  meant  to  maintain  that  the  true  source 
of  authority  in  Virginia  was  the  Assembly.  And  it 
would  be  ill  in  these  troubled  days  to  attempt  to  per- 
secute men  who  had  fought  with  them  for  the  same 
principle,  —  that  Virginia  was  to  be  ruled  by  Virginians. 
This  will  explain  why  the  revolution  in  Virginia  was 
conducted  in  a  manner  so  peaceful.  Personal  rancor 
and  religious  animosity  were  both  wanting  ;  the  great 
mass  of  the  Commonwealth's  men  had  as  little  sympa- 
thy with  the  nonconformists  as  the  King's  men,  and 
there  was  no  wish  whatever  to  proscribe  their  oppo- 
nents. The  main  thing  was  to  reach  harbor  in  the 
midst  of  the  storm ;  and  grave  men  cast  about  them  for 
anchorage,  and  found  it.  "  After  long  and  serious  de- 
bate, and  advice  taken  for  the  settling  of  Virginia,  it 
was  unanimously  voted  and  concluded  (April  30,  1652), 
that  Mr.  Richard  Bennett,  Esq.,  be  Governor  for  this 
ensuing  year." 

Bennett,  the  relative  of  a  London  merchant,  and  a 
Roundhead,  was  a  man  of  consideration  who  had  been 
driven  from  Virginia  with  other  dissenters,  and  taken 
refuge  in  Maryland,  where  he  became  the  leader  of  the 
Puritans.  He  was  one  of  the  few  prominent  men  who 
might  be  said  to  have  good  grounds  for  personal  ran- 
cor against  the  King's  men  ;  but  he  displayed  none. 
Clayborne  the  rebel  was  made  Secretary  of  State,  and 
amonor  the  Councillors  were  Colonels  Yeardlev  and 
Ludlow,  probably  relatives  of  the  Captain  Yeardley 
and  Squire  Ludlow  who  had  so  warmly  welcomed  the 
royalist  refugees.  The  government  was  to  be  pro- 
visional until  further  advices  from  "  the  States,"  — 
England.  Meanwhile  all  was  to  flow  from  the  Assem- 
bly ;  that  fact  was  to  be  distinctly  understood.     "  The 


202     VIRGINIA:  A   HISTORY    OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

rioht  of  election  of  all  officers  of  this  colony  shall  apper- 
tain to  the  Burgesses,  the  representatives  of  the  -people."" 
It  was  the  lifelong  claim,  to  govern  themselves,  which 
the  exigencies  of  the  time  had  only  fortified  and  made 
more  emphatic. 

The  new  order  of  things  went  on  quietly,  with  little 
jar  in  the  machinery.  The  first  House  of  Burgesses 
under  the  Commonwealth  (April,  1652),  numbered 
thirty-five  persons,  and  represented  thirteen  "  counties."  ^ 
They  were  for  the  most  part  new  men,  as  was  natural 
under  the  circumstances,  but  in  many  counties  some  of 
the  old  Cavalier  Burgesses  were  returned.  The  pro- 
ceedings were  harmonious,  and  indicated  no  other  de- 
sire than  to  transact  the  public  business  and  go  about 
their  own.  A  few  fulminations  make  a  small  stir. 
"  Mr.  John  Hammond,  Burgess  for  the  lower  parish  of 
Isle  of  Wight," — afterwards  (1656)  the  author  of 
"  Leah  and  Rachel,"  or  Virginia  and  Maryland,  —  is 
found  to  be  "  notoriously  known  a  scandalous  person, 
and  a  frequent  disturber  of  the  peace  by  libel  and  other  il- 
legal practices  ;  "  and  the  worshipful  Burgesses  accord- 

1  Up  to  1633  the  Burgesses  represented  hundreds  and  plantations; 
in  1634  these  were  erected  into  eight  shires  "  to  be  governed  as  the 
shires  in  England."  In  1643  the  counties  are  formed,  which  is  hence- 
forth the  designation.  The  thirteen  counties  at  the  beginning  of  the 
ascendency  of  the  Commonwealth  (1652),  it  may  be  noted  for  the  sat- 
isfaction of  Virginia  antiquaries,  were  :  — 

Henrico.  Warwick. 

Charles  City.  York. 

James  City.  Northampton. 

Isle  of  "Wight.  Northumberland. 

Nansemond.  Gloucester. 

Lower  Norfolk.  Lancaster. 

Elizabeth  City. 

Surry  was  added  in  the  next  year.  Northampton  was  a  new  name 
for  the  old  Accomac. 


VIRGINIA    UNDER  THE   COMMONWEALTH.      203 

mg\y,  "  conceive  it  fit  he  be  expelled  the  House."  Also 
Mr.  James  Pyland,  Burgess  from  the  same  county,  is  to 
be  "  removed  out  of  the  House  and  committed  to  answer 
his  mutinous  and  rebellious  declarations,  and  blasphe- 
mous catechism,"  —  which  declarations  and  catechism  re- 
main undiscoverable  mysteries.  Others  were  fined  and 
imprisoned  "  for  speaking  contemptuously  of  the  gov- 
ernment ; "  and  truculent  William  Hatcher,  former  Bur- 
gess from  Henrico,  and  King's  man,  is  summarily  dealt 
with.  For  saying  of  Mr.  Speaker  Hill,  Roundhead,  that 
"  the  mouth  of  this  House  was  a  Devil,"  he  is  sentenced 
to  acknowledge  his  offense  on  his  knees  before  this  As- 
sembly ;  which  he  accordingly  does.  A  brief  commotion 
on  the  Eastern  Shore  against  the  new  authority  is  al- 
luded to,  but  nothing  more  is  heard  of  it,  and  all  is  quiet. 
The  truth  is,  to  repeat,  that  there  was  little  disposi- 
tion to  persecute  anybody,  or  arouse  bitter  blood.  If 
any  people  were  persecuted,  they  were  the  members  of 
the  legal  fraternity,  or,  as  the  act  calls  them,  the  "  mer- 
cenarie  attorneys."  The  question  as  to  these  mercenary 
people  had  tormented  the  time.  They  had  been  tossed 
to  and  fro  like  shuttlecocks  at  the  various  Assemblies. 
In  1642  they  are  allowed  to  practice,  but  their  fees  are 
limited.  In  1645  they  are  "  expelled  from  office."  In* 
1647  they  are  forbidden  to  "  take  any  fee,"  —  the  court 
is  "  either  to  open  the  cause  for  a  weak  party  or  appoint 
some  fit  man  out  of  the  people  to  do  it."  In  1656  all 
the  acts  are  repealed,  and  the  attorneys  are  to  be  li- 
censed. But  last,  now  (1658),  since  these  mercenary 
attorneys  "  maintain  suits  in  law  to  the  great  prejudice 
and  charge  of  the  inhabitants  of  this  colony,"  they  are 
not  to  "•  plead  in  any  court,  or  give  council  in  any  cause 
or  controversy,  for  any  kind  of  reward  or  profit,"  on 


204     VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  TEE  PEOPLE. 

penalty  of  five  thousand  pounds  of  tobacco  for  every  of- 
fense. The  law  ends  with  a  flout  at  the  poor  mercenary 
attorneys.  They  shall  swear  when  they  appear  in  a 
cause,  that  they  have  not  violated  this  act,  "  because 
the  breakers  thereof,  through  their  suhtilty,  cannot  easily 
he  discerned.''*  Thus  the  minds  of  the  old  Virginians 
seem  to  have  been  in  a  state  of  dire  confusion  as  to  how 
these  subtle  people  ought  to  be  treated. 

So  the  new  government  went  on  its  way,  fairly  pleas- 
ing all  but  the  attorneys  and  those  malcontents  who 
grumble  at  every  act  of  a  political  opponent.  This 
class  protested  that  Virginia  was  at  the  last  gasp ;  that 
the  act  of  Parliament  of  1651  prohibiting  free  trade  was 
crushing  the  colony ;  and  yet  by  non-enforcement  of  the 
law,  Virginia  appears  to  have  continued  to  trade  with 
all  the  world.  The  old  annals  seem  to  show  that  Crom- 
well respected  the  terms  of  surrender  and  left  the  colony 
to  manage  its  own  affairs.  The  Virginia  government 
was  confessedly  provisional.  Its  "  looseness  and  unset- 
tledness"  were  recognized.  When  the  Great  Protec- 
tor died  the  Virginians  were  told  that  he  had  "  come  to 
some  resolutions  for  supplying  of  that  defect,"  which 
would  duly  have  been  done  "  if  the  Lord  had  continued 
life  and  health  to  his  said  Highness ; "  and  his  successor 
Richard  consoled  them  with  the  promise  that  the  "  set- 
tlement of  that  colony  is  not  neglected." 

The  Virginians  did  not  receive  this  tranquillizing 
assurance  with  any  great  enthusiasm.  All  they  asked 
was  to  be  let  alone.  By  the  wise  neglect  of  the  great 
ruler,  who  was  the  real  King  of  England  after  the  dis- 
solution of  the  Long  Parliament,  they  were  allowed  to 
choose  their  own  governors  and  govern  themselves  with- 
out English  interference..    Whether  Cromwell  meant  to 


VIRGINIA    UNDER   THE   COMMONWEALTH.      205 

formally  take  Virginia  into  his  own  hands  or  not  is  un- 
certain. It  is  certain  that  he  never  did  so.  Richard 
Bennett  was  succeeded  in  March,  1655,  by  Edward 
Digges,  who  was  succeeded  in  1656  by  Samuel  Mat- 
thews, all  elected  by  the  Burgesses.^ 

These  three  Governors,  who  filled  the  whole  period  of 
the  Commonwealth,  were  all  worthy  persons.  The  last, 
"  Captain  Samuel  Matthews  "  (the  title  Captain  proba- 
bly indicated  that  he  had  been  commander  of  a  hun- 
dred), was  "an  old  planter  of  nearly  forty  years'  stand- 
ing, a  most  deserving  Commonwealth's  man,  who  kept 
a  good  house,  lived  bravely,  and  was  a  true  lover  of 
Virginia,"  —  which  is  a  good  epitaph.  It  paints  the 
members  of  a  class  with  whom  Virginians  are  familiar 
—  men  living  on  landed  estates  with  their  families  and 
swarming  dependents,  keeping  open  house  and  wel- 
coming all  comers,  ruddy  of  face,  hearty  of  bearing, 
loving  good  eating  and  drinking,  managing  their  own 
affairs  well,  and  competent  to  manage  the  affairs  of  the 
public.  One  fact  in  the  past  career  of  the  worthy  Com- 
monwealth's man  ought  not  to  be  forgotten  —  he  had 
persecuted  the  Puritans.  Let  us  hear  Mr.  John  Ham- 
mond, the  author  of  "  Leah  and  Rachel."  "  And  there 
was  in  Virginia  a  certain  people  congregated  into  a 
church,  calling  themselves  Independents,  which,  daily 
increasing,  several  consultations  were  had  by  the  state 
of  that  Colony  how  to  suppress  and  extinguish  them," 
so  they  were  "  banished,  clapt  up  in  prison  and  dis- 
armed hy  one  Colonel  Samuel  Matthews,  then  a  Coun- 

1  It  would  be  lost  time  to  notice  all  the  misstatements  on  this  and 
other  passages  of  Virginia  history.  Cromwell  appointed  none  of  the 
Governors.  He  is  loosely  said  to  have  "named"  them,  but  even  that 
rests  on  vague  authority.  He  was  much  too  busy  at  home  to  find 
time  for  these  small  American  matters. 


206      VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

sellor  in  Virginia J^     It  was  this  former  Puritan  perse- 
cutor  who  was  now  the  Commonwealth  Governor. 

Only  once  did  the  "  old  j^lanter "  and  the  Burgesses 
come  into  collision,  and  that  was  probably  owing  to  the 
fact  that  William  Clayborne,  the  restless  rebel,  was  his 
Secretary  of  State.  The  incident  is  amusing.  The 
practice  had  been  to  admit  the  Governor  and  Council  to 
seats  in  the  Burgesses  ;  but  in  1658  the  House  rescinded 
that  law  and  excluded  them.  Thereupon  the  worthy 
Matthews,  after  the  royal  fashion,  dissolved  them.  The 
issue  was  portentous.  Were  the  old  kingly  days  to 
come  back  ?  The  Virginians  promptly  rebelled.  They 
forbade  their  members  to  leave  Jamestown  ;  declared 
the  House  still  "whole  and  entire  ;  "  prescribed  an  oath 
of  secrecy  as  to  their  proceedings  ;  and  remained  in 
session.  The  issue  was  forced,  and  honest  Samuel 
Matthews  gives  way  so  far  as  to  say  he  will  refer  all 
to  Cromwell.  But  this  does  not  suit  the  Virginians. 
"  The  answer  returned  is  unsatisfactory,"  they  reply. 
They  are  "  the  representatives  of  the  people,  not  dis- 
solvable by  any  power  yet  extant  in  Virginia  but  our 
own."  They  alone  have  the  power  to  appoint  or  re- 
move Governors  ;  and  the  sheriff  of  James  City  is  pe- 
remptorily ordered  not  to  "execute  any  warrant,  pre- 
cept or  command  directed  to  you  from  any  other  power 
or  person  than  the  Speaker  of  this  Honourable  House : 
hereof  fail  not  as  you  will  answer  the  contrary  at  your 
peril."  To  end.  Colonel  William  Clayborne,  "/ai!e" 
Secretary  of  State,  shall  surrender  the  public  records  ; 
and  "  Coll.  Clayborne  being  sent  for  by  the  Sergeant 
at  Arms,"  has  to  deliver  them,  and  takes  his  receipt 
and  discharo^e. 

The  revolution  begins  and  ends  in  precisely  three  days. 


VIRGINIA    UNDER   THE   COMMONWEALTH.       207 

On  the  first  day  of  April  (1658)  the  Burgesses  are  dis- 
solved, but  refuse  to  disperse.  On  the  second  they  de- 
pose the  Governor,  but  invent  a  device  which  will  please 
everybody.  Here  is  the  whole  ingenious  proceeding  in 
the  words  of  the  actors  :  — 

I.  "  We,  the  said  Burgesses,  do  declare  that  we  have 
in  ourselves  the  full  power  of  the  election  and  appoint- 
ment of  all  officers  in  this  country  until  such  time  as 
we  shall  have  order  to  the  contrary  from  the  supreme 
power  in  England. 

II.  "  That  all  former  election  of  Governor  and  Coun- 
cil be  void  and  null. 

III.  "That  the  power  of  Governor  for  the  future 
shall  be  conferred  on  Coll.  Samuel  Matthews,  Esq., 
who  by  us  shall  be  invested  with  all  the  just  rights  and 
privileges  belonging  to  the  Governor  and  Captain  Gen- 
eral of  Virginia." 

All  this  is  done  on  the  day  after  the  dissolution. 
There  is  to  be  no  misunderstanding.  They,  the  Bur- 
gesses, elected  Governor  Matthews ;  they  depose  Gov- 
ernor Matthews;  they  reelect  Governor  Matthews,  who 
"^y  us"  shall  be  reinvested  with  the  powers  of  Gover- 
nor of  Virginia.  And  on  the  third  of  April  the  "  old 
planter  and  true  lover  of  Virginia"  cheerfully  assented 
and  took  the  oath. 

The  cordial  relations  between  the  old-new  ruler  and 
his  parliament  were  not  again  interrupted.  The  blood- 
less three  days  of  revolution  had  placed  things  on  an 
intelliorible  basis.  Governor  Matthews  continued  to 
rule  Vii'ginia  until  the  Restoration  was  in  sight,  when, 
as  though  not  wishing  to  behold  that  spectacle,  the  old 
planter  and  deserving  Commonwealth's  man  expired. 


208      VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

IX. 

THE  BATTLE  OF  THE  SEVERN. 

Virginia  remained  tranquil  during  the  entire  period 
of  the  Commonwealth  with  the  exception  of  one  year, 
which  was  marked  by  a  bloody  disaster.  This  and  a 
still  bloodier  incident  with  which  she  was  connected 
will  now  be  related. 

In  the  midst  of  profound  quiet  intelligence  reached 
Jamestown  (1656)  that  new  trouble  with  the  Indians 
was  probably  near.  About  seven  hundred  Ricahecri- 
ans,  a  tribe  living  beyond  the  Blue  Ridge,  had  come 
down  from  the  mountains,  and  established  themselves 
near  James  River  Falls,  in  the  neighborhood  of  the 
present  city  of  Richmond.  That  meant  danger  to  the 
border  families,  possibly  to  the  lower  settlements ;  and 
the  Burgesses  promj^tly  sent  a  force  to  drive  them 
away.  The  officer  in  command  was  Colonel  Edward 
Hill,  former  Speaker,  and  called  a  "  devil "  by  Mr. 
William  Hatcher.  The  result  of  the  campaign  was 
melancholy.  Colonel  Hill  marched  on  the  Indians  at 
the  head  of  the  Virginians  and  a  hundred  braves  of 
the  friendly  Pamunkey  tribe,  commanded  by  their  chief 
Totopotomoi.  A  battle  took  place  near  Richmond, 
and  either  by  surprise  or  from  incapacity.  Hill  was 
routed  by  the  Ricahecrians.  Totopotomoi  was  killed, 
and  the  whole  force  retreated  in  disorder,  after  which 
we  hear  no  more  of  the  Ricahecrians,  who  probably 
went  back  to  their  mountains. 

The  other  incident  which  disturbed  the  harmony  of 
the  Commonwealth  regime  was  more  important.    A  bat- 


THE   BATTLE   OF  THE  SEVERN.  209 

tie  was  fought,  followed  by  bloody  executions,  which 
decided  for  the  time,  at  least,  the  fate  of  Maryland. 
The  chief  actor  in  this  fierce  business  was  that  same 
William  Clayborue,  "  the  rebel,"  who  had  so  harried 
Leonard  Calvert.  Calvert  had  now  disappeared,  but 
Governor  Stone,  representing  Lord  Baltimore,  occu- 
pied his  seat  and  was  a  King's  man.  So  Clayborne  and 
his  brother  commissioners,  after  receiving  the  surren- 
der of  Virginia,  sailed  for  Maryland  (April,  1652)  un- 
der the  broad  authority  from  Parliament  to  reduce  "  all 
the  plantations  within  the  Bay  of  the  Chesapeake." 

What  followed  in  Maryland  is  a  vivid  picture  of  the 
times,  and  belongs  to  a  history  of  the  Virginians,  since 
Virginia  and  the  Virginia  governors  were  concerned  in 
it.  The  state  of  things  was  curious.  The  "  beauty 
and  extraordinary  goodness  "  of  this  good  land  of  Mary- 
land had  attracted  covetous  eyes.  She  was  the  younger 
sister  of  Virginia,  the  Rachel  of  the  contemporary 
pamphlet,  "  Leah  and  Rachel,"  signifying  Virginia  and 
Maryland.  "  Leah  was  tender-eyed,  but  Rachel  was 
beautiful  and  well  favored,"  says  the  book  of  Genesis, 
"  and  Laban  said.  It  is  better  that  I  give  her  to  thee  than 
that  I  should  give  her  to  another  man."  Who  the  suc- 
cessful wooer  should  be,  for  the  hand  of  Rachel,  was 
now  to  be  decided.  Church  of  England  Virginia  claimed 
this  fair  domain  under  her  orisjinal  charter.  Lord  Bal- 
timore,  the  Roman  Catholic,  claimed  it  by  the  King's 
patent.  The  Puritans  who  had  gone  thither  claimed  it 
by  right  of  occupancy.  And  Clayborne,  the  rebel,  claim- 
ing Kent  Island  as  a  free  gift  from  Charles  L,  meant  to 
assert  his  right  to  that,  and  in  these  days  of  trouble  gain 
control  of  the  whole  country.  There  never  had  been 
the  least  doubt  in  the  mind  of  anybody  who  knew  this 
14 


210      VIRGINIA:  A   HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

stalwart  rebel  and  politician  what  his  real  motives  were. 
He  wanted  Maryland,  caring  little,  it  seems,  for  the 
success  of  this  or  that  religious  sect ;  and  his  brother 
Commissioners  were  of  the  same  mind.  "  It  was  not 
religion,"  says  a  contemporary  writer,  "  it  was  not 
punctilios  these  Commissioners  stood  ujDon  :  it  was  that 
sweete,  that  rich,  that  large  country  they  aimed  at." 

The  poor  Catholics  were  thus  caught  between  the 
upper  and  the  nether  millstone.  They  had  the  Parlia- 
ment, the  Puritans,  and  the  Church  of  England  men  all 
against  them  ;  and  it  would  be  ludicrous  if  it  were  not 
melancholy  to  see  how  partisan  writers  have  distorted 
the  facts.  Certain  historians  can  see  no  merit  what- 
ever in  the  unlucky  Roman  Catholics.  They  are  black 
sheep  who  ought  of  right  to  be  fleeced  by  the  saintly. 
They  are  always  in  the  wrong.  The  duty  of  the  Lord's 
anointed  is  to  denounce  their  mummeries  and  exter- 
minate them.  Clayborne,  the  Puritan  leader,  is  always 
in  the  right  when  he  tramples  on  them  and  puts  them 
to  the  sword.  They  are  to  be  allowed  freedom  of  con- 
science —  except  as  to  popery.  And  yet  they  complain  ! 
—  they,  the  followers  of  the  most  intolerant  of  all 
churches. 

The  truth  is  that  the  Roman  Catholics  of  Maryland 
were  the  only  tolerant  people  of  that  frightfully  intol- 
erant age.  The  Governor,  it  has  been  seen,  was  forced 
to  swear  that  he  "  would  not  molest  any  person  believ- 
ing in  Jesus  Christ,  for  or  in  respect  of  religion."  But 
their  toleration  was  accounted  to  them  for  a  crime. 
The  Puritan  party  were  their  sworn  foes,  and  candid 
Mr.  Bancroft  says,  "had  neither  the  gratitude  to  re- 
spect the  rights  of  the  government  by  which  they  had 
been  received  and  fostered,  nor  magnanimity  to  continue 


THE  BATTLE   OF  THE  SEVERN.  211 

the  toleration  to  which  alone  they  were  indebted  for 
their  residence  in  the  colony ;  "  for  the  furthest  reach 
of  their  toleration  when  they  came  into  power  was  to 
"confirm  the  freedom  of  conscience,  provided  the  liberty 
were  not  extended  to  ' popery,  prelacy,  or  licentiousness  ' 
of  opinion  !  "  One  reads  this  grim  piece  of  humor  with 
a  queer  sensation.  There  should  be  perfect  freedom  of 
religion  —  except  for  Catholics,  Church  of  England  peo- 
ple, and  others  who  differed  with  themselves  in  theology ! 

Spite  of  all  the  fatal  bias  of  the  old  historians,  the 
truth  seems  to  be  perfectly  plain.  The  Catholics  were 
in  their  right,  and  Clayborne  and  the  rest  were  not. 
Neither  the  famous  rebel,  nor  the  Protestants  of  any 
description  had  any  rights  in  Maryland  save  what  were 
granted  them  by  the  Catholics.  What  they  acquired 
beyond  this,  they  acquired  by  force.  Clayborne's  claim 
to  Kent  Island  had  been  formally  repudiated  by  the 
Commissioners  of  Plantations,  and  thenceforth  he  was 
an  agitator  only  ;  nor  were  his  Puritan  or  Church  of 
England  followers  any  better.  But  the  times  were  in 
disorder ;  the  Puritan  element  had  grown  powerful ; 
and  the  hardy  rebel  grasped  it  and  struck  at  his  enemies 
with  it. 

What  followed  in  these  years,  from  1652  to  the  end 
of  the  Commonwealth,  was  civil  war.  The  restless  foe 
of  Baltimore  had  been  checkmated  often,  but  a  new 
game  had  begun.  Baltimore's  friend,  the  King,  was 
dead;  the  Parliament  was  in  power;  and  Clayborne, 
the  emissary  of  this  Parliament,  will  go  and  take  his 
own  again.  The  blow  was  struck  at  once.  As  soon  as 
Berkelej^  was  driven  from  Jamestown,  Clayborne  sailed, 
as  we  have  seen,  in  his  frigate  for  St.  Mary's  ;  put  the 
strong  hand  on  Stone,  Baltimore's  Deputy  Governor, 


212       VIRGINIA:  A   HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

and  only  permitted  him  to  remain  in  nominal  authority, 
on  his  promise  to  issue  writs  in  the  name  of  the 
"  Keepers  of  the  Liberty  of  England,"  and  to  obey  the 
officers  appointed  by  him,  Clayborne  (June,  1652). 

But  suddenly  the  scene  changed.  These  Keepers  of 
the  Liberty  of  England,  the  English  Parliament,  were 
hustled  out  by  Cromwell,  and  Stone  rose  in  rebellion, 
declaring  that  the  authority  under  which  Clayborne  had 
acted  no  longer  existed.  Thereupon  the  determined 
rebel,  who  had  returned  to  Virginia,  hurried  back ; 
compelled  Stone  to  submit ;  and  ended  the  whole  busi- 
ness by  appointing  his  own  men  to  govern  Maryland. 

His  own  men  were  naturally  Puritans,  and  the  Puri- 
tan element  is  now  fully  in  power.  The  revel  at  once 
begins,  for  parties  two  hundred  years  ago  were  no 
better  nor  worse  than  parties  to-day.  The  Puritans 
choose  an  Assembly,  which  meets  at  Patuxent  and 
disfranchises  the  Catholics  —  that  is  to  say,  everybody 
is  to  be  tolerated  ;  but  he  must  not  be  a  Catholic  or  a 
Church  of  England  man.  So  Maryland  is  at  last  in  the 
hands  of  the  Claybornites. 

But  Cromwell  will  have  his  say  in  that.  The  grim 
ruler  of  England  interposes  his  fiat  (January,  1654). 
Governor  Bennett  of  Virginia,  and  those  acting  under 
his  authority,  are  "  to  forbear  disturbing  the  Lord  Bal- 
timore or  his  officers  or  people  in  Maryland."  Also 
Clayborne  and  the  other  Commissioners  are  "  not  to  busy 
themselves  about  religion^  but  to  settle  the  civil  govern- 
ment ; "  which  civil  government  seems  to  be  tolerably 
well  settled  by  disfranchising  the  Catholics.  Thus,  his 
Highness  the  Lord  Protector  does  not  mean  to  dis- 
own Lord  Baltimore,  who  has  recognized  his  authority. 
It  is  only  afterwards  (September,  1655)  that  he  writes; 


THE  BATTLE  OF  THE  SEVERN.  213 

"  It  was  not  at  all  intended  by  us  that  we  should  have 
a  stop  put  to  the  proceedings  of  those  Commissioners"  — 
which  proceedings  of  those  Commissioners  had  over- 
turned Lord  Baltimore ! 

Such  was  the  curious  entanglement  and  vast  confusion 
in  the  affairs  of  poor  "  Rachel "  Maryland.  But  the 
Protector's  half-disallowance  of  the  Puritan  revel  is 
enough  for  Baltimore.  Before  this  last  decree  is  ful- 
minated, he  writes  to  Governor  Stone,  upbraiding  him 
for  yielding ;  orders  him  to  resist  in  arms ;  and  civil 
war  begins  (1654),  this  time  to  be  more  or  less  de- 
cisive. 

Nearly  all  the  old  records  of  these  events  are  by  Puri- 
tan writers,  and  many  historians  following  them  have 
adopted  their  point  of  view,  and  their  partisan  coloring. 
To  do  so  is  not  to  write  history.  What  seems  plain  is 
this  :  that  in  the  fierce  struggle  which  now  took  place 
between  the  Catholic  proprietors  and  the  Puritan  and 
other  intruders,  the  right,  from  first  to  last,  wa^  with  the 
Catholics.  Both  parties  had  wrangled  for  a  long  time  ; 
from  the  moment,  indeed,  when  Clayborne's  pinnace  had 
gone  out  into  the  Potomac  to  fight,  more  than  twenty 
years  before.  Now  the  last  collision  came  —  a  good, 
bloody  battle,  which  was  to  decide  to  whom  Maryland 
belonged. 

The  battle  was  fought  at  the  mouth  of  the  Severn, 
in  the  vicinity  of  the  present  city  of  Annapolis  (March 
25,  1654).  The  Puritan  settlements  were  chiefly  on  the 
Severn,  the  Patuxent,  and  the  Isle  of  Kent.  Anne 
Arundel,  which  they  had  new-named  Providence,  —  now 
Annapolis,  —  was  their  headquarters.  The  Roman  Cath- 
olic capital  was  St.  Mary's,  on  the  south  coast,  near  the 
mouth  of  the  Potomac. 


214      VIRGINIA:    A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

In  these  last  days  of  March,  when  the  spring  was 
near,  Stone,  sailing  up  from  St.  Mary's,  attacked  the 
followers  of  Clayborne,  and  was  routed  utterly,  with  a 
loss  of  twenty  killed  and  a  considerable  number  wounded. 
This  is  nearly  all  that  we  know  about  the  battle.  Stone 
himself  was  "  shot  in  many  places,"  and  the  remains  of 
his  force  scattered,  or  were  captured.  The  old  Puri- 
tan chronicler  describing  the  scene,  exclaims  joyfully, 
"  All  the  place  was  strewed  with  Papist  beads,  where 
they  fled."  Maryland  now  belonged  to  the  Puritans, 
and  as  the  age  was  matter-of-fact,  and  opposition  to  the 
strongest  was  necessarily  treason,  the  Catholic  leaders 
were  sentenced  to  death,  and  four  of  them  were  then 
and  there  executed.  Stone's  life  was  only  saved  by  the 
intercession  of  some  personal  friends.  As  to  the  "  Jes- 
uit fathers,"  we  are  told  that  they  were  "  hotly  pur- 
sued and  escaped  to  Virginia  where  they  inhabited  a 
mean  low  hut,"  —  which  seems  to  have  been  a  pleasant 
reflection. 

This  was  the  end  of  the  Maryland  business.  Clay- 
borne  the  rebel,  the  real  head  and  front  of  everything, 
had  at  last  succeeded  in  his  twenty  years'  struggle.  But 
the  battle  of  the  Severn  was  indecisive  in  the  long  run. 
The  whirligig  of  time  was  to  bring  round  its  revenges. 
The  unlucky  Catholics  were  under  the  ban  for  years  ; 
and  Cromwell  would  do  nothing  for  them,  —  in  fact,  he 
had  promptly  declared,  after  the  Severn  defeat,  that  the 
proceedings  of  "  those  Commissioners  "  were  not  to  stop. 
But  still,  there  was  his  friend  Baltimore,  and  he  would 
not  "  settle  the  country,  by  declaring  his  determinate 
will,"  as  he  was  besought  to  do. 

But  the  day  of  trouble  came  for  him,  too,  at  last.  The 
year  1658  arrived,  and  the  Great  Protector  was  about 


THE  BATTLE   OF  THE  SEVERN.  215 

to  drop  the  sceptre.  The  Commonwealth  of  England 
was  not  the  Commonwealth  of  the  first  ardent  years. 
Englishmen  were  growing  weary  of  it,  and  coming 
events  cast  long  shadows.  The  Restoration  was  at 
hand,  and  Cromwell's  life  near  its  end.  The  Puritans 
of  Maryland  could  look  for  no  more  support  from  him, 
and  then  tolerance  became  the  fashion  again.  It  was  a 
real  tolerance  now,  and  the  Catholics  once  more  raised 
their  heads.  In  March,  1658,  the  Catholics  of  St. 
Mary's  and  the  Puritans  of  St.  Leonard's  consulted,  and 
the  province  was  surrendered  to  Lord  Baltimore.  In 
the  autumn  of  the  same  year  the  great  Lord  Protector 
passed  away  ;  in  1660  Charles  II.  resumed  authority, 
and  the  province  returned  to  its  old  allegiance ;  and  the 
long  civil  convulsion  was  followed  by  profound  repose. 

Of  this  curious  civil  war,  William  Clayborne,  the 
Virginian,  was  as  much  the  controlling  spirit  as  Crom- 
well was  the  controlling  spirit  of  the  revolution  in  Eng- 
land. His  character  must  appear  from  the  narrative. 
He  was  a  man  of  strong  will ;  a  politician  of  the  first 
ability ;  haughty,  implacable,  "  faithful  to  his  friends, 
and  faithful  to  his  enemies,"  as  was  said  of  another 
person  ;  and  whether  a  conscientious  Puritan  or  not, 
had  the  acumen  to  see  the  political  importance  of  that 
element  at  the  time,  and  the  skill  to  use  it  as  a  weap- 
on. By  the  aid  of  it  he  aimed  to  achieve  his  ends  — 
the  redress  of  his  personal  grievances,  the  overthrow  of 
his  adversaries,  and  the  control  of  the  province  of  Mary- 
land. All  these  objects  he  attained.  The  ground 
crumbled  under  his  feet  at  last,  and  the  Kiug's-men  at 
the  Restoration  promptly  turned  him  out  of  his  place  in 
the  Virginia  Council  even  ;  power  had  already  escaped 
from  his  grasp  in  Maryland.     But  he  fought  his  ene- 


216      VIRGINIA:    A   HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

mies  to  the  last,  this  "  execrable  incendiary  and  felon- 
convict  "  of  the  historical  imagination.  Among  the  tall 
fio-ures  of  the  epoch  in  which  he  lived,  he  is  one  of  the 
tallest  and  the  haughtiest. 


X. 


THE    KING  S-MEN    UP    AGAIN. 

Suddenly,  with  the  coming  of  the  spring  of  1660,  all 
things  changed  in  Virginia.  The  King  was  returning 
to  his  own  again.  The  Cavaliers,  who  had  been  sulking 
for  years  under  the  mild  rule  of  the  Commonwealth, 
threw  up  their  hats  and  cheered,  and  indulged  in  out- 
bursts of  joyous  enthusiasm,  from  Flower  de  Hundred 
to  the  Capes  on  the  ocean. 

It  was  rather  grotesque.  One  might  have  supposed 
that  for  all  these  eight  years  past  they  had  labored  un- 
der dire  oppression  ;  that  they  had  dodged  here  and 
there  to  escape  persecution  ;  and  that  they  saw  in  the 
smiling  young  man  of  thirty,  with  his  silk  coat  ^  and 
curling  periwig,  who  was  returning  to  London  in  the 
midst  of  shouting  crowds,  their  deliverer  from  all  this 
despotism.  The  smiling  young  man  cared  very  little 
about  them.  He  was  thinking  a  great  deal  more  about 
taking  his  ease  with  his  mistresses,  than  of  regulating 
the  affairs  of  his  good  subjects  of  Virginia.  When  he 
did  give  them  his  attention  it  was  to  cripple  their  com- 
merce, and  grant  the  richest  lands  in  the  colony  to  his 
favorites. 

This  was  yet  in  the  future.  The  sentiment  of  the 
Virginians  in  favor  of  royalty  was  strong  and  confiding. 

1  The  tradition  Avas  that  Charles  II.  wore  at  his  coronation  a  coat 
or  robe  of  Virginia  silk.  * 


THE  KING'S-MEN   UP  AGAIN.  217 

Then  they  had  achieved  their  main  point.  The  repre- 
sentatives, in  the  colony,  of  the  psalm-singing  fanatics  of 
England  with  their  nasal  cant  and  hateful  dissent  would 
go  now.  Silk,  and  lace,  and  curling  hair  would  be  once 
more  the  fashion  ;  the  close-cropped  wretches  in  black 
coats  and  round  hats  would  fade  into  the  background  ; 
and  the  good  old  Cavaliers,  like  the  King,  would  have 
their  own  aofain. 

There  is  no  doubt  that  in  Virginia  the  feeling  of  joy 
at  the  Restoration  was  enormous.  The  King's-men 
suddenly  became  prominent  again.  The  plantations 
resounded  with  revelry.  Men,  women,  and  children 
hailed  the  new  era  with  immense  joy  ;  and  Berkeley 
waiting  at  Greenspring,  as  Charles  II.  had  waited  at 
the  Hague,  returned  in  triumph,  by  a  vote  of  the  Bur- 
gesses, to  his  place  of  Governor. 

The  events  of  this  time  have  much  exercised  the  his- 
torians. Some  maintain  that  the  Virginians  were  good 
Commonwealth's-men,  who  submitted  to  the  new  re'gime 
with  reluctant  growls.  Others  will  have  it  that  they 
were  all  King's-men  and  "  proclaimed  "  the  royal  dar- 
ling of  theg?  hearts  two  years  before  the  English  Res- 
toration. Neither  statement  has  any  foundation.  The 
great  body  of  the  Virginia  population  was  unquestiona- 
bly Cavalier,  and  the  restoration  of  the  royal  authority 
in  England  was  accompanied  by  its  restoration  in  Vir- 
ginia ;  but  the  latter  did  not  precede  the  former.  There 
is  no  doubt  whatever  that  if  the  Virginians  could  have 
restored  the  King  earlier  they  would  have  done  so  ;  and 
Berkeley,  who  is  known  to  have  been  in  close  commu- 
nication and  consultation  with  the  leading  Cavaliers,  had 
sent  word  to  Charles  II.  in  Holland,  toward  the  end  of 
the  Commonwealth,  that  he  would  raise  his  flag  in  Vir- 


218      VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

ginia  if  there  was  a  prospect  of  success.  This  incident 
has  been  called  in  question.  It  is  testified  to  by  William 
Lee,  Sheriff  of  London,  and  a  cousin  of  Richard  Lee, 
Berkeley's  emissary,  as  a  fact  within  his  knowledge. 
Charles  declined  the  offer,  but  was  always  grateful  to 
the  Virginians.  The  country  is  said  to  have  derived 
from  the  incident  its  name  of  the  "  Old  Dominion," 
where  the  King  was  King,  or  might  have  been,  before 
he  was  King  in  England ;  and  the  motto  of  the  old 
Virginia  shield,  "  En  dat  Virginia  quartam,"  in  allusion 
to  England,  Scotland,  Ireland,  and  Virginia,  is  supposed 
to  have  also  originated  at  this  time. 

As  to  the  "proclamation,"  in  any  sense,  of  the  King 
about  1658,  that  is  not  established  and  is  improbable. 
Berkeley  did  not  even  "proclaim"  him  when  he  returned 
to  power  in  March,  1660.  The  facts  are  clearly  shown 
by  the  records  and  may  be  briefly  stated. 

Cromwell  died  in  September,  1658,  and  Richard  Crom- 
well, his  successor,  resigned  the  government  in  April  of 
the  next  year.  There  was  thus  an  interregnum  during 
which  no  settled  authority  of  any  description  existed  in 
England ;  and  Governor  Matthews  having  died  in  the 
same  year  (1659),  there  was  none  in  Virginia.  During 
this  period  of  suspense  and  quasi  chaos,  the  General 
Assembly  was  the  only  depositary  of  authority.  This 
was  recognized  and  prompt  action  taken.  There  was 
nothing  to  do  but  elect  a  Governor,  and  the  only  question 
was,  a  Commonwealth's  Governor  or  a  royal  Governor? 
There  was  no  Commonwealth,  or  it  had  no  head ;  the 
Cavalier  sentiment  in  Virginia  was  overpowering  ;  and 
the  Virginians  did  what  might  have  been  expected  : 
they  elected  Berkeley,  who,  in  1650,  had  received  a  new 
commission  as  Governor  from  Charles  II.,  then  at  Breda. 


THE  KING'S-MEN    UP  AGAIN.  219 

It  is  only  necessary  to  glance  at  the  old  records  to  see 
the  whole  process  of  the  business.  In  March,  1660,  the 
planters  assemble  at  Jamestown,  and  their  first  Act  de- 
fines the  whole  situation  :  "  Whereas  by  reason  of  the. 
late  distractions  (which  God  in  his  mercy  putt  a  sud- 
daine  period  to),  there  being  in  England  noe  resident 
absolute  and  gen'll  confessed  power,  —  be  it  enacted 
and  confirmed :  That  the  supreame  power  of  the  Govern- 
ment of  this  country  shall  he  resident  in  the  Assembly.,  and 
that  all  writts  issue  in  the  name  of  the  Grand  Assembly 
of  Virginia  until  such  a  command  or  commission  come 
out  of  England,  as  shall  be  by  the  Assembly  adjudged 
lawfull."  And  the  second  act  declares,  "  that  the  hon- 
ourable Sir  William  Berkeley  bee  Governour  and  Cap- 
tain Gen'll  of  Virginia."  He  is  to  govern  according  to 
English  and  Virginia  law  ;  to  call  an  Assembly  once  in 
two  years,  or  oftener  if  he  sees  cause  ;  is  not  to  dissolve 
the  Assembly  without  the  consent  of  a  majority  of  the 
members  ;  and  all  writs  are  to  issue  "  in  the  name  of 
the  Grand  Assembly  of  Virginia,"  —  not  in  the  King's. 

Thus  Berkeley  resumed  office,  as  what  he  called  him- 
self, "  the  servant  of  the  Assembly."  In  the  absence  of 
orders  from  some  "  resident  absolute  and  general  con- 
fessed power  "  in  England,  the  Assembly  was  the  only 
source  of  authority.  Berkeley  therefore  accepted  his 
authority  from  it,  not  from  the  King  ;  and  said  in  his 
address  before  the  House  :  "  I  do  therefore  in  the  pres- 
ence of  God  and  you,  make  this  safe  protestation  for  us 
all,  that  if  any  supreme  settled  power  appears  I  will  im- 
mediately lay  down  my  commission  ;  but  will  live  most 
submissively  obedient  to  any  power  God  shall  set  over 
me,  as  the  experience  of  eight  years  has  showed  I  have 
done." 


220      VIRGINIA:   A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

All  this  would  seem  to  be  quite  plain  —  that  Berke- 
ley was  invested  with  power  as  "  Governor  and  Cap- 
tain General  of  Virginia"  by  the  Burgesses  of  Virginia, 
and  held  his  office  from  them.  It  is  true  that  it  was 
nearly  the  same  as  holding  it  from  the  King.  The 
Assembly  was  full  Cavalier,  and  a  single  word  in  their 
assertion  of  authority  revealed  their  thought.  They 
assumed  the  government  of  Virginia  in  the  absence  of 
any  "  resident "  confessed  power  in  England.  The 
non-resident  confessed  power  was  Charles  II.,  then 
on  the  Continent,  and  they  thus  acknowledged  him. 
When  he  came  to  his  throne  again  in  May  following 
this  March,  he  sent  Berkeley  a  new  commission ;  and 
in  October  of  the  same  year  (1660),  the  ruler  of  Vir- 
ginia is  again  "  the  Right  Honourable  Sir  William 
Berkeley,  his  Majesties  Governor.^'' 

So  the  exile  of  Greenspring,  after  all  his  ups  and 
downs,  comes  back  to  his  Jamestown  "  State  House," 
and  will  remain  there  in  peace  until  Bacon  marches 
to  thrust  him  out,  and  put  the  torch  to  it. 


XI. 

VIRGINIA    ON    THE    EVE    OF    THE    REBELLION. 

Virginia  had  thus  come  back  to  the  royal  fold,  not 
suspecting  that  she  was  about  to  be  fleeced.  As  yet, 
however,  there  were  no  heart-burnings,  and  the  only 
event  which  disturbed  the  harmony  of  the  time  was 
without  significance. 

This  was  the  "  Oliverian  Plot,"  as  it  was  called  at 
the  time,  in  September,  1663.  A  number  of  indented 
servants  conspired  to  "anticipate  the  period   of    their 


THE  EVE  OF  THE  REBELLION.  221 

freedom,"  and  made  an  appointment  to  assemble  at 
Poplar  Spring  in  Gloucester,  with  what  precise  designs 
it  is  now  impossible  to  discover.  They  were  betrayed 
by  one  of  their  number  ;  and  Berkeley  promptly  ar- 
rested all  who  had  assembled,  four  of  whom  were  duly 
hanged.  No  men  of  any  consideration  were  engaged  in 
the  plot,  and  its  only  result  was  that  the  Burgesses  or- 
dered that  thenceforth  twenty  guardsmen  and  an  officer 
should  attend  upon  the  House  and  the  Governor  (1663). 

The  stigma  of  the  time  was  the  merciless  intolerance 
towards  the  Friends,  or  Quakers.  Here  as  elsewhere  in 
America  they  were  treated  with  a  harshness  which  dis- 
graces the  epoch.  They  were  denounced  as  "  turbulent 
people  teaching  lies,  miracles,  false  visions  and  prophe- 
cies," as  disorganizers  and  enemies  of  society.  They 
were  to  be  fined  for  non-attendance  on  the  services  of 
the  Established  Church.  They  were  not  to  attend  their 
own  conventicles,  and  no  ship-master  was  to  bring  them 
into  the  colony.  No  person  was  to  receive  them  into 
his  house  ;  and  Mr.  John  Porter,  Burgess  from  Lower 
Norfolk,  charged  with  being  "  loving  to  the  Quakers," 
was  dismissed  from  the  Assembly  as  one  unworthy  to 
sit  in  it.  The  poor  Quakers  were  to  go  out  of  Virginia 
and  no  more  were  to  come  in.  If  they  insisted  on  re- 
turning they  were  to  be  treated  as  felons. 

There  were  other  classes  of  people,  also,  who  were 
looked  upon  with  the  same  evil  eye ;  among  them  the 
new  sect  of  Baptists,  "  schismatical  persons  so  averse 
to  the  established  religion,  and  so  filled  with  the  new- 
fangled conceits  of  their  heretical  inventions  as  to  refuse 
to  have  their  children  baptized."  Their  own  ceremony 
was,  of  course,  a  mockery,  and  all  refusing  "  in  con- 
tempt of  the  divine    sacrament    of   baptism    to    carry 


222      VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

their  child  to  a  lawful  minister  to  have  them  baptized, 
shall  be  amerced  two  thousand  pounds  of  tobacco" 
(1662).  It  is  scarce  worth  while  to  take  up  further 
space  with  these  unhappy  persecutions.  The  poor 
apology  of  the  Virginians  was  that  other  people  were 
no  better. 

For  about  ten  years  now  the  Colony  goes  on  its  way 
in  a  humdrum  fashion,  passing  laws  for  the  regulation 
of  its  internal  affairs.  The  King's  j)ardon  is  not  to  ex- 
tend to  such  persons  as  plant  tobacco  contrary  to  the 
Virginia  statute  (1661).  In  each  county  are  to  be  built 
houses  for  "  educating  poor  children  in  the  knowledge 
of  spinning,  weaving,  and  other  useful  occupations" 
(1668).  Rogues  are  to  be  held  in  awe,  and  "women 
causing  scandalous  suits  "  are  to  be  "  ducked."  To  ac- 
complish these  just  ends  "  a  pillory,  a  pair  of  stocks,  a 
whipping-post,  and  a  ducking-stool "  shall  be  set  up 
"neere  the  court  house  in  -every  county."  The  duck- 
ing-stool is  a  pole  with  a  seat  upon  one  end  so  balanced 
on  a  pivot,  near  some  convenient  pond  or  stream,  that  the 
offender,  placed  on  the  seat,  may  be  once,  twice,  or  thrice 
dipped  down  and  "ducked"  for  her  offense.  This  dire 
punishment  is  not  for  the  mere  harmless  circulators  of 
interesting  personal  gossip,  but  for  "brabling  women 
who  often  slander  and  scandalize  their  neighbours,  for 
which  their  poore  husbands  are  often  brought  into 
chargeable  and  vexatious  suits  and  cast  in  great  dam- 
ages." These  are  to  be  "punished  by  ducking"  —  a 
melancholy  proof  that  even  in  these  Arcadian  days  the 
tongue  required  control. 

A '  single  event  of  political  importance  marks  this 
period:  the  restriction  of  the  elective  franchise  to  "fFree- 
holders  and  housekeepers"  (1670).     This  is  attributed 


THE  EVE   OF  THE  REBELLION.  223 

as  usual  to  the  perverse  King's-men  as  an  original  in- 
vention of  theirs  to  abridge  human  freedom ;  and  yet  a 
glance  at  the  record  might  have  shown  the  historians 
that  the  Commonwealth's-men  first  "  cut  down  the  sacred 
right  of  suffrage  "  in  Virginia.     The  record  is  plain  and 
brief.     From  the  first  years  to  1655  all  the  settlers  had 
a  voice  in  public  affairs  :   first  in  the  daily  matters  of 
the  hundreds,   and  after   1619   in  electing   Burgesses. 
No  proposition  was  ever  made  to  change  this  "  ancient 
usage."     But  in   1655  it  was  changed  by  the  men  of 
the  Commonwealth.      In  that  year  the  Burgesses  de- 
clared that  none  but  "  housekeepers,  whether  freehold- 
ers, leaseholders,  or  otherwise  tenants,"  should  be  "  cape- 
able  to  elect  Burgesses."     One  year  afterwards  (1656) 
the  ancient  usage  was  restored,  and  all  "  freemen  "  were 
allowed  to  vote,  since  it  was  "  something  hard  and  un- 
agreeable to  reason  that  any  person  shall   pay  equal 
taxes,  and  yet  have  no  vote  in  elections  ;  "  but  the  free- 
men must  not  vote  "  in  a  tumultuous  way."     Such  was 
the  record  of  the  Commonv/ealth.     In  1670  the  King's- 
men  restored  the  first  act,  restricting  the  suffrage  again. 
The  reason  is  stated.     The  "usual  way  of  choosing  bur- 
gesses by  the  votes  of  all  persons  who,  having  served 
their  time,  are  freemen  of  this  country,''  produced  "  tu- 
mults at  the  election."     Therefore  it  would  be  better 
to  follow  the  English  fashion  and  "grant  a  voyce  in 
such  election  only  to  such  as  by  their  estates,  real  or 
personal,  have  interest  enough  to  tye  them  to  the  en- 
deavour of  the  publique  good."     So,  after  this  time  none 
but  "  ffreeholders  and  housekeepers  "  were  to  vote. 

The  reason  for  this  invasion  of  the  "  sacred  right," 
first  by  the  Commonwealth's-men,  then  by  the  King's- 
men,  lies  on  the  surface.     The  persons  who  had  "served 


224      VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

their  time"  as  indented  servants,  had  "little  interest  in 
the  country  ; "  they  were  making  disturbances  at  the  elec- 
tions. Voters  ought  to  be  men  of  good  character,  and 
have  such  a  stake  in  the  colony  as  would  tie  them  to 
the  endeavor  of  the  public  good.  This  was  thence- 
forth the  determinate  sentiment,  and  the  law  remained 
settled,  with  the  exception  of  one  year  (1676),  when 
Bacon's  Assembly  changed  it,  and  declared  that  "  free- 
men "  should  again  vote.  This  was  swept  away  by  the 
general  repeal  of  all  "  Bacon's  laws;"  and  the  freehold 
restriction  remained  the  law  of  Virginia  nearly  to  the 
present  time. 

Thus  this  enormous  question,  which  convulses  the 
modern  world,  already  convulsed  those  old  Virginians. 
First,  all  freemen  vote ;  then  only  freeholders ;  then 
the  freemen  again  ;  then  the  freeholders  only,  again  ; 
then  freemen  once  more ;  and  finally,  only  the  free- 
holders. 

We  have  now  reached  the  year  1670,  and  a  great 
civil  convulsion  is  at  hand.  Virginia  is  about  to  be 
shaken  as  by  an  earthquake ;  to  writhe  under  intes- 
tine war ;  and  it  is  interesting  to  know  the  condition 
of  the  country.  This  is  ascertainable  from  Governor 
Berkeley's  response  to  the  inquiries  of  the  Lords  Com- 
missioners of  Foreign  Plantations,  a  document  which 
has  fortunately  been  preserved.  Virginia,  he  states,  is 
ruled  by  a  Governor  and  sixteen  Councillors,  commis- 
sioned by  his  Majesty ;  and  a  Grand  Assembly,  consist- 
ing of  two  Burgesses  from  each  county,  meets  annually, 
which  levies  taxes,  hears  appeals,  and  passes  laws  of  all 
descriptions,  which  are  to  be  sent  to  the  Lord  Chancel- 
lor for  his  approval,  as  in  accordance  with  the  laws  of 
the  realm.      There  are  forty  thousand  people  in  Vir- 


THE  EVE   OF  THE  REBELLION.  225 

ginianow,  of  whom  six  thousand  are  white  servants  and 
two  thousand  negro  slaves.  Since  1619,  when  they  first 
came,  the  negroes  have  grown  an  hundred-fold ;  chiefly 
by  natural  increase,  since  but  two  or  three  ships  bring- 
ing new  slaves  have  come  in  seven  years.  About  fif- 
teen hundred  white  servants,  mostly  English,  a  few 
Scotch,  and  fewer  Irish,  came  yearly. 

The  freemen  of  Viro^inia  number  more  than  "  eiirht 
thousand  horse,"  and  are  bound  to  muster  monthly  in 
every  county,  to  be  ready  for  the  Indians ;  but  the  In- 
dians are  "  absolutely  subjected,  so  that  there  is  no  fear 
of  them."  There  are  five  forts  in  Virginia,  mounted 
with  thirty  cannon  :  two  on  James  River,  and  one  on 
the  three  other  rivers  of  York,  Rappahannock,  and 
Potomeck,  "  but  God  knows  we  have  neither  skill  or 
ability  to  make  or  maintain  them."  As  to  ships  trading 
to  Virginia,  near  eighty  come  out  yearly  from  England 
and  Ireland,  and  a  few  "ketches"  from  New  England. 
Virginia  has  never  yet  had,  at  one  time,  more  than  two 
small  ones,  of  not  more  than  twenty  tons  burden.  The 
cause  of  this  deplorable  fact  is  that  Virginia  is  ground 
down  by  the  "  mighty  and  destructive  obstructions  "  of 
the  navigation  law  which  crushes  her.  Neither  "  small 
or  great  vessels  are  built  here,  for  we  are  most  obedient 
to  all  laws,  whilst  the  New  England  men  break  through 
and  trade  to  any  place  that  their  interest  leads  them 
to." 

As  to  the  Church,  there  are  forty- eight  parishes,  and 
the  ministers  are  well  paid.  They  are  not  always  ex- 
emplary people :  "  The  worst  are  sent  us,  and  we  have 
had  few  that  we  could  boast  of  since  Cromwell's 
tyranny  drove  divers  men  hither."  It  would  be  better 
"  if  they  would  pray  oftener  and  preach  less." 
15 


226     VIRGINIA:  A   HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

There  is  no  public  system  of  education ;  every  man 
teaches  his  own  children ;  but  this  is  not  so  lamentable. 
And  then  Sir  William  Berkeley  winds  up  his  account 
of  the  Virginia  colony  with  the  famous  expression  of 
his  private  opinion  on  education  and  the  vile  invention 
of  printing :  "  I  thank  God  there  are  no  free  schools, 
nor  printing,  and  I  hope  we  shall  not  have  these  hun- 
dred years  ;  for  learning  has  brought  disobedience  into 
the  world,  and  printing  has  divulged  them,  and  libels 
against  the  best  governments.  God  keep  us  from 
both."  This  venomous  tirade  was  the  outburst  of  a  man 
who  worshiped  the  monarchic  idea,  and  had  the  acu- 
men to  see  that  free  thought  w-as  its  enemy.  He  seems 
to  have  held  his  views  conscientiously.  The  man  was 
not  a  truckler,  fitting  his  opinions  to  promote  his  for- 
tunes. He  was  a  bigot  in  politics  as  other  men  were  in 
religion. 

A  notable  feature  of  this  report  is  the  statement  of 
the  large  increase  in  the  population.  In  1650  there 
were  only  about  fifteen  thousand  people  in  Virginia ; 
in  1670  there  were  forty  thousand.  Thus,  in  twenty 
years  the  population  had  nearly  trebled,  a  remarkable 
rate  of  increase.  What  was  the  explanation  of  it?  The 
reply  is  easy.  The  execution  of  Charles  I.  in  1649  had 
driven  great  numbers  of  his  friends  to  Virginia.  It 
was  the  promised  land  of  "  distressed  Cavaliers,"  as  the 
old  narratives  called  them,  and  they  flowed  to  Virginia 
in  a  steady  stream  during  the  Commonwealth  period. 
This  might  have  been  expected.  In  England  was  the 
jfierce  struggle  of  the  factions,  friends  of  the  army  and 
friends  of  the  Parliament,  who  agreed  at  least  upon 
one  point :  that  all  adherents  of  Charles  Stuart,  the 
tyrant,  were  to   be  crushed.      Thus   England   was   no 


THE  EVE   OF  THE  REBELLION.  227 

place  for  the  Kings-men.     The  pleasant  fields  were  no 
longer  pleasant.     The  old  home  was  no  longer  home. 
At  any  moment  the  tramp  of  a  Roundhead  detachment, 
coming  to  arrest  them,  might  intrude  on  the  silence  of 
the   manor-houses.     There  was  no  safety  for  them  in 
the  home-land,  and  it  was  natural  to  go  and  look  for  it 
in  Virginia.     Good  Cavaliers  like  themselves  abounded 
there.    The  land  was  cheap  and  the  climate  delightful ; 
the  Church  in  which  they  worshiped  was  still  open ;  on 
the  banks  of  the  great  rivers  they  might  acquire  landed 
estates,  if  they  could  pay  the  small  price  for  them,  and 
hunt  the  fox,  and  toast  the   King,  and  talk  with  old 
comrades  who  had  preceded  them  of  Marston  Moor, 
and  the  fearful  Naseby,  and  how  the  good  cause  had 
gone  down  in  blood.     In  Virginia  there  were  no  ene- 
mies to  lurk,  and  eavesdrop,   and  betray  them.     The 
Commonwealth's-men  were  in  power,  but  they  interfered 
with  nobody.    They  might  look  sidewise  at  Sir  William 
Berkeley,   who  had  no  right  to  remain  longer  in  the 
Colony,  but  they  did  not  order  him  out  of  it.     They 
might  hate  the  Book  of  Common  Prayer,  which  was  to 
be  used  for  only  a  year  after  the  surrender ;  but  it  was 
still  used  in  the  churches,  and  the  Commonwealth's-men 
turned  their  eyes  in  another  direction,  refusing  to  notice 
the  fact. 

Thus,  Virginia,  "  the  ^  last  couritry  belonging  to  Eng- 
land that  submitted  to  obedience  to  the  Commonwealth," 
was  the  place  for  the  Cavalier  people.  It  was  a  haven 
of  refuge  in  the  pitiless  storm  ;  and  all  through  the 
feverish  years  of  the  Commonwealth,  when  the  home- 
land was  so  dreary,  the  "distressed"  fugitives  were 
stealing  out  of  the  country,  ^ud  saijing  with  s^d  or  glad 
hearts  Virginiaward.      Some  were  penniless,   but   had 


228     VIRGINIA:  A   HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

friends  or  relations  there.  Others  had  saved  something 
from  the  wreck.  Many  of  them  were  persons  of  rank, 
since  that  class  of  people  ran  special  danger  in  England, 
and  Virginia  narrowly  escaped  becoming  a  place  of 
refuge  for  a  person  of  the  highest  rank  of  all,  —  Queen 
Henrietta  Maria  herself.  She  is  said  to  have  resolved 
to  sail  for  Virginia  in  a  fleet  commanded  by  Sir  William 
Davenant,  in  1651,  not  long  after  the  King's  execution. 
She  did  not  do  so ;  but  the  poet  set  out,  and  was  cap- 
tured by  the  ships  of  the  Parliament.  The  intercession 
of  his  brother  poet,  Milton,  is  said  to  have  alone  saved 
his  life.  Thus,  Virginia  came  near  seeing  on  her  soil 
the  "Little  Queen"  of  Charles  I.,  and  the  author  of 
"  Gondibert,"  "  rare  Sir  William  Davenant,"  who  boasted 
that  he  was  the  son  of  Shakespeare. 

Of  the  extent  of  the  Cavalier  immigration  between 
1650  and  1670  there  can  be  no  doubt  whatever.  It 
was  so  large  and  respectable  in  character  that  the 
King's-men  speedily  took  the  direction  of  social  and 
political  aJBPairs.  Few  Commonwealth' s-men  came  to  a 
country  where  the  air  was  full  of  Church  and  King  in- 
fluences ;  and  the  Cavaliers  were  completely  in  the  as- 
cendency. The  fact  would  seem  to  be  unmistakable 
on  the  face  of  the  record,  but  it  has  been  called  in  ques- 
tion ;  it  has  even  been  said  that  the  old  society  was 
largely  made  up  of  servants  and  felons.  The  statement 
is  wholly  unfounded.  It  is  true  that  in  1670  there  were 
two  thousand  slaves  and  six  thousand  white  servants  in 
Virginia,  but  there  were  thirty-two  thousand  free  peo- 
ple ;  and  the  servants  were  merely  servants,  a  class  dis- 
franchised by  law.  As  to  the  number  of  "  felons,"  Jef- 
ferson placed  the  whole  number  sent  over,  from  the 
time  of  the  settlement  to  the  year  1787,  at  less  than 


THE  EVE   OF  THE  REBELLION.  229 

two  thousand ;  and  the  whole  number  of  such  persons 
and  their  descendants  in  that  year  at  four  thousand, 
which,  he  said,  was  "  little  more  than  one  thousandth 
part  of  the  whole  inhabitants."  Nothing  in  fact  is 
plainer  than  that  the  servant  or  felon  element  in  Vir- 
ginia society  counted  socially  and  politically  for  noth- 
ing. 

The  character  of  the  King's-men  who  came  over  dur- 
ing the  Commonwealth  period  has  also  been  a  subject 
of  discussion.  They  have  been  called,  even  by  Vir- 
ginia writers,  as  we  have  seen,  "  butterflies  of  aristoc- 
racy," who  had  no  influence  in  affairs  or  in  giving  its 
coloring  to  Virginia  society.  The  facts  entirely  con- 
tradict the  view.  They  and  their  descendants  were 
the  leaders  in  public  afl^airs,  and  exercised  a  controlling 
influence  upon  the  community.  Washington  was  the 
great-grandson  of  a  royalist  who  took  refuge  iu  Vir- 
ginia during  the  Commonwealth.  George  Mason  was 
the  descendant  of  a  colonel  who  fought  for  Charles  II. 
Edmund  Pendleton  was  of  royalist  origin,  and  lived  and 
died  the  most  uncompromising  of  Churchmen,  Richard 
Henry  Lee,  who  moved  the  Declaration,  was  of  the  fam- 
ily of  Richard  Lee,  who  had  gone  to  invite  Charles  11. 
to  Virginia.  Peyton,  and  Edmund  Randolph,  President 
of  the  First  Congress,  and  Attorney-General,  were  of 
an  old  royalist  family.  Archibald  Cary,  who  threat- 
ened to  stab  Patrick  Henry  if  he  was  made  dictator, 
was  a  relative  of  Lord  Falkland,  and  heir  apparent  at 
his  death  to  the  barony  of  Hunsdon.  Madison  and 
Monroe  were  descended  from  royalist  families,  —  the 
first  from  a  refugee  of  1653,  the  last  from  a  captain 
in  the  army  of  Charles  L  And  Patrick  Henry  and 
Thomas  Jefferson,  afterwards  the  great  leaders  of  demo- 


230     VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

cratic  opinion,  were  of  Church  and  King  blood,  since 
the  father  of  Henry  was  a  loyal  officer  who  "  drank  the 
King's  health  at  the  head  of  his  regiment ;  "  and  the 
mothers  of  both  were  Church  of  England  women,  de- 
scended from  royalist  families. 

The  point  may  seem  unduly  elaborated.  But  it  is 
well  to  establish  the  disputed  questions  of  history,  and 
this  one  has  been  disputed.  One  of  the  highest  authori- 
ties in  American  history  has  described  the  Cavalier  ele- 
ment in  Virginia  as  only  "  perceptible."  It  was  really 
so  strong  as  to  control  all  things,  —  the  forms  of  soci- 
ety, of  religion,  and  the  direction  of  public  affairs.  The 
fact  was  so  plain  that  he  who  ran  might  read  it. 


XII. 

THE    HIDDEN    FIRES. 

The  "  Great  Rebellion  in  Virginia  "  burst  forth  in 
1676,  just  one  hundred  years  before  another  great  re- 
bellion of  which  it  was  the  prophecy.  Nothing  succeeds 
like  success,  and  history  is  polite  to  victors  ;  to  those 
who  fail  it  is  merciless.  The  English  and  American 
rebellions  of  1640,  1688,  and  1776,  are  the  English  and 
American  "  revolutions."  The  risins:  of  the  Virginians 
in  1676,  which  was  precisely  similar,  is  the  great  "re- 
bellion," since  it  met  with  disaster. 

What  led  to  this  political  revolution  ending  in  an  open 
defiance  of  the  Crown,  may  seem  insufficient  to  account 
for  it.  The  two  main  grievances  were  the  English  navi- 
gation acts,  and  the  grant  of  authority  to  two  English 
noblemen  to  sell  land-titles  and  manage  other  matters 
in  Virginia.    But  under  these  apparently  mild  causes  of 


THE  HIDDEN  FIRES.  231 

complaint  was  a  vast  mass  of  real  oppression  and  a 
whole  world  of  misery  and  suppressed  rage. 

The  trade  laws  were  the  prime  grievance.  When 
Charles  II.  returned  to  his  own  again,  the  old  law  of 
the  Commonwealth  (1651)  was  reenacted :  that  the 
English  colonies,  including  Virgiuia,  should  only  trade 
with  England  in  English  ships  manned  by  Englishmen. 
There  was  this  vital  difference  however  :  the  law  of  the 
Commonwealth  seems  not  to  have  been  enforced,  and 
the  law  of  the  Restoration  was  enforced  without  mercy. 
Cromwell  had  apparently  respected  the  terms  of  the 
Virginia  surrender  of  1652,  or,  for  reasons  of  his  own, 
chose  to  shut  his  eyes  to  the  fact  that  Virginia  was  trad- 
ing with  all  the  world.  Charles  II.  and  his  advisers 
kept  their  eyes  wide  open,  and  would  neither  permit 
this  foreign  trade,  nor  even  any  trade  with  the  other 
colonies  without  a  heavy  excise.  The  whole  commerce 
of  Virginia  was  thus  held  in  the  inexorable  clutch  of 
England.  It  was  a  huge  and  grinding  monopoly.  The 
great  staple,  tobacco  —  the  very  currency  of  the  colony, 
—  and  all  other  produce,  came  to  the  one  market,  Eng- 
land, to  humbly  ask  the  one  purchaser  what  he  would 
be  good  enough  to  pay  for  them. 

This  was  not  only  a  political  wrong,  —  it  was  an  enor- 
mous blunder.  The  system  crippled  the  colony,  and  by 
discouraging  production  decreased  the  English  revenue. 
The  first  principles  of  political  economy  seemed  to  be 
unknown  to  the  statesmen  of  the  time.  To  profit  from 
Virginia  they  ground  down  Virginia.  Instead  of  friends 
they  were  enemies  who  caught  her  by  the  throat  and 
cried  "  pay  that  thou  owest."  Exports  were  loaded 
with  a  heavy  duty  both  in  Virginia  and  England.  Be- 
fore the  outward-bound  ship  could  sail  past  Point  Com- 


232      VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

fort  to  the  ocean  there  was  the  "  castle  duty  "  to  pay, 
and,  if  she  did  not  stop,  the  thunder  of  cannon  brought 
her  to.  When  the  ship  reached  England  there  was  the 
Eno-lish  duty,  too,  —  and  matters  were  so  arranged  that 
all  this  burden  fell  on  the  Virginia  producer.  Even 
the  trade  with  the  other  colonies  was  hampered  with 
the  same  fetters ;  and,  crowning  outrage  of  all,  a  great 
swarm  of  collectors  and  other  oflicials  received  the 
money  and  put  it  in  their  own  pockets. 

Virginia  was  thus  loaded  with  a  weight  which  brought 
her  to  her  knees;  but  unfortunately  that  humble  attitude 
did  not  disarm  her  English  friends.  Charles  II.,  and  his 
ministers  would  hear  of  no  change  in  the  law.  What 
the  officials  in  England  and  Virginia  wanted  was  money, 
and  Virginia  was  ground  down  to  the  earth  to  supply  it. 
At  last  a  sort  of  despair  came.  The  planters  resorted 
to  "  stints  "  and  "  plant  cutting  "  to  diminish  or  destroy 
the  tobacco  crop,  and  thus  enhance  the  price.  This  did 
not  effect  the  object.  In  1670  and  the  years  following 
the  price  fell  almost  to  nothing,  and  still  the  crushing 
duty  was  subtracted  from  this  nothing.  Then  the  Vir- 
ginia planter  found  himself  a  beggar.  Tobacco  was  his 
source  of  revenue.  It  clothed  himself,  his  wife  and 
children,  and  defrayed  all  his  expenses  beyond  mere 
subsistence.  When  the  inexorable  London  merchant 
under  the  inexorable  English  law  snatched  it  away 
from  him,  he  and  his  family  were  to  go  in  rags. 

This  was  enough  to  exasperate  a  peo23le  as  restive  as 
the  Virginians  ;  but  unfortunately  this  was  not  all.  In 
the  dark  days  following  the  execution  of  Charles  I.,  his 
wandering  son  on  the  continent,  who  was  theoretically 
King  of  England,  had  granted  to  some  "  distressed  cav- 
aliers" of  the  time,  the  region  of  country  called  the 


THE  HIDDEN  FIRES.  233 

"  Northern  Neck,"  between  the  Rappahannock  and  the 
Potomac,  as  a  place  of  refuge  from  the  ire  of  the  Com- 
monwealth's-men.  This  grant  was  afterward  recalled  ; 
but  in  1673  the  King  granted  to  the  Earl  of  Arlington 
and  Lord  Culpeper,  two  of  his  favorites,  "all  that 
entire  tract,  territory,  region,  and  dominion  of  land 
and  water  commonly  called  Virginia.,  together  with  the 
territory  of  Accomack,''  to  be  held  by  the  said  noble- 
men for  the  space  of  thirty-one  years,  at  a  yearly  rent 
of  forty  shillings  to  be  paid  on  "  the  feast  day  of  St. 
Michael  the  Arch  Angell."  They  were  to  have  all  the 
quit-rents  and  lands  escheated  to  the  crown ;  to  make 
conveyances  in  fee  simple ;  and  manage  all  things  after 
their  pleasure.  No  holder  of  land  by  valid  title  was  to 
be  disturbed,  but  with  this  single  exception  they  were 
to  be  the  masters  in  Virginia. 

This  portentous  grant  raised  a  great  outcry.  The 
two  foreign  lords  had  become  the  owners  of  Virginia 
with  her  forty  thousand  people.  All  the  honest  men 
honestly  in  possession  of  escheated  lands  were  liable  to 
be  turned  out  of  their  houses  at  a  moment's  warning:. 
The  revenues  of  the  colony  were  to  be  received  by  the 
new  owners  of  it.  They  were  to  appoint  public  offi- 
cers, to  lay  off  new  counties,  and  present  to  the  par- 
ishes. In  broad  sweep  and  minute  detail,  the  King's 
patent  was  an  enormity.  By  a  scratch  of  the  royal 
pen,  Virginia,  which  had  been  so  faithful  to  him,  was 
conveyed  away,  as  a  man  conveys  away  his  private 
estate,  to  two  of  the  trickiest  courtiers  of  the  English 
court. 

The  Burgesses  promptly  sent  commissioners  to  pro- 
test against  this  outrage.  There  was  a  long  wrangle 
with  the  King's  officials,  but  Charles  II.  was  too  care- 


234     VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

less  to  feel  ill-humor.  He  had  no  desire  to  wrong  his 
faithful  Virginians  :  "  Those  quit  rents  had  never  come 
into  the  royal  exchequer,"  he  said ;  he  had  meant  them 
for  "the  benefit  of  that  our  colony."  He  was  "gra- 
ciously inclined  to  favor  his  said  subjects  of  Virginia," 
and  would  grant  them  a  new  charter  for  "  the  settle- 
ment and  confirmation  of  all  things  "  after  their  wishes. 
But  suddenly  the  perverse  Virginians  took  matters  into 
their  own  hands.  The  new  charter  was  drafted  and 
then  "  passing  through  the  offices,"  when  "  the  news  of 
Bacon's  rebellion  stopped  it  in  the  Hamper  Office," 
which  was  the  Destruction  Office. 

To  these  grievances  were  added  the  confinement  of 
the  suffrage  to  freeholders  (1670),  which  disfranchised 
a  large  number  of  persons ;  and  the  failure  of  Gover- 
nor Berkeley  to  protect  the  frontier  from  tlie  Indians. 
These  "  heathen,"  as  they  were  then  styled,  had  begun 
to  threaten  the  colony.  Their  jealousy^ had  probably 
been  aroused  by  an  expedition  made  by  Captain  Henry 
Batte  beyond  the  Alleghanies,  probably  as  far  as  the 
New  River  country  (about  1670).  To  this  was  added 
intense  resentment,  the  result  of  a  collision  in  the  sum- 
mer of  1675.  A  party  of  Doegs  attacked  the  frontier 
in  Stafford  and  committed  outrages ;  were  pursued  into 
Maryland  by  a  large  force  of  Virginians;  and  stood 
at  bay  in  an  old  palisaded  fort  on  the  present  site  of 
Washington.  Here  six  Indian  chiefs  were  killed  in 
defiance  of  a  flag  of  truce,  and  the  rest  on  a  moonlight 
night  made  a  rush  and  escaped  to  the  Blue  Ridge  Moun- 
tains. Here  they  inflamed  all  the  border  tribes  by  an 
account  of  their  wrongs ;  committed  barbarous  outrages 
on  the  frontier  families;  and  the  men  of  the  lowland 
rose  in  their  wrath  and  demanded  to  be  led  against 


THE  HIDDEN  FIRES.  235 

tliem.  In  the  spring  of  1676  five  hundred  men  were 
ready  to  march,  when  Governor  Berkeley  disbanded 
them,  alleging  that  the  frontier  forts  were  sufficient 
protection  for  the  joeople. 

This  action  was  received  by  the  Virginians  with  sul- 
len indignation.  The  forts  were  utterly  useless,  they 
said,  and  his  Honor  was  fearful  that  war  with  the  In- 
dians would  injure  his  monopoly  in  the  trade  in  beaver- 
skins.  But  Berkeley  was  not  thinking  of  his  beaver- 
skins.  He  objected  to  commissioning  an  armed  force 
on  more  serious  grounds.  The  country  was  in  a  flame, 
and  the  Virginians  were  becoming  des|)erate.  After 
overthrowing  the  Indians  it  was  probable  that  the  res- 
tive planters  would  ask  themselves  whether  there  were 
not  others  to  overthrow.  What  was  plain  to  Sir  Wil- 
liam Berkeley  was  that  he  was  standing  on  a  volcano : 
he  was  naturally  indisposed  to  unloose  the  hidden  fires ; 
and  the  Virginians,  finding  that  they  had  friends  no- 
where, began  to  look  to  themselves.^/ 

Such  was  the  state  of  public  feeling  in  May,  1676. 
Let  us  now  glance  at  the  stage  of  the  approaching  drama. 
Virginia  was  still  the  narrow  strip  of  country  between 
the  Potomac  and  the  Nottaway,  from  the  bay  to  the 
head  of  Tidewater.  From  "  James  Cittie,"  the  centre, 
a  town  of  less  than  twenty  houses,  radiated  the  popula- 
tion growing  ever  sparser  toward  the  extremities.  Be- 
yond the  Chesapeake  was  the  "  Kingdom  of  Accomack," 
a  populous  region  of  sand  and  surf,  fertile  fields  and  rich 
oyster-beds,  of  sailors  and  'longshoremen  who  had  seen 
Clayborne  pass  in  his  pinnaces,  going  to  attack  the  Bal- 
timoreans.  Across  the  peninsula  from  "  James  Cittie  " 
were  the  rich  counties  of  York  and  Gloucester,  along 
the  banks  of  the  great  river  where  Powhatan  had  held 


236     VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

court  in  his  "  Chief  Place  of  Council."  He  has  gone 
away  for  a  long  time  now,  and  Werowocomoco  and 
the  famous  Uttamussac  shrine  have  disappeared.  The 
houses  of  the  planters  peep  from  the  woods,  and  life 
has  become  easy  and  luxurious  ;  it  was  here,  as  we 
have  seen,  that  the  exiled  Cavaliers  were  "  feasting  and 
carousincf."  This  was  indeed  the  heart  of  the  col- 
ony ;  Virginia,  with  her  forty  thousand  people,  was 
condensed  there.  Beyond,  toward  the  Potomac,  the 
Nottaway,  and  the  mountajins,  the  dwellings  grew  grad- 
ually farther  apart  and  were  inhabited  by  borderers 
who  watched,  gun  in  hand,  against  the  savages. 

We  may  take  in  thus,  at  a  glance,  that  old  Virginia 
of  1676,  a  little  garden  spot  cut  out  of  the  American 
wilderness  between  the  ocean  and  the  Blue  Pidge.  In 
the  Lowland,  well-to-do  planters  traveling  to  James- 
town on  horseback,  or  going  thither  in  their  sloops  ; 
higher  up  "  well-armed  housekeepers "  living  in  log- 
houses  ;  and  on  the  border  the  pioneers  in  their  stock- 
ade  forts.  It  is  everywhere  an  English  society,  swear- 
ing allegiance  to  the  King  upon  every  occasion,  but 
ready  in  the  same  breath  to-swear  revolution  and  fight 
for  the  latter  oath  against  the  former.  They  have  en- 
dured the  wretched  state  of  affairs  for  a  great  many 
years  now  ;  the  general  rejoicing  at  the  King's  return 
has  quite  disappeared ;  and  the  Virginians  are  ready  .to 
rise  against  him. 

This  brief  statement  will  indicate  the  situation  of  af- 
fairs in  the  spring  of  1676.  The  country  was  ripe  for 
rebellion  :  the  slumbering  fires  ready  to  flame  at  the 
touch  of  a  finger.  At  this  moment  a  popular  young 
man  applied  to  Sir  William  Berkeley  for  a  commission 
to  march  against  the  Indians  ;  the  commission  was  re- 
fused ;  and  Virginia  rose  in  revolution. 


THE   OUTFLAME.  237 

XIII. 
THE    OUTFLAME. 

Virginia  was  warned  of  what  was  coming  by  three 
ominous  presages :  one,  "  a  large  comet  streaming  like  a 
horse-tail  westward;"  another,  "fflights  of  wild  pigeons 
nigh  a  quarter  of  the  mid-hemisphere,  and  of  their 
length  was  no  visible  end,"  which  reminded  old  planters 
of  the  same  phenomenon  just  before  they  were  attacked 
by  Opechancanough ;  and  the  third  presage  was  "  swarms 
of  flies  about  an  inch  long,  and  as  big  as  the  top  of  a 
man's  little  finger,  which  ate  the  new-sprouted  leaves 
from  the  tops  of  the  trees."  There  could  be  no  man- 
ner of  doubt  that  these  ominous  apparitions  of  comets, 
pigeons,  and  locusts  foretold  disaster;  and  in  1676  the 
furies  duly  descended  on  unhappy  Virginia. 

The  Great  Rebellion  which  now  flamed  out  is  so 
curious  and  important  an  event  that  it  deserves  mi- 
nute attention.  We  may  pass  over  whole  decades  of 
Virginia  history  without  losing  much.  The  wrangles 
of  governors,  and  assemblies,  and  all  the  petty  incidents 
of  the  times,  are  of  no  importance  or  interest.  But 
here,  every  hour  is  crowded  with  events  full  of  strong 
passion  and  shaping  great  issues.  The  figures  are  he- 
roic ;  the  denoument  tragic.  This  Rebellion  is  the  most 
striking  occurrence  in  American  history,  for  the  first 
century  and  a  half  after  the  settlement  of  the  country. 
It  was  armed  defiance  of  Eugtand,  and  bore  a  curiously 
close  resemblance  to  the  passionate  struggle  which  had 
preceded  it  on  English  soil.  Here,  as  there,  the  people 
rose  against  oppression,  levied  armies,  chose  a  leader, 


238     VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY   OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

fouo-lit  battles,  and  succumbed  at  last,  and  were  punished 
by  sliot  or  baiter.  Thus  this  singular  American  revo- 
lution of  the  seventeenth  century,  following  its  English 
prototype,  is  an  event  thrusting  itself  upon  the  atten- 
tion, and  it  is  necessary  to  follow  it  in  detail.  Twenty 
years  of  the  Commonwealth  and  the  Restoration  have 
been  summed  up  in  a  general  statement.  Twenty  weeks 
of  this  year,  1676,  will  contain  more  matter  to  instruct 
and  interest. 

The  central  figure  of  the  great  military  and  polit- 
ical drama  which  now  began  was  a  young  Englishman 
who  had  come  to  live  in  Virginia  a  few  years  before, 
—  Nathaniel  Bacon.  He  had  "not  yet  arrived  to 
thirty  years,"  and  when  the  rebellion  began  was  prob- 
ably about  twenty-eight.  His  family  seem  to  have  be- 
longed to  the  English  gentry,  as  he  was  a  cousin  of 
Lord  Culpeper,  and  married  a  daughter  of  Sir  John 
Duke.  He  was  said  to  have  "  run  out  his  patrimony 
in  England  and  exhausted  the  most  part  of  what  he 
brought  to  Virginia,"  whither  he  had  come  about  1672, 
and  settled  at  "X^urles  "  on  upper  James  River,  below 
Varina.  One  of  his  family  had  preceded  him,  and  was 
a  member  of  the  King's  Council, —  Nathaniel  Bacon, 
Sr.,  "  a  very  rich,  politick  man  and  childless,  who  de- 
signed him  for  his  heir." 

The  high  estimate  of  Bacon's  ability  may  be  seen 
from  his  appointment  to  a  place  in  the  Council.  This 
was  a  position  of  great  dignity,  rarely  conferred  upon 
any  but  men  of  mature  age  and  large  estate  ;  and  Bacon 
was  still  young,  and  his  estate  only  respectable.  His 
personal  character  is  seen  on  the  face  of  his  public 
career.  He  was  impulsive  and  subject  to  fits  of  passion, 
or,  as  the  old  writers  say,  "of  a  precipitate  disposition." 


THE   OUT  FLAME.  239 

When  he  grew  angry  he  was  "  impetuous  (like  deliri- 
ous)," and  tossed  his  arms  and  stormed,  as  at  James- 
town, where  he  cried  violently  :  "  Damn  my  blood  !  I  '11 
kill  Governor,  Council,  Assembly,  and  all ;  and  then  I  '11 
sheathe  my  sword  in  my  own  heart's  blood !  "  When 
calm  he  was  extremely  courteous ;  in  an  interview  with 
one  of  the  Burgesses,  he  "  came  stooping  to  the  ground, 
and  said,  '  Pray,  sir,  do  me  the  honor  to  write  a  line  for 
me.' "  His  personal  praises  were  sounded  even  by 
people  who  had  no  sympathy  with  his  public  proceed- 
ings. They  described  him  as  "  a  man  of  quality  and 
merit,  brave  and  eloquent,  .  .  .  but  a  young  man,  yet 
he  was  master  and  owner  of  those  inducements  which 
constitute  a  compleat  man  (as  to  intrinsecalls),  wisdom 
to  apprehend  and  discretion  to  chuse."  This  picture  does 
not  seem  to  have  been  overdrawn.  Bacon  soon  became 
immensely  popular,  and  was  "  crowned  the  Darling  of 
the  people's  hopes  and  desires,  as  the  only  man  fit  in 
Virginia  to  put  a  stop  to  the  bloody  resolution  of  the 
Heathen,"  the  Indian  massacres. 

This  is  the  portrait,  if  not  of  a  "  compleat  man,"  at 
least  of  a  complete  popular  leader.  Young,  ardent,  vio- 
lent when  aroused,  but  amiable  and  cordial  at  other 
times,  recklessly  brave,  extremely  politic,  of  remarkable 
eloquence  as  a  public  speaker,  this  was  a  man  fitted  by 
his  very  faults  to  become  the  head  of  a  popular  move- 
ment, which  always  demands  that  its  leader  shall  not  be 
a  person  of  negative  traits.  As  to  Bacon's  motives,  it 
is  improbable  that  his  reduced  fortunes  had  anything  to 
do  with  his  career,  since  he  had  nothing  to  gain  by  the 
rising,  which  he  must  have  seen  would  probably  lead  to 
the  confiscation  of  his  estate  and  the  loss  of  his  head. 
Add  the  further  fact  that  men  like  himself  rarely  look 


240      VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

to  profit,  and  nearly  always  to  fame.  Bacon,  no  doubt, 
acted  under  the  spur  of  indignation,  and  with  a  natural 
enjoyment  of  the  fact  of  leadership.  And  yet  he  was 
said  not  to  be  the  real  leader.  He  was  compared  to  "  a 
wheel  agitated  by  the  weight  of  thoughtful  Mr.  Law- 
rence," an  astuter  man.  But  if  thoughtful  Mr.  Law- 
rence, or  any  one  else,  agitated  the  wheel,  its  momen- 
tum soon  came  to  direct  the  whole  machinery. 

This  is  an  outline  of  the  man  who  is  going  to  become 
the  Virginia  Croniwell.  In  May,  1676,  Bacon  is  at  his 
Curies  plantation,  just  below  the  old  City  of  Henri- 
cus,  living  quietly  on  his  estate  with  Elizabeth,  his  wife. 
He  has  another  estate  in  the  suburbs  of  the  present 
city  of  Richmond,  the  situation  of  which  is  pointed  out 
by  the  name  of  "  Bacon  Quarter  Branch,"  which  is  still 
used.  Here  his  servants  and  an  overseer  live,  and  he 
can  easily  go  thither  in  a  morning's  journey  on  horse- 
back or  in  his  barge,  unless  he  objects  to  being  rowed 
seven  miles  around  the  Dutch  Gap  peninsula.  Such  is 
his  position  in  the  spring  of  this  year.  When  not  visit- 
ing his  upper  plantation,  or  attending  the  Council  at 
Jamestown,  he  is  at  Curies  living  the  life  of  a  planter  ; 
entertaining  his  neighbors ;  denouncing  the  trade-laws  and 
the  grants  to  Arlington  and  Culpeper,  the  Governor  for 
his  lukewarmness  in  defending  the  borderers  from  the 
Indians,  with  a  word,  perhaps,  to  the  more  trifling  wrong 
of  disfranchising  the  freedmen.  On -these  grievances  he 
no  doubt  enlarges,  over  the  walnuts  and  the  wine,  to  his 
visitors,  his  "  precipitate  impetuous  disposition "  lead- 
ing him  to  cry  out  especially  at  the  Indian  policy ;  for 
he  is  "  a  gentleman  with  a  perfect  antipathy  to  In- 
dians." The  report  is  that  they  mean  to  renew  their 
outrages  on  the  upper  waters  of  the  rivers ;  if  they  as- 


THE  OUT  FLAME.  2^1 

sail  Mm  he  will  make  war  on  them,  with  or  without 
authority,  "  commission  or  no  commission." 

The  hour  was  at  hand  when  this  resolution  of  Bacon's 
was  to  be  tested.  Suddenly  intelligence  reached  him 
(May,  1676)  that  the  Indians  had  attacked  his  estate  at 
the  Falls,  killed  his  overseer  and  one  of  his  servants, 
and  were  going  to  carry  fire  and  hatchet  through  the 
frontier.  The  planters  ran  to  arms,  and  hastened  from 
house  to  house  to  combine  against  these  dangerous  ene- 
mies. All  was  confusion,  and  the  chronicle  sums  up  the 
chief  difficulty,  —  they  were  "  without  a  head."  Who 
was  to  lead  them  ?  It  was  a  serious  question,  since  it 
was  doubtful  if  Governor  Berkeley  would  commission 
anybody.  But  the  Indians  were  still  ravaging  the  coun- 
try ;  a  crowd  of  armed  horsemen  had  assembled  ;  and 
Bacon  was  clamorously  called  to  take  command.  His 
energy  was  well  known,  and  the  savages  had  attacked 
his  lands  ;  so  he  was  offered  the  leadership,  and  at  once 
accepted  it.  He  made  a  speech  full  of  "  bold  and  ve- 
hement spirit,"  which  one  of  the  old  historians  is  oblig- 
ing enough  to  reconstruct  for  us  from  his  imagination  ; 
enlarged  on  "the  grievances  of  the  times,"  —  an  omi- 
nous indication  of  coming  events  ;  and  making  publica- 
tion of  the  cause  of  the  assemblage,  sent  to  Governor 
Berkeley  asking  for  a  commission. 

Thus,  all  things  up  to  this  moment  were  done  decently 
and  in  order.  They  would  await  Sir  William's  reply, 
— to  govern  themselves  accordingly  or  not.  It  came 
promptly.  Berkeley  did  not  refuse  the  commission,  but, 
what  amounted  to  the  same  thing,  he  did  not  send  it. 
Mr.  Bacon  was  notified  in  a  "polite  and  complimentary" 
manner  that  the  times  were  troubled  ;  that  the  issue  of 
his  business  might  be  dangerous  ;  that,  unhappily,  the 
16 


242      VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

character  and  the  fortunes  of  Mr.  Bacon  might  become 
imperiled  if  he  proceeded.  The  commission  was  thus 
refused,  and  the  Governor's  action  is  concisely  ex- 
plained by  the  old  writers.  He  "  doubted  Bacon's  tem- 
per, as  he  appeared  popularly  inclined,  —  a  constitution 
not  consistent  with  the  times  or  the  people's  dispositions.^* 
This  was  the  real  explanation  ;  the  complimentary  ex- 
pressions went  for  nothing ;  "  the  veil  was  too  thin  to 
impose  on  Mr.  Bacon."  He  was  at  the  head  of  a  force, 
"  most  good  housekeepers,  well  armed ; "  the  Indians 
were  still  ravaging ;  and  having  sent  another  messenger 
to  Jamestown  to  thank  the  Governor  for  the  promised 
commission,  Bacon  set  out  at  the  head  of  his  well-armed 
housekeepers  to  attack  the  Indians. 

Thus  the  game  had  begun  between  the  man  of  twen- 
ty-eight and  the  man  of  seventy,  —  the  popular  leader 
and  the  representative  of  the  King.  The  old  Cavalier 
attempted  to  end  it  by  striking  a  sudden  blow  at  his 
adversary.  Bacon  and  his  men  were  marching  through 
the  woods  of  Charles  City,  when  an  emissary  of  the 
Governor's  came  in  hot  haste  with  a  proclamation. 
Nathaniel  Bacon,  Jr.,  and  his  deluded  followers  were 
denounced  as  rebels,  and  ordered  to  disperse.  If  they 
persisted  in  their  illegal  proceedings,  it  would  be  at 
their  peril.  The  blow  shook  the  resolutions  of  some  of 
the  armed  housekeepers,  and  "  those  of  estates  obeyed." 
The  number  of  these  falterers  is  not  known,  since  Ba- 
con's force  is  not.  In  the  discordant  chronicles  it  is 
estimated  at  from  seventy  to  six  hundred.  The  last 
number  is  improbable  ;  if  it  was  the  true  number,  the 
proportion  of  faint-hearted  was  immense.  If  the  force 
was  seventy,  it  was  small,  since  fifty-seven  horsemen  re- 
mained steadfast. 


THE  OUT  FLAME.  243 

At  the  head  of  this  force,  Bacon  advanced  rapidly  on 
the  Falls,  and  found  the  Indians  intrenched  on  a"  hill 
east  of  the  present  city  of  Richmond.  A  parley  ensued, 
and  the  attack  was  delayed,  but  a  shot  was  fired  from 
Bacon's  rear,  which  was  followed  by  an  assault  on  the 
hill.  The  Virginians  "  waded  shoulder  deejD"  throuo-h  a 
stream  in  front ;  stormed  and  set  fire  to  the  Indian  stock- 
ade, blew  up  four  thousand  pounds  of  powder,  which 
the  savages  had  in  some  manner  come  into  possession  of; 
and  completely  routed  them,  killing  one  hundred  and 
fifty,  with  a  loss  of  only  three  of  their  own  party.  This 
was  the  famous  "  Battle  of  Bloody  Run  ;  "  so  called,  it 
is  said  from  the  fact  that  the  blood  of  the  Indians  ran 
down  into  the  stream  beneath  the  hill.  The  historians 
fight  over  the  event  as  Bacon  fought  over  the  palisade  : 
one  maintaining  that  he  only  fought  here  afterwards, 
and  others  that  he  never  fought  here  at  all,  since  this  was 
the  scene  jof  the  Ricahecrian  combat.  It  is  not  very 
important,  but  the  statement  of  Bacon  himself,  a  week 
or  two  afterwards,  seems  to  settle  the  controversy. 

The  main  point  is  that  the  Indians  were  routed  and 
driven  toward  the  mountains.  The  frontier  was  for 
the  time  safe  from  their  further  depredations,  and  Gen- 
eral Bacon  marched  back  at  his  leisure,  —  "  slowly  "  is 
the  adjective  used  in  the  chronicle,  —  at  the  head  of  his 
well-armed  housekeepers,  toward  lower  James  River,  fol- 
lowed by  a  picturesque  procession  of  "  Indian  captives." 

Such  was  the  first  act  of  the  drama  of  Bacon's  Re- 
bellion,—  a  fight  that  was  to  lead  to  more  fighting. 
The  curtain  descended  upon  one  scene,  only  to  rise  ab- 
ruptly on  the  next. 


244     VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

XIV. 

bacon's  arrest. 

Sir  William  Berkeley  had  not  remained  quiet  dur- 
ing these  audacious  proceedings.  He  had  been  openly 
defied.  Rebellion  had  suddenly  burst  forth  in  his  good 
kingdom  of  Virginia,  as  it  had  burst  forth  in  England 
against  his  royal  master,  thirty  years  before. 

There  was  nothing  to  do  but  fight  it,  and  the  aged 
knight  was  not  wanting  in  courage.  He  raised  a  force 
of  horsemen,  and  set  out  from  Jamestown  in  pursuit  of 
Bacon ;  but  suddenly  news  reached  him  that  there  were 
enemies  in  his  rear.  The  alarming  intelligence  came 
that  the  whole  lower  country  had  risen  in  revolt.  The 
news  of  Bacon's  application  for  a  commission  and  his 
subsequent  proceedings  had  flown  on  the  wings  of  the 
wind  ;  the  people  rose  to  support  him  ;  and  to  meet 
this  new  danger,  Berkeley  countermarched  his  horsemen 
and  hurried  back  to  Jamestown. 

Here  he  found  all  in  tumult.  The  whole  tier  of 
counties  along  lower  James  River  and  the  York  were 
in  rebellion.  A  civil  war  was  imminent ;  and  Sir 
William  met  it  like  a  statesmen  ;  that  is  to  say,  he  did 
not  defy  it,  but  quietly  controlled  it.  Were  the  border 
forts  so  great  a  subject  of  complaint?  The  said  forts 
should  be  dismantled.  Had  the  planters  conceived  the 
singular  idea  that  the  then  House  of  Burgesses  did  not 
represent  the  people,  since  the  same  House  had  been  con- 
tinued by  prorogation  since  1660,  and  had  become  the 
Virginia  Long  Parliament?  Well,  the  House  should 
be  dissolved  and  writs  issued  for  a  new  election.     He 


BACON'S  ARREST.  245 

kept  all  his  promises.  Orders  were  issued  for  disman- 
tling the  obnoxious  forts,  and  the  writs  were  at  once 
sent  out. 

Bacon,  who  had  returned  to  his  manor  of  Curies, 
was  now  going  to  repeat  his  defiance  of  the  Governor. 
He  offered  himself  as  one  of  the  candidates  to  repre- 
sent Henrico  in  the  Burgesses,  and  was  "  unanimously 
chosen,"  freedmen  illegally  voting  for  him  along  with 
the  freeholders.  In  some  of  the  counties  freedmen  were 
even  elected  Burgesses,  which  indicates  the  popular 
aversion  to  the  restriction  of  suffrage. 

The  Burgesses  were  to  meet  early  in  June,  for  the 
necessity  of  their  assemblage  was  ui-gent.  The  mem- 
bers hurried  to  the  capital  on  horseback,  fording  the 
bridgeless  streams,  or  in  their  "  sloops,"  like  the  mem- 
ber from  distant  Stafford  County,  Mr.  "  T.  M.,"  who 
afterwards  wrote  a  stirring  narrative  of  what  followed. 
Bacon  also  came  in  his  sloop.  Embarking  at  Curies 
with  "  about  thirty  gentlemen  besides,"  who  had  been 
prominent  in  the  up-country  rising,  he  sailed  down 
James  River,  and  arrived  at  Jamestown.  Bad  fortune 
awaited  him.  His  presence  as  a  Burgess  was  an  open 
defiance.  The  cannon  of  a  ship  Ij'ing  at  anchor  in 
front  of  the  capital  were  trained  on  his  sloop,  and  the 
high  sheriff,  who  was  in  the  ship,  sent  an  order  to 
Bacon  to  come  on  board.  Another  account  says  that 
his  sloop  was  "  shot  at  and  forced  to  fly  up  the  river," 
when  he  was  pursued  and  taken  prisoner  ;  but  this  is 
less  reliable.-'-  In  either  case,  he  was  arrested,  with  his 
companions,  some  of  whom  were  put  in  irons ;  and  the 

1  It  is  the  statement  of  the  "  Breviarie  and  Conclusion,"  but  that  -vvas 
•vvritten  from  hearsay.  "  T.  M."  of  Stafford  was  present  at  James- 
town when  Bacon  was  arrested. 


246     VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

sheriff  conducted  him  to  Governor  Berkeley,  in  the 
State  House. 

The  interview  between  the  hardy  adversaries  is  de- 
scribed by  the  chronicle  in  a  very  few  words ;  but 
these  give  us  a  sufficient  idea  of  it.  The  two  men  were 
equally  restive  and  haughty,  but  controlled  their  tem- 
pers.    Berkeley  said  coldly,  — 

"  Mr.  Bacon,  have  you  forgot  to  be  a  gentleman  ?  " 

"  No,  may  it  please  your  honor,"  Bacon  replied  as 
briefly. 

"  Then  I  '11  take  your  parole,"  said  Berkeley.  And 
that  is  all  we  know  of  the  interview. 

The  moderation  of  the  aged  Cavalier  was  due  to  a 
very  simple  circumstance.  Jamestown  was  in  turmoil. 
The  Burgesses,  almost  all  of  whom  were  in  sympathy 
with  Bacon,  were  hourly  arriving ;  and  a  great  crowd 
of  people  from  the  surrounding  counties  which  had  just 
revolted,  as  well  as  friends  of  the  cause  from  above, 
were  flocking  into  the  town.  The  House  of  Burgesses, 
to  jpeet  on  the  instant,  would  probably  have  something 
to  say  about  the  arrest  of  one  of  their  number.  Thus 
the  fiery  old  ruler,  having  uttered  his  taunt  to  Bacon, 
"  Have  you  forgot  to  be  a  gentleman,"  ended  by  tak- 
ing his  parole,  which  was  virtually  his  release  from 
arrest. 

It.  is  necessary  to  notice  these  minutice  ;  the  events 
are  framed  in  them.  It  was  a  striking  picture,  this 
confrontation  of  two  remarkable  men  :  one  a  youth,  the 
leader  of  revolution  ;  the  other  a  graybeard,  sworn  to 
crush  it.  This  narrative  will  therefore  follow,  step  by 
step,  what  took  place  in  these  days ;  rejecting  nothing, 
not  even  the  undignified  historic  fact  that  Bacon  lodged 
at  the  hostelry  of  "  thoughtful  Mr.  Lawrence."  Much 
seems  to  have  come  of  that.  .  * 


BACON'S  ARREST.  247 

The  vital  question  now  was  what  was  to  be  done 
with  the  impetuous  youth.  He  had  defied  the  govern- 
ment, and  some  course  must  be  taken  in  reference  to 
him.  If  he  would  confess  that  he  had  sinned,  and  prom- 
ise to  behave  better  in  future,  he  might  be  pardoned. 
His  crime  was  great ;  but  then  he  was  a  member  of  the 
intractable  House  of  Burgesses  now,  and  it  was  neces- 
sary to  be  forgiving.  If  he  humbly  acknowledged  his 
offense,  he  should  be  restored  to  his  seat  in  the  Council 
(not  the  Burgesses),  a  commission  should  be  given  him 
to  go  and  fight  the  Indians,  and  all  would  be  harmony 
again.  The  only  trouble  was  to  make  the  erect  yoyth 
bend  his  back.  He  must  get  down  on  his  knees,  and 
the  idea  of  that  was  quite  hateful  to  him.  But  he  was 
brought  to  consent  to  it  at  last,  through  the  persuasion 
of  his  old  cousin,  the  "  very  ricli,  politic  man,"  Colonel 
Nathaniel  Bacon,  Sr.,  member  of  the  Council.  This 
lover  of  peace,  who  was  fond  of  his  "  uueasy  cousin," 
the  young  rebel,  prevailed  on  him,  "  not  without  much 
pains,"  to  make  a  written  recantation,  and  read  it  on  < 
his  knees.  Bacon  consented,  but  it  must  not  be  to  the  ; 
Governor,  but  at  the  bar  of  the  Assembly.  This  under-  \ 
stood,  the  politic  elder  "  compiled  it  ready  to  his  hand," 
and  the  ceremony  followed.  It  took  place  in  the  State 
House:  the  date  (June  5,  1676)  shows  the  hurry  of 
events.  In  about  one  week  all  these  shifting  scenes 
had  passed  in  Virginia.  Between  the  last  days  of  May 
and  these  first  days  of  June  Bacon  had  been  denounced 
as  a  rebel ;  had  marched  and  defeated  the  savages  ;  had 
stood  for  the  Burgesses  and  appeared  at  Jamestown ; 
had  been  arrested  and  as  quickly  paroled  ;  and  now  was 
about  to  confess  on  his  knees  that  he  was  a  great  of- 
fender.    The  old  Cavalier  Berkeley  was  going  to  make 


248      VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

an  imposing  scene  of  it.  Bacon  was  not  to  go  up-stairs 
to  the  room  where  the  House  sat,  and  make  his  confes- 
sion only  to  the  Burgesses.  Berkeley  sent  them  a  mes- 
sao-e  to  attend  him  in  the  Council  Chamber  below,  on 
public  business ;  and  when  they  came  made  them  an 
address  on  the  Indian  troubles,  specially  denouncing 
the  murder  of  the  six  chiefs  in  Maryland,  though  Colo- 
nel Washington,  who  had  commanded  the  forces  there, 
was  present.  Of  the  murdered  chiefs  Sir  William  said, 
"  with  a  pathetic  emphasis,"  that  "  if  they  had  killed 
my  grandfather  and  grandmother,  my  father  and  mother 
and  all  my  friends,  yet  if  they  had  come  to  treat  of  peace, 
they  ought  to  have  gone  in  peace  ;  "  when  he  abruptly 
sat  down.  But  this  was  not  the  great  business  of  the 
day.  A  short  silence  followed,  when  the  Governor 
again  rose,  and  said  with  grim  humor,  — 

"  If  there  be  joy  in  the  presence  of  the  angels  over 
one  sinner  that  repenteth,  there  is  joy  now,  for  we  have 
a  penitent  sinner  come  before  us.     Call  Mr.  Bacon." 

Bacon  came  in,  with  a  paper  in  his  hand,  and  knelt 
down  at  the  bar  of  the  Assembly.  He  then  read  aloud 
from  the  paper  a  confession  that  he  had  been  guilty  of 
"  unlawful,  mutinous,  and  rebellious  practices,"  and 
promised  that  if  he  were  pardoned  he  would  "  demean 
himself  dutifully,  faithfully,  and  peaceably,"  under  a 
penalty  of  two  thousand  pounds  sterling  ;  and  would 
bind  his  whole  estate  for  his  good  behavior  for  one  year. 
When  he  had  finished,  Sir  AVilliam  Berkeley  said,  — 

"God  forgive  you;  I  forgive  you,"  —  repeating  the 
words  three  times. 

"  And  all  that  were  with  him,"  said  Colonel  Cole,  of 
the  Council,  referring,  it  is  said,  to  the  thirty  gentlemen 
in  the  sloop,  twenty  or  more  of  whom  were  still  in  irons. 


BACON'S  ARREST.  2-49 

"  Yes,  and  all  that  were  with  him,"  Berkeley  replied. 
He  then  rose  suddenly  to  his  feet  and  addressed  Bacon, 
who  had  probably  gotten  up  already  from  his  knees. 

"  Mr.  Bacon,"  he  exclaimed,  "  if  you  will  live  civilly 
but  till  next  quarter-day,  —  but  till  next  quarter  day," 
repeating  the  words,  "•  I  '11  promise  to  restore  you  to 
your  place  there  !  "  pointing  to  the  seat  which  Bacon 
generally  occupied  during  the  sessions  of  the  Council. 
What  reply  Bacon  made  is  not  recorded.  He  probably 
agreed  to  •■'  live  civilly,"  for  he  was  permitted  to  return 
at  once  to  his  accustomed  chair.  The  Assembly  went 
back  to  its  room  up-stairs,  but  Bacon  did  not  go  with 
them.  He  was  not  one  of  that  body  now,  since  he  was 
restored  to  his  place  in  the  Council  ;  and  "  T.  M.,"  Bur- 
gess from  Stafford,  passing  by  the  door,  "  saw  Mr^ 
Bacon  on  his  quondam  seat  with  the  Governor  and  Coun- 
cil., which  seemed  alnarvellous  indulgence  to  one  whom 
he  had  so  lately  proscribed  as  a  rebel." 

So  all  was  peace  at  last,  and  there  were  to  be  no  more 
heart-burnings.  Blessed  harmony  was  to  replace  the 
wrangling,  and  general  amnesty  to  heal  old  sores.  The 
repentant  rebel  was  forgiven  and  restored  to  his  seat  in 
the  Council  (to  keep  him  out  of  the  Burgesses),  and  as 
he  had  promised  to  live  civilly  he  deserved  to  be  treated 
civilly  and  have  his  commission.  This  was  Saturday  ; 
the  peaceful  Sabbath  would  quiet  all  minds  ;  on  Mon- 
day he  should  be  commissioned  "  General  of  the  Indian 
Wars  "  —  perhaps. 


250     VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

XV. 

A    SCENE    IN    THE    BURGESSES. 

It  may  interest  the  reader  to  look  in  now  on  tlie  Bur- 
gesses, iip-stairs  in  the  State  House,  and  find  how  they 
were  engaged  a  few  days  afterwards,  when  the  "  bruit 
ran  about  the  town  '  Bacon  is  fled  !  Bacon  is  fled  ! ' " 
It  is  almost  the  only  picture  we  have  of  that  famous  old 
body  of  Virginia  planters.  We  scarcely  know  more  of 
their  ways  than  that,  in  addressing  the  Speaker,  the  cus- 
tom was  to  take  off  the  hat.  Here  is  the  chance  photo- 
graph of  these  honest  people. 

Sir  William  Berkeley,  after  the  scene  of  Bacon's  con- 
fession, had  dismissed  them  with  the  injunction  to  "con- 
sider of  means  of  security  from  the  Indian  insults,  ad- 
vising us  to  beware  of  two  rogues  amongst  us,  naming 
Lawrence  and  Drummond.' '  These  were  known  friends 
of  Bacon's  and  afterwards  leaders  in  the  rebellion  ;  but 
the  Burgesses  did  not  obey  Sir  William's  directions,  like 
a  dutiful  Parliament,  and  consider  the  Indian  matters. 
They  "  took  this  opportunity  to  endeavor  the  redressing 
several  grievances  the  country  was  then  laboring  under;  and 
motions  were  made  for  inspecting  the  public  revenues,  the 
collectors  accounts,  etc.^''  A  committee  was  in  process  of 
appointment  for  that  improper  and  rebellious  purpose, 
when  pressing  messages  came  from  the  Governor  "  to 
meddle  with  nothing  till  the  Indian  business  was  dis- 
patcht."  The  "  debate  rose  high  "  at  this  arbitrary  in- 
vasion of  privilege,  growls  resounded  and  fulminations 
were  uttered  by  the  disgusted  Baconians  ;  but  they  were  - 
overruled,  and  Mr.  T.  M.,  who  tells  us  of  all  this,  says 


A  ^CEA'-E  m  THE  BURGESSES.  251 

briefly,  "  I  have  not  heard  i\\it" i%osB-iiispeTctions  have 
smce  then  been  insisted  upon." 

Then  another  struggle  takes  place  between  the  Ba- 
conians and  the  Berkeleyans.  A  committee  is  appointed 
to  consider  the  Indian  affairs,  when  a  Berkeleyan  moves 
that  the  Governor  be  requested  "  to  assign  tivo  of  his 
Council  to  sit  with  and  assist  us  in  our  debates  as  had 
been  usual."  Thereat  the  Baconians  are  "  silent,  look- 
ing each  at  other  with  discontented  faces."  So  the  com- 
mittee is  to  deliberate  under  the  eye  and  influence  of 
the  Governor  and  the  Council ;  whereupon  Mr.  T.  M. 
of  Stafford  speaks  up  bravely  in  his  quiet  way.  His 
humble  opinion  is  that  the  committee  had  better  report 
to  the  House  first,  before  requesting  the  presence  of  the 
Counselors,  when  the  House  "  would  clearly  see  on 
what  points  to  give  the  Governor  and  Council  that 
trouble  if,  perhaps,  it  might  be  needfidV 

These  "  few  words  raised  an  uproar."  The  Berkeley- 
ans cried  out  that  it  had  been  customary  for  the  Council 
to  sit  with  the  House,  and  "  ought  not  to  be  omitted." 
Thereat  "  Mr.  Presly,  my  neighbor  an  old  Assembly- 
man, sitting  next  me,  rose  up  and  (in  a  blundering  man- 
ner replied)  :  ^  'Tis  true  it  has  been  customary,  but  if 
we  have  any  bad  customes  amongst  us  we  are  come  here 
to  mend  'em  /  '  " 

This  rough  witticism  of  the  old  Assembly-man  "  sets 
the  House  in  a  laughter,"  but  the  whole  matter  is  "  hud- 
dled off  without  coming  to  a  vote  "  ;  and  so,  groans  poor 
T.  M.  of  Stafford,  we  "  must  submit  to  be  overawed  and 
have  every  carpt  at  expression  carried  streight  to  the  Gov- 
ernor.'^ 

This  trivial  incident  strikes  the  key  note  of  Bacon's 
Assembly,  which  followed  the  Virginia  Long  Parliament 
of  1660-76.     It  is  the  mouth  piece  of  the  new  times, 


/ 


252     VIRGINIA:  A  nmTOTrt'W  ''W^  ry.OPLE. 

"  mucli  m-fe€-ted"'-with  rebellion;  restive,  disposed  to 
inquire  into  public  grievances ;  to  resent  attempts  to 
overawe  it ;  and  to  burst  into  approving  laughter  at  the 
"  blundering  "  statement  that  "  if  we  have  any  bad  cus- 
toms amongst  us  we  have  come  here  to.  mend  'em." 

To  linger  a  little  longer  with  these  honest  Virginia 
Burgesses  :  a  curious  and  very  picturesque  scene  fol- 
lowed this  brief  passage-of-arms  as  to  bad  old  customs. 
The  Burgesses  are  considering  Indian  affairs  and  have 
a  distinguished  visitor  present,  the  "  Queen  of  Pamun- 
key,"  who  has  been  summoned,  it  seems,  to  say  how 
many  Indian  guides  and  fighting-men  she  would  supply 
the  Viroiuians  with  ao-ainst  the  frontier  tribes.  She 
was  the  queen  of  the  neighboring  Indians  who  had  made 
the  solemn  treaty  of  1645,  and  had  received,  or  receivecJ^ 
afterwards,  from  Charles  IL,  a  present  of  a  silver 
"  frontlet  "  with  a  coat-of-arms  upon  it  inscribed  "  The 
Queen  of  Pamunkey  —  Charles  the  Second,  King  of 
England,  Scotland,  France,  Ireland,  and  Virginia,  — 
Honi  soit  qui  mal  y  pense ;  "  evil  be  to  him  who  pre- 
sumed to  find  fault  with  his  Majesty's  recognition  of  his 
royal  cousin.  The  appearance  of  the  Indian  queen  on 
this  occasion  was  picturesque.  Around  her  forehead 
she  wore  a  plait  of  white  and  black  wampum  by  way  of 
crown.  Her  dress  was  a  robe  of  buckskin  with  the  hair 
outward  decorated  with  fringes  from  the  shoulders  to 
the  feet.  She  entered  the  long  room,  where  the  Bur- 
gesses were  sitting,  "  with  a  comportment  graceful  to 
admiration,  grave  court-like  gestures  and  a  majestic  air 
on  her  face ;  "  an  interpreter  on  her  right,  and  on  her 
left,  her  son,  a  stripling  of  twenty,  whose  father  was 
said  to  be  an  English  Colonel.  After  a  little  urging  she 
sat  down  at  the  end  of  the  long  committee  table,  when 


A  SC2ME  /'>''■  ^'^'^  BURGESSES.  253 

the  chairman  asked  her  "  Whac-ffl&nske.  would. lend  us 
for  guides  in  the  wilderness  and  to  assist  us  against  our 
enemy  Indians  ?  " 

At  this  she  turned  to  the  interpreter,  pretending  not 
to  understand  English.  She  wished  her  son  to  reply, 
but  he  declined  to  do  so,  when  the  Queen,  "  after  a  lit- 
tle musing,  fvith  an  earnest  passionate  countenance,  as  if 
tears  were  ready  to  gush  out,  and  a  fervent  sort  of  ex- 
pression," burst  forth  in  her  own  language.  She  spoke 
"with  a  high  shrill  voice  and  vehement  passion,"  but  no 
one  understood  her.  One  expression  she  constantly  re- 
peated, "  Totapotamoi  chepiack !  Totapotamoi  chepiack ! " 
At  this,  one  of  the  Burgesses,  Colonel  Hill,  son  of  the 
commander  defeated  by  the  Ricahecrians  twenty  years 
before,  shook  his  head,  and  being  asked  "  what  wms  the 
matter  ?  "  replied,  that  "  all  she  said  was  true  to  our 
shame  ;  his  father  was  General  in  that  battle,  where 
Totapotamoi,  her  husband,  had  led  a  hundred  Indians 
to  the  help  of  the  English,  and  was  there  slain."  He 
added  that  the  Indian  Queen  was  now  upbraiding  them 
for  giving  her  no  compensation  for  the  death  of  her 
husband  :  her  vehement  cry,  "  Totapotamoi  chepiack  !  " 
signified  "  Totapotamoi  is  dead  !  " 

The  poor  Queen  of  Pamunkey  "  harangued  about  a 
quarter  of  an  hour,"  but  they  scarce  understood  her. 
"  Our  morose  chairman  "  remained  unmoved,  and  when 
she  ended  "  rudely  pushed  again "  his  previous  ques- 
tion :  "  What  Indians  will  you  now  contribute  ?  "  The 
Queen  made  no  reply,  preserving  a  "  disdainful "  si- 
lence, with  her  head  turned  away.  When  the  question 
was  asked  for  the  third  time,  she  looked  toward  the 
speaker  and  said,  "  with  a  low  slighting  voice,"  that 
she  would   furnish  six.     Further   importuned    she    re- 


254      VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OFf^TjiE' PEOPLE. 

maine4-^giriieirf-"Dfirartist  said  "  twelve."  Then  she 
rose  and  without  takiug  further  notice  of  any  one 
walked  out  of  the  room. 

These  chance-preserved  scenes  in  the  old  Burgesses 
are  worth  attention.  They  paint  the  men  and  times, 
which  we  wish  above  all  to  see.  In  Hei:ing  we  have 
the  record  of  the  public  acts  of  this  famous  ''  Baconian  " 
Assembly  ;  their  redress  of  grievances,  their  extension 
of  suffrage  again,  and  their  somewhat  mild  ventilation 
of  official  corruptions.  It  is  only  on  some  such  page  as 
this  that  we  see  the  men  themselves  ;  hear  their  blun- 
dering jests  and  laughter  ;  and  have  them  before  us 
gravely  listening,  in  committee,  to  the  high  shrill  voice 
of  the  poor  Queen  of  Pamunkey  who  upbraids  them  for 
having;  forirotten  her  dead  husband. 

Let  us  come  back  now  to  "  General  Bacon  "  as  peo- 
ple are  beginning  to  call  him,  as  they  spoke  of  "  Gen- 
eral Cromwell "  in  the  old  times  in  England  so  similar 
to  these  Virginia  times.  The  scene  in  the  Burgesses 
occurred  in  the  days  immediately  following  the  famous 
ceremony  of  the  public  confession.  That  event  took 
place  on  Saturday,  and  on  Monday  Bacon  was  to  have 
his  commission.  But  on  Monday  no  commission  comes. 
Tuesday  and  AYednesday  follow  and  yet  no  commission. 

Bacon  is  lodging  all  this  time  at  a  house  of  public 
entertainment  kept  by  the  wife  of  a  certain  "  thoughtful 
Mr.  Lawrence,"  one  of  the  Burgesses  representing 
Jamestown.  It  is  the  custom  of  householders  there  to 
open  their  houses  to  the  Burgesses  during  the  sessions 
of  the  Assembly,  from  which  they  make  great  profits, 
for  they  charge  ''  extraordinary  rates."  And  Mr.  Law- 
rence needs  money.  He  has  been  ruined  by  Governor 
Berkeley.     Some  years  before  he  had  been  "  partially 


A  SCENE  IN  THE  BURGESSES.  255 

treated  at  law  for  a  considerable  estate,  on  behalf  of  a 
corrupt  favourite"  of  his  Excellency's.  He  had  thus 
lost  his  estate,  and  as  he  had  "  complained  loudly,"  the 
Governor  "  bore  him  a  grudge."  The  grudge  was-  cor- 
dially reciprocated,  and  when  Mr.  Lawrence  referred  to 
Sir  William  he  spoke  of  that  functionary  as  "  the  old 
treacherous  villain."  There  was  thus  animosity  on  both 
sides,  and  Berkeley  had  warned  the  Burgesses  against 
"  the  rogue  Lawrence,"  as  a  treason-monger.  He  was 
a  dangerous  man,  in  fact ;  not  by  any  means  an  ordi- 
nary tavern-keeper,  though  he  kept  an  ordinary.  He 
was  a  graduate  of  Oxford,  "  and  for  wit,  learning,  and 
sobriety,  was  equaled  there  by  few,"  —  though  some 
called  in  question  his  private  morals.  He  manifested 
"  abundance  of  uneasiness  in  the  sense  of  his  hard 
usage  "  by  Governor  Berkeley,  and  perhaps  meant  to 
"  improve  that  Indian  quarrel  to  the  service  of  his  ani- 
mosities ; "  but  he  was  "  nicely  honest,  affable,  and 
without  blemish,  in  his  conversation  and  dealino-s."  He 
had  married  a  rich  widow  who  kept  the  ordinary,  to 
which  resorted  people  "  of  the  best  quality."  His 
"  parts  with  his  even  temper  made  his  converse  coveted 
by  persons  of  all  ranks,"  and  into  these  he  instilled  his 
own  views  on  public  subjects.  To  sum  up  all,  this 
thoughtful  Mr.  Lawrence  was  "  at  the  bottom  of " 
everything ;  and  '•  the  received  opinion  in  Virginia  "  was 
that  "  Mr.  Bacon  and  his  adherents  were  but  wheels 
agitated  by  the  weight "  of  this  subtle  foe  of  Sir  Wil- 
liam Berkeley. 

This  portrait  of  Lawrence  is  given  in  the  words  of 
one  who  knew  him  well.  It  leaves  nothing  in  the  dark. 
The  Oxford  man  has  been  wronged  by  the  Governor, 
hates   him,  will   do   him   an    ill   turn   if    possible,   and 


256      VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY   OF  THE  PEOPLE, 

regain  his  lost  estate  by  fishing  in  the  troubled  waters  of 
rebellion.  At  his  ordinary,  therefore,  he  goes  to  and 
fro  affable  and  smiling,  filtrating  his  rebellious  poison 
into- men  of  all  ranks;  and  now  Mr.  Bacon,  lodging 
with  him,  while  awaiting  his  promised  commission,  is  to 
have  the  full  outpouring. 

How  far  the  impetuous  "  young  stranger,"  Mr.  Bacon, 
came  to  meet  his  "  subtle  "  friend,  is  not  known.  It  is 
tolerably  certain  that  of  his  own  motion,  or  urged  by 
Lawrence,  lie  resolved  to  get  out  of  Jamestown  and  open 
war  on  the  Governor.  It  was  obvious  that  he  was  not 
going  to  have  any  commission.  It  was  exceedingly 
doubtful,  indeed,  whether  he  would  be  permitted  to  leave 
the  Capital ;  and  much  "  disgusted,  but  dissembling  the 
same  so  well  as  he  could,"  he  resorted  to  policy,  and 
going  to  the  Governor,  begged  leave  of  him  "  to  dis- 
pense with  his  services  at  the  Council  table,  to  visit  his 
wife,  who,  as  she  informed  him,  was  indisposed.^^ 

Berkeley  listened  to  this  request  in  silence,  and  said 
at  last  that  he  must  consult  his  Council.  He  did  so, 
and  they  advised  him  not  to  allow  Bacon  to  go ;  but 
"  after  some  contest  with  his  thouojhts "  the  Governor 
gave  him  permission.  The  reason  for  this  liberality 
was  not  far  to  seek.  Bacon's  friends  "  from  the  heads 
of  the  rivers,"  had  flocked  into  Jamestown  at  the  ru- 
mor of  his  arrest.  The  Capital  was  still  full  of  these 
truculent  people,  anxious  to  know  about  matters,  and  it 
would  not  be  advisable  openly  to  refuse  Bacon's  request. 
It  was  therefore  granted  ;  but  the  up-country  men  finding 
that  Bacon  and  his  friends  in  the  sloop  were  released, 
"  returned  home  satisfied,"  when  Governor  Berkeley  at 
once  determined  to  rearrest  his  dangerous  enemy. 

These  details  may  appear  unduly  minute,  but  they 


A  SCENE  IN  THE  BURGESSES.  257 

give  the  complete  picture  of  events  ;  and  a  service  is 
done  the  reader  by  disentangling  them  from  the  old  con- 
fused narratives.  The  denoument  soon  came.  Early 
one  morning,  while  the  Burgesses  were  giving  audience 
to  the  Queen  of  Pamunkey,  "  a  bruit  ran  about  the 
town,  '  Bacon  is  fled !  Bacon  is  fled  ! ' "  The  bruit 
was  true.  Bacon  had  escaped  on  the  night  before. 
His  old  cousin  in  the  Council,  who  had  a  weakness  for 
his  rebel  kinsman,  had  conveyed  "  timely  intimation  to 
the  young  gentleman  to  flee  for  his  life."  At  daylight 
Lawrence's  ordinary  was  searched  by  officers  sent  by 
the  Governor,  but  the  bird  had  flitted  from  that  danger- 
ous nest.  Bacon  "  was  escaped  into  the  country,  hav- 
ing intimation  that  the  Governor's  generosity  in  par- 
doning him,  and  restoring  him  to  his  place  in  the 
Council,  were  no  other  than  previous  wheedles  to  amuse 
him." 

Bacon  was  thus  free  of  his  enemy's  clutches,  and 
among  his  faithful  Baconians  again.  Writers  of  the 
time  speculate  wisely  on  all  these  entangled  matters. 
It  was  not  his  wife's  sickness,  but  the  "  troubles  of  a 
distempered  mind,"  which  made  the  young  rebel  anx- 
ious to  get  away ;  "  which  in  a  few  days  was  manifest 
when  that  he  returned  to  town  with  five  hundred 
men  in  arms." 

Had  Bacon  resolved  to  return  in  that  fashion  with 
the  aim  of  effecting  more  than  simple  wresting  a  com- 
mission from  Sir  William  Berkeley  ?  It  is  probable. 
He  and  thoughtful  Mr.  Lawrence  had  no  doubt  held 
many  private  talks  in  those  days  and  nights  at  the 
Jamestown  ordinary.  The  country  was  on  fire.  Men's 
minds  were  ripe  for  rebellion.  All  Virginia  was  shout- 
ing, "  Bacon  !  Bacon  !  "  as  the  men  of  Gloucester  did 
17 


258      VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

afterwards  in  the  very  presence  of  Berkeley.  The  mo- 
ment had  come,  it  seemed,  for  mixing  up  other  matters 
with  the  Indian  question. 

Bacon's  escape  had  unknotted  all  the  tangle,  which 
was  to  be  tied  in  a  tighter  knot  still.  A  few  days  after- 
wards came  the  dread  rumor  that  he  was  marching  on 
Jamestown  at  the  head  of  six  hundred  men. 


XVI. 

BACON    AND    BERKELEY    AT    JAMES    CITY. 

The  rumor  was  true.  Fiery  General  Bacon  was  no 
longer  the  anxious  husband,  and  had  quite  forgotten,  it 
seemed,  that  Elizabeth,  his  wife,  was  "  indisposed."  In- 
stead of  staying  at  home  at  Curies,  and  soothing  the 
sick  lady,  —  who  was  probably  not  so  sick,^  —  he  had 
been  riding  to  and  fro  at  the  "  heads  of  the  rivers  " 
soundino^  the  sloijan. 

At  the  word  his  friends  rose  in  arms  ;  a  part  of  that 
"  eight  thousand  horse,"  which  Governor  Berkeley  had 
reported  to  be  in  the  colony.  The  times  were  now  ripe, 
and  the  mass  of  the  Virginia  people  had  sided  with 
Bacon.  They  hastened  from  plantation  and  hundred, 
from  lowland  manor-house  and  losj  cabin  in  the  woods 
of  the  upland,  "  well-armed  housekeepers  "  booted  and 
armed  with  good  broadswords  and  "  fusils  "  for  the  wars 
that  were  plainly  coming. 

A  force  variously  estimated  at  from  four  to  six  hun- 
dred men  thus  hastened  to  Bacon's  flasf.  It  is  safe  to 
go  beyond  the  record,  if  we  are  ever  allowed  to  do  so, 

1  "Begs  leave  to  visit  his  lady  (now  sick  as  he  pretended).'' — An. 
Cotton's  Accoiuit. 


BACON  AND  BERKELEY  AT  JAMES   CITY.        259 

and  state  that  the  leader  of  the  rising  made  them  one 
of  his  passionate  addresses.  He  was  always  ready  for 
that :  the  vehement  thought  seemed  ever  behind  the  ar- 
dent lips  in  this  man,  longing  to  burst  forth  into  fiery 
speech.  Bacon  was  a  born  orator,  but  a  man  of  de- 
cision also.  In  "  three  or  ffour  days  after  his  escape  " 
he  was  within  a  day's  march  of  Jamestown,  at  the  head 
of  his  six  hundred  "  housekeepers." 

At  this  ominous  rumor  Berkeley  acted  with  vigor. 
He  was  quite  as  brave  as  his  young  adversary,  in  spite 
of  the  seventy  years'  snows  on  his  hair.  He  sent  an 
instant  summons  for  the  "  train-bands  "  of  York  and 
Gloucester  ;  but  the  poison  had  begun  to  work  every- 
where. Only  about  "one  hundred  soulders,  and  not 
one  half  of  them  sure  neather,"  marched  at  his  order; 
and  their  advance  was  so  sluggish  that  Bacon  ar- 
rived before  they  were  in  sight.  He  entered  James- 
town at  the  head  of  his  men  at  about  two  o'clock  in 
the  afternoon,  and  drew  up  his  troops,  "  horse  and  foot, 
upon  a  green,  not  a  flight  (arrow)  shot  from  the  end  of 
the  State  House."  His  followers  had  seized  all  the 
avenues,  disarming  "  all  in  town,"  and  as  others  arrived 
in  boats  or  by  land  they  were  arrested  or  disarmed  in 
like  fashion. 

Jamestown  had  thus  suddenly  become  a  scene  of  vast 
confusion  and  uneasy  expectation.  Sir  William  Berke- 
ley and  his  Council  were  in  a  private  apartment  of 
the  State  House  holding  a  council  of  war.  Bacon's 
drums  and  trumpets  had  only  sounded  hitherto  ;  now 
the  drum  which  always  summoned  the  Assembly  was 
heard  rollins^.  The  Burgesses  came  to  order  —  if  there 
was  indeed  order  of  any  sort  that  day  in  the  distracted 
borough;  and  an  armed  collision  between  law  and  re- 


260      VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

bellion  seemed  about  to  follow.  Bacon  advanced  across 
the  green  "  with  a  file  of  fusileers  on  either  hand,"  and 
came  np  to  the  corner  of  the  State  House.  Then  what 
followed  is  described  by  worthy  Mr.  T.  M.  of  Stafford, 
who  witnessed  all  from  a  window  of  the  room  above 
in  which  the  Assembly  sat,  or  rather  stood  in  crowding 
groups  at  the  windows  watching  the  scene.  The  Gov- 
ernor and  Council  came  out  and  Bacon  advanced  to 
meet  them.  He  seemed  to  be  controlling  himself,  but 
Berkeley  was  thoroughly  aroused,  and  incensed.  He 
walked  straight  toward  Bacon,  and  tearing  open  the 
lace  at  his  breast,  exclaimed  wrathf ully  :  — 

"  Here !  Shoot  me !  'Fore  God,  a  fair  mark  — 
shoot ! " 

This  he  repeated  over  and  over,  using  the  same  ex- 
pression and  no  other.  Bacon's  reply,  in  spite  of  his 
anger,  was  deliberate  :  — 

"No,  may  it  please  your  honor,"  he  said,  "we  will 
not  hurt  a  hair  of  your  head,  nor  of  any  other  man's. 
We  are  come  for  a  commission  to  save  our  lives  from 
the  Indians,  which  you  have  so  often  promised,  and  now 
we  will  have  it  before  we  go." 

But  mild  as  his  words  seemed,  Bacon  was  in  a  rage. 
As  the  Governor  and  Council  turned  round  and  went 
back  to  their  private  apartment,  he  followed  them  with 
his  fusileers,  his  left  arm  "akimbo,"  the  hand  on  his 
sword  hilt,  and  his  right  arm  tossed  about  like  one  "  dis- 
tracted." Berkeley  was  throwing  about  his  own  arm 
in  the  same  manner.  Bacon's  demeanor  grew  more  and 
more  threatening  as  the  Governor  and  Council  retreated. 
He  "  strutted  "  after  them  "  with  outrageous  postures  of 
his  head,  arms,  body  and  legs,  often  tossing  his  hand 
from  his  sword  to  his  hat ;  and  after  him  came  a  de- 


BACON  AND  BERKELEY  AT  JAMES   CITY.        261 

tachment  of  fFusileers  (mnsketts  not  being  then  in  use), 
who,  with  their  cocks  bent,  presented  their  ffusils  at  a 
window  of  the  Assembly  Chamber  filled  with  faces,  re- 
peating with  menacing  voices,  '  We  will  have  it !  We 
will  have  it ! '  every  half  minute." 

These  words  of  the  cotemporary  narrative  best  de- 
scribe the  scene.  One  of  the  Burgesses  of  the  Bacon 
party  shook  his  handkerchief  from  the  window,  calling 
out  three  or  four  times,  "  You  shall  have  it !  You  shall 
have  it ! "  meaning  the  commission  ;  and  at  this  assur- 
ance the  fusileers  uncocked  their  guns,  and  waited  for 
further  orders  from  Bacon.  He  had  followed  the 
Governor  with  an  "  impetuous  like  delirious  action," 
exclaiming  violently:  — 

"  Damn  my  blood  !  I  '11  kill  Governor,  Council, 
Assembly  and  all,  and  then  I'll  sheathe  my  sword  in 
my  own  heart's  blood." 

And  it  was  afterwards  said,  we  are  told  by  Mr.  T.  M. 
of  Stafford,  that  Bacon  had  ordered  his  men,  if  he  drew 
his  sword,  to  fire  on  the  Assembly  —  "  so  near  was  the 
massacre  of  us  all  that  very  minute,  had  Bacon  but 
drawn  his  sword  before  the  pacific  handkerchief  was 
shaken  out  at  window." 

What  occurred  in  the  private  apartment  between  Ba- 
con, Governor,  and  Council  is  not  known  ;  probably  the 
excitement  of  the  moment  prevented  any  definite  action. 
Bacon  came  out  and  about  an  hour  afterwards  made  his 
appearance  in  the  Assembly  Chamber  up-stairs  where 
he  addressed  the  Burgesses,  asking  for  a  commission. 
The  Speaker,  who  was  a  Baconian,  declared  that  it  was 
*'  not  in  their  province,  or  power,  nor  of  any  other  save 
the  King's  vicegerent,  their  Governor,  to  grant  it ; "  but 
Bacon  insisted  and  made  "  half  an  hour's  harang^ue.'* 


262      VIRGINIA:    A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

Its  purport  is  summed  up  in  a  sentence.  It  was  all 
about  "  preserving  our  lives  from  the  Indians,  inspecting 
the  public  revenues,  the  exorbitant  taxes,  and  redressing 
the  grievances  and  calamities  of  that  deplorable  country. '' 
The  revolution  thus  announced  its  objects :  not  protec- 
tion from  Indians  only,  but  a  general  redress  of  griev- 
ances and  civil  reform,  sweeping  out  official  vermin. 
The  Burgesses  hesitated,  and  took  no  action,  and  Bacon 
"  went  away  dissatisfied."  But  the  next  day  Governor 
and  Council  yielded  ;  the  Burgesses  appointed  Nathan- 
iel Bacon  General  and  Commander-in-Chief  against  the 
Indians  ;  the  appointment  was  ratified  by  Berkeley  ; 
and  an  act  was  passed  granting  pardon  to  Bacon  and 
his  followers  for  their  Indian  proceedings.  A  letter 
was  even  drafted  to  the  King  highly  applauding  them, 
and  this  also  the  Governor  and  Council  were  obliged  to 
sign. 

It  was  an  immense  triumph  for  the  young  rebel. 
Berkeley  writhed  and  growled,  but  was  disarmed  and 
.powerless.  He  took  his  revenge  by  sending  to  the  As- 
sembly a  letter  of  his  own  to  the  King,  in  which  he 
wrote  :  "  I  have  for  above  thirty  years  governed  the 
most  flourishing  country  the  sun  ever  shone  over,  but 
am  now  encompassed  with  rebellion,  like  waters,  in 
every  respect  like  that  of  Masaniello,  except  their 
leader,"  —  meaning,  doubtless,  that  Bacon  was  not  an 
ignorant  fisherman,  but  a  man  of  rank  and  brains  who 
was  much  more  dangerous. 

The  Burgesses  were  then  dissolved,  and  went  back  to 

heir  homes,  —  a  brief  session,  over  which  the  historians 

have  raised  a  great  p^ean.     The  fact  that  it  sat  in  June, 

167G,  and  that  in  June,  1776,  the  same  body  instructed 

the  Virginia  delegates  to  propose  independence  of  Eug- 


BACON  AND  BERKELEY  AT  JAMES   CITY.        263 

land,  has  been  much  dwelt  upon.  But  no  deliberate 
attempt  was  made  to  go  to  the  root  of  the  public  griev- 
ances. All  was  hurry  and  excitement,  and  after  extend- 
ing the  suffrage,  and  passing  laws  against  the  sale  in 
ordinaries  of  intoxicating  drinks,  and  others  denouncing 
"  tumults,  routs,  and  riots,"  which  was  rather  anti-Ba- 
conian, the  Burgesses  went  home. 

Bacon  was  now  at  the  head  of  a  small  army,  the 
regularly  commissioned  General-in-Chief  of  the  Virginia 
forces,  nominally  against  the  Indians,  but  really  against 
whomsoever  he  chose.  All  things  in  the  Dominion  of 
Virginia  were  virtually  under  his  control.  An  im- 
mense public  sentiment  supported  him ;  he  held  the 
colony  in  his  grasp  ;  and  the  authority  of  Governor 
Berkeley  was  only  a  simulacrum.  What  would  be  his 
next  step  ?  It  was  noticed  that  thoughtful  Mr.  Law- 
rence had  much  talk  with  him  at  this  time,  and  was 
"esteemed  Mr.  Bacon's  principal  consultant ;  "  also  "Mr. 
Drummond,  a  sober  Scotch  gentleman  of  good  repute," 
who  had  been  lately  the  Governor  of  North  Carolina. 
He,  too,  was  a  foe  of  Berkeley's,  on  some  grounds  of 
his  own,  and  was  heard  to  say :  "  1  am  in,  over  shoes  ; 
I  will  be  over  boots."  He  lived  at  Jamestown,  and 
these  two  "  rogues,"  as  his  Excellency  called  them,  were 
far  too  intiniate  with  the  fiery  young  General  to  suit  Sir 
William.  Would  they  induce  him  to  forget  his  Indian 
business,  and  think  of  other  things  ?  Bacon  seemed  to 
decide  that  by  promptly  marching  against  the  Indians. 

He  made  his  head-quarters  then,  as  afterwards,  near 
West  Point,  at  the  head  of  York  River;  the  placi 
was  sometimes  called  "  De  la  War,"  from  Lord  Dela- 
ware, whose  family  name  was  West ;  and  here  he  dis- 
armed the  loyalists   of  Gloucester.     He  then  set  out, 


264      VIRGINIA:    A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

with  a  force  variously  estimated  at  from  five  hundred 
to  one  thousand  men,  to  attack  the  Indians  toward  the 
head  waters  of  the  Pamunkey. 

All  his  movements  were  full  of  energy,  and  met  with 
that  good  fortune  which  follows  the  possession  of  brains 
and  decision.  Parties  of  horse  were  sent  in  every  di- 
rection to  scour  the  woods  and  ferret  out  the  Indians  ; 
and  the  result  of  these  measures,  the  chronicles  say, 
was  an  unheard-of  sense  of  security  in  the  border  plan- 
tations. It  seemed,  indeed,  that  young  General  Bacon 
was  justifying  the  public  opinion  of  him.  He  had 
wrested  his  commission  from  the  Governor,  but  he  was 
not  using  it  to  the  hurt  of  the  government.  He  was 
fighting  the  public  enemy,  and  doing  his  duty  as  an 
honest  Virginian. 

That  was  not,  however,  apparently  the  view  of  affairs 
taken  by  his  angry  adversary.  Suddenly,  in  the  midst  of 
his  campaign,  came  intelligence  that  Governor  Berke- 
ley had  a  second  time  proclaimed  Nathaniel  Bacon  and 
his  followers  rebels  and  traitors. 


XVII. 

THE    OATH    AT    MIDDLE-PLANTATION. 

Sir  William  Berkeley  had  imitated  his  master, 
Charles  I.  The  King  had  fled  for  refuge  against 
rebellion  to  his  loyal  shire  of  York  ;  and  the  King's 
Governor  now  fled  to  York  River  and  set  up  his  flag 
there. 

This  was  the  natural  sequel  of  the  scene  in  front  of 
the  State  House  at  Jamestown.  Gloss  over  it  as  people 
might,  the  course  of  Bacon    there  was  rebellion  and 


THE  OATH  AT  3IIDDLE-PLANTATI0N.  265 

treason.  By  force  of  broadswords  and  "  fusils,"  he  had 
compelled  his  Majesty's  rej)resentative  to  comply  with 
his  demands ;  and  now  it  was  to  be  decided  to  whom 
Virginia  was  to  belong,  —  whether  to  Bacon  and  his 
rebels,  or  to  Berkeley  and  his  loyal  King's-men.  Some 
of  the  best  men  in  Virginia  were  ranged  on  each  side, 
for  the  absurd  old  theory  that  the  Berkeley  men  were 
all  time-servers  and  mercenary  people  has  nothing 
to  support  it.  Still,  the  great  mass  of  the  people  of 
all  classes  had  sided  with  Bacon,  and  it  seemed  that 
his  Majesty's  rei3resentative  would  soon  be  a  Governor 
without  a  government.  In  this  cruel  emergency  a 
gleam  of  sunshine  broke  through  the  black  clouds,  set- 
tling down  on  the  head  of  the  ancient  Cavalier.  From 
Gloucester,  beyond  the  York,  came  post-haste  a  King's- 
man,  with  a  missive  for  his  Honor  from  that  most  loyal 
county. 

Gloster,  as  the  old  writers  spell  it,  was  "  the  place 
the  best  replenished  for  men,  arms,  and  affection  of  any 
county  in  Virginia,"  —  the  aff action  being  for  his  Maj- 
esty and  his  Majesty's  Governor.  Bacon's  horsemen 
had  galloped  about  the  country,  disarming  the  adher- 
ents of  Berkeley  there ;  and  this  had  naturally  made 
an  unpleasant  impression.  Now  the  truculent  rebel  was 
absent  about  his  Indian  business ;  the  coast  was  clear 
for  the  true  men  to  show  their  faces  again  ;  and  the 
Gloster  men  sent  a  petition  asking  that  Governor  Berke- 
ley would  come  and  joro^ec^  them  from  the  Indians.  Sir 
William  promptly  responded  to  the  welcome  request. 
This  rich  domain,  full  of  loyal  planters,  was  the  place 
for  the  loyal  Governor.  He  repaired  thither  at  once, 
erected  his  standard,  and  summoned  the  people  to  array 
themselves  under  it. 


266      VIRGINIA:    A  HISTORY  OF  TEE  PEOPLE. 

The  result  was  discouraging.  The  Gloster  men  were 
not  so  loyal  as  Berkeley  had  supposed.  Twelve  hun- 
dred people  assembled  on  the  day  appointed,  but  the 
public  pulse  was  low.  They  would  support  the  Gov- 
ernor's authority,  but  "  they  thought  it  not  conven- 
ient at  present  to  declare  themselves  against  Bacon, 
as  he  was  now  advancing  against  the  common  enemy," 
the  Indians.  That  would  not  be  to  act  like  good  Vir- 
ginians ;  and  so  the  men  of  Gloster  and  Middlesex 
positively  declined  to  enroll  themselves  against  Bacon. 
They  showed  their  sentiments  in  an  unmistakable  man- 
ner. At  the  first  words  of  Berkeley  the  crowd  began 
to  murmur,  "  Bacon  !  Bacon  ! "  — ominous  incident.  As 
his  Excellency  went  on  urging  them,  they  grew  weary, 
and  refused  to  listen.  They  "walked  out  of  the  field, 
muttering  as  they  went,  'Bacon  !  Bacon  !  Bacon  !'  leav- 
ing the  Governor  and  those  that  came  with  him  to  them- 
selves." Such  was  the  depressing  condition  of  public 
feeling  in  this  loyal  country.  The  Gloster  men  would 
not  even  listen  to  the  fiery  Cavalier,  with  his  passion- 
ate appeals  to  their  loyalty.  Their  response  was  that 
ominous  muttering  and  speedy  disappearance  from  the 
place  of  meeting. 

It  seemed  that  this  was  the  end.  Rebellion  had  caught 
even  the  loyal  Gloucester  in  its  vile  clutches.  There 
was,  then,  no  hope,  save  from  other  people  somewhere, 
not  yet  poisoned ;  where  were  these  to  be  found  ?  There 
was  one  place  of  retreat :  the  remote  country  sometimes 
called  the  "  Kingdom  of  Accomac,"  across  the  water. 
So,  leaving  the  ungrateful  Gloucester  men  to  arrange 
their  matters  with  General  Bacon,  the  Governor  em- 
barked on  a  small  vessel,  and,  as  the  chronicle  says, 
"  wafted  over  Chesapeake  Bay  thirty   miles   to  Acco- 


THE  OATH  AT  MIDDLE-PLANTATION.  267 

mac,"  —  last  refuge,  or  supposed  refuge,  of  the  loyal 
cause  in  Virginia. 

Before  departing.  Sir  "William  set  up  his  proclamation 
in  all  public  places,  declaring  Bacon  a  traitor  (July  29, 
1676)  ;  on  the  29th  of  May,  just  two  months  before, 
the  rebel  had  been  assailed  by  a  similar  blow.  The 
news  of  all  this  was  brought  to  Bacon  on  the  upper 
waters  by  his  friends  Lawrence  and  Drummond.  He 
at  once  marched  back.  His  situation  was  critical ;  he 
"  was  fallen  like  the  corn  between  the  stones,"  says  one 
of  the  old  writers,  "  so  that  if  he  did  not  look  the  better 
about  him,  he  might  chance  to  be  ground  to  powder." 
He  himself  used  an  equally  strong  simile. 

"  It  vext  him  to  his  heart,"  he  said,  "  for  to  think 
that  while  he  was  hunting  (Indian)  wolves,  tygers,  and 
foxes,  which  daily  destroyed  our  harmless  sheep  and 
lambs,  that  he  and  those  with  him  should  be  pursued 
with  a  full  cry,  as  a  more  savage  or  a  no  less  ravenous 
beast." 

Thus  protesting,  no  doubt  wdth  impetuous  delivery 
and  knit  brows,  in  the  midst  of  his  men,  with  thought- 
ful Mr.  Lawrence  listening  quietly,  Bacon  marched 
back  at  the  head  of  his  horsemen  toward  the  lower 
waters.  An  incident  occurred  on  the  way.  A  de- 
serter from  the  Berkeley  side  came  in,  but  was  found 
to  be  a  spy.  Bacon  offered  to  spare  his  life  if  one  man 
in  the  army  would  say  a  good  word  for  him.  But  no 
one  spoke,  and  he  was  executed ;  General  Bacon  being 
"  applauded  for  a  merciful  man  "  for  thus  giving  him 
a  chance  for  his  life.  Perfect  order  was  kept  on  the 
march  ;  no  opponent's  house  was  plundered,  but  patrols 
of  cavalry  arrested  prominent  friends  of  Berkeley  ;  and 
Bacon  soon  arrived  at  Middle-Plantation,  midway  be- 


268      VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

tween  Jamestown  and  York  River,  afterwards  the  city 
of  Williamsburg. 

His  horsemen  bivouacked  around  the  little  cluster  of 
houses  forming  the  village,  and  their  General  went  at 
once  to  work.  Virginia  was  in  flagrant  revolution  ;  the 
constituted  authorities  had  fled,  and  the  business  before 
Bacon  was  to  bring  order  out  of  this  chaos.  With 
Berkeley  away  in  Accomac,  a  distant  region,  vaguely 
looked  upon  at  that  time  as  scarcely  part  of  Virginia, 
Bacon  was  master  and  Governor  de  facto.  He  was 
looked  to  as  the  head  of  all  things,  and  had  advisers, 
who  sugsested  decisive  action.  William  Drummond, 
that  sober  Scotch  gentleman,  who  was  "■  over  shoes " 
in  rebellion,  and  meant  to  be  "  over  boots,"  advised 
Bacon  to  depose  Berkeley,  and  put  Sir  Henry  Chiclie- 
ley  in  his  place.  At  this  the  Baconians  murmured, 
when  the  sober  Scot  replied  :  — 

"  Do  not  make  so  strange  of  it,  for  T  can  show  from 
ancient  records  that  such  things  have  been  done  in  Vir- 
ginia" —  a  reference,  doubtless,  to  the  "thrusting  out" 
of  Governor  Harvey. 

Bacon  would  not  agree  to  so  revolutionary  an  act  as 
the  formal  deposition  of  Berkeley.  His  temper  was 
excitable,  but  his  brain  was  cool  —  a  common  trait  with 
men  of  strong  natures.  It  bore  the  strain  on  it  now, 
if  visions  of  military  usurpation  and  Virginia  Lord  Pro- 
tectorism  tempted  him.  There  was  a  very  long  head 
on  the  shoulders  of  this  impetuous  youth.  Pie  pro- 
ceeded in  an  orderly  manner,  and  displayed  the  great- 
est good  sense.  First  he  issued  his  "  Remonstrance," 
a  hot  protest  against  Berkeley's  proclamation  denounc- 
ing as  rebels  and  traitors  himself  and  his  followers,  good 
subjects  of  his  Majesty,  who  were  in  arms  only  against 


THE  OATH  AT  MIDDLE-PLANTATION.         269 

the  bloody  savages.  Then  he  comes  to  the  public  griev- 
ances, and  pays  his  respects  to  his  adversaries.  Some 
in  authority  were  without  capacity  ;  others  had  come 
to  the  country  poor,  and  were  now  rolling  in  wealth, 
for  they  had  been  "  spunges  that  have  sucked  up  and 
devoured  the  common  treasury."  He  propounds  the 
damaging  query,  "  What  arts,  sciences,  schools  of  learn- 
ing, or  manufactures  hath  been  promoted  by  any  now 
in  authority?"  and  "saith  something  against  the  Gov- 
ernor about  the  beaver  trade  ;  and  so  concludes  with  an 
appeal  to  King  and  Parliament."  But  the  young  rebel 
must  have  personal  consultation  with  the  chief  men  of 
Virginia.  Therefore,  all  who  have  "any  regard  for 
themselves,  or  love  to  their  country,  their  wives,  chil- 
dren, and  other  relations,"  are  prayed  to  attend  at  Mid- 
dle-Plantation on  a  certain  day,  and  enter  their  protest 
against  "Sir  William's  doting  and  irregular  actings." 

On  the  day  appointed  (August  3,  1676),  "most  of 
the  prime  gentlemen  of  those  parts,"  four  of  whom  were 
members  of  the  Governor's  Council,  appeared  at  the  ren- 
dezvous, and  a  stormy  scene  followed.  Bacon  made 
as  usual  "  a  long  harange,"  and  it  was  agreed  that  a 
"  te.^t  or  recognition  "  should  be  subscribed  that  no  one 
would  aid  Berkeley  to  molest  the  "  Generall  and  army." 
All  agreed  to  that,  but  the  imperious  Bacon  suddenly 
threw  a  fire-brand  amongst  them.  They  must  bind 
themselves  further,  he  said,  "  to  rise  in  arms  against 
him,''  Berkeley,  "if  he  with  armed  forces  should  offer 
to  resist  the  Generall;  and  not  only  so  —  if  any  forces 
should  he  sent  out  of  England  at  the  request  of  Sir  Wil- 
liam or  otherways,  to  his  aid,  that  they  were  likewise  to 
be  opposed"  until  his  Majesty  could  be  heard  from. 

Then  an  exi^losion.    That  was  armed  rebellion  against 


270     VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

the  King,  and  "  this  bugbear  did  marvellously  startle  " 
them.  They  were  willing  to  sign  the  test,  but  not  to 
sign  that ;  whereupon  Bacon,  with  his  impetuous  tem- 
per, suddenly  flames  out.  If  they  would  not  sign  all, 
they  need  not  sign  any  ;  "  he  would  surrender  up  his 
commission,  and  let  the  country  find  some  other  servant 
to  go  abroad  and  do  their  work  !  '  Sir  William  Berke- 
ley hath  proclaimed  me  a  rebel,'  "  he  exclaimed,  "  '  and 
it  is  not  unknown  to  himself  that  I  both  can  and  shall 
charore  him  with  no  less  than  treason  ! '  "  Governor 
Berkeley  would  never  forgive  them  for  signing  any 
part  of  the  test,  he  urged  ;  and  they  might  judge  for 
themselves  "  how  many  or  few  he  would  make  choice 
of  to  be  sent  into  the  tother  ivorld"  The  passionate 
eloquence  of  Bacon  is  vividly  described  in  the  old 
narratives.  He  would  have  all  signed,  or  nothing  — 
"  the  whole  swallowed  or  none."  A  sudden  incident 
determined  the  wavering  assemblage.  The  "  gunner  of 
York  Fort"  rushed  through  the  crowd,  wild-eyed  and 
dismayed.  The  savages  were  advancing  on  his  fort ! 
The  Governor  had  removed  all  his  arms !  The  fort 
was  filled  with  poor  people  who  had  fled  before  the 
Indian  tomahawk  from  the  woods  of  Gloster ! 

Thereat,  "  the  General  is  somewhat  startled,"  and 
looks  with  eyes  of  passionate  appeal  to  the  crowd,  hav- 
ing either  arranged  this  dramatic  scene  beforehand,  or 
feeling  as  much  startled  as  the  rest.  The  effect  was 
decisive.  It  "did  stagger  a  great  many,  and  there  was 
no  more  discourses."  The  prime  gentlemen  agreed  to 
sign  the  whole  paper,  with  the  express  understanding 
that  it  was  not  to  affect  their  allegiance.  Upon  that 
point  Bacon  promptly  reassured  them.  Affect  their 
allegiance  ?      Far  from  it !      "  God  forbid,"  he  cried. 


THE   OATH  AT  MIDDLE-PLANTATION.         271 

"  that  it  should  be  so  meant  or  intended  1  Himself  and 
army,  by  his  command,  had  some  few  days  before  taken 
the  Oath  of  Allegiayice  !  " 

So  the  oath  was  taken  and  the  paper  subscribed  by 
these  loyal  prime  gentlemen,  who  were  so  punctilious 
about  their  allegiance  to  the  King  — the  oath  to  fight 
the  King's  troops  if  they  came  to  Virginia. 

This  Middle-Plantation  meeting  was  a  stormy  affair. 
The  struggle  had  continued  from  noon  to  midnight,  and 
the  scene  lit  up  by  torches  in  the  summer  night  must 
have  been  striking.     In  the  centre  of  the  excited  crowd 
is  the  young  Cromwell  of  twenty-eight,  his  face  flushed 
and  his  eyes  blazing  as  he  urges  this  or  that  argument 
showing  the  necessity  of  the  proposed  oath.     Around 
him  are  the  prime  gentlemen  with  doubtful  or  resolute 
faces,  and  the  well-armed  housekeepers  girt  with  broad- 
swords, looking   and    listening.     No  doubt  that   quiet 
gentleman   yonder   is    thoughtful    Mr.  Lawrence,  who 
sees  with  delight  that   the    "resolute  temper"  of   the 
young  General  has  swept  away  all  opposition,  and  that 
the  Virginians  are  going  to  "see  the  King's  peace  kept 
by  resisting  the  King's  viceregent." 

The  paper  signed  at  Middle-Plantation  on  this  3d 
of  August,  1676,  is  a  notable  document.  It  begins  by 
setting  forth  that  "  certain  persons  have  lately  contrived 
the  raising  forces"  against  General  Bacon  and  the 
people,  "  thereby  to  heget  civil  war;  "  and  they  will  en- 
deavor to  apprehend  "  those  evil  disposed  persons,  and 
them  secure  until  further  orders  from  the  General ;  "  — 
so  much  for  his  Excellency.  And  as  Sir  William  has 
niformed  the  King  that  Virginia  is  in  rebellion,  and  he 
needs  troops,  "  We,  the  inhabitants  of  Virginia,"  will  "  to 
the  utmost  of  our  power  oppose  and  suppress  all  forces 


272      VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

whatsoever  of  that  nature^  until  such  time  as  the  King  be 
fully  informed  of  the  state  of  the   case  by  such  person 
or  persons  as    shall   be   sent  from  the  said  Nathaniel" 
Bacon,  in  the  behalf  of  the  people,  and  the  determina- 
tion thereof  be  remitted  hither." 

This  was  plain.  His  Majesty's  Governor  and  repre- 
sentative was  making  war  on  Virginia.  His  Majesty's 
true  representative  was  not  this  traitor,  but  General 
Bacon.  As  the  most  loyal  of  the  King's  subjects  they 
meant  to  crush  the  King's  Governor  if  they  could ;  to 
inform  the  King  of  all  things  ;  and  meanwhile  to  op- 
pose and  fight  the  King's  troops  if  they  came  to  Vir- 
ginia. The  last  clause  bore  a  strong  resemblance  to 
an  important  feature  in  another  paper,  signed  at  Phila- 
delphia July  4,  1776.  This  engagement  taken  by  the 
Virginians  was  signed  August  3,  1676,  nearly  a  hun- 
dred years  before. 

The  great  business  was  thus  finished.  The  leading 
men  were  banded  togetlier  in  support  of  Bacon,  and  the 
next  step  was  to  organize  a  government.  None  but 
the  Virginia  people  had  authority  to  do  that ;  and  Ba- 
con issued  writs  for  the  representatives  of  the  people  to 
assemble  early  in  September.  The  writs  were  in  the 
name  of  his  Majesty,  and  signed  by  four  members  of 
the  Council  who  were  present  at  the  meeting.  Then, 
without  loss  of  time,  swift  couriers  bore  them  away  to 
the  four  winds  ;  and  Bacon,  secure  now,  as  he  said, 
that  in  his  absence  "  to  destroy  the  wolves  "  the  foxes 
would  not  "  devour  the  sheep,"  set  off  with  his  army 
again  to  finish  his  Indian  campaign. 

He  left  behind  him  a  mighty  tumult.  Virginia  had 
risen  for  the  right.  The  New  World  had  defied  the  Old. 
The  oath  on   the  Virginia  Field  of  Mars  to  fight  Eng- 


THE   OATH  AT  MIDDLE-PLANTATION.         273 

land,  sworn  by  torchlight  in  the  midst  of  grim  faces, 
stirred  up  a  great  wave  of  rejoicing,  which  rolled  over 
all  Virginia,  from  the  lowland  to  the  mountains.  Every- 
where men  and  women  hailed  it  with  enthusiasm.  *'  Now 
we  can  build  ships,"  they  said,  "  and,  like  New  England, 
trade  to  any  part  of  the  world ! " —  an  evidence  of  the 
aversion  to  the  navigation  laws.  Sarah  Drummond,  the 
wife  of  the  sober  Scottish  conspirator,  exclaimed :  — 

"  The  child  that  is  unborn  shall  have  cause  to  rejoice 
for  the  good  that  will  come  by  the  rising  of  the  coun- 
try !  "     And  when  a  person  beside  her  croaked,  — 

"  We  must  expect  a  greater  power  from  England  that 
will  certainly  be  our  ruin,"  Drummond's  wife  picked  up 
a  stick,  broke  it  in  two,  and  said  disdainfully, — 

"  1  fear  the  power  of  England  no  more  than  a  broken 
straw  ! " 

When  others  faltered,  she  exclaimed  bravely,  "  We 
will  do  well  enough ! "  and  that  was  the  hopeful  feeling 
of  the  great  mass  of  the  people.  Thousands  of  men 
and  women  —  and  the  hearts  of  women  are  braver  and 
more  devoted  than  the  hearts  of  men,  often  —  were  ut- 
tering, doubtless,  similar  words,  full  of  the  true  ring,  all 
over  Virginia.  The  country  was  with  Bacon,  and  swore 
the  oath  with  him. 

He  was,  meanwhile,  at  work  again.  Having  issued 
his  proclamation  that  all  friends  of  the  cause  should,  on 
"  the  arrival  of  the  forces  from  England,  retire  into  the 
wilderness  and  oppose  them,"  he  crossed  James  River 
at  Curies,  according  to  one  account,  attacked  the  Appo- 
mattox Indians  at  what  is  now  Petersburg,  and  killed 
or  routed  the  whole  tribe.  He  then  traversed  the  south 
side  toward  the  Nottoway  and  Roanoke,  dispersed  all 
the  savages  he  encountered,  and  early  in  September 
18 


274       VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

"draws  in  his  forces  within  the  verge  of  the  English 
Plantations."  At  West  Point,  his  "  prime  rendezvous 
or  place  of  retreat,"  he  dismissed  all  but  a  detachment, 
to  £^0  home  and  rest ;  and  this  was  the  state  of  things, 
when  the  whole  face  of  affairs  suddenly  changed. 

News  came  that  Sir  William  Berkeley,  with  seven- 
teen ships  and  a  thousand  men,  had  returned  from 
Accomac,  sailed  up  James  River,  and  was  again  in 
possession  of  Jamestown. 


XVIII. 

THE    WHITE    APRONS    AT    JAMESTOWN. 

The  fortunes  of  Sir  William  Berkeley  in  the  "  King- 
dorn  of  Accomac  "  had  been  a  checker- work  of  sun  and 
shadow.  The  first  outlook  there  seemed  gloomy  indeed  ; 
the  chill  wind  of  disloyalty  blew  steadily  over  that 
sandy  region,  as  it  blew  across  the  green  hills  of  Vir- 
ginia. Few  gleams  of  hope  cheered  the  black  darkness 
around  the  old  King's-man.  The  virus  of  rebellion  had 
infected  the  Eastern  Shore  men  as  well  as  the  West 
Shore  men.  His  Excellency  could  get  no  substantial 
planters  to  espouse  his  fortunes ;  and  it  seemed  that  if 
he  returned  at  all,  it  would  be  at  the  head  of  a  handful 
of  "rabble." 

But  all  at  once  the  skies  cleared.  A  lucky  accident 
cheered  the  heart  of  the  despondent  Cavalier.  Bacon, 
after  attending  to  matters  at  Middle-Plantation,  had 
sent  one  of  his  friends  to  confine  the  Governor  in  Acco- 
mac, or  capture  him.  This  person  was  Mr.-Gil«e>.,^land, 
"  a  gentleman  of  an  active  and  stirring  disposition,  and 
no  grate  admirer  of  Sir  William's  goodness."     He  was 


TEE  WHITE  APRONS  AT  JAMESTOWN,        275 

to  go  and  ''  block  up  "  his  foe  Sir  William,  or  induce 
the  people  to  surrender  him,  —  "thinking  the  coun- 
try, like  the  Friar  in  the  Bush,  must  needs  be  so  mad 
as  to  dance  to  their  pipe."  So,  General  Bacon  hoping 
that  his  Lieutenant,  Bland,  might  "  go  forth  with  an 
empty  hand  but  return  with  a  full  fist,"  placed  this 
business  in  his  charge,  and  went  after  the  Indians. 

These  phrases  of  the  old  chronicle  show  the  eccen- 
tric humor  of  the  times.  Such  turns  of  expression 
constantly  crop  up  in  these  uncouth  writings,  and  re- 
lieve the  tragedy  of  the  narrative.  The  authors  sym- 
pathize really  with  Bacon,  but  then  he  and  his  friends 
are  rogues  and  rebels ;  and  it  is  the  "  Rogue's  March  " 
they  are  going  to  pipe  to  make  the  Accomackians  dance. 
The  performance  soon  begins,  but  a  dirge  is  to  wind  up 
the  gay  lilt  for  some  people.  Bacon's  "  Lieutenant- 
general  Bland,  a  man  of  courage  and  haughty  bear- 
ing," set  forth  on  his  enterprise.  He  had  two  hundred 
and  fifty  men,  and  one  ship  with  four  guns,  under  com- 
mand of  an  old  sailor.  Captain  Carver,  who  was  "re- 
solved to  adventure  his  old  bones  "  for  the  rebel  cause. 
Tins  one  ship  was  insufficient,  however,  and  Bland 
seized  another,  lying  in  York  River,  which  belonged  to 
a  Captain  Laramore,  probably  a  trader  and  a  friend  of 
Berkeley's.  This  seizure  irritated  Laramore  and  was 
the  cause  of  many  woes.  He  had  been  arrested  and 
confined  in  his  cabin,  but  dissembled,  professed  sym- 
pathy, and  was  restored  to  the  command  of  his  ship ; 
and  then  Bland  sailed  for  Accomac.  On  the  way  he 
captured  another  vessel,  making  four  in  all ;  and  with 
this  fleet  came  in  sight  of  the  Eastern  Shore. 

At  the  appearance  of  the  four  ships  mounted  with 
cannon  Sir  William  gave  up  all  for  lost.  His  days 
in   Accomac   had   not   been  happy   days.     Instead   pf 


276     VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

anathematizing  Bacon,  the  planters  echoed  the  public 
complaints,  and  few  had  joined  his  standard.  Now 
he  found  himself  threatened  with  capture  by  a  rebel 
fleet;  and  his  situation  was  not  unlike  that  of  his 
master  Charles  I.  in  his  darkest  days.  An  incident 
changed  everything.  Laramore's  mind  was  still  rank- 
ling with  resentment  at  the  seizure  of  his  ship;  and  he 
privately  sent  word  to  Berkeley  that  if  assistance  were 
given  him  he  would  betray  Bland.  At  the  time,  the 
vessels  were  at  anchor,  and  Captain  Carver  of  the 
four-gun  ship,  Bland's  second  in  command,  had  gone  on 
shore  to  see  Berkeley.  Laramore's  offer  resembled  a 
trap,  but  a  friend  of  the  Governor's,  Colonel  Philip 
Ludwell,  offered  to  vouch  for  him,  and  to  lead  the 
party  to  assist  in  Bland's  capture.  Sir  William  there- 
upon agreed  to  everything,  and  Ludwell  "  prepared  an 
armed  boat  in  a  creek  not  far  off,  but  out  of  sight." 
At  the  time  appointed  he  rowed  toward  Laramore's 
ship  :  was  supposed  to  be  coming  to  parley  ;  and  Bland 
did  not  fire  on  him.  The  sequel  quickly  came.  The 
boat  ran  under  the  ship's  stern,  and  one  of  Ludwell's 
men  leaped  on  board  and  putting  a  pistol  to  Bland's 
breast  said,  "  You  are  my  prisoner."  The  rest  fol- 
lowed and  disarmed  the  crew,  who  were  said  to  be 
drunk,  but  probably  were  Laramore's  friends ;  and 
Carver  soon  returning,  he  and  Bland  were  "  amazed 
and  yielded."  No  further  resistance  was  made,  and 
Colonel  Ludwell  returned  in  triumph  with  his  prison- 
ers to  Berkeley.-^ 

1  The  hero  of  this  exploit,  Colonel  Philip  Ludwell,  was  Berkeley's 
secretary,  and  after  the  Governor's  death  married  "Dame  ffrances 
Berkele}',"  who  had  been  a  young  widow  when  Berkele}'  married 
her.  Of  her  three  husbands  she  seems  to  have  preferred  the  second, 
as  she  continued  to  call  herself  "Lady  Berkeley"  to  the  time  of  her 
death. 


THE  WHITE  APRONS  AT  JAMESTOWN.         211 

Thus  ended  in  gloomy  disaster  the  attempt  to  make 
the  Accomackians  dance  to  the  rebel  piping.  Bland, 
with  all  his  courage  and  activity,  had  been  caught  in 
a  trap,  and  Berkeley  put  him  in  irons  and  otherwise 
ill-treated  him.  As  for  Captain  Carver,  his  "old  bones  " 
were  to  rattle  on  a  gibbet,  if  like  another  foe  of  Berke- 
ley's, he  was  hung  in  chains.  His  Excellency  "  honored 
him  with  the  gift  of  a  halter,"  but  spared  Lieutenant- 
general  Bland,  either  as  a  gentleman  of  too  much  con- 
sideration to  be  executed,  or  for  fear  of  Bacon,  Poor 
old  Carver  was  hung  on  the  Accomac  shore  a  few  days 
afterwards  ;  and  Laramore's  men  joined  the  forces  under 
Berkeley. 

These  were  now  considerable  in  numbers  if  not  in 
quality.  The  'longshoremen  had  agreed  to  assist  him, 
and  at  this  fortunate  moment,  Captain  Gardener,  a 
Berkeley  an,  arrived  at  Accomac  in  his  ship  the  Adam- 
and-Eve,  with  ten  or  twelve  sloops  which  he  had  col- 
lected along  the  coast.  Bland's  captured  ships  made 
in  all  about  seventeen ;  and  on  these  the  forces  em- 
barked, in  number  about  a  thousand.  The  Governor 
had  promised  them,  it  was  said,  the  estates  of  all  who 
had  taken  "  Bacon's  Oath;"  and  further  proclaimed  that 
the  servants  of  all  gentlemen  fighting  under  Bacon 
should  have  the  property  of  their  masters  in  case  they 
enrolled  themselves  under  the  King's  flaof. 

Berkeley  sailed  for  Jamestown  and  reached  it  safely 
(September  7,  1676),  the  news  of  his  approach  "out- 
stripping his  canvass  wings."  The  place  was  held  by 
Colonel  Hansford,  one  of  the  youngest  and  bravest  of 
Bacon's  lieutenants,  with  eight  or  nine  hundred  men. 
Berkeley  anchored  and  summoned  Hansford  to  surren- 
der, promising  amnesty  to  all  but  Lawrence  and  Drum- 


278     VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  TEE  PEOPLE. 

mond,  then  in  the  town.  Hansford  refused,  but  by  the 
advice  of  these  two  leaders,  determined  to  evacuate  the 
phace,  which  he  did  during  the  night.  About  noon 
next  day  Governor  Berkeley  landed  on  the  island,  and, 
like  Lord  Delaware  before  him,  "  knelt  down  and  ren- 
dered thanks  to  God  for  his  safe  arrival."  In  the  town 
he  found  only  a  few  people,  above  all  no  Lawrence  or 
Drummond.  These  gentlemen  had  prudently  retired, 
and  the  chronicle  makes  merry  over  thoughtful  Mr. 
Lawrence  for  his  dread  of  capture.  So  "distracted" 
was  he  at  the  vision  of  a  halter  that  he  "  forsook  his  own 
house  with  all  his  wealth  and  a  fair  cupboard  of  plate 
entire  standing,  which  fell  into  the  Governor's  hands." 

Meanwhile,  as  the  triumphant  Cavalier  is  feasting 
his  eyes  on  his  enemy's  cupboard,  the  owner  of  the 
cupboard,  with  his  friends  Drummond  and  Hansford, 
is  speeding  northward  at  a  swift  gallop  to  find  General 
Bacon. 

They  find  him  at  West  Point,  the  head  of  York 
River,  and  are  the  first  to  communicate  the  startling 
intelligence  that  Sir  William  Berkeley  has  recaptured 
Jamestown.  The  enemy  supposed  to  be  crushed  has 
returned,  thirsting  for  vengeance ;  the  whole  "  King- 
dom of  Accomac "  has  declared  for  him  ;  the  fierce 
wrestle  apparently  at  an  end  has  just  begun,  it  seems. 

Bacon's  proceedings  were  those  of  a  soldier.  He 
had  only  a  body-guard  with  him,  but  mounted  in  hot 
haste  and  set  out  fon  Jamestown.  Couriers  scattered 
in  all  directions  to  summon  the  Baconians  to  join  him. 
As  he  advanced  his  force  steadily  increased,  and  march- 
ing with  "  a  marvellous  celerity,  outstripping  the  swift 
wings  of  fame,"  he  came  in  sight  of  Jamestown,  at  the 
head  now  of  a  force  of  several  hundred  men. 


THE  WHITE  APRONS  4T  JAMESTOWN.         279 

Sir  William  was  ready  to  receive  him.  A  strong 
earthwork  and  palisade  had  been  erected  across  the 
neck  of  the  island,  and  Bacon  rode  forward  to  recon- 
noitre. He  then  ordered  his  trumpets  to  sound  and  a 
volley  to  be  fired  into  the  town.  But  no  response  came 
back.  Berkeley,  it  is  said,  expected  that  his  enemy 
would  retire  for  want  of  provisions  ;  but  in  this  he 
was  disappointed.  Bacon  was  a  rough  campaigner, 
and  supplied  himself  from  the  Governor's  own  larder, 
as  the  Governor  had  supplied  himself  from  thoughtful 
Mr.  Lawrence's  cupboard.  He  made  his  headquarters 
at  '"  Greenspring,"  the  mansion  of  Sir  William  ;  and 
cattle,  pork,  grain,  horses,  and  stores  of  every  descrip- 
tion were  mercilessly  appropriated. 

The  rebel  then  proceeded  to  throw  up  a  breastwork 
in  front  of  the  palisade,  and  in  order  to  protect  his  men 
had  recourse  to  a  very  unworthy  scheme.  He  sent  de- 
tachments of  horsemen  into  the  surrounding  country  to 
capture  and  bring  into  camp  the  wives  of  prominent  gen- 
tlemen who  fought  on  the  side  of  Berkeley.  We  have 
the  names  of  four  of  these  ladies  :  "  Madame  Bray,  Mad- 
ame Page,  Madame  Ballard,  and  Madame  Bacon "  — 
the  wife  of  no  less  a  person  than  that  "  rich,  politick  " 
old  kinsman,  Nathaniel  Bacon,  Sr.,  of  the  Council,  who 
had  such  a  fondness  for  his  "  uneasy  cousin,"  the  young 
rebel.  The  young  person  in  question  was  thus  a  rude 
adversary,  and  stopped  at  nothing.  The  ladies  were 
brought  in  their  carriages,  it  is  to  be  hoped,  not  forced 
to  come  on  foot ;  but  they  came.  This  was  a  bad  busi- 
ness enough  and  scarcely  worthy  of  that  preux  cheva- 
lier and  devoted  attendant  of  "  indisposed  "  ladies,  Mr. 
Nathaniel  Bacon  ;  but  he  was  going  to  do  still  worse. 
He  sent  one  of  the  disconsolate  ladies  into  the  town, 


280     VIRGINIA:   A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

under  a  flafr,  "  to  inform  her  own  and  the  other  hus- 
bands  "  that  he  meant  to  place  them  "  in  the  forefront 
of  his  men  "  during  the  construction  of  the  earthworks  ; 
—  if  an  attack  was  made  on  the  workmen  the  ladies 
would  suffer. 

The  "  white  aproned  "  herald  went  and  delivered  the 
message,  and  the  chronicle  states  the  result.  "  The  poor 
gentlewomen  were  mightily  astonished,  and  neather  were 
their  husbands  void  of  amazement  at  this  subtill  inven- 
tion." And  then  the  worthy  historian  of  this  subtile 
invention  bursts  forth  with  his  own  comment  full  of 
dry  humor  :  "  If  Mr.  Fuller  thoitght  it  strange  that  the 
DiveWs  hlack  garde  should  he  enroided  God's  soidders,'^ 
the  poor  amazed  husbands  "  made  it  no  less  wonderful 
that  their  innocent  and  harmless  wives  should  thus  be 
entred  a  white  garde  to  the  Divell.  And  this  action  was 
a  method  in  war  that  they  were  not  well  acquainted 
with  :  that  before  they  could  come  to  pierce  their  ene- 
ynifs  sides  they  must  be  obliged  to  dart  their  weapons 
thorugh  their  wives  hrest^ 

There  is  no  reason  to  doubt  that  Bacon  resorted  to 
this  unworthy  device.  His  admirers  attempt,  of  course, 
to  explain  it  away,  or  discredit  it.  It  was  done.  At 
daylight  an  attacking  party  sallied  out  of  town  and  fell 
on  the  workmen  ;  the  sally  was  repulsed ;  and  then  the 
ladies  were  "  exhibited  to  the  view  of  their  husbands 
and  friends  in  town  upon  the  top  of  the  small  work, 
where  he  caused  them  to  tarry  till  he  had  finished  his 
defence  against  his  enemy's  shot."  That  is  precise, 
and  admits  of  no  discussion.  And  of  all  the  curious 
events  of  a  curious  time  it  was  the  most  curious.  It 
resembles  rather  an  invention  of  romance  than  a  sober 
tableau  of  history,  —  this  picture  of  the  ladies  in  their 


THE  WHITE  APRONS  AT  JAMESTOWN.         281 

"  white  aprons "  on  the  buttress  of  earth  and  felled 
trees,  shivering  in  the  September  moonlight  as  the  chill 
dawn  begins  to  glimmer ;  around  them  the  red,  autumn 
foliage ;  behind  them  the  bearded  faces  of  the  rebel 
horsemen ;  and  yonder  within  the  palisade  the  amazed 
and  forlorn  husbands  withholding  their  shot  lest  they 
harm  these  dear  white  guards  of  the  Devil  —  who  is  Gen- 
eral Bacon ! 

It  is  rather  difficult  to  reconcile  the  incident  with 
Bacon's  conceded  character  as  a  soldier  and  a  gentle- 
man,  since  soldiers  or  gentlemen  do  not  make  war  on 
women  or  children.  When  they  do  so  they  do  it  at 
their  peril,  and  if  the  victims  have  no  other  avenger, 
history  will  take  care  of  their  oppressors.  It  has  done 
so  in  this  case.  Explain  it  as  people  may,  that  was  not 
a  defensible  proceeding;  and  it  has  left  a  blot  on  the 
name  of  a  man  otherwise  illustrious.  Berkeley  acted 
with  more  gallantry.  "  The  ladies'  white  aprons  be- 
came of  greater  force  "  than  Bacon's  men  and  guns,  and 
no  further  attack  was  made  until  the  "  guardian  angells 
withdrew  into  a  place  of  safety "  —  let  us  hope  were 
sent  back  home.  Then  the  ancient  Cavalier  burst  out 
with  a  force  of  about  ei^ht  hundred  men  and  made  a 
sudden  assault  on  Bacon. 

It  was  repulsed  in  a  twinkling,  was  indeed  a  mere 
fiasco.  Alas  !  the  motley  crew  from  Accomac  were  no 
fit  adversaries  for  the  well-armed  housekeepers.  In  his 
hour  of  need  Governor  Berkeley  had  been  obliged  to  re- 
cruit fishermen,  'longshoremen,  and  rabble  instead  of 
good  men.  The  rabble  had  no  principles  to  fight  for,  or 
hearts  in  the  business.  They  had  come  over  to  plun- 
der ;  and  finding  cold  steel  to  encounter  instead  of  lard- 
ers to  rifle,  they  suddenly  ceased  fighting  and  "  returned 


282     VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE, 

with  light  heels  "  to  Jamestown,  leaving  a  dozen  of  their 
number  stretched  on  the  ground  as  the  only  proof  that 
they  had  fought  at  all. 

This  was  the  end  for  the  moment  of  Sir  William 
Berkeley  and  the  royal  cause.  The  stormy  old  leader 
was  "  extremely  disgusted,  and  expressed  in  some  pas- 
sionate terms  "  his  wrath  and  mortification.  But  there 
was  no  help  for  it.  His  following  was  plainly  too  luke- 
warm to  run  any  risk  in  his  cause  ;  and  when  Bacon 
brought  up  three  guns  and  opened  a  cannonade  on  the 
town  and  ships,  Sir  William  Berkeley  lost  all  heart,  em- 
barked during  the  night,  and  he  and  his  Accomac  army 
sailed  away  from  Jamestown. 

The  ancient  capital  of  Virginia  was  now  in  the  hands 
of  the  rebels.  Having  consulted  with  his  officers.  Bacon 
resolved  to  burn  it  "  that  the  rogues  should  harbor  there 
no  more ; "  the  rogues  being  his  Honor  Sir  William 
Berkeley  and  his  people.  This  was  done  without  delay  ; 
thouojhtful  Mr.  Lawrence  and  sober  Mr.  Drummond  set 
fire  to  their  houses  with  their  own  hands ;  and  the  town 
was  soon  in  ashes.  Thus  the  old  "  nest  of  empire  " 
built  by  that  first  of  American  eagles.  Smith,  went  up 
in  flame  and  vanished.  It  was  a  pity,  and  after  all,  as 
the  narrative  will  show,  was  useless. 

Such  was  the  end  of  the  famous  invasion  of  Virginia 
by  the  un-Norman  men  of  Berkeley  from  the  distant 
kingdom  of  Accomac.  It  had  accomplished  nothing. 
The  advance  had  ended  in  retreat.  Sir  William  Berke- 
ley had  fled  to  his  ships,  and  his  ships  had  fled  down 
James  River.  They  were  still  in  sight,  however,  and 
Bacon  remained  at  his  headquarters  in  the  Greenspring 
manor-house  to  watch  them. 

This  was  the  state  of  affairs  when  the  scenes  of  the 


THE  DEATH  OF  BACON.  283 

rapid  drama  shifted  as  rapidly  as  before.  A  courier,  in 
hot  haste,  from  the  York  country  brought  intelligence 
that  a  strong  force,  friends  of  Sir  William  Berkeley, 
were  advancing  from  the  direction  of  the  Potomac  to 
attack  the  rebels. 

XIX. 

THE    DEATH    OF    BACON. 

Bacon  promptly  broke  up  his  camp  and  marched  to 
face  the  new  danger.  There  was  little  to  fear  any 
lonofer  from  Sir  William.  If  he  came  back  to  James- 
town  he  would  find  only  smoking  ruins.  If  he  pursued 
the  adventurous  rebels  he  knew  the  consequences  of  a 
collision  with  them.  So  turning  his  back  on  the  Acco- 
mackians,  Bacon  marched  at  the  head  of  his  horsemen 
toward  the  York. 

He  had  grown  ill  and  irritable.  In  the  Jamestown 
trenches  he  had  contracted  fever  and  dysentery,  and  the 
result  was  a  great  irascibility  of  temper.  He  had  be- 
come passionate  and  excitable,  but  his  strong  will  was 
as  strong  as  ever ;  iDcrhaps  more  dangerous  from  the 
fever  consuming  him.  He  was  readier  to  fight  than 
before.  The  situation  of  things  was  plain :  a  force  of 
Royalists  was  marching  on  his  rear  to  avenge  the  woes 
of  Berkeley,  and  his  place  was  to  crush  them. 

Pie  crossed  the  lower  York  in  boats  at  Ferry  Point 
and  marched  into  Gloucester,  where  he  made  his  head- 
quarters at  Colonel  Warner's  and  issued  his  "  man- 
dates." These  were  addressed  to  the  Gloster  men,  and 
called  on  them  to  meet  him  promptly  at  the  Court-house, 
there  to  take  the  oath  drawn  up  at  Middle-Plantation. 
It  was  the  direct  test  of  the  rebel  or  royalist  sentiment ; 


284      VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

but  before  the  test  could  be  applied  a  courier  arrived, 
post-haste,  with  important  news.  Colonel  Brent  was 
"  advancing  fast  upon  him,  with  a  resolution  to  fight 
him,  at  the  head  of  1,000  men." 

Thereupon  no  more  mandates  or  parley  with  the 
Gloster  men.  Bacon  "  commands  tlie  drums  to  beat 
for  the  gathering  his  soulders  under  their  colors,"  and 
this  done,  makes  them  an  address.  Brent  is  coming  to 
fio-ht ;  are  they  ready  to  fight  him  ?  "  Shouts  and  ac- 
clamations "  follow,  and  "  the  drums  thunder  a  march." 
They  flock  around  their  leader,  prepare  for  the  advance, 
and  with  "  abundance  of  cheerfulness,  disburthen  them- 
selves of  all  impediments  to  expedition  ;  excepting  their 
oathes  and  wenches.^^ 

The  army  marched  at  once  up  the  country  toward  the 
Rappahannock.  But  there  was  not  to  be  any  fighting. 
The  dread  poison  of  rebellion,  which  had  been  blown  on 
the  breeze  to  Accomac,  had  swept  northward  on  the 
south  wind  to  the  Potomac.  Colonel  Brent's  men  de- 
serted him,  and  some  came  to  Bacon,  "  resolving  with 
the  Persians  to  go  and  worship  the  rising  sun,"  —  poor 
sun  about  to  set !  Thereupon,  the  brave  Colonel  Brent 
exclaims,  "  They  have  forsaken  the  stoutest  man  and 
ruined  the  fairest  estate  in  Virginia ! "  and  goes  home 
with  his  few  faithful  in  huge  disgust. 

Such  was  the  sudden  end  of  that  danger,  and  Bacon 
marched  back  to  Gloucester.  The  rude  chronicle  is 
more  expressive  :  "  This  business  of  Brent's  having 
(like  the  hoggs  the  devill  sheared)  produced  more  noyse 
than  wooll,  Bacon,  according  to  summons,  meets  the 
Gloster  men  at  the  Court  howse."  The  scene  was  ani- 
mated and  not  harmonious.  Six  or  seven  hundred  armed 
Gloster  men  had  come  to  the  rendezvous  on  horseback, 


THE  DEATH  OF  BACON.  285 

and  Bacon,  as  usual,  made  them  "  a  long  harange." 
Would  they  take  the  oath  ?  They  had  not  yet  done 
so,  and  he  had  sent  for  them  to  ask  them  that  plain 
question.  The  speech  is  not  reported ;  these  hot  ora- 
tions of  the  young  rebel  have  all  been  carried  away 
by  the  winds  of  two  centuries,  but  enough  is  known 
to  show  that  Bacon's  demeanor,  on  this  day,  was  fiery. 
He  was  sick  and  exasperated.  These  Gloster  men 
were  the  only  enemies  left.  He  had  crushed  Berke- 
ley, and  Brent's  men  had  gone  home  or  joined  his  own 
standard.  The  rest  of  Virginia  was  true  to  him ;  what 
were  the  Gloster  men  going  to  do  ?  He  wanted  their 
answer. 

Their  spokesman,  Mr.  Cole,  "  offered  the  sense  of  the 
Gloster  men."  They  objected  to  the  oath  and  wislied 
to  remain  neutral.  Ther-eat  Bacon  flamed  out.  They 
should  not  remain  neutral!  They  "appeared  like  the 
worst  of  sinners,  who  had  a  desire  to  be  saved  ivith  the 
righteous,  and  yet  would  do  nothing  whereby  they  might 
ohtain  their  salvation  !  "  With  this  hot  flout  he  turns  his 
back  on  them,  doubtless  looking  toward  his  armed  house- 
keepers. The  crisis  is  perilous  ;  he  has  only  to  raise  his 
finger  and  the  armed  housekeepers  will  charge  the 
Gloster  men.  One  of  the  latter,  Colonel  Gouge,  inter- 
poses. Perhaps  the  oath  may  be  taken  yet ;  he  "  had 
only  spoke  to  the  horse  and  not.  to  the  foot. ^^  But  Bacon, 
"  in  some  passion,"  and  scowling,  doubtless  at  the  Colo- 
nel, cries  hotly :  "  I  spake  to  the  men,  and  not  to  the 
horse,  leaving  that  service  for  you  to  do,  as  one  beast  can 
best  understand  the  meaning  of  another  I  "  The  Gen- 
eral is  furious,  and  spares  no  one.  A  minister,  Mr. 
Wading,  refuses  the  oath  and  encourages  others  to 
do  so,  whereupon  Bacon  promptly  arrests  him,  telling 


286      VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

him  it  was  "  his  place  to  preach  in  the  church  not  in  the 
camp ;  in  the  first  he  might  say  what  he  pleased,  but  in 
the  last  he  was  to  say  no  more  than  should  please  him^ 
unless  he  could  Jight  to  better  purpose  than  he  could 
preach  !  " 

In  truth  the  fever  caught  at  Jamestown  is  burning  in 
the  young  General's  blood.  He  is  never  a  patient  man, 
and  his  present  surroundings  are  not  soothing.  He  will 
be  master,  if  the  issue  is  to  be  tried  with  arms  ;  and  the 
Gloster  men  agree  at  last  to  take  the  oath,  which  is 
afterwards  done.  Then  the  meeting  disperses  and  that 
matter  ends. 

This  was  the  last  great  scene  in  which  Bacon  appeared 
on  the  theatre  of  events.  His  life  was  wasting  away. 
The  fever  bred  in  the  ditches  at  Jamestown  had  caught 
fast  hold  on  his  frame ;  but  to  the  last  his  resolute  will 
defied  the  fire  raging  in  his  pulses.  He  planned  an  ex- 
pedition to  Accomac,  and  an  attack  on  Berkeley  who 
had  gone  back  there.  But  his  strength  rapidly  waned, 
and  the  dysentery  preying  on  him  made  further  exertion 
impossible.  He  was  soon  unable  to  remain  in  command, 
and  retired  to  the  house  of  a  friend,  Major  Pate,  in 
Gloucester ;  and  here  after  a  few  weeks'  illness  he  ex- 
pired (October  1676). 

A  fearful  rumor  rose  above  his  corpse.  The  Royal- 
ists, full  of  rancor,  said  that  he  died  of  a  loathsome  dis- 
ease, the  direct  visitation  of  God,  but  his  friends  said 
that  he  had  been  poisoned.  Could  there  have  been  any 
truth  in  this  charge  ?  On  the  face  of  it,  it  seems  incred- 
ible, as  inconsistent  with  the  character  of  Berkeley,  —  a 
cruel  and  bitterly  revengeful  but  not  treacherous  person. 
And  yet  the  chance  expressions  of  contemporary  writ- 
ers have  an  ugly  appearance.     The   friends  of    Bacon 


THE  DEATH  OF  BACON.  287 

said  that  the  royal  party,  "  dreading  tlieir  just  desert 
corrupted  death  by  Paracelsian  art  to  destroy  him.'* 
That  might  be  passed  by  as  the  bitter  suspicion  of  polit- 
ical enemies,  but  unfortunately  the  Royalists  did  not  re- 
sent the  accusation  One  of  them,  in  some  verses  ou 
Bacon's  death,  wrote :  — 

*'  Then  how  can  it  be  counted  for  a  sin 
Though  Death  {nay  thoufjh  myself)  had  bribed  been 
To  guide  the  fatal  shaft  ?     We  honor  all 
That  lends  a  hand  unto  a  traitor^ sfalV^ 

This  may  have  meant  nothing,  but  a  line  in  "  Ingram's 
Proceedings,"  which  is  written  by  a  strong  Royalist,  goes 
further.  Fortune,  this  writer  says,  has  removed  the 
great  foe  of  Berkeley,  "  by  a  death  either  natural  or  vio- 
lejit."  Thus  the  friends  of  Berkeley  did  not  distinctly 
repel  the  charge  that  the  death  of  Bacon  was  caused  by 
poison  or  the  dagger.  Even  so  reliable  a  writer  as 
Hening  inclines  to  the  belief  that  he  "  fell  by  the  hand 
of  some  assassin  employed  by  the  government."  But  the 
phrases  used  are  vague,  and  it  is  a  critical  proceeding  to 
mingle  suppositions  with  history.  If  Bacon  was  assas- 
sinated it  is  probable  that  neither  Berkeley  or  any  gen- 
tleman of  the  King's  party  had  any  knowledge  of  the  in- 
tent. Political  animosity  is  a  fierce  prompter,  but  the 
characters  of  the  royalist  leaders  contradict  the  theory 
of  assassination.  To  sum  up  the  matter,  the  charge  was 
made  ;  not  distinctly  repelled ;  but  is  not  proved  by  any 
evidence  remaining  to  the  present  time. 

The  death  of  the  famous  leader  seems  to  have  been 
tranquil,  and  he  made  a  pious  end.  Finding  his  last 
hour  near,  he  sent  for  Mr.  Wading,  the  minister  whom 
he  had  arrested,  a  ^Dolitical  opponent,  and  "made  his 
articles  of  rendition,"  which  his  enemies  said  was  "  the 


288      VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

only  religious  duty  he  was  observed  to  perform  during 
these  intrigues  of  affairs."  Whether  this  was  true  or 
not  is  not  known  ;  but  all  statements  in  regard  to  Bacon 
after  his  death  come  mainly  from  the  victorious  side. 
Having  thus  made  his  peace  with  heaven  he  calmly 
expired,  or  as  the  quaint  old  chronicle  says,  "  surren- 
dered up  that  fort  he  was  no  longer  able  to  keep,  into 
the  hands  of  the  grim  and  all-conquering  Captain, 
Death."  To  the  last  all  connected  with  him  was  full  of 
strange  interest.  Berkeley  was  hovering  near,  waiting 
to  pounce  upon  his  dead  body  and  hang  it  on  a  gibbet, 
as  the  English  royalists  had  hung  the  body  of  Cromwell. 
To  defeat  this  design,  Lawrence  and  other  friends. re- 
solved to  conceal  his  body.  This  was  done  with  pro- 
found secrecy,  and  the  old  writers  make  only  mysterious 
references  to  the  scene.  The  body  was  buried,  one  of 
them  intimates,  in  some  secret  nook  of  the  Gloucester 
woods,  —  "but  where  deposited  till  the  General!  day, 
not  known,  only  to  those  who  are  resolutely  silent  in  that 
particular."  Another  says,  "  Bacon's  body  was  so  made 
away,  as  his  bones  were  never  found  to  be  exposed  on  a 
gibbet  as  was  proposed,  stones  being  laid  in  his  coffin, 
supposed  to  be  done  by  Lawrence."  Was  the  corpse 
sunk  in  the  York,  or  some  other  stream,  as  the  body  of 
Alaric  was  sunk  in  the  Busento  by  his  Goths  ?  It  is 
more  than  probable.  The  stones  placed  "  in  his  coffin  " 
seem  to  point  to  such  a  device.  In  either  case  the  place 
of  his  burial  was  not  discovered,  and  remains  still  a 
secret. 

Such  was  the  abrupt  ending  of  this  brief  and  stormy 
career.  It  was  all  comprised '  in  about  four  months. 
May,  1676,  found  Bacon  an  unknown  planter;  in  the 
summer  he  was  already  famous ;  and  in  October  he  was 


THE  DEATH  OF  BACON.  289 

dead.  His  character  and  aims  must  have  been  plain 
from  the  foregoing  narrative.  Undoubtedly  his  designs 
developed  with  the  development  of  events.  He  began 
by  applying  only  for  a  commission  to  fight  the  Indians, 
and  ended  by  resolving  to  free  Virginia  from  the  op- 
pressions of  the  Government.  The  defender  of  the 
frontier  became  the  head  of  revolution  ;  and  whether 
Lawrence  and  others  did  or  did  not  induce  him  to  em- 
bark in  the  rebellion,  he  was  the  soul  of  it.  With  all 
his  impetuosity  he  was  a  man  of  cool  judgment  and  saw 
the  ends  he  meant  to  achieve.  The  rising  was  not  a 
hair-brained  project,  but  the  result  of  deliberate  calcu- 
lation. As  the  representative  of  the  Virginia  people, 
he  protested,  sword  in  hand,  against  public  grievances, 
to  compel  redress.  His  own  life,  he  must  have  seen 
from  the  first,  would  probably  answer  for  his  course, 
but  the  country  would  profit.  And  his  anticipation  was 
justified.  His  resolute  stand  against  Berkeley  com- 
pelled the  dissolution  of  the  royalist  Assembly,  which 
had  remained  unchanged  since  1660,  and  resulted  in 
"  Bacon's  Assembly,"  which  began  at  once  by  "inspect- 
ing the  public  revenues,"  extended  suffrage  to  freemen, 
and  was  so  defiant  that  Berkeley  dissolved  it.  That 
was  the  first  result  of  the  appeal  to  the  sword.  The 
rest  would  follow ;  and  Bacon  had  arranged  for  every- 
thing. If  English  troops  came  to  Virginia,  he  would 
retreat  to  the  woods  and  fight  them.  He  would  not 
lay  down  his  arms  until  the  public  grievances  were  re- 
dressed. 

His  personal   character  lies  on    the  surface  of   his 

career.     He  was  resolute,  imperious,  quick  of  temper, 

but  cool  too.     He  scarcely  ever  lost  his  equipoise.     His 

courage  and  decision  were  certainly  remarkable.     The 

19 


290      VIRGINIA:   A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

prompt  march  on  Jamestown  with  a  small  force,  on 
Berkeley's  return  from  Accomac,  was  the  act  of  a 
thorough  soldier.  His  judgment  was  not  blinded  by 
passion.  At  Middle  -  Plantation  he  had  not  for  a 
moment  lost  his  head,  or  indulged  visions  of  military 
usurpation.  He  drove  through  his  great  plan  of  action 
against  the  protests  of  the  "prime  gentlemen."  But 
the  passionate  youth  whose  will  bent  all,  plainly  an- 
nounced that  the  Virginia  Assembly  alone  could  de- 
cide who  was  to  be  the  ruler  of  Virginia.  This  im- 
perious temper  was  his  greatest  blemish,  but  he  could 
be  gentle  and  winning,  and  was  certainly  a  great  nat- 
ural orator.  There  are  many  proofs  of  this  fact.  Even 
his  enemies  conceded  it.  His  eloquence  seems  to  have 
been  superb  and  passionate ;  those  who  heard  him  speak 
said  that  he  "  animated  with  his  heat "  the  dullest  and 
chillest  souls  ;  and  "  conquered  with  his  commanding 
tongue  more  than  Caesar."  On  all  critical  occasions  he 
made  a  "  long  harangue,"  his  enemies  said  derisively ; 
but  they  added  that  the  young  soldier-orator  "  knit 
more  knots  by  his  own  head  in  one  day  "  than  his  op- 
ponents were  "able  to  untie  in  a  whole  week."  At 
his  fiery  appeals  in  Gloucester,  his  followers  "  burst  into 
shouts  and  acclamations,  while  the  drums  thunder  a  march 
to  meet  the  promised  conflict."  He  was  not  only  a  pop- 
ular speaker,  but  even  more  a  man  of  action  who  de- 
cided on  his  course  quickly,  and  adhered  to  it  obstinately. 
As  a  soldier  he  was  uniformly  successful,  — ■  which  an- 
other great  soldier  has  said  is  the  true  test  of  soldier- 
ship. It  may  be  objected  that  Virginia  in  general  was 
for  him,  and  that  victory  was  thus  organized  in  advance. 
The  sufficient  answer  is  that  up  to  the  time  of  his  death 
the  rebellion  had  triumphed  everywhere  ;  and  that  when 


THE  DEATH   OF  BACON.  291 

he  went  it  went  with  him.  The  whole  fabric  suddenly 
crumbled  and  the  dread  revolt  was  snuffed  out  with  lit- 
tle difficulty. 

Of  the  inner  motives  of  the  man  we  have  no  record. 
We  have  his  own  statement  of  his  aims,  but  personal 
statements  are  always  doubtful  authority.  Still  Bacon 
seems  to  have  been  disinterested.  He  had  nothino-  to 
expect  from  revolution  but  confiscation  and  a  halter. 
The  Assembly  called  for  September  might  have  de- 
posed Berkeley  and  chosen  him  for  Governor  ;  but  his 
clear  eyes  must  have  seen  that  his  tenure  of  that  oflice 
would  be  short  and  full  of  trouble.  The  armed  rebel 
against  his  Majesty  could  not  long  remain  master  of  his 
Majesty's  colony  of  Virginia.  The  path  of  revolution 
was  thus  rough  and  perilous,  and  at  the  end  of  it  a  gulf 
yawned,  which  would  surely  swallow  him.  It  is  his 
just  claim  to  renown  that  this  peril  did  not  shake  his 
nerves.  He  made  fearless  war  on  an  adversary  who 
was  nearly  certain  to  crush  him  ;  and  was  the  first 
American  who  declared,  sword  in  hand,  that  he  would 
die  rather  than  submit  to  an  invasion  of  his  ri^ht.  As 
such  this  young  Virginia  rebel  of  1676  takes  his  place 
with  the  great  American  rebels  of  1776,  who  followed 
in  his  footsteps. 

All  that  is  known  of  Bacon  personally  is  embodied 
in  this  narrative.  It  is  not  much,  but  is  sufficient  to 
paint  the  likeness  of  the  man  —  the  winning,  imperious, 
violent  leader  of  twenty-eight,  with  the  hot  pulse  of 
youth  and  the  cool  brain  of  age  united  in  him.  Noth- 
ing further  is  recorded  of  him,  and  he  goes  into  the 
mist  with  Berkeley  his  adversary,  his  "  well-armed 
housekeepers,"  the  blundering  old  Assembly-men,  the 
Indian  queens,  and  all  the  dead  figures.     He  appears 


292      VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

and  disappears  like  an  actor  passing  across  the  stage, 
and  even  the  hist  resting-place  of  this  "  most  accom- 
plished gentleman  of  Virginia,"  as  a  contemporary  calls 
him,  remains  a  secret.  His  sorrowful  friends  were 
*'  resolutely  silent  in  that  particular."  We  only  know- 
that  his  body  was  sunk  in  the  York  by  the  weight  of 
stones  placed  in  his  coffin  ;  or  that  he  lies  under  the 
shade  of  the  trees  in  some  remote  spot  of  the  woods  of 
Gloucester  "  till  the  Generall  day." 


XX. 

Berkeley's  vengeances. 

The  dire  rebellion  ended  with  Bacon.  That  great 
mainspring  once  broken,  the  whole  machinery  stopped. 
From  the  moment  when  this  cool  head  and  strong  will 
disappeared,  though  some  fighting  followed,  all  hope  of 
making  a  successful  stand  against  the  royal  authority 
was  abandoned.  The  sudden  change  in  the  whole  face 
of  affairs  was  momentous,  and  must  strike  with  aston- 
ishment the  student  who  reads  the  narrative.  In  Sep- 
tember the  revolutionists  were  everywhere  triumphant. 
Berkeley  was  driven  back  to  Accomac ;  the  men  from 
the  Potomac  had  disbanded  ;  Gloucester  had  taken  the 
oath  ;  and  all  Virginia  had  declared  for  Bacon.  In 
October  he  was  dead,  and  the  rebellion  was  over. 
With  this  one  man  went  the  cause,  and  the  well-armed 
housekeepers  retired  to  their  homes  in  despair. 

For  a  brief  season  desultory  fighting  still  continued. 
A  grotesque  personage  named  Ingram,  who  had  been  a 
rope-dancer,  was  made  General ;  but  Bacon's  death  had 
occasioned  widespread  dismay,  and  the  end  soon  came. 


BERKELEY'S   VENGEANCES.  293 

There  was  a  confused  turmoil  in  Gloucester,  but  it  was 
seen  that  the  struggle  was  over,  and  Sir  William  Berkeley 
prepared  to  glut  his  long  deferred  vengeance.  Colonel 
Hansford,  one  of  Bacon's  best  men,  was  captured  at  the 
house  of  a  young  lady  to  whom  he  was  paying  his  ad- 
dresses, taken  to  Accomac,  and  hung  as  a  rebel,  by  Berke- 
ley, in  spite  of  his  prayer  that  he  might  be  '•  shot  like  a 
soldier."  Major  Cheeseman  was  also  captured,  and  Cap- 
tains Wilford  and  Farlow.  The  last  were  huns:  like  Hans- 
ford,  and  Cheeseman  was  thrown  into  prison,  where  he 
afterwards  died.  He  was  said  to  have  shared  the  fate  of 
Bacon.  A  scene  between  his  wife  and  the  Governor 
has  dishonored  Berkeley's  memory.  When  her  husband 
was  fiercely  questioned  by  Berkeley  as  to  his  motive  for 
rebellion,  this  lady  came  forward  before  he  could  reply 
and  said,  "  It  was  her  provocations  that  made  her  hus- 
band join  in  the  cause  that  Bacon  contended  for  ;  if  he 
had  not  been  influenced  by  her  instigations  he  had  never 
done  that  which  he  had  done."  She  then  knelt  before 
Berkeley  and  said,  "  Since  what  her  husband  had  done 
was  by  her  means,  and  so  by  consequence  she  most  guilty, 
she  might  be  hanged  and  he  pardoned."  To  this  brave 
speech  of  the  true  wife  Berkeley  replied  by  offering  her 
a  gross  insult,  and  even  the  Berkeleyan  chronicler  revolts 
from  the  disgraceful  scene.  "His  Honor  was  angry," 
and  did  not  mean  what  he  said  ;  for  no  woman  could  have 
"  so  small  affection  for  her  husband  as  to  dishonor  him 
by  her  dishonesty,  and  yet  retain  such  a  degree  of  love, 
that  rather  than  he  should  be  hanged  she  will  be  con- 
tent to  submit  her  own  life  to  the  sentence."  The  roy- 
alist writer  thus  urges  his  lame  apology.  His  Honor's 
anger  had  made  him  forget  himself  and  turned  a  gentle- 
man into  a  ruffian. 


294      VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

Berkeley  now  sailed  from  Accomac  and  established 
his  quarters  in  York.  Ingram  still  made  a  show  of 
resistance,  but  speedily  accepted  terms  and  surrendered. 
Only  two  prominent  leaders  remained  uncaptured,  — 
Lawrence  and  Drummond.  Finally,  the  latter  was  taken 
prisoner,  while  hiding  in  the  Chickahominy  swamp ;  and 
the  Governor,  when  he  was  brought  before  him,  ex- 
claimed with  bitter  irony  :  — 

"  Mr.  Drummond,  you  are  very  welcome !  I  am 
more  glad  to  see  you  than  any  man  in  Virginia.  Mr. 
Drummond,  you  shall  be  hanged  in  half  an  hour  !  " 

"  What  your  Honor  pleases,"  was  the  cool  reply  of 
Drummond. 

He  was  tried  and  sentenced  at  one  in  the  day,  his 
wife's  ring  torn  from  his  finger,  and  at  four  in  the  after- 
noon he  was  hung. 

"  I  know  not  whether  it  be  lawful  to  wish  such  a 
person  alive,"  said  the  English  Lord  Chancellor  after- 
wards, "  otherwise  I  could  wish  Sir  William  Berkeley 
so,  to  see  what  could  be  answered  to  such  barbarity ; 
but  he  has  answered  it  before  this." 

Thoughtful  Mr.  Lawrence  had  taken  care  of  himself. 
He  knew  what  to  expect,  and  made  his  escape.  All 
we  know  of  him  thereafter  is  conveyed  in  one  sentence 
of  the  chronicle :  "  The  last  account  of  Mr.  Lawrence 
was  from  an  uppermost  plantation,  whence  he  and  four 
other  desperadoes  with  horses,  pistols,  etc.,  marched 
away  in  a  snow  ankle-deep,  who  were  thought  to  have 
cast  themselves  into  a  branch  of  some  river,  rather  than 
to  be  treated  like  Drummond ; "  but  probably  passed 
through  the  Great  Woods  to  another  land  where  they 
were  safe. 

It  was  now  the  year  1677,  and  Berkeley's  bloody 


BERKELETS   VENGEANCES.  295 

vengeance  was  not  even  yet  sated.  The  white-haired 
Cavalier  proved  himself  a  tiger,  as  he  had  proved  him- 
self a  ruffian  in  insulting  Mrs.  Cheeseman.  The  taste 
of  blood  had  turned  his  head.  He  tried  and  executed 
nearly  every  one  he  could  lay  his  hands  upon.  Vir- 
ginia became  a  vast  jail  or  Tyburn  Hill.  Four  men 
were  hung  on  the  York  ;  "several  executed  on  the  other 
side  James  River,"  and  one  "  hanged  in  chains  at  West 
Point."  In  January  (1677)  a  fleet  with  an  English 
regiment  had  arrived,  and  a  formal  commission  to  try 
rebels  was  organized  which  included  Berkeley.  This 
commission  ended  Bland,  who  had  been  captured  in 
Accomac  by  Ludwell.  The  friends  of  the  prisoner  in 
England  had  procured  and  sent  over  his  pardon  ;  but  the 
commissioners  were  privately  informed  that  the  Duke 
of  York  (James  II.)  had  said  with  an  oath  :  "  Bacon 
and  Bland  shall  die  ! "  and  havino:  thus  the  intimation 
of  what  would  be  agreeable  to  his  Royal  Highness, 
Bland  was  "  tried  "  and  duly  executed.  It  was  a  revel 
of  blood.  In  almost  every  county  gibbets  rose,  and 
made  the  wayfarer  shudder  and  turn  away  at  sight  of 
their  ghastly  burdens.  Twenty-three  persons  were 
executed,  and  Charles  II.  said,  when  he  heard  of  all 
this  :  — 

"  That  old  fool  has  hanged  more  men  in  that  naked 
country  than  I  have  done  for  the  murder  of  my  father." 

At  last  the  Assembly  had  to  beg  Berkeley  to  desist. 
The  old  tiger  did  so  with  reluctance.  A  contemporary 
said  that  "he  believed  the  Governor  would  have  hanged 
half  the  country  if  they  had  let  him  alone."  He  was 
finally  induced  to  consent  that  the  rebels  should  be  par- 
doned, except  about  fifty  leaders  —  Bacon  at  the  head 
of  them.     But  the  chief  leaders  were  attainted  of  trea- 


296      VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

son  and  their  estates  confiscated ;  among  the  first,  the 
small  property  of  the  unfortunate  Drummond.  It  had 
been  better  for  Berkeley  not  to  have  touched  that,  for 
it  aroused  Sarah  Drummond,  and  the  King  restored 
it.  Her  cry  was  heard  across  the  Atlantic,  and  came 
to  the  foot  of  the  throne.  Berkeley  drove  out  her  and 
her  children,  to  wander  homeless  in  the  woods,  but  her 
voice  reached  far  and  sounds  yet. 

"  Bacon's  laws  "  were  repealed  by  proclamation,  and 
the  King's  side  triumphed  ;  but  the  King's  Governor 
was  ill  at  ease.  The  Virginians  hated  him  for  his  mer- 
ciless vengeance  on  his  disarmed  adversaries,  and  soon 
the  rumor  came  that  he  was  no  better  liked  in  England. 
The  very  King,  whom  he  had  so  faithfully  served,  was 
reported  to  have  turned  against  him  ;  and  worn  down 
by  sickness  and  a  troubled  spirit,  he  sailed  for  Eng- 
land. All  Virginia  rejoiced  at  the  news  of  his  de- 
parture. Salutes  were  fired,  and  bonfires  blazed.  His 
career  there  was  ended.  He  was  never  again  to  come 
back  to  his  Greenspring  manor-house  and  dame  Frances 
Berkeley,  that  dearly  beloved  wife.  He  had  been  re- 
called by  Charles  II.,  but  on  his  arrival  the  King  either 
delayed  granting,  or  refused  him  an  audience.  This  is 
said  to  have  "  broken  his  heart,"  and  after  lingering  a 
short  time,  he  expired  (July  13,  1677).  It  was  less 
than  one  year  after  the  death  of  his  enemy.  Bacon. 

The  character  of  Sir  William  Berkeley,  like  Bacon's, 
is  read  in  the  events  of  his  career.  Pie  was  utterly 
devoted  to  monarchy  and  the  church,  and  fought  per- 
sistently for  both.  In  defense  of  the  one  he  perse- 
cuted dissent,  and  to  support  the  other  he  waded  in 
blood.  He  was  not  a  cruel  man  by  nature,  but  rebel- 
lion  made  him  pitiless.     His  allegiance   was  a  craze 


BERKELEY'S   VENGEANCES.  297 

which  warped  his  whole  nature.     To  that  superstition 
this  loving  husband,  warm  friend,  and  courtly  gentle- 
man sacrificed  everything  —  his  old  friends,  his  peace 
of  mind,  his   name  in  Virginia  and  in  history.     For  a 
quarter  of  a  century  he  ruled  the  colony  to   the  fullest 
satisfaction  of  the  people.     He  was  an  elegant  host  and 
a  cordial    companion,  who  made  everybody   welcome. 
He  displayed  not  the  least  desire  to  invade  the  rights 
of  the  Virginians  ;  on  the  contrary  he  defended  them 
on  every  occasion.     It  may  be  said  with  truth  that  in 
all   these  years  he  was   the  sincere  friend  of  Virginia 
and  the  Virjrinians.     All   his  interests  and  affections 
were  centred  there  —  in  his  wife  and  his  home.     It  was 
"  the  most  flourishing  country  the  sun  ever  shone  over," 
he  said.     But  one  day  rebellion  raised  its  head  in  this 
beautiful  land.    His  idol,  the  divine  right,  was  flouted  by 
these  old  friends.     That  moment  he  became  a  changed 
man.     The  Virginians  he  had  loved  so  were  monsters. 
He  made  war  on  them;    that   was  natural  and  com- 
mendable, since  they  made  war  on  him.    But  what  was 
not  commendable,  was,  that  he  was  merciless  to  them 
when   they  were  at  his  mercy  ;  and  that  having  shed 
the  blood  of  the  husbands,  he  insulted  the  wives  for 
their  very  devotion. 

It  is  a  study.  Scarcely  does  all  history  show  us  a 
stranger  picture  of  this  poor  human  nature  ;  a  more 
lamentable  portrait  than  that  of  the  courtly  gentleman 
with  the  friendly  smile  for  everybody,  growing  to  be  the 
pitiless  old  despot  with  the  fires  of  hate  burning  under 
the  white  hairs,  and  the  insatiable  thirst  for  blood  in 
the  once  kindly  heart. 


298      VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

XXI. 

THE  LAST  YEARS  OF  THE  CENTURY. 

The  great  protest  of  a  brave  people  against  bad  gov- 
ernment had  thus  come  to  nought.  Virginia  had  levied 
war  on  the  crown  and  put  all  to  the  hazard ;  the  cause 
had  gone  down  in  blood  ;  the  Royalists  were  up  again  ; 
and  after  the  hot  turmoil  came  the  reaction  and  a  sort 
of  despair. 

Revolution,  when  it  fails,  is  a  very  bad  business.  One 
of  the  most  disagreeable  of  all  the  results  is  to  listen 
to  the  victors,  and  to  read  what  is  written  by  tliem. 
Bacon  was  dead  and  his  well-armed  housekeepers  had 
gone  home  ;  so,  according  to  Colonel  Ludwell,  King's- 
man,  the  unnatural  and  monstrous  rebellion  had  "  not 
proceeded  from  any  fault  in  the  government,  but  rather 
from  the  lewd  dispositions  of  desperate  fortunes  "  in 
certain  conspirators,  whose  aim  was  to  achieve  the  vile 
end  of  "  taking  the  country  wholly  out  of  his  Majesty's 
hands."  Virginia  was  "  in  a  worse  condition  than  be- 
fore," and  had  much  better  have  not  risen,  since  she  had 
lost  everything  and  gained  nothing.  As  to  that,  Col- 
onel Ludwell  differed  from  Bacon  and  his  men,  who 
believed  that  a  people  ought  to  resist  wrong,  without 
countinoj  the  cost. 

These  old  rebels  of  Bacon  had  given  up  the  struggle 
because  they  were  forced  to  do  so  ;  but  they  were  not 
broken  in  spirit,  and  even  Berkeley's  followers  joined 
with  them  in  resisting  the  foreign  people.  The  Eng- 
lish Commissioners  demanded  the  surrender  of  the  jour- 
nals of  the  Burgesses,   and  the   Burgesses  refused  to 


THE  LAST   YEARS   OF  THE   CENTURY.  299 

surrender  them.  "  Such  a  power  had  never  been  exer- 
cised by  the  King  of  England,"  they  declared.  Fore- 
EQost  among  the  new  rebels  was  the  old  anti-rebel,  Ma- 
jor Robert  Beverley.  He  was  Clerk  of  the  House,  and 
refused  to  obey,  and  was  fined  and  imprisoned.  When 
the  Journals  were  wrested  from  him  the  Burafesses 
rose  in  their  wrath.  They  voted  that  the  seizure  was 
"a  violation  of  their  privileges,  and  desired  satisfac- 
tion to  be  given  them  that  no  such  violation  should  be 
offered  them  for  the  future  ; "  an  inspiring  flash  in  the 
black  darkness  of  overthrow. 

But  the  die  was  cast.  Virginia  was  in  the  hands  of 
the  Royalists.  Dead  bodies  in  chains  no  longer  rotted 
on  gibbets,  but  reform  had  been  crushed,  and  the  old 
friends  of  Bacon  preserved  a  sombre  silence.  To  the 
end  of  the  century  there  is  little  stir  in  general  politics. 
The  King's  governors  come  and  go,  ruling,  and  gener- 
ally fleecing,  the  Virginians.  Some  are  rather  good, 
but  the  good  is  negative  while  the  bad  is  positive.  After 
Berkeley  comes  Sir  Herbert  Jeffries  (1677),  who  is 
followed  (1678)  by  Sir  Henry  Chicheley,  who  is  suc-^ 
ceeded  (1679)  by  Thomas  Lord  Culpeper,  him  of  the 
famous  Patent,  the  associate  of  Arlington.  He  is  re- 
membered by  a  financial  scheme  which  he  invented,  — 
otherwise  a  trick.  He  fixed  values  by  proclamation. 
By  official  edict  the  value  of  crowns,  rix  dollars,  and 
pieces-of-eight  was  raised  from  five  shillings  to  six  :  at 
which  rate  they  were  to  be  a  legal  tender  (first  Ameri- 
can legislation).  His  own  salary^  however,  was  to  he 
excepted  from  the  effect  of  the  proclamation  ;  and  when 
the  perverse  Virginians  insisted  that  he,  too,  should  be 
paid  at  the  legal  rate,  he  issued  a  second  proclamation 
reversing  the  first. 


800      VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

Lord  Howard  of  EfRngliam  comes  next  (1G84),  and 
a  year  afterwards  the  news  of  the  accession  of  his  Maj- 
esty James  II.  is  received  with  "  extraordinary  joy." 
It  is  the  regulation  sentiment,  but  does  not  hist.  The 
King's  governor  claims  the  right  to  veto  the  laws  of  the 
Burgesses,  when  they  resist  and  are  dissolved.  His 
Majesty  hears  of  their  perversity,  and  is  irritated ; 
why  are  those  Virginia  people  so  "  disaffected  and  un- 
quiett  ?  "  They  are  ever  creating  trouble  ;  see  their 
resistance  in  the  matter  of  the  Journals.  Their  man 
Beverley  shall  be  "  disfranchised  and  prosecuted  ;  "  and 
as  they  are  so  rebellious  they  shall  have  more  rebel 
blood  on  their  soil.  "  Our  rebellious  subjects  taken  in 
arms  "  with  Monmouth  are  to  be  sent  to  "  our  dominions 
in  America  and  kept  there,  and  continue  to  serve  their 
masters  for  ten  years  at  least." 

Worse  than  all,  in  the  eyes  of  the  Virginians,  it  is  soon 
plain  that  King  James  II.  has  made  up  his  mind  to  the 
great  crime  of  subverting  their  religion.  His  Majesty 
and  the  Church  are  at  daggers  draw  in  England,  and 
now  the  Virginia  planters  tell  each  other  in  a  whisper 
that  the  Papists  in  their  own  midst  are  concocting  a 
terrible  plot  which  will  far  exceed  the  Gunpowder  busi- 
ness. These  vile  incendiaries  are  in  consultation  witli 
the  savages ;  they  mean  to  steep  Virginia  in  gore  and 
make  her  a  dependency  of  Rome.  Thereat  the  good 
Church  of  England  Virginians  shudder.  Their  last 
remnant  of  extraordinary  joy  at  the  accession  of  his 
Majesty  disappears,  and  they  buckle  on  their  swords  to 
fight.  The  province  is  in  a  blaze.  John  Waugh,  an  ar- 
dent clergyman,  is  inflaming  the  men  of  Stafford,  and 
urging  them  to  take  up  arms  in  defense  of  the  Protes- 
tant cause.   The  Rappahannock  men  are  already  in  arms, 


THE  LAST   YEARS   OF  THE   CENTURY.        301 

and  his  lordship,  the  Governor,  has  to  send  three  Hon- 
orables  of  the  Council  to  reason  with  them.  Colonel 
Scarborough,  on  the  Eastern  shore,  is  prosecuted  for 
blurting  out  hotly  :  "  His  Majesty,  King  James,  would 
loear  out  the  Church  of  England!  "  Others  for  treason- 
able expressions  to  the  same  effect,  are  put  in  irons  ; 
the  horse-racing  and  fox-hunting  Virginians  are  actually 
going  to  fight  for  their  religion  ! 

Nothing  came  of  all  the  excitement,  and  Lord  Effing- 
ham went  back  to  England,  having  signalized  his  gov- 
ernment by  no  other  event  than  a  treaty  with  the  Mo- 
hawk warriors  in  New  York.  He  sailed  for  England 
in  1688,  but  before  he  arrived,  his  master,  James  II.,  had 
sailed  for  France  not  to  return  ;  and  (April,  1689)  Wil- 
liam and  Mary,  King  and  Queen  of  England,  are  pro- 
claimed at  James  City  :  "  Lord  and  Lady  of  Virginia."  ^ 

The  "  extraordinary  joy  "  no  doubt  flamed  out  again, 
—  in  official  reports  or  proclamations ;  but  after  all  it 
seemed  doubtful  whether  the  Dutch  Prince  was  going 
to  do  much  for  Virginia.  He  was  rather  dull  and  phleg- 
matic, it  appeared,  and  did  not  remove  Lord  Howard  of 
Effingham.  That  nobleman  preferred  living  in  England 
and  drawing  his  salary  there  ;  and  after  a  short  interreg- 
num, during  which  old  Colonel  Nathaniel  Bacon,  Presi- 
dent of  the  Council,  was  at  the  head  of  the  colony,  the 
country  had  inflicted  upon  it,  as  Effingham's  Lieutenant, 
his  Excellency,  Governor  Francis  Nicholson.  This  was 
a  bad  beginning ;  the  new  reign,  as  far  as  Virginia  was 
concerned,  did  not  promise  to  differ  greatly  from  the 
old. 

1  During  the  reign  of  James  II.  a  seal  was  ordained  for  Virginia,  but 
not  used  until  about  the  end  of  the  century.  This  consisted  of  the 
English  shield  with  the  inscription  '"'' En  dat  Virginia  quintum,  "  — 
England,  Scotland,  Ireland,  France,  and  Virginia. 


802       VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

Governor  Nicholson  had  been  Governor  of  New  York, 
but  his  petty  tyrannies  there  had  so  inflamed. the  people 
that  they  rose  and  threatened  his  life,  and  he  was  com- 
pelled to  abscond.  Now  (1690)  he  was  transferred  as 
Lieutenant  Governor  to  Virginia,  and  entered  on  his 
officer  The  unhappy  Virginians  soon  found  that  they 
had  not  made  much  by  the  exchange  of  rulers.  The 
new  one  had  plenty  of  ability  and  was  a  man  of  broad 
views  in  certain  directions,  but  he  was  irascible  and  arbi- 
trary beyond  expression.  Such  was  the  outcry  against 
him  that  two  years  afterwards  he  was  transferred  to 
Maryland,  a  certain  Sir  Edmund  Andros  replacing  him  ; 
but  in  1G98  Governor  Nicholson  comes  back  again  and 
inflicts  himself  once  more  on  Virginia. 

He  was  a  truculent  personage,  this  high -tempered  and 
exasperating  Governor  Francis  Nicholson.  He  made 
for  himself  an  eccentric  record.  He  was  a  very  great 
leveler,  and  told  the  masses  that  "  the  gentlemen  imposed 
upon  them,"  and  the  servants  that  "  they  had  all  been 
kidnapped  and  had  a  lawful  action  against  their  masters." 
He  had  little  respect  for  powdered  wigs,  and  one  day 
caught  the  Honorable  King's  Attorney-General,  Fow- 
ler, by  the  collar  of  his  silk  coat,  and  swore  that  he, 
Governor  Nicholson,  "  knew  no  laws  "  the  Virginians 
"  had,"  and  "  his  commands  should  be  obeyed  without 
hesitation  or  reserve."  At  a  meeting  of  high  digni- 
taries he  informed  them  that  he  would  "  beat  them  into 
better  manners  ; "  and  when  people  naturally  did  not 
like  this,  he  announced  his  intention  to  raise  a  standing 
army  and  "  bring  them  to  reason  with  halters  about 
their  necks." 

One  man,  and  he  a  clergyman,  checkmated  Governor 
Francis    Nicholson  ;    and  this  introduces  the  crowning 


THE  LAST    YEARS   OF  THE   CEl^TURT.         803 

incident  of  his  Excellencj^'s  Virginia  career.  He  fell 
passionately  in  love  with  a  young  lady  of  Williamsburg, 
Miss  Burwell,  and  this  passion  "  completely  upset  what 
little  reason  there  was  in  Governor  Nicholson  of  famous 
memory,"  says  Bishop  Meade.  He  paid  his  court  and 
was  promptly  rejected  ;  and  then  the  storm  began.  Miss 
Burwell  preferred  another  person,  and  his  Excellency 
grew  furious.  He  went  about  raving  and  making  a 
public  exhibition  of  himself.  He  uttered  shocking  ex- 
pressions in  reference  to  his  rival,  and  Miss  BurwelFs 
union  with  him.  He  meant,  he  declared,  to  "  cut  the 
throats  of  three  men :  the  bridegroom,  the  minister,  and 
the  justice  who  issued  the  license,"  and  was  so  angry 
with  Mr.  Fouace,  the  minister,  that  he  assaulted  him 
and  knocked  his  hat  off.  But  the  bride-to-be  had  a  stal- 
wart friend  in  the  Reverend  James  Blair,  a  Scottish 
clergyman,  who  was  the  Commissary  of  the  Colonial 
Church.  He  laughed  at  Governor  Nicholson  and  his 
transports,  most  of  all  at  his  threats.  Through  his  agency 
chiefly  the  Council  took  prompt  steps  in  this  scandalous 
affair.  They  preferred  charges  against  Governor  Nich- 
olson, and  he  was  brought  to  trial  in  London.  On  his 
trial  he  struck  back  at  the  clergy,  who  did  not  emerge 
from  the  contest  without  some  dust  on  their  robes.  They 
had  assembled,  he  said,  at  the  Raleigh  Tavern,  in  Wil- 
liamsburg, and  had  indulged  too  much  in  "  hilarity  "  ; 
and  a  satirical  ballad  about  them  was  circulated  in  Wil- 
liamsburg and  London.  Thereupon  the  Bishop  of  Lon- 
don wrote  his  Virginia  clergy  a  severe  letter  begging 
them  not  to  "  play  the  fool  any  more  ;  "  but  the  result 
was  unfortunate  for  his  Excellency.  He  did  not  marry 
the  young  lady  he  so  raved  about,  and  his  adversaries 
overthrew  him. 


304      VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  TEE  PEOPLE. 

Governor  Nicholson  is  remembered  for  this  singular 
contest,  and  for  two  or  three  other  things.  He  removed 
the  seat  of  government  from  Jamestown  to  Middle-Plan- 
tation, where  Bacon  had  administered  his  oath,  and  laid 
out  a  city  there  with  streets  in  the  form  of  a  W  and  an 
M,  in  honor  of  William  and  Mary,  —  a  plan  never  fully 
carried  out,  however,  from  its  inconvenience.  He  also 
exhibited  his  courage  by  attacking  and  capturing  a  pi- 
ratical vessel  in  the  Chesapeake  ;  and  his  daring  ambi- 
tion by  conceiving  the  plan  of  uniting  all  the  Ameri- 
can colonies  in  one,  with  himself  at  the  head  of  them  as 
"  Governor-General."  At  the  time  war  was  raging  be- 
tween France  and  England,  and  Count  Frontenac,  Gov- 
ernor of  Canada,  was  menacing  New  York.  Nicholson 
urged  the  Virginia  Assembly  to  build  forts  there  to  pro- 
tect her  people,  but  the  penurious  Burgesses  did  not 
see  the  necessity  of  defending  their  New  York  frontier ; 
and  Governor  Nicholson's  ambitious  project  of  becom- 
ing the  head  of  a  great  American  confederacy  was  ig- 
nominiously  strangled. 

What  most  concerns  the  reader  taking  interest  in  Vir- 
ginia specially,  is  the  one  great  event  which  marks  the 
administration  of  Nicholson.  This  was  the  founding 
of  the  second  university  in  America,  at  Williamsburg ; 
Harvard  was  the  first.  The  cause  of  education  had 
languished  in  Virginia.  Good  George  Thorpe  and  po- 
etical George  Sandys  had  planned  the  Indian  college 
at  the  City  of  Henricus  ;  but  suddenly,  on  the  one  full 
of  philanthropic  dreams,  and  the  other  busy  with  Ovid, 
had  burst  the  Indian  war-whoop  of  1622.  Then  there 
was  an  end. of  that  project,  since  poor  George  Thorpe, 
the  head  and  front  of  it,  was  lying  dead  across  his  thresh- 
old ;  and  in  all  the  years  up  to  1691  little  was  said  on 


TEE  LAST   YEARS  OF  THE   CENTURY.         S05 

the  subject,  —  one  privately  endowed  public  school,  and 
a  few  old  field  schools,  were  all  that  were  in  the  Colony. 
Now  (1691),  Nicholson's  foe,  Mr.  Commissary  Blair, 
moved  in  the  matter.  Such  men  infuse  fire  into  cold 
hearts,  and  Blair  so  infused  his  into  the  Burgesses  that 
they  sent  him  to  England  to  solicit  a  charter  and  help 
for  a  Yiro^inia  colleoje. 

Queen  Mary  received  him  with  open  arms,  and  King 
and  Queen  granted  the  good  clergyman,  their  "  well  be- 
loved in  Christ,"  his  charter.  The  proposed  college  was 
to  have  fertile  tracts  of  land  on  the  Blackwater  and 
Pamunkey,  a  penny  a  pound  on  exported  tobacco,  the 
office  of  Virginia  Surveyor- General  with  all  fees  and 
profits, — one  of  the  first  was  Zachary  Taylor,  ancestor 
of  the  President,  —  £2,000  arrears  of  quit-rents,  and  a 
Burgess  to  represent  it  in  the  Assembly.  Such  was  the 
generous  endowment  of  this  great  institution,  which  was 
to  fight  ignorance  and  superstition  in  the  American 
wilds,  and  to  be  ''  a  seminary  of  ministers  of  the  Gospel 
where  youths  may  be  piously  educated  in  good  letters 
and  manners ;  a  certain  place  of  universal  study,  or  per- 
petual college  of  divinity,  philosophy,  languages,  and 
other  good  arts  and  sciences."  This  charter  was  ob- 
tained by  worthy  Mr.  Blair  from  the  King  and  Queen, 
only  after  long  struggles  with  Attorney- General  Sey- 
mour, who  was  ordered  to  see  to  it.  That  official  pro- 
tested. England  was  engaged  in  war,  and  this  money 
was  wanted  for  other  and  better  purposes  than  preparing 
students  of  divinity,  he  said.     Mr.  Blair  retorted,  — 

"  The  people  of  Virginia  have  souls  to  be  saved  as 
well  as  the  people  of  England  !  " 

'•  Souls  !  "  exclaimed    Seymour,  "  damn   your  souls  ! 

Make  tobacco !  " 
20 


806      VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

But  Blair  was  not  to  be  browbeaten.  He  would  have 
his  charter  ;  and  (February,  1G93)  he  carried  it  off.  He 
was  "  created  and  established  first  president  during  his 
natural  life ;  "  and  "  our  well-beloved  and  trusty  the 
revered  Father  in  God,  Henry,  by  Divine  permission, 
Bishop  of  London,"  was  first  Chancellor.  Only  one 
condition  was  attached  to  this  charter  of  the  university 
of  "  William  and  Mary."  The  authorities  were  to  pay 
yearly  to  the  King  and  his  successors  "  two  copies  of 
Latin  verses,  on  every  fifth  of  November  at  the  house 
of  our  Governor  or  Lieutenant-Governor."  And  in  the 
"  Virginia  Gazette,"  nearly  half  a  century  afterwards, 
we  read  :  "  On  this  day  se'n-night,  the  president,  mas- 
ters, and  scholars,  of  William  and  Mary  College,  went 
according  to  their  annual  custom,  in  a  body  to  the  Gov- 
ernor's, to  present  his  honor  with  two  copies  of  Latin 
verses  in  obedience  to  their  charter.  .  .  .  Mr.  President 
delivered  the  verses  to  his  honor,  and  two  of  the  young 
gentlemen  spoke  them." 

A  word  more  as  to  this  good  William  and  Mary,  a 
famous  relic  of  the  Virginia  past.  There  are  some  odd 
details  connected  with  it.  Other  good  people  helped 
it,  and  Sir  Christopher  Wren  drew  the  plan  of  the 
building  which  was  erected  at  Williamsburg.  The  first 
commencement  exercises  were  held  in  1700;  and  the 
Virginians  and  Indians  attended :  even  Marylanders, 
Pennsylvanians,  and  New  Yorkers  "  came  in  sloops  " 
on  the  happy  occasion.  But  an  end  was  soon  put  to 
all  this  rejoicing.  In  1705  a  fire  broke  out  in  the 
building  and  it  was  completely  consumed,  "  the  Gover- 
nor and  all  the  gentlemen  that  were  in  town  coming  to 
the  lamentable  spectacle,  many  of  them  getting  out  of 
their  beds."     But  it  rose  again  from  its  ashes  and  went 


THE  LAST   YEARS   OF  THE   CENTURY.         307 

on  a  new  career,  entering  piously,  in  its  first  record, 
for  first  line,  "7/i  nomine  Dei,  Patris,  Filii,  et  Spiritus 
Sanctis  Ajiien."  Youths  soon  came  to  be  educated ; 
and  they  were  evidently  a  refractory  set.  They  would 
"  keep  race-horses  at  ye  college  and  bet  at  ye  billiard 
or  other  gaming  tables  ; "  and  it  seems  that  even  the 
faculty  were  sinners,  and  subjected  to  discipline  like 
the  youths.  Certain  professors  would  insist  on  marry- 
ing.  Complaint  is  made  that  Mr.  Camm,  Professor  of 
Divinity,  ai^d  Mr.  Johnson,  Master  of  the  Grammar 
School,  have  ^'•lately  married  and  taken  up  their  resi- 
dence "  out  of  bounds,  whereby  they  are  unable  to  at- 
tend to  their  duties.  Therefore  it  is  fulminated  by  the 
worshipful  governors  of  the  College  that  "  all  professors 
and  masters  hereafter  to  be  appointed  be  constantly  resi- 
dent of  ye  college,  and  upon  the  marriage  of  such  Pro- 
fessor or  Master,  that  his  professorship  he  immediately 
vacated." 

It  was  a  venerable  and  dear  alma  mater,  this  old  col- 
lege of  "  William  and  Mary,"  to  many  great  men.  It 
has  often  been  burned  down  —  the  last  time  in  1862  — 
but  has  ever  risen  from  its  ashes.  It  has  sent  out  for 
their  work  in  the  world  twenty-seven  soldiers  of  the 
Revolution,  two  attorney-generals,  nearly  twenty  mem- 
bers of  Congress,  fifteen  senators,  seventeen  governors, 
thirty-seven  judges,  a  lieutenant-general  and  other  offi- 
cers, two  commodores,  twelve  professors,  four  signers  of 
the  Declaration,  seven  cabinet  officers,  a  chief  justice, 
and  three  presidents  of  the  Republic.  For  nearly  two 
centuries  it  has  been  the  great  seminary,  the  true  seed- 
bed of  Virginia,  and  much  that  she  has  accomplished 
through  her  great  intellects  may  be  traced  to  their  train- 
ing at  William  and  Mary. 


808      VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

So  much  notice  at  least  is  cine  to  this  famous  old  in- 
stitution. Looking  back  to  the  era  of  its  foundation, 
we  may  see  that  the  mainspring  of  all  was  the  excel- 
lent and  combative  clergyman,  James  Blair,  whose 
face  in  its  framework  of  curls  —  the  long  periwig  of 
the  time  —  still  looks  from  the  faded  canvas  in  the  col- 
lege library.  He  was  a  sincere  Christian  and  a  deter- 
mined man  ;  he  founded  the  college  and  was  rector 
of  old  Bruton  parish  ;  and  if  there  were  doubt  of  his 
ability,  that  would  be  set  at  rest  by  one  incident.  He 
prosecuted  Governor  Andros,  and  when  he  sent  four 
friends  to  defend  him,  "  never  were  four  meu  more  com- 
pletely foiled  by  one."  His  victory  over  the  amorous 
Governor  Nicholson  has  been  related  ;  he  quite  over- 
threw him  in  the  great  tilt  at  Lambeth  Palace,  and  his 
Excellency  was  removed  from  office.  He  went  away 
to  fight  the  French  at  Fort  Royal  in  Acadia,  was  after- 
wards Governor  of  South  Carolina,  and  died  Sir  Fran- 
cis Nicholson.  He  was  a  man  of  energy,  but  not  of 
self-control,  since  it  is  eccentric  to  knock  off  clergy- 
men's hats  and  insist  on  marrying  young  ladies  who 
wish  to  marry  other  people.  This  Governor  Nicholson 
did  ;  and  a  freak  of  history  has  preserved  that  portrait 
of  him,  —  the  portrait  of  the  disappointed  lover. 

The  new  century  was  now  at  hand,  and  Virginia,  like 
the  other  colonies,  was  steadily  advancing  in  population 
and  importance.  In  the  absence  of  an  official  census  it 
is  impossible  to  ascertain  the  population  of  a  country  ; 
but  in  the  year  1700  there  were  probably  about  300,- 
000  people  in  the  American  colonies.  By  conjecture 
these  were  thus  distributed:  in  New  England  115,000  ; 
in  New  York  30,000  ;  in  the  Jerseys  15,000  ;  in  Penn- 
sylvania and  Delaware  20,000 ;  in  Maryland  35,000 ; 


THE  LAST   YEARS  OF  THE  CENTURY.         309 

in  Virginia  70,000  ;  in  the  Carolinas  and  Georgia  15,- 
000.  Of  these  about  50,000  were  probably  African 
slaves,  the  North  holding  about  10,000  and  the  South 
about  40,000.  Of  the  proportion  of  freemen,  indented 
servants,  and  slaves  in  Virginia,  there  remains  no  relia- 
ble record. 

The  society  continues  to  be  English  throughout,  loyal 
to  the  King,  respecting  law,  and  believing  in  social  de- 
grees and  the  Established  Church.  The  vestries  choose 
their  ministers  and  are  ardent  churchmen,  but  will  have 
no  bishop ;  it  was  at  one  time  the  project  of  Dean  Swift 
to  come  as  bishop  to  Virginia,  and  he  wrote  his  friend 
Addison,  asking  his  assistance,  or  they  would  "  persuade 
him  to  go  to  Ireland  ; "  but  the  planters  would  have 
made  his  time  unpleasant.  Other  prominent  persons 
had  also  narrowly  escaped  residing  in  Virginia,  —  Oli- 
ver Cromwell  in  1638,  Queen  Henrietta  Maria  in  1651, 
and  Charles  II.  in  1658.  ^^What  was  better  for  the  coun- 
try was  the  arrival  in  1699  of  the  good  Claude  Philippe 
de  Richebourg  with  his  colony  of  Huguenots,  who  set- 
tled at  Mannakin  on  the  upper  James  lliver,  and  in- 
fused a  stream  of  pure  and  rich  blood  into  Virginia 
society. 

With  the  beginning  of  the  new  century  a  new  reign 
begins.  Anne  succeeds  William,^  and  the  Burgesses, 
having  assembled  at  "  Her  Majesty's  royal  college  of 
William  and  Mary  in  this  her  Majesty  Queen  Anne  her 
royal  capital,"  the  Governor  announces  that  "  her  sacred 
Majesty  has  been  pleased  to  renew  his  commission  to  be 
her  Majesty's  Lieutenant  and  Governor-General  of  this 

1  Anne  is  a  popular  name  in  Virginia.  The  counties  of  Princess 
Anne,  and  Fluvanna  (Fleuve  Anna),  and  the  rivers  Rivanna,  North 
and  South  Anna,  and  Rapidan  (Rapid  Ann),  are  named  after  her. 


310     VIRGINIA:   A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

her  Majesty's  most  ancient  and  great  colony  and  domin- 
ion of  Virginia ; "  after  which  his  Honor  makes  an  ad- 
dress. He  informs  his  listeners  that  her  sacred  Maj- 
esty has  sent  them  her  royal  portrait,  and  adds  with 
deep  feeling :  — 

"  Honorable  gentlemen,  I  don't  in  the  least  doubt 
that  you  will  join  with  me  in  paying  our  most  humble 
and  dutiful,  etc.,  etc.,  for  this  great  honor,  etc.,  and  that 
she  may  have  a  long,  prosperous,  successful,  and  victo- 
rious reign  ;  as  also  that  she  may  in  all  respects,  not 
only  equal,  but  even  out-do  her  royal  predecessor.  Queen 
Elizabeth,  of  ever  glorious  memory,  in  the  latter  end  of 
whose  reign  this  country  was  discovered,  and  in  honor 
of  her  called  Virginia."  This  is  indeed  the  proudest 
moment  of  his  Honor's  life,  and  he  designs  celebrating 
a  centennial  "  jubilee  "  in  Virginia  if  "  God  Almighty  and 
her  Majesty  shall  be  so  pleased."  ...  So  these  foolish 
old  King's  or  Queen's  Governors  round  their  periods 
and  finish  with  their  twaddle  ;  and  the  Burgesses  go 
back  to  their  room,  and  attend  to  matters  more  important 
than  royal  portraits  and  centennial  jubilees,  enacting 
among  other  things  that  no  English  convict,  or  "  negro, 
mulatto,  or  Indian,"  shall  hold  any  office  in  Virginia, 
on  penalty  of  prompt  ejectment  therefrom  and  a  heavy 
fine  for  "such  his  offence." 

So  the  century  begins  in  the  loyal  colony  of  Virginia, 
where  the  people  welcome  with  "  extraordinary  joy  " 
and  expressions  of  distinguished  consideration  every 
new  reign,  but  obstinately  persist  in  managing  their  own 
affairs.  Lord  Orkney  is  made  Governor,  but  as  usual 
sends  his  deputy,  and  in  the  year  1710  apj^ears  the 
stalwart  soldier  and  ruler,  Sir  Alexander  Spotswood. 


THE  TUBAL  CAIN  OF  VIRGINIA.  311 

XXII. 

THE    TUBAL    CAIN    OF   VIKGINIA. 

Alexander  Spotswood,  or  Spottiswoode  as  his 
family  were  called  in  Scotland,  rises  like  a  landmark 
above  the  first  years  of  the  century. 

When  he  came  to  Virginia  he  was  only  thirty-four 
and  in  the  bloom  of  his  manhood.  But  he  had  already 
fought  hard,  and  his  faculties  as  a  soldier  and  ruler  were 
fully  developed.  He  was  born  in  1676,  the  year  of  the 
Virginia  rebellion,  at  Tangier,  in  Morocco,  then  an  Eng- 
lish colony,  where  his  father  —  a  son,  it  is  said,  of  Sir 
Alexander  Spotswood,  Secretary  of  Scotland  —  was  a 
surgeon.  The  boy  was  left  alone  in  the  world  at  the 
age  of  twelve,  by  the  death  of  his  father  ;  entered  the 
array  ;  served  under  Marlborough,  and  was  wounded  in 
the  breast  at  the  battle  of  Blenheim.  He  kept  the  ball, 
a  four-pound  cannon  shot,  and  used  to  exhibit  it  long 
afterwards  to  his  friends  ;  and  in  the  background  of  a 
portrait  of  him,  still  preserved  at  "  Chelsea,"  in  King 
William,  is  a  picture  of  Blenheim  Castle,  in  memory  of 
this  incident.  The  portrait  represents  a  large  and  mar- 
tial man  with  a  curiously  wrinkled  face  and  an  air  of 
decision,  —  the  chief  trait  of  the  soldier  ruler. 

The  Virginians  received  Spotswood  with  open  arms. 
He  was  a  man  after  their  own  heart,  and  brought  with 
him  when  he  came  (June  1710),  the  great  writ  of  habeas 
corpus.  The  Virginia  people  had  long  claimed  that  this 
right  was  guaranteed  to  them  by  Magna  Charta,  since 
they  were  equally  free  Englishmen  with  the  people  of 
England.     Now  it  was  conceded,  and   the   great  writ 


312      VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

came,  —  Spotswood's  letter  of  introduction.  It  was  plain 
that  be  was  not  a  new  Berkeley  looking  to  the  King's 
good  pleasure  as  his  law,  or  a  new  Nicholson  ready  to 
imprison  people  or  put  halters  around  their  necks  ;  but 
a  respecter  of  human  freedom  and  defender  of  the  right. 
So  the  Burgesses  passed  him  a  vote  of  thanks  ;  appro- 
priated £2,000  to  build  him  a  "  Palace  ;  "  and  the  new 
Governor  wrote  home  to  England  :  "  This  government 
is  in  perfect  peace  and  tranquillity,  under  a  due  obedi- 
ence to  the  royal  authority,  and  a  gentlemanly  conform- 
ity to  the  Church  of  England" 

A  year  afterwards  came  a  tiff  between  the  obstinate 
Burgesses  and  his  equally  obstinate  Excellency.  They 
were  all  hard-headed  people  and  fought  for  their  re- 
spective views.  There  was  danger  of  a  French  invasion, 
and  Spotswood,  the  soldier,  advocated  military  organiza- 
tion. The  Burgesses,  ever  jealous  of  the  sword  and 
purse,  would  not  appropriate  money  ;  and  the  Governor 
in  high  dudgeon  dissolved  them  and  appealed  for  supplies 
to  England.  But  the  Virginians  saw  plainly  that  Spots- 
wood's  views  were  unselfish.  He  labored  to  develop 
the  resources  of  the  colony,  and  especially  directed  his 
energies  to  the  production  of  iron.  The  first  furnaces 
in  America  were  built  by  his  orders,  and  his  ardor  in 
the  work  procured  him  the  name  of  the  "  Tubal  Cain 
of  Virginia."  Wine-making  was  another  of  his  projects, 
and  he  colonized  German  "  vignerons,"  for  that  purpose, 
on  the  Rapidan  at  the  lost  town  Germanna,  near  the 
present  Germanna  Ford. 

Still  another  favorite  scheme  was  to  Christianize 
the  Indians  ;  though  the  Virginians  themselves  seemed 
also  to  require  religious  instruction.  Just  before  Spots- 
wood's  arrival  the  worshipful  Justice  Shallows  of  Friu- 


THE   TUBAL   CAIN  OF  VIRGINIA.  313 

cess  Anne  county,  had  directed  the  proper  tests  to  be  ap- 
plied to  a  certain  Grace  Sherwood,  to  ascertain  whether 
she  were  not  a  witch.  So  the  tests  were  duly  applied 
by  a  jury  of  old  women,  and  these  hags  having  found 
the  ambiguous  verdict  that  she  was  "not  like  theniy'' 
poor  Grace  Sherwood  was  "  put  into  water  "  to  drown, 
when  she  disappointed  them  by  swimming.  Thereat 
their  worships,  shaking  their  wise  heads,  ordered  her  to 
be  secured  in  jail  "  by  irons  or  otherwise  ;  "  and  the 
poor  witch  went  away,  weeping  no  doubt,  to  endure  her 
punishment.  This  grotesque  scene  occurred  in  1705  ; 
and  the  spot  where  the  only  Virginia  witch  was  put 
into  water  is  still  known  as  the  "  Witch  Duck." 

In  the  spring  of  1716  we  find  Spotswood  going  on  a 
visit  to  his  Indian  school-mission  on  the  Meherrin  River. 
The  place  was  called  Fort  Christanna,  and  was  an  old 
palisade  mounted  with  cannon,  where  were  "  seventy- 
seven  Indian  children  at  school  at  a  time  at  the  Gov- 
ernor's sole  expense,  I  think."     They  were  taught  to 
write,  and   read   the    Bible  and    Prayer-book.      When 
the  soldier  ruler  visits  them  the  Indian  elders  gravely 
bow  to  him,  laying  presents  of  furs  at  his  feet,  and  the 
young  men  and  women  make  him  their  obeisances.    The 
scene  was  picturesque.     Sixty  youths  were  present,  with 
feathers  in  their  hair  and  ears  ;  their  faces  painted  with 
blue  and  vermilion  ;    and  with  blue  and    red  blankets 
around  their  shoulders.     The  young  women  came  next 
with  "black  hair  reaching  down  to  the  waist,  with  a 
blanket  tied  around  them  and  hanging  down  like  a  petti- 
coat ;  most  of  them  had  nothing  to  cover  them  from  the 
waist  upward."     They  were  "  very  modest  and  faithful 
to    their   husbands,  straight   and  well-limbed,  of   good 
shape  and  extraordinary  good  features.    They  look  wild 


314      VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

and  are  mighty  shy  of  au  Englishman,  and  will  not  let 
you  touch  them."  Such  is  one  of  the  last  glimpses  that 
we  catch  of  these  poor  Indian  people  of  tidewater  Vir- 
ginia ;  and  it  is  good  to  have  this  picture  of  the  "  modest 
and  faithful "  descendants  of  the  race  of  Pocahontas. 

In  this  same  year  (1716),  Governor  Alexander  Spots- 
wood  set  out  on  an  expedition  which  much  delighted  the 
Virginians.  There  was  a  very  great  longing  to  visit  the 
country  beyond  the  Blue  Ridge.  Tliat  beautiful  un- 
known land  held  out  arms  of  welcome,  and  the  Gov- 
ernor, who  had  in  his  character  much  of  the  spirit  of  the 
hunter  and  adventurer,  resolved  to  go  and  explore  it. 
Having  assembled  a  party  of  good  companions  he  set 
out  in  the  month  of  August,  and  the  gay  company  be- 
gan their  march  toward  the  Blue  Ridge  Mountains. 
The  chronicler  of  the  expedition  describes  the  pictu- 
resque cavalcade  followed  by  the  pack-horses  and  ser- 
vants, —  "  rangers,  pioneers,  and  Indians  ; "  how  they 
stopped  to  hunt  game  ;  bivouacked  "  under  the  canopy ;  " 
laughed,  jested,  and  regaled  themselves  with  "  Virginia 
wine,  white  and  red,  Irish  usquebaugh,  brandy,  shrub, 
two  kinds  of  rum,  champagne,  canary,  cherry-punch, 
and  cider."  In  due  time  they  reached  the  Blue  Ridge, 
probably  near  the  present  Swift  Run  Gap,  and  saw  be- 
yond, the  wild  valley  of  the  Shenandoah.  On  the  sum- 
mit of  the  mountain  they  drank  the  health  of  the  King, 
and  named  two  neighboring  peaks  "  Mt.  George  "  and 
"  Mt.  Alexander,"  after  his  Majesty  and  the  Governor; 
after  which  they  descended  into  the  valley  and  gave  the 
Shenandoah  the  name  of  the  "  Euphrates."  Here  a 
bottle  was  buried  —  tliere  were,  no  doubt,  a  number  of 
empty  ones,  —  containing  a  paper  to  testify  that  the 
valley  of  the  Euphrates  was  taken  possession  of  in  the 


THE  TUBAL   CAIN  OF  VIRGINIA.  315 

name  of  his  Majesty  George  I.  Then  the  adventurers 
reascended  the  mountain,  crossed  to  the  lowland,  and 
returned  to  Williamsburg. 

This  picturesque  incident  of  the  time  gave  rise  to 
the  order  of  the  "  Knights  of  the  Golden  Horseshoe." 
The  horses  had  been  shod  with  iron,  which  was  unu- 
sual, as  a  protection  against  the  mountain  roads  ;  and 
Spots  wood  sent  to  London  and  had  made  for  his  com- 
panions small  golden  horseshoes  set  with  garnets  and 
other  jewels,  and  inscribed  "  Sic  juvat  transcendere 
montes."  As  the  King  declined  to  pay  for  them, 
Spotswood  did  so  out  of  his  own  pocket,  and  one  of 
them  is  still  preserved,  perpetuating  the  Virginia  order 
of  the  "  Knights  of  the  Golden  Horseshoe." 

Spotswood  was  a  man  of  force.  Wherever  he  moved 
all  eyes  followed  him,  and  men  "  came  to  order,"  as 
soldiers  fall  into  line,  at  the  word  of  command.  He 
meant  well  and  would  be  ruler.  If  there  was  a  public 
sore  anywhere  he  would  probe  it  without  mercy.  He 
fought  wrong-doers  wherever  he  found  them,  and  his 
heavy  hand  fell  even  on  the  worshipful  House  of  Bur- 
gesses. They  declined  to  make  an  appropriation  to  aid 
the  Carolinians  against  the  savages,  alleging  the  public 
poverty ;  when  Spotswood  burst  into  a  rage  against  the 
obstructionists :  — 

"  When  you  speak  of  poverty  and  engagements,"  he 
exclaimed,  "  you  argue  as  if  you  knew  the  state  of  your 
own  country  no  better  than  you  do  that  of  others  !  If 
yourselves  sincerely  believe  that  it  is  reduced  to  the 
last  degree  of  poverty,  I  wonder,  the  more,  that  you 
should  reject  propositions  for  lessening  the  charges  of 
assemblies  ;  and  that  while  each  day  of  your  sitting  is  so 
costly  to  your  country,  you  should  spend  time  so  fruit- 


316      VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

lessly ;  for  now,  after  a  session  of  twenty -five  days, 
three  hills  only  have  come  from  your  House!  " 

Then,  as  the  struggle  goes  on,  the  soldier-governor 
grows  haughtier  and  haughtier.  The  worshipful  Bur- 
gesses act  upon  him  as  the  rowel  acts  on  the  flank  of  a 
restive  horse.  At  last  the  moment  comes  when  his 
Excellency  will  no  longer  tolerate  these  triflers.  He 
fires  a  last  shot  at  them  before  he  charges  and  disperses 
them. 

"  To  be  plain  with  you  "  (ominous  beginning !)  "  the 
true  interest  of  your  country  is  notivhat  you  have  troubled 
your  heads  about.  All  your  proceedings  have  been  cal- 
culated to  answer  the  7iotions  of  the  ignorant  populace  ; 
and  if  you  can  excuse  yourselves  to  them,  you  matter 
not  how  you  stand  before  God,  or  any  others  to  whom 
you  thinh  you  owe  not  your  elections.  In  fine,  I  cannot 
but  attribute  these  miscarriages  to  the  people's  mis- 
taken choice  of  a  set  of  representatives,  whom  Heaven 
has  not  generally  endowed  with  the  ordinary  qualifica- 
tions requisite  to  legislators  ;  and  therefore  I  dissolve 
you ! "  With  which  few  stinging  remarks  his  Excellency 
turns  his  back ;  and  the  legislators  without  ordinary  qual- 
ifications, who  trifle  away  their  time,  go  back  home  — 
to  be  followed  in  due  time  by  their  noble  descendants. 

Spotswood's  arm  was  as  heavy  as  his  pen  and  tongue 
were  sharp.  He  was  notified  that  the  famous  pirate, 
John  Theach,  nicknamed  "  Blackbeard,"  was  cruising 
in  the  waters  of  Virginia  and  the  Carolinas  ;  and  he 
promptly  sent  two  ships  to  attack  and  capture  him. 
They  found  him  in  Pamlico  Bay  (November  21, 1718), 
and  Lieutenant  Maynard,  commanding  the  Virginians, 
boarded  the  pirate,  and  a  hand-to-hand  fight  followed. 
Blackbeard,  who  is  drawn  in  old  pictures  with  a  belt 


THE  TUBAL   CAIN  OF  VIRGINIA.  317 

studded  with  pistols,  made  a  hard  fight,  since  he  knew 
what  his  defeat  meant.  He  ordered  one  of  his  men  to 
stand  with  a  lighted  match  by  the  magazine,  and  blow 
up  friends  and  enemies  at  his  signal.  There  was  no 
explosion,  but  Blackbeard's  career  ended.  He  was  shot 
and  fell  dead,  when  his  crew  surrendered  ;  and  the  Vir- 
ginians returned  with  the  ghastly  head  of  the  bucca- 
neer stuck  on  a  bowsprit.  Thirteen  of  the  pirates  were 
huno-  at  Williamsburoj ;  and  Blackbeard's  skull,  fash- 
ioned  into  a  drinking-cup  and  rimmed  with  silver,  is  still 
preserved  in  Virginia. 

The  name  of  an  afterwards  celebrated  person  is  con- 
nected with  the  capture  of  the  pirates.  A  printer's 
apprentice  in  Boston  wrote  a  ballad  on  Blackbeard's 
fate,  which  was  sung  about  the  streets ;  and  many  years 
afterwards  this  apprentice,  whose  name  was  Benjamin 
Franklin,  was  appointed  postmaster  of  Pennsylvania 
by  Governor  Spotswood,  who  had  himself  been  ap- 
pointed Deputy  Postmaster-General  of  the  American 
Colonies. 

The  establishment  in  Virginia  of  this  great  engine 
of  the  modern  world,  the  postal  system,  is  a  much  more 
important  event  than  the  destruction  of  Blackbeard. 
Nearly  up  to  the  end  of  the  seventeenth  century  letters 
were  sent  by  private  hands ;  but  in  1 693  the  Burgesses 
stirred  in  the  matter.  It  was  then  enacted,  that,  since 
their  Majesties  by  letters-patent  had  authorized  Thomas 
Neale,  Esquire,  to  "  erect,  settle,  and  establish  within 
the  chief  ports  of  their  several  islands,  colonies,  and 
plantations  in  America,  an  office  or  offices  for  the  re- 
ceiving and  despatching  away  of  letters  and  pacquets," 
if  such  offices  were  established  in  each  county  of  Vir- 
ginia, Mr.  Neale  should  receive  "  for  the  post  of  every 


318      VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

letter  not  exceeding  one  sheet,  or  to  or  from  any  place 
not  exceeding  four-score  English  miles  distance,  three 
pence,"  and  in  proportion  for  additional  weight  and  dis- 
tance. But  this  law  was  not  to  restrain  merchants, 
masters,  or  others  from  sending  letters  by  private  hand 
to  or  from  the  colony. 

Of  the  operation  of  the  system  there  are  no  details 
for  many  years  afterwards ;  but  in  1738  it  was  fully 
established.  In  that  year  it  was  ordered  by  Postmaster 
General  Spotswood  that  post-riders  should  be  "  at  Sus- 
quehannah  River "  on  Saturday  nights  to  receive  the 
Philadelphia  mail;  back  at  Annapolis  on  Monday ;  on 
Tuesday  night  at  the  Potomac  River ;  on  Wednesday 
at  "  New  Post,"  a  distributing  office  near  Fredericks- 
burg ;  and  by  Saturday  night  at  Williamsburg,  from 
which  a  post-rider  carried  the  mails  once  a  month  to 
Edenton  in  North  Carolina.  Thus  the  time  between 
the  Susquehannah,  where  the  northern  mail  was  re- 
ceived, and  Williamsburg,  was  just  one  week.  It  was 
not  exactly  a  lightning  express,  but  it  was  better  than 
nothing.  If  Philadelphia  had  been  destroyed  by  fire, 
the  people  of  Williamsburg  might  have  heard  of  it  eight 
or  ten  days  afterwards,  though  it  was  nearly  three  hun- 
dred miles  distant ;  which  was  something,  and  due  to 
the  energy  of  his  Honor  Postmaster -General  Spots- 
wood. 

Among  the  innumerable  contests  which  marked  the 
administration  of  the  doughty  ruler  was  his  struggle 
with  the  vestries  on  the  question  of  appointing  minis- 
ters to  the  parishes.  These  old  matters  have  lost  tlieir 
interest,  but  occasioned  an  uproar  in  their  time.  The 
obstinate  Virginians  would  not  yield  their  immemorial 
right  of  choosing  and  discarding  their  ministers ;   de- 


THE  TUBAL   CAIN  OF  VIRGINIA.  319 

clared  resolutely  against  a  Virginia  bishop  ;  and  made 
tlie  conflict  so  hot  that  even  the  opinionated  Spotswood 
adjourned  the  subject.  The  details  relating  to  this  dis- 
cussion and  many  more  in  which  Spotswood  engao-ed 
must  be  sought  in  the  old  -ecords.  His  willful  spirit 
made  him  few  enemies  ;  he  was  seen  to  be  a  man  of 
large  views ;  and  the  Virginians,  though  incessantly 
wrangling  with  him,  still  greatly  respected  him. 

But  it  is  the  "  Tubal  Cain  of  Virginia  "  in  his  own 
home  that  most  interests  us.  History  lives  in  the  men 
who  make  it,  and  the  individuals  are  thus  the  first 
study,  not  only  a^  they  appear  in  public,  but  much 
more  as  they  are  in  private  and  when  taken  unawares. 
We  have  this  means  of  knowing  the  stern  and  haughty 
Spotswood;  and  we  find  that  he  was  the  kindest  of 
men,  and  so  much  in  love  with  his  wife  that  his  friends 
laughed  at  him.  Colonel  William  Byrd,  of  Westover, 
tells  us  all  about  him.  That  distinguished  wit  and  ele- 
gant Cavalier  of  the  eighteenth  century,  went  to  Ger- 
manna,  and  draws  Spotswood's  picture  for  us,  laugh- 
ing at  and  admiring  him.  Let  us  go  with  the  good 
"  Master  of  Westover,"  who  is  excellent  company.  He 
sets  out  in  his  coach  with  wife  and  child,  but  soon  gets 
to  horse,  and  at  last,  in  this  September  of  1732,  threads 
the  Spotsylvania  "  wilderness  "  and  comes  to  Ger- 
manna  on  the  Rapidan.  It  is  the  spot  where  the  mar- 
tial Governor  has  colonized  his  "  Germans  of  Pala- 
tines," sent  over  by  her  Majesty  Queen  Anne,  to  make 
wine  and  help  in  the  iron  business.  The  village  is  al- 
ready ancient  and  dismantled,  for  the  Palatine  people 
have  moved  further  up  the  river.  It  is  a  "  baker's 
dozen  of  ruinous  tenements,"  with  the  remains  of 
a    chapel    at   the  end   of  an   avenue    of   cherry    trees, 


820     VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

which  chapel  "  some  pious  people  had  lately  burnt  down 
with  intent  to  get  another  built  nearer  to  their  own 
ho7nes." 

These  words  strike  the  key-note  of  the  gay  travel- 
er's memoir.  He  is  nothing  without  his  jest,  which 
sparkles  without  regard  to  accuracy.  For  these  Ger- 
mans of  Palatines  were  excellent  people,  and  remark- 
able for  their  true  piety.  Like  the  Huguenots,  they 
infused  an  admirable  element  into  Virginia  society,  —  a 
brave  and  sturdy  element  which  lingers  still  in  their  de- 
scendants ;  among  whom  is  a  hardy  soldier  and  ex-Gov- 
ernor of  Virginia,  —  General  Kemper.  In  this  year, 
1732,  the  Palatines  have  recently  come  over  to  the 
Rapidan,  and  the  name  "  Germanna  "  points  to  the  home 
land.  Above  the  hamlet  rise  the  walls  of  "  Colonel 
Spotswood's  enchanted  castle;"  and  in  the  absence  of 
that  worthy,  who  is  riding  out.  Lady  Spots  wood  wel- 
comes the  master  of  Westover  in  a  room  "  elegantly  set 
off  with  pier  glasses,"  one  of  which  comes  to  a  quick  end. 
A  tame  deer  sees  his  reflection  in  it,  darts  at  the  sup- 
posed adversary,  smashes  the  glass,  and  falls  back  on  a 
table  laden  with  china  bric-a-brac,  to  the  great  fright  of 
Lady  Spotswood.  She  bears  this  disaster,  however,  with 
"  moderation  and  good  humor,"  and  the  Governor  re- 
turns from  his  ride  and  warmly  welcomes  his  guest. 
They  sup  at  nine  in  the  evening,  and  then  "  talk  over 
a  legion  of  old  stories,"  Spotswood  telling,  it  may  be,  of 
his  wars  under  Marlborough.  The  ex-soldier  is  not  a 
stern  or  martial  man,  however,  in  the  bosom  of  his 
family.  He  smiles  and  relaxes,  here  in  the  woods  of 
the  Rapidan,  forgetful  of  pirates  and  Burgesses.  The 
wrinkles  on  the  war-worn  face  are  smoothed,  and  he  is 
so  "  very  uxorious  and  fond  of  his  children,"  that  his 


THE  TUBAL   CAIN  OF  VIRGINIA.  321 

old  friend  of  Westover  laughs  at  him ;  since  his  present 
matrimonial  raptures  are  in  direct  conflict  with  the  max- 
ims "  he  used  to  preach  up  before  he  was  married." 
The  Westover  wit  cannot  "  forbear  from  rubbing  up 
the  memory  "  of  those  former  views ;  but  Spotswood 
"  gave  a  very  good-natured  turn  to  his  change  of  senti- 
ments by  alleging  that  whoever  brings  a  poor  gentle- 
woman into  so  solitary  a  place  from  all  her  friends  and 
acquaintances,  would  be  ungrateful  not  to  use  her  with 
all  possible  tenderness." 

Such  is  a  glimpse  of  the  two  worthies,  Byrd  and 
Spotswood,  at  the  "  enchanted  castle."  A  chance  page 
draws  their  portraits,  and  we  hear  all  the  talk  borne 
away  long  ago  on  the  winds  of  the  Rapidan.  The 
worthy  Governor  had  another  residence  on  the  banks 
of  the  Chesapeake,  "  Temple  Farm,"  the  former  name 
of  the  Moore  House,  where,  in  October,  1781,  the  Revo- 
lution came  to  an  end  with  the  capitulation  of  Lord 
Cornwallis.  Here  he  spent  his  last  days  after  retir- 
ing from  his  post  of  Governor,  enjoying  the  society  of 
his  dear  family,  riding  out  in  "  one  of  the  handsomest 
and  easiest  chariots  made  in  London  ;  "  and  respected 
by  everybody.  In  1740  he  was  commissioned  Major- 
General  and  assigned  to  command  the  expedition  to 
the  West  Indies,  but  he  died  suddenly  (June  7,  1740), 
when  he  was  about  to  embark.  He  was  buried  at  Tem- 
ple Farm,  where  his  grave  was  recently  discovered  with 
a  fragment  of  the  inscription  on  his  tomb. 

The  name  of  Spotswood  is  greatly  honored  in  Virginia, 
where  his  descendants  still  reside.  He  was  an  admira- 
ble type  of  the  soldier  and  statesman  combined,  a  ruler 
born,  with  the  resolute  will  and  strong  brain  which  give 
21 


322     VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

the  right  to  govern  ;  and,  first  and  last,  all  his  exertions 
were  for  the  good  of  Virginia. 


XXIII. 

THE    VIRGINIANS    OF    THE    VALLEY. 

Virginia  in  these  years  was  reaching  out  steadily- 
past  the  mountains.  The  smiling  valley  of  the  Shenan- 
doah was  becoming  the  home  of  brave  settlers  who  car- 
ried civilization  into  this  wild  region,  long  the  battle- 
ground, tradition  said,  of  the  Northern  and  Southern 
tribes  of  the  continent.  We  have  seen  the  first  at- 
tempts to  explore  the  country,  the  expedition  of  Batte 
in  1670,  and  the  march  of  Spots  wood  in  1716.  The 
impetus  was  thus  given,  and  adventurous  explorers  fol- 
lowed the  Knights  of  the  Horse-shoe.  The  Virginians 
began  to  hold  out  longing  arms  toward  the  sweet  fields 
along  the  Shenandoah  ;  and  the  wave  of  population,  like 
a  steadily  rising  tide,  advanced  up  the  lowland  rivers, 
reached  the  mountains  at  last,  and  flowed  over  into  the 
Valley  of  Virginia. 

Cotemporary  with  or  a  few  years  before  this  lowland 
immigration,  the  region  toward  the  Potomac  had  been 
settled  by  Scotch-Irish  and  Germans,  who  had  come 
to  Pennsylvania,  and  thence,  attracted  by  the  rumor  of 
its  fertility,  passed  on  to  the  Shenandoah  Valley.  The 
exodus  thither  began  about  the  year  1732.  The  Scotch- 
Irish,  who  were  good  Presbyterians,  were  the  pioneers, 
and  established  their  homesteads  along  the  Opequon, 
from  the  Potomac  to  above  what  is  now  Winchester. 
As  soon  as  they  had  built  their  houses  they  proceeded 
to  build  their  churches  ;  and  the  "  Tuscarora  Meeting 


.    THE  VIRGINIANS   OF  THE   VALLEY.  323 

House/'  near  Martinsburg,  and  the  "  Opequon  Church," 
a  littl^  south  of  Winchester,  are,  it  is  said,  the  oldest 
churches  in  the  Valley  of  Virginia,  —  they  are  still 
standing. 

The  Germans  followed  closely.  Joist  Hite  obtained 
forty  thousand  acres  of  land  in  the  vicinity  of  Winches- 
ter ;  and  his  thrifty  Teutons  built  Strasburg  and  other 
towns  along  the  Massinutton  Mountain.  To  this  day 
the  Germans  constitute  an  important  element  of  the 
population,  and  in  some  places  the  language  is  spoken. 
It  was  an  excellent  class  of  immigrants.  Everywhere 
was  the  appearance  and  the  reality  of  thrift :  well-kept 
fields,  fat  cattle,  and  huge  red  barns.  "  The  Dutchman's 
barn,"  says  Kercheval,  the  old  historian,  "  was  usually 
the  best  building  on  his  farm.  He  was  sure  to  erect  a 
fine  large  barn  before  he  built  any  other  dwelling-house 
than  his  rude  log  cabin."  They  were  an  honest,  merry 
people  in  their  good  Fatherland  manner,  keeping  fes- 
tivals and  enjoying  themselves  at  weddings  and  other 
ceremonies.  The  groomsmen  waited  in  "  white  aprons 
beautifully  embroidered  ; "  and  their  duty  was  to  protect 
the  bride  from  having  her  slipper  stolen  from  her  foot ; 
and  if  any  one  succeeded  in  capturing  it,  the  groomsmen 
must  pay  a  bottle  of  wine  for  it,  since  the  bride's  dan- 
cing depended  on  it.  These  kindly  Germans,  says  their 
historian,  were  generally  of  three  religious  sects,  Lu- 
therans, Mennonists,  and  Calvinists,  with  a  few  Tunk- 
ers,  or  Dippers,  who  believecf  that  immersion  was  the 
true  form  of  baptism.  But  they  were  not  stern  people. 
"  Among  the  Lutherans  and  Calvinists,  dancing,  with 
other  amusements,  were  common,  and  were  sometimes 
kept  up  for  weeks  together."  The  "  Irish  Presby- 
terians "  were  no  less  merry,  and  celebrated  their  wed- 


324     VIRGINIA:  A   HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

dings  by  "running  for  the  bottle,"  a  ribbon-deoorated 
prize  for  the  fastest  rider,  and  by  "  great  hilarity,  jollity, 
and  mirth."  The  only  exceptions  to  this  border  hilarity 
were  the  few  Quakers,  who  married  without  the  inter- 
vention of  clergymen,  and  conducted  the  ceremony  with 
the  "utmost  solemnity  and  decorum." 

When  Winchester,  the  capital  of  the  lower  valley, 
was  founded  —  there  were  two  log  cabins  there  in  1738, 
and  the  town  was  established  in  1752 — the  Dutch  and 
Irish  entered  on  a  war  of  Guelphs  and  Ghibellines.  The 
historian  Kercheval  paints  the  hostilities  in  glowing 
colors.  On  St.  Patrick's  Day  the  Dutch  would  form  in 
grand  procession  and  march  through  the  streets,  car- 
rying effigies  of  "  the  Saint  and  his  wife  Sheeley,"  the 
saint  decorated  with  a  necklace  of  Irish  potatoes,  and 
his  spouse  with  an  apron  full  of  them.  And  on  the  day 
of  "  St.  Michael,  the  patron  of  the  Dutch,"  the  Irishmen 
would  retort  by  exhibiting  an  effigy  of  that  saint  with  a 
necklace  of  sour-kraut;  whence  misunderstandings  and 
bloody  noses  and  cracked  crowns  for  the  consideration 
of  the  worshipful  justices  of  Frederick,  who  have  just 
begun  to  hold  their  sessions  in  the  "log  cabin  court- 
house." 

The  lower  Valley  is  full  of  these  old  traditions 
handed  down  from  father  to  son.  Another  is  here  re- 
peated. It  is  said  that  an  Irish  laboring  man  and  his 
wife  came  about  1767  to  the  house  of  Mr.  Strode,  a 
German  landholder  on  the  lower  Opequon,  and  lived 
with  him  some  years,  during  which  time  a  son  was  born 
to  them.  Then  they  resolved  to  go  further  southward, 
and  set  off ;  but  the  children  of  the  Strode  family  fol- 
lowed begging  that  they  would  leave  the  baby,  who  was 
a  great  favorite  with  them.     When  they  stopped  for  a 


THE  VIRGINIANS   OF  THE  VALLEY.  325 

momen  t,  and  the  child  was  laid  on  the  grass,  the  Strode 
children  snatched  him  up,  and  would  have  carried  him 
off  if  they  had  not  been  prevented.  The  journey  was 
then  resumed,  and  the  wanderers  finally  reached  the 
Waxhaws  in  North  Carolina.  Here  the  boy  grew  up, 
and  in  due  time  made  his  mark,  since  he  was  Andrew 
Jackson,  President  of  the  United  States.  The  tradition 
is  possibly  true.  Jackson  is  said  to  have  been  doubtful 
about  his  birth-place,  and  a  spring  near  the  Strode  house 
is  still  called  "  Jackson's  Spring." 

While  the  Germans  and  Irish  were  thus  settling  on 
the  banks  of  the  Potomac  and  the  Opequon,  the  upper 
waters  of  the  Shenandoah  became  the  home  of  adven- 
turous explorers  from  tide-water  Virginia.  These  were 
nearly  without  exception  Scotch-Irish  Presbyterians : 
men  and  women  driven  out  of  Ulster  by  the  English  per- 
secutions there  ;  and  the  pioneer  was  John  Lewis,  the 
founder  of  a  distinguished  family.  Lewis  belonged  to  a 
Huguenot  family  which  had  taken  refuge  in  Ireland. 
He  put  to  death  an  oppressive  landlord  there  and  es- 
caped to  Virginia,  where  he  obtained  a  great  grant  of 
land.  It  covered  half  of  what  is  now  the  large  county 
of  Rockbridge ;  and  Lewis  was  to  settle  one  family  on 
every  thousand  acres.  He  brought  over  from  Ireland 
and  Scotland  in  1737  about  one  hundred  families  ;  and 
from  these  families  descended  some  of  the  most  emi- 
nent men  of  Virginia :  among  them  Archibald  Alexan- 
der, James  McDowell,  Andrew  Lewis,  and  others. 
These  "  Scotch-Irish  Presbyterians  "  were  conscientious 
and  law-abiding  persons ;  Calvinists  of  the  straightest 
sect,  pious,  earnest,  grave  of  demeanor,  not  at  all  shar- 
ing the  fox-hunting  and  horse-racing  proclivities  of  the 
tide-water  Virginians ;  but  bent  on  doing  earnest  work. 


326       VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY   OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

They  devoted  themselves  to  agriculture,  to  erecting  mills, 
to  educating  their  children,  to  making  their  new  homes 
comfortable,  to  all  the  arts  of  peace,  and  above  and 
beyond  all,  to  the  firm  establishment  of  their  church. 
The  "  Stone  Meeting-House  "  or  Augusta  Church,  near 
Staunton,  was  one  of  the  first  erected  in  the  valley. 
When  war  came,  then  or  afterwards,  there  were  no  bet- 
ter soldiers  in  the  Commonwealth  ;  for  the  list  that  be- 
gins with  Andrew  Lewis  ends  with  Stonewall  Jackson. 

The  upper  and  lower  Valley  were  thus  settled  nearly 
at  the  same  moment.  The  great  principality  of 
"  Orange,"  that  is  to  say,  the  tramontane  world,  was 
then  divided  into  two  counties :  Frederick,  toward  the 
the  Potomac,  and  Augusta,  toward  James  river ;  that 
great  "  West  Augusta,"  or  Alleghanies,  to  which  Wash- 
ington said  that  he  meant  to  retreat  if  he  was  driven 
from  the  seaboard.  This  upper,  or  Augusta,  region  was 
the  headquarters  of  the  Scotch-Irish  Presbyterian  ele- 
ment ;  and  from  the  first  these  brave  citizens  were  in- 
tent on  securing  all  their  rights.  The  Presbyterian 
Synod  of  Philadelphia  petitioned  the  Governor  of  Vir- 
ginia (1738),  that  those  of  their  denomination  removing 
to  the  valley  of  Virginia  might  have  "the  free  enjoy- 
ment of  their  civil  and  religious  liberties ; "  and  the 
writer  of  this  petition,  John  Caldwell,  grandfather  of 
John  Caldwell  Calhoun  of  South  Carolina,  having  re- 
ceived a  courteous  response,  proceeded  to  settle  Presby- 
terian families  also  in  the  counties  of  Prince  Edward, 
Charlotte,  and  Campbell. 

These  details  will  show  what  races  of  men  settled  the 
fertile  Valley  of  Virginia :  German  and  Dutch  Luther- 
ans, Scotch-Irish  Presbyterians,  and  a  few  Friends  or 
Quakers.     One  infusion  has  not  been  noticed,  a  small 


THE  VIRGINIANS   OF  THE  VALLEY.  327 

colony  of  English  families  from  tide-water  Virginia,  who 
settled  around  Greenway  Court,  the  home  of  Lord  Fair- 
fax. This  old  nobleman,  who  had  emigrated  to  Virginia 
in  consequence,  it  is  said,  of  a  love  disappointment, 
conveyed  to  Colonel  Robert  Carter  (1730),  sixty-three 
thousand  acres  of  land :  a  mere  corner  of  that  great 
"  Northern  Neck "  which  he  had  inherited.  On  this 
tract,  around  the  present  villago  of  Millwood,  settled 
numerous  friends  and  relatives  of  the  proprietor,  bring- 
ing with  them  the  traits  of  the  lowland ;  —  the  cordial 
sentiments,  the  love  of  social  intercourse,  and  the  attach- 
ment to  the  English  Church,  which  characterized  the 
race.  The  surrounding  region  was  attractive.  An  Eng- 
lish traveler  visiting  it  spoke  of  its  "  beautiful  prospects 
and  sylvan  scenes,  transparent  streams,  and  majestic 
woods  ;  "  and  declared  that '"  many  princes  would  give 
half  their  dominions  for  what  the  residents  possessed  : 
health,  content,  and  tranquillity  of  mind."  An  Ameri- 
can writer  called  the  region  the  "  Virginia  Arcady  ;  '* 
and  to  this  smiling  country  the  lowlauders  brought  their 
families  and  servants ;  erected  their  "  Old  Chapel " 
Church,  which  still  nestles  down  under  its  sycamores ; 
and  here  their  descendants  still  remain. 

Of  the  strange  and  moving  incidents  which  befell 
these  old  first  settlers  in  the  Valley,  and  on  the  far  Vir- 
ginia border,  it  is  impossible  to  speak  in  this  place. 
They  were  intruders  and  must  fight ;  and  in  the  histo- 
ries of  the  frontier  we  have  the  picture  of  their  daily 
lives.  They  fall  by  unseen  bullets  fired  from  the  woods  ; 
the  stockades  shake  under  the  blind  rush  of  the  dusky 
assailants  ;  the  flames  of  burning  cabins  light  up  the 
marches  ;  wives  and  children  are  tomahawked  or  carried 
off  to  be  tortured ;  —  this  is  what  is  going  on,  all  along 


328      VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF   THE  PEOPLE. 

the  Virginia  border,  in  the  midst  of  outcries  and  the 
crack  of  rifles,  nearly  to  the  end  of  the  century ;  for 
when  the  American  Revolution  comes,  the  old  comba- 
tants are  still  fighting.  Some  of  this  life  may  pass  be- 
fore us ;  it  is  possible  to  present  only  an  indication  of  it 
in  a  general  narrative.  The  full  details  may  be  found 
in  the  work  of  Kercheval,  the  old  Froissart  of  the  Val- 
ley. 

A  last  coup  d'ceil  shows  us  now,  about  the  middle  of 
the  century,  in  Virginia,  two  strongly  contrasted  socie- 
ties. On  the  tidewater  rivers  a  race  of  planters  called 
"  Tuckahoes,"  living  on  large  estates,  dressing  richly, 
riding  in  coaches  and  attending  the  Church  of  England ; 
past  the  mountains  hardy  settlers  called  "  Cohees,"  clear- 
ing the  land,  building  houses  and  churches,  and  making 
a  new  Virginia  in  the  wilderness  ;  -^  and  still  further 
toward  the  AUeghanies  hardy  frontiersmen  who  have 
set  their  feet  on  the  very  outposts  of  civilization.  Be- 
tween these  Virginians  of  the  Tidewater  and  the  Tra- 
montane there  is  only  a  general  resemblance ;  and  in 
the  manner  of  living  of  the  two  extremes,  none  whatever. 
While  the  planter  of  the  seaboard  is  asleep  in  his  cur- 
tained bed,  the  frontiersman  is  already  half-way  up  the 
mountain,  looking  keenly  for  the  deer  or  bear  that  is  to 
supply  his  family  with  food.  As  the  one  enters  his 
fine  coach  to  go  and  bow  low  at  some  fine  entertain- 
ment, the  other  falls  asleep  in  his  cabin,  his  arm  around 
wife  and  child ;  more  than  content  if  the  night  passes 
without  the  savage  war-whoop.     Thus  the  lives  of  the 

1  The  origin  of  the  terms  TuchaJioe  and  Cohee  is  unknown.  The 
first  is  the  name  of  a  marsh-root  and  of  a  creek  near  Richmond.  Cohee 
is  said  to  have  been  applied  to  the  mountaineers  from  their  frequent 
use  of  the  phrase  "  Quoth  he,"  contracted  to  "Quo'  he." 


THE  VIRGINIANS   OF  THE  VALLEY.  829 

Lowlanders  and  the  Tramontese  are  wholly  unlike.  But 
both  are  types  of  the  same  race  under  different  circum- 
stances of  trainino^  and  environment. 

Spotswood  ceased  to  govern  Virginia  in  1722,  and 
was  followed  by  Governor  Hugh  Drysdale,  one  of  the 
great  obscure  who  is  lost  to  memory.  We  are  only  in- 
formed that  he  was  a  smiling  gentleman  who  beamed 
on  everybody,  and  wrote  to  England  that  the  "  benign 
influence  of  his  auspicious  sovereign  was  conspicuous 
in  a  general  harmony  and  content  among  all  ranks  of 
persons."  Colonel  Robert  Carter,  President  of  the 
Council,  succeeded  Drysdale,  and  in  the  next  year 
(1727)  appeared  Governor  William  Gooch,  a  worthy 
man,  who  for  twenty-two  years  presided  over  Virginia. 
During  this  time  Virginia  prospered  and  few  events 
of  interest  occurred  —  a  happy  comment  upon  the  his- 
tory of  a  country.  A  force  of  Virginians,  commanded 
by  Gooch,  took  part  in  the  expedition  against  Cartha- 
gena;  and  Captain  Lawrence  Washington,  brother  of 
Washington,  accompanied  the  troops.  He  formed  a 
friendship  with  Adnniral  Vernon,  commanding  the  Eng- 
lish force,  and  on  his  return  called  his  country-house 
"Mount  Vernon."  One  other  incident  of  the  time 
was  the  project  of  Colonel  William  Byrd  to  establish 
two  new  cities,  "  one  at  Shoccoes  to  be  called  Rich- 
mond, and  the  other  at  the  point  of  Appomattox  to  be 
called  Petersburg."  The  master  of  Westover  explains 
that  these  localities  are  "  naturally  intended  for  marts," 
and  adds :  "  Thus  we  did  not  build  castles  only,  but 
cities  in  the  air."  They  were  soon  substantial  castles. 
The  Colonel  "lays  the  foundation"  in  1733,  and  in 
April,  1737,  we  read  of  the  "town  called  Richmond,  with 
streets  sixty-five  feet  wide,  in  a  pleasant  and  healthy 


830      VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

situation,  a  little  below  the  Falls."  This  notable  cir- 
cumstance—  to  be  followed  in  1742  by  the  formal  in- 
corporation of  the  new  town  —  was  accompanied  by 
another  circumstance  still  more  important.  The  invi- 
tation to  all  people  to  come  and  live  at  Richmond 
was  given  in  the  columns  of  the  first  Virginia  news- 
paper. 

This  was  "  The  Virginia  Gazette,"  which  had  just 
made  its  appearance  (August,  1736).  It  was  a  small, 
dingy  sheet,  containing  a  few  items  of  foreign  news ; 
the  advertisements  of  the  Williamsburg  shopkeepers ; 
notices  of  the  arrival  and  departure  of  ships  ;  a  few 
ch<ince  particulars  relating  to  persons  or  events  in  the 
colony  ;  and  poetical  "effusions,"  celebrating  the  charms 
of  Myrtilla,  Florella,  or  other  belles  of  the  period.  Thus, 
"  his  Majesty's  ancient  and  great  Colony  and  Dominion 
of  Virginia  "  had  at  last  its  newspaper  ;  and  if  any  event 
occurred  of  great  interest  or  importance,  the  planters 
of  the  York  or  James  were  certain  to  hear  of  it  in  a 
week  or  two,  though  the  incident  had  taken  place  as  far 
off  as  the  Blue  Ridge  or  Valley.  As  to  anything  like 
free  discussion  of  the  government,  that  was  not  the 
fashion  of  the  times,  in  newspapers  ;  and  the  "  Virginia 
Gazette  "  confined  itself  to  the  work  of  disseminating 
news.  It  was  convenient,  and  continued  to  be  printed  ; 
many  files  have  been  preserved  ;  and  its  faded  old  col- 
umns present  an  interesting  view  of  the  manners  and 
customs  of  the  Virginians  of  the  eighteenth  century. 


THE  NEW  LIGHTS.  331 

XXIV. 
THE   NEW   LIGHTS. 

The  time  had  arrived  now  wlien  the  "New  Lisrht 
Stir  "  was  to  agitate  America,  and  arouse  society  from 
its  lethargy.  The  human  mind  for  a  long  time  seemed 
to  have  gone  to  sleep,  in  matters  of  religion.  Suddenly 
a  rude  shock  awoke  it.  Whitefield,  the  great  English 
reformer,  came  with  his  impassioned  eloquence,  and 
men  thrilled  under  the  voice  of  the  master.  He  roughly 
shook  the  drowsy  church-goers,  dozing  in  their  high^ 
backed  pews,  and  they  rose  with  a  start  at  the  earnest 
appeal. 

In  Virginia,  as  elsewhere,  toward  the  middle  of  the 
eighteenth  century,  religion  and  piety  had  grown  to  be 
conventional.  The  gangrene  of  society  was  living  for 
the  life  that  now  is,  and  depending  on  religious  observ- 
ances as  a  sufficient  performance  of  religious  duty. 
This  vicious  state  of  things  was  not  peculiar  to  Church 
of  England  Virginia.  It  was  seen  as  well  in  Calvin- 
istic  New  England ;  and  everywhere  it  assumed  the 
same  singular  phase.  Men  were  earnestly  attached  to 
their  church  and  religion :  they  would  fight  for  it,  and, 
if  necessary,  die  for  it ;  but  living  in  accordance  with  its 
precepts  was  quite  a  different  thing.  It  must  be  said 
that  the  lust  of  the  senses  and  the  pride  of  life  entered 
largely  into  the  character  of  those  old  Virginians  and 
other  Americans.  To  eat,  and  drink,  and  enjoy  them- 
selves ;  to  ride  in  their  coaches,  reign  on  their  great 
estates,  and  get  through  life  pleasantly  and  prosper- 
ously,  was,   in  their  eyes,    nearly   the   whole  duty  of 


332     VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

man.  Undoubtedly  there  were  numbers  of  excellent 
persons  who  detected  the  flaw  in  this  agreeable  philos- 
ophy, and  saw  that  there  was  something  else  to  do : 
to  love  God  and  live  for  their  fellow-men,  as  well  as 
for  themselves.  But,  with  many,  religion  had  become 
mere  ceremonial,  —  attendance  at  the  parish  church, 
and  outward  respect  for  the  Bible  and  the  Prayer  Book. 
Unfortunately  some  of  the  clergy  were  little  better 
than  the  people.  To  an  iuquiry  of  the  Bishop  of  Lou- 
don in  1719,  their  convention  answered  that  "  no  mem- 
ber had  ani/  personal  knowledge  of  the  irregularity  of 
any  clergyman's  life  in  this  colony  ; "  but  as  Bishop 
Meade  laments,  that  phrase  "personal  knowledge"  was 
probably  a  mere  evasion.  There  is  little  reason  to 
doubt  that  very  serious  "  irregularities "  did  exist  in 
the  lives  of  many  ministers.  They  played  cards,  and 
hunted  the  fox,  and  indulged  in  drink ;  and  what  was 
even  worse,  they  had  small  love  for  their  neighbors, 
the  Dissenters.  It  is  true  that  the  Dissenters  cordial- 
ly returned  this  dislike  and  were  quite  as  rancorous; 
but  that  was  nothing  to  the  purpose.  The  Church  of 
England  clergyman  denounced  the  New  Light  preacher 
as  a  disturber,  and  the  New  Light  preacher  denounced 
the  clergyman  as  a  disgrace  to  his  cloth.  Often  the 
clergy  acted  in  a  most  unclerical  manner.  They  quar- 
reled with  their  vestries,  and  one  of  them  made  a  per- 
sonal assault  on  a  high  dignitary  at  a  vestr^'^-meeting, 
pulled  off  his  wig,  and  preached  on  the  next  Sunday 
from  the  text,  "  And  I  contended  with  them  and  cursed 
them,  and  smote  certain  of  them^  and  'plucked  off  their 
hair  J'  ^ 

1  This  incident  is  related  by  Bishop  Meade  in  his  Old  Churches  of 
Virginia. 


THE  NEW  LIGHTS.  333 

This  was  the  melancholy  condition  of  things  about 
the  middle  of  the  century.  The  Virginia  Church  had 
not  fulfilled  the  promise  of  its  earlier  years.  It  had 
once  been  a  church  of  vital  piety,  and  had  numbered 
among  its  clergymen  some  of  the  loveliest  characters 
that  have  ever  honored  their  sacred  office.  The  first 
minister  in  the  colony,  Robert  Hunt,  had  been  an  ex- 
emplary person,  a  man  of  irreproachable  life,  and  a  true 
follower  of  the  Prince  of  Peace.  Even  the  rough  sol- 
dier-writers exclaim,  "  His  soul,  questionless,  is  with 
God ! "  and  speak  of  him  as  "  an  honest,  religious 
and  courageous  divine,  during  whose  life  our  factions 
were  oft  qualified,  and  our  wants  and  greatest  extremi- 
ties so  comforted  that  they  seemed  easy  in  comparison 
of  what  we  endured  after  his  memorable  death."  Then 
followed  Mr.  Bucke,  who  came  in  the  Sea- Venture, 
Mr.  Wickham,  and  others,  all  excellent  men ;  and  the 
list  in  the  first  years  wound  up  with  that  pure  "  Apostle 
of  Virginia,"  Mr.  Whitaker,  who  gave  up  his  "  warm 
nest"  in  England  to  come  and  convert  the  Indians. 

These  good  men  and  their  successors  had  founded 
churches  —  that  at  Jamestown,  the  one  at  Henrico,  the 
old  Smithfield  Church  dating,  it  is  said,  back  to  1632  ; 
the  Bruton  and  Blandford  churches  at  Williamsburg 
and  Petersburg,  and  many  others.  These  venerable 
edifices  were  still  filled  with  worshipers  on  the  peaceful 
Sabbath  mornings ;  but  the  attendance  of  too  many  was 
merely  formal ;  and  the  new  generation  of  ministers  had 
not  inherited  the  piety  and  self-sacrifice  of  the  Hunts 
and  Whitakers.  They  had  much  to  complain  of,  it 
is  true,  and  the  vestries  were  hard  masters.  The  pas- 
tor came  on  trial  often  and  the  vestry  would  not  keep 
him  if  they  did  not  choose  to  do  so ;  thus  his  tenure 


334      VIRGINIA:   A   HISTORY  OF   THE  PEOPLE. 

was  doubtful  and  anxious,  and  good  men  would  not 
come  from  England  under  such  circumstances.  But 
wherever  the  right  might  be,  the  wrong  thing  was  there. 
The  planter  and  his  family  came  in  their  coach,  and 
the  parson  read  his  homily  ;  and  then  all  went  back  to 
their  week-day  pursuits  but  slightly  edified.  It  was 
very  much  of  a  Drowsyland,  and  a  trumpet  blast  was 
necessary  to  arouse  the  sleepers. 

He  who  now  (1740)  sounded  the  great  summons  to  a 
more  evangelic  faith  and  a  purer  life,  was  a  young  man 
of  twenty-six,  who  had  come  from  England,  —  George 
Whitefield.  At  Oxford,  which  he  had  entered  at  eight- 
een, he  had  contracted  a  friendship  with  another  stu- 
dent, John  Wesley  ;  and  moved  by  strong  feeling,  the 
two  young  men  had  formed  a  religious  association,  to 
which  their  fellow  students  gave  the  jeering  name  of  the 
"  Methodist "  association.  Whitefield  and  his  friends 
accepted  it  and  went  forth  on  their  life-work.  He  was 
ordained  a  deacon  and  was  soon  famous  as  a  preacher. 
At  twenty-two  he  preached  with  such  effect  that  he 
was  said  to  have  driven  "  fifteen  persons  mad."  One 
year  afterwards  he  crossed  the  Atlantic  and  visited  in 
Georgia  his  friend  Wesley,  who  had  gone  thither,  at 
the  invitation  of  General  Oglethorpe,  to  convert  the  In- 
dians.^ On  his  return  to  England  his  labors  began  in 
earnest.     Immense  crowds  assembled  in  the  open   air 

1  Of  this  visit  of  "Whitefield  an  incident  is  related  which  seems  to 
show  that  he  was  not  opposed  to  slavery.  Having  a  sum  of  money 
presented  to  him  at  the  city  of  Charleston,  he  purchased  a  plantation 
and  slaves  with  it  for  the  support  of  the  "  Orphan  House."  This  and 
the  existence  still  of  a  bill  of  sale  for  a  slave,  bearing  the  signature  of 
the  famous  Jonathan  Edwards,  indicates  the  absence  of  any  belief  at 
that  time,  with  some  good  men,  that  human  bondage  was  forbidden 
by  the  Scriptures. 


THE  NEW  LIGHTSo  335 

to  listen  to  his  preaching ;  and  men's  hearts  burned 
within  them  at  the  tram2:)et-like  appeals  of  the  young 
Timothy  to  flee  from  the  wrath  to  come.  "Metho- 
dism" was  thus  launched.  It  was  the  protest  of  evan- 
gelical against  formal  Christianity.  What  it  taught  was 
that  each  human  being  must  labor  to  work  out  his  own 
salvation;  that  his  salvation  or  damnation  depended 
upon  his  acceptance  or  rejection  of  the  workings  of  the 
Holy  Spirit ;  that  the  grace  of  God  in  Christ  is  univer- 
sal ;  and  that  no  one  is  held  guilty  of  Adam's  sin  until 
he  resolutely  rejects  this  grace  of  Christ.  Thus,  in  doc- 
trine these  new  "  Methodists  "  differed  but  little  from 
the  English  Church,  of  which  they  were  offshoots.  The 
twcw  sacraments  were  baptism  by  sprinkling ;  and  the 
Lord's  Supper  taken  kneeling.  Infants  were  eligible 
to  the  first ;  professing  Christians  and  penitent  seekers 
of  salvation  to  the  last.  In  its  inception  and  afterwards 
Methodism  was  a  missionary  movement  in  the  pale  of 
the  Church,  not  looking  to  a  separate  polity  or  a  sepa- 
rate theology.  The  breath  of  life  was  to  be  breathed  into 
the  skeleton  of  the  old  system ;  and  it  was  to  live  again, 
not  changed,  but  purified  and  restored  to  its  primitive 
vigor.  Whitefield  set  forth  the  old  apostolic  faith  ; 
traveled  in  the  old  paths  ;  and  flowers  sprung  up  be- 
neath his  feet.  Love  was  his  watchword ;  his  Society 
of  Methodists,  as  he  himself  said,  was  "  No  other  than 
a  company  of  men  having  the  form  and  seeking  the 
power  of  Godliness,  united  in  order  to  pray  together, 
to  receive  the  word  of  exhortation,  and  to  watch  over 
one  another  in  love,  that  they  may  help  each  other  to 
work  out  their  salvation." 

Whitefield  came  to  America  twice  and  great  crowds 
followed  him.     He  avoided  church  edifices  for  the  most 


336      VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

part  and  spoke  in  the  open  air ;  and  on  Boston  Common 
twenty  thousand  people  thrilled  at  his  strange  eloquence. 
Coming  to  Williamsburg  (1740),  he  preached  to  multi- 
tudes there,  and  a  great  excitement  followed.  The  peo- 
ple were  weary  of  the  deadness  in  the  Church  of  Eng- 
land, but  as  yet  there  was  no  organized  dissent.  Early 
in  the  century  some  Baptists,  holding  to  the  doctrine 
of  immersion,  had  come  to  southeastern  Virginia,  and 
gotten  into  trouble  with  the  authorities  for  repudiating 
baptism  by  sprinkling  or  pouring;  but  in  the  great  move- 
ment now  at  hand  the  Presbyterians  took  the  initiative. 
A  number  of  respectable  persons,  opposed  to  the  Eng- 
lish Church,  assembled  in  Hanover  at  the  house  of  John 
Morris,  a  citizen  of  that  county ;  adopted  the  Westmin- 
ster Confession,  the  embodiment  of  the  Calvinistic  the- 
oloo-y  ;  and  soon  an  ardent  congregation  collected  and 
was  persecuted  by  the  authorities  for  non-compliance 
with  the  Act  enjoining  attendance  at  "  church."  Op- 
position only  stimulated  the  efforts  of  the  friends  of  the 
movement,  as  it  always  does.  William  Robinson,  an 
English  Presbyterian,  came  and  preached  in  Hanover, 
the  cradle  of  tidewater  Presbyterianism ;  then  others 
followed  him,  "  denouncing  the  delinquency  of  the  par- 
ish ministers  with  unsparing  invective  ;  "  and  a  witness 
swore  that  one  of  the  New  Light  preachers  "uttered 
blasphemous  expressions  in  his  sermons."  The  result 
was  sudden  denunciation  and  persecution  by  the  civil 
authorities.  They  declared  that  "  certain*  false  teachers 
had  lately  crept  into  this  government  who,  professing 
themselves  ministers  under  the  pretended  influence  of 
new  lights  extraordinary  impulse  and  such  like  satirical 
[sic]  and  enthusiastic  hioioledge,  lead  the  innocent  and 
ignorant  people  into  all  kinds  of  delusion."     The  relig- 


THE  NEW  LIGHTS.  337 

ious  professions  of  these  New  Lights  are  "  the  results 
of  Jesuitical  policy  "  only  ;  John  Roan  is  presented  for 
"  reflecting  upon  and  vilifying  the  established  relio-- 
ion ; "  and  Thomas  AYatkins  suffers  the  same  harass- 
ment for  the  outrageous  fling  at  the  clei-gy :  "  Your 
churches  and  chapels  are  no  better  than  the  Syna- 
gogues of  Satan." 

So  far  had  sounded  the  wonderful  eloquence  of  White- 
field.  It  had  shaken  and  awakened.  Under  that  thun- 
der the  dry  bones  stirred  ;  and  the  stir  was  goino-  to  be 
followed  once  more  by  a  good  wholesome  persecution  of 
people  who  presumed  to  think  for  themselves  in  relii^ion, 
as  before  in  the  old  times  under  Sir  William  Berkeley. 
A  sudden  commotion  is  the  result  of  the  New  Lio-ht 
preaching.  The  irruption  of  Methodism,  which  is  vir- 
tual dissent,  arouses  all  the  denominations.  The  Bap- 
tists and  Presbyterians  make  their  protest  and  excite 
the  masses.  The  preachers  of  the  former  faith  will  be 
characterized  as  "  illiterate,  with  an  impassioned  man- 
ner, vehement  gesticulation,  and  a  singular  tone  of 
voice,"  at  which  their  hearers  "  give  way  to  tears,  trem- 
bling, screams,  and  acclamations."  They  will  "sing 
hymns  while  on  the  way  to  prison,  and  address  crowds 
congregated  before  the  windows  of  the  jails ; "  and  they 
and  the  Presbyterians  will  lay  the  foundations  of  relig- 
ious freedom. 

The  great  awakening  of  the  time  is  rending  asunder 
even  dissenting  communions.  Whitefield's  coming  splits 
the  Presbyterian  Church  into  the  "  New  Side  "  and  the 
"  Old  Side,"  the  Pennsylvanian  Presbytery  adhering  to 
the  Old,  and  the  New  York  Presbytery  to  the  New.  It 
is  the  New  Side  which  is  going  to  establish  itself  in 
Virginia;  and  the  Old  Side,  Philadelphia  Synod,  dis- 
22 


338      VIRGINIA:   A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

owns  the  "  uncharitable  and  unchristian  conduct "  of 
those  of  their  communion  in  Virginia  who  talk  about 
the  churches  and  chapels  of  the  English  Church  as 
"synagogues  of  Satan."  But  the  New  Side  Presby- 
terians persist  in  spite  of  proclamations  and  persecu- 
tions, and  soon  they  find  a  tower  of  strength  in  the 
great  and  pure  apostle  Samuel  Davies. 

If  Francis  Makemie  was  the  first  licensed  minister  of 
the  Presbyterian  faith  (1699),  Samuel  Davies  was  the 
founder  of  the  Church,  in  Virginia.  He  was  not  inimical 
to  the  Methodist  movement,  and  afterwards  said  that  the 
English  and  Scottish  Methodists  were  the  most  pious 
of  all  the  people  in  those  countries.  From  the  time  of 
his  coming,  when,  as  he  declared,  there  were  "  not  ten 
avowed  dissenters  within  one  hundred  miles  of  him,"  this 
great  and  good  man  was  the  head  and  front  of  dissent  in 
Virginia.  Born  in  the  State  of  Delaware,  then  a  part 
of  Pennsylvania,  he  had  studied  divinity  uutil  his  frame 
grew  enfeebled  ;  but  there  was  notliing  feeble  in  the 
acute  and  burning  brain  which  inhabited  this  frail  tene- 
ment. Patrick  Henrv  said  of  him  that  he  was  "  the 
greatest  orator  he  had  ever  heard  ;  "  and  he  met  and 
nearly  overthrew  Attorney-General  Randolph  in  a  great 
discussion  of  the  construction  of  the  act  of  toleration. 
He  was  a  man  to  preach  the  faith  before  princes,  and 
preached  it  everywhere.  He  succeeded  in  procuring 
from  the  Attorney-General  in  England  a  decision  that 
the  Act  of  Toleration  was  the  law  of  Virginia ;  and  the 
consequent  licensing  of  the  dissenting  churches,  after 
an  oath  of  allegiance,  and  a  subscription  to  certain  of 
the  articles.  When  he  came  to  Virginia  at  twenty-three 
the  Presbyterian  Church  did  not  exist.  In  three  years 
there  were  churches  in  Caroline,  Louisa,  and   Gooch- 


THE  NEW  LIGHTS.  3-39 

land,  as  well  as  in  Hanover,  "  the  birthplace,"  number- 
ing three  hundred  communicants.  He  was  not  at  all 
bitter  against  the  English  Church;  that  was  not  his 
nature.  The  objections  of  the  Dissenters,  he  said,  were 
"  not  against  the  jDeculiar  rites  and  ceremonies  of  that 
Church ;  much  less  against  their  excellent  Articles,  but 
against  the  general  strain  of  the  doctrines  delivered  from 
the  i^ulpit,  in  which  their  Articles  were  opposed,  or  not 
mentioned  at  all." 

Such  was  the  liberal  and  evangelical  Christianity  of  this 
eminent  young  man,  all  whose  instincts  were  expanded. 
Afterwards  he  went  to  England  to  obtain  money  for 
Princeton  College  ;  made  a  great  name  as  a  preacher, 
especially  in  Scotland  ;  and  returning  to  Virginia  estab- 
lished (1755)  the  first  Presbytery  there.  It  was  during 
the  next  year,  after  Braddock's  defeat,  that  he  spoke 
of  "  that  heroic  youth,  Colonel  Washington,  whom  I 
cannot  but  hope  Providence  hath  hitherto  preserved  in 
so  signal  a  manner  for  some  important  service  to  his 
country."  The  young  preacher  was  thirty-three  when  he 
said  this  of  the  young  soldier  of  twenty-four ;  and  soon 
afterwards  he  went  away  to  succeed  the  famous  Calvin- 
ist,  Jonathan  Edwards,  as  President  of  Princeton, 
where  he  died,  still  young ;  but  not  before  he  had  made 
a  great  and  lasting  name. 

This  outline  will  indicate  the  condition  of  religious 
affairs  in  Virginia  at  the  middle  of  the  century.  The 
Church  of  England  is  in  the  ascendant,  with  nothing 
to  check  it  but  a  variously  construed  Act  of  Toleration. 
In  Hanover  and  elsewhere  the  Presbyterians  and  Bap- 
tists arc  clamoring  for  religious  freedom.  Beyond  the 
mountains  German  Lutherans  and  Scotch-Irish  Presby- 
terians demand  the  "  free  enjoyment  of  their  civil  and 


340      VIRGINIA:    A   BISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

religious  liberties."  The  fossilized  crust  of  drj-bones 
and  old-world  prejudices  is  slowly  cracking  under  the 
pressure,  and  the  new  time  is  coming.  After  all  the 
years,  religious  freedom,  long  writhing  with  the  knee 
on  its  breast  and  the  hand  at  its  throat,  is  going  to  stand 
erect  and  bid  defiance  to  whatever  attempts  to  over- 
throw it. 

XXV. 

"■FRANCE    AND    ENGLAND    IN    THE    "  GREAT    WOODS." 

Just  as  the  half  century  expired,  Virginia  was  called 
on  to  protect  her  frontier  beyond  the  Ohio.  What  fol- 
lowed was  the  "  French  War,"  which  proved  a  passion- 
ate episode  in  the  history  of  the  colony,  as  well  as  a 
decisive  trial  of  strength  between  France  and  England 
in  America. 

The  issue  to  be  decided  was  the  ownership  of  the 
territory  extending  from  the  Great  Lakes  to  Louisiana. 
France  urged  her  claim  to  it  on  the  ground  that  a 
French  subject,  Padre  Marquette,  had  in  1673  sailed 
down  the  Mississippi  and  taken  possession  of  it  in  the 
name  of  France  ;  and  the  English  claimed  it  on  the 
ground  that  it  was  part  of  Virginia,  and  had  also  been 
conveyed  to  them  by  the  Iroquois.  Either  title  might 
be  plausibly  maintained,  but  the  real  question  was  which 
could  be  supported  by  arms  ;  to  which  issue  affairs  had 
drifted  at  the  middle  of  the  century.  Both  powers 
moved  in  the  matter.  The  English  organized  the  "  Ohio 
Company  "  to  form  settlements  in  the  region  ;  and  the 
French,  burying  a  lead  plate  inscribed  with  an  assertion 
of  their  claim,  on  the  banks  of  La  Belle  Riviere,  the 
Ohio,  proceeded  to  occupy  the  country  with  troops  and 


IN  THE  "  GREAT  WOODS.''  341 

settlers.  Most  important  of  all,  they  erected  a  chain  of 
forts  reaching  fi-om  the  Lakes  to  the  southwest,  which 
Spotswoocl  had  vainly  urged  on  his  own  government. 
Canadian  France  in  the  north  thus  joined  hands,  through 
the  "  Great  Woods,"  with  Lousianiau  France  in  the 
south ;  and  the  English  settlements  on  the  Atlantic 
were  hemmed  in  by  this  cordon.  France  said  to  them, 
through  the  mouths  of  her  cannon,  "  Thus  far  and  no 
farther." 

In  1753  things  were  coming  to  a  crisis.  The  west- 
ern territory  swarmed  with  French  hunters  and  traders  ; 
they  were  advancing  step  by  step,  and  if  England  meant 
to  support  her  claim  to  the  country  it  was  necessary  to 
do  so  quickly.  The  result  was  that  cannon  and  supplies 
were  sent  to  Virginia,  and  the  Governor  was  directed  to 
formally  assert  the  English  title,  and  if  necessary  fight. 
The  Governor  at  the  time  was  Robert  Dinwiddie,  a 
native  of  Scotland,  who  had  succeeded  Gooch  in  1752. 
In  obedience  to  his  orders  he  drew  up  his  protest  against 
the  French  occupation,  and  selected  as  his  envoy  a  young 
Virginian,  Major  George  Washington. 

This  is  the  first  appearance  of  Washington  in  public 
affairs.  He  was  just  twenty-one  and  unknown  beyond 
the  borders  of  Virginia ;  but  had  already  established 
there  the  reputation  of  a  young  man  of  excellent  ad- 
ministrative ability.  An  accident  had  directed  his  life. 
At  the  age  of  sixteen,  Lord  Fairfax  had  selected  him  to 
survey  his  lands  beyond  the  Blue  Ridge,  and  the  boy 
had  spent  some  years  roughing  it  on  the  border.  The 
result  was  a  manly  development  and  self-reliance  which 
fitted  him  for  great  performances ;  and  the  personal 
association  with  Lord  Fairfax  was  another  important 
influence   in   shaping  his  character.     The  lonely  Earl 


342     VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

had  come  to  reside  at  Green  way  Court  in  the  Shenan- 
doah Valley,  and  here  the  boy  often  stopped  as  he  jour- 
neyed to  and  fro.  The  result  was  a  warm  personal 
friendship  from  which  the  country  youth  must  have 
profited.  Lord  Fairfax  was  a  man  of  the  world  and 
had  seen  life  in  every  form.  He  had  passed  his  youth 
as  a  fine  gentleman  in  the  most  elegant  society  of  Lon- 
don ;  had  known  Addison,  and  even  written  some  num- 
bers of  the  "  Spectator  ;  "  and  after  mingling  with  dukes 
and  duchesses  and  flirting  the  fans  of  fine  ladies,  had 
come,  a  disappointed  old  man,  to  pass  his  age  in  the 
Virginia  woods.  He  was  almost  alone  at  Greenway 
Court,  where  he  spent  his  time  chiefly  in  hunting ;  and 
the  visits  of  vouns;  Georo^e  Washinfjton  were  doubtless 
a  great  pleasure  to  him.  To  the  youth  they  must  have 
been  equally  profitable  in  expanding  his  views  and 
giving  him  a  glimpse  of  the  great  world  ;  and  it  is  cer- 
tain that  to  the  end  of  his  life  he  retained  the  warmest 
reo;ard  for  the  old  nobleman. 

The  direct  result  of  this  early  association  and  employ- 
ment as  surveyor  was  to  place  him  in  the  way  of  pro- 
motion. His  ability  was  recognized,  and  at  nineteen  he 
was  appointed  Adjutant-General  of  the  Northern  Dis- 
trict of  Virginia.  He  discharged  his  duties  with  credit ; 
became  known  as  a  man  of  efficiency  ;  and  the  result 
was  his  selection  to  bear  the  English  protest  beyond  the 
Ohio. 

His  adventures  on  this  perilous  expedition  are  famil- 
iar to  all.  In  a  freezing  spell  of  weather  (November, 
1753),  he  set  out  with  a  small  party ;  penetrated  the 
woods  to  the  Indian  village  of  Logstown  :  and  was  there 
directed  where  to  find  tlie  French  Commandant  near 
Lake  Erie.     He  was  the  Chevalier  de  St.  Pierre,  an  old 


IN  THE   ''GREAT  WOODS:'  343 

nobleman  with  silvery  hair,  and  met  the  envoy  with  low 
bows  and  profuse  courtesies.  Under  the  courtier,  how- 
ever, was  the  soldier.  His  reply  to  Dinwiddle's  protest 
was  :  *•  I  am  here  by  the  orders  of  my  General,  and  I 
entreat  you,  sir,  not  to  doubt  one  moment,  but  that  I 
am  determined  to  conform  myself  to  them  with  all  the 
exactness  and  resolution  that  can  be  expected  from  the 
best  officer."  .  With  this  response  Washington  was 
obliged  to  return ;  and  the  march  back  was  terrible. 
The  rivers  were  full  of  broken  ice,  and  often  the  party 
were  compelled  to  carry  the  canoes  on  their  shoulders. 
The  worn-out  horses  stumbled  and  fell  in  the  roads  and 
made  no  progress ;  and  at  last  Washington  with  one 
companion  set  out  on  foot,  knapsack  on  shoulder,  through 
the  snow  for  Virginia.  The  journey  was  made  at  the 
risk  of  his  life.  Near  a  place  bearing  the  ominous  name 
of  Murdering  Town,  an  Indian  guide  attempted  to  shoot 
him,  and  not  far  from  the  present  city  of  Pittsburg,  while 
crossing  the  Alleghany  on  a  raft,  he  fell  into  the  water 
filled  with  floating  ice  and  narrowly  escaped  drowning. 
Gaining  an  island  he  passed  the  night  there  half  frozen, 
and  nearly  perished ;  but  pushing  on  in  the  morning 
through  the  winter  woods  at  last  reached  the  settle- 
ments, from  which  he  continued  his  way  on  horseback, 
and  in  sixteen  days  was  at  Williamsburg. 

The  English  protest  had  thus  come  to  nothing,  and 
in  the  next  year  (1754),  an  expedition  was  sent  against 
the  French,  which  resulted  in  the  disaster  of  the  Great 
Meadows.  This  brief  and  rather  inglorious  incident 
demands  only  a  few  words.  The  vanguard  of  the  Eng- 
lish force,  commanded  by  Washington,  advanced  toward 
the  present  Pittsburg,  when  intelligence  was  received 
that  a  large  body  of  French  and  Indians  were  coming 


344     VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

to  attack  him.  He  took  the  initiative  by  surprising  a 
French  party  under  De  Jumonville,  who  fell  in  the 
eno-ao-ement,  and  then  retreating  to  a  point  known  as 
Great  Meadows  threw  up  intrenchments.  Here  the 
enemy  in  large  force  soon  appeared  and  made  a  resolute 
attack.  It  resulted  in  the  surrender  of  the  English, 
who  seem  to  have  been  without  ammunition,  and  (July 
4,  1754),  they  marched  out  and  made  their  way  back  to 
Virginia. 

Such  was  the  first  military  event  in  the  career  of 
Washington.  It  was  not  very  imposing,  but  the  sur- 
render seems  to  have  been  a  military  necessity,  since 
the  young  commander  and  his  troops  received  the  thanks 
of  the  Virginia  Assembly.  The  result  was  for  the  time 
decisive.  The  first  appeal  to  arms  had  been  disastrous 
to  the  English  claim  ;  and  the  leaden  plate,  buried  by 
the  French  on  the  banks  of  the  Ohio,  seemed  to  have 
asserted  a  title  to  the  country  which  France  was  able  to 
support  vv'ith  muskets  and  cannon. 


XXVI. 

THE    TRAGEDY    OP    DUQUESNE. 

The  surrender  at  Great  Meadows  aroused  a  bitter 
excitement  in  England.  The  English  flag  had  gone 
down  before  the  lilies  of  France ;  and  the  possession  of 
half  a  continent  was  at  issue.  After  all  the  long  pro- 
tests and  diplomatic  wrangles  affairs  in  America  had 
suddenly  come  to  the  sword  ;  and  the  French  sword  had 
beat  down  the  English. 

Prompt  steps  were  taken  to  reverse  this  great  disas- 
ter by  another  appeal  to  arms ;  and  this  time  the  fight- 


THE  TRAGEDY  OF  DUQUESNE.  845 


ing  was  not  to  be  confined  to  one  region,  but  to  aim  at 
a  great  general  result.  A  comprehensive  scheme  for 
driving  the  French  from  the  entire  country  was  matured 
in  England;  and  (February,  1755),  General  Edward 
Braddock,  with  an  English  force  of  about  1,000  men,  was 
sent  to  carry  out  part  of  the  project.  The  General  first 
conferred  with  Governor  Dinwiddle  at  Williamsburg, 
and  then  proceeded  to  Alexandria  on  the  Potomac, where 
his  troops  wei-e  quartered.  Here  he  was  met  in  April 
by  the  Governors  of  Massachusetts,  New  York,  Penn- 
sylvania, Maryland,  and  Virginia.  The  plan  of  opera- 
tions was  speedily  determined  upon.  The  EHglish  troops 
sent  to  Virginia,  reiinforced  by  Provincials,  were  to  ad- 
vance and  capture  Fort  Duquesne,  then  to  march  and 
reduce  Fort  Niagara,  then  Fort  Frontenac  and  all  the 
French  strongholds  toward  the  Lakes.  Of  the  success 
of  the  campaign,  Braddock  said  there  could  be  no 
doubt.  Duquesne  would  certainly  capitulate  in  three  or 
four  days  ;  the  others  would  follow  the  same  example ; 
and  by  autumn  of  this  year  (1755),  the  English  would 
be  masters  of  all  North  America  south  of  the  St.  Law- 
rence. 

It  was  a  very  fine  campaign  —  on  paper,  or  set  forth 
in  the  eloquent  words,  interspersed  with  oaths,  of  Gen- 
eral Braddock.  The  English  authorities  had  made  a 
very  bad  selection  of  a  leader.  The  commander  in  this 
important  expedition  was  a  brave  soldier  and  nothing 
more.  He  was  about  forty,  bluff  of  manner,  rubicund, 
fond  of  "  strong  waters,"  with  an  overweening  opinion 
of  his  own  capacity,  very  obstinate,  immensely  preju- 
diced in  favor  of  "  regular  troops,"  and  cordially  de- 
spised the  ragged  Provincials.  A  certain  civilian  from 
Pennsylvania,  Benjamin  Franklin  by  name,  gave  him 


346      VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

sound  advice  which  he  only  laughed  at.  When  Brad- 
dock,  rattling  his  sword  and  swearing  his  military  oaths, 
spoke  of  capturing  Fort  Duquesne  with  little  difficulty, 
the  cautious  Franklin  replied:  — 

"  To  be  sure,  sir,  if  you  arrive  ivell  hefore  Duquesne, 
with  these  fine  troops,  tlie  fort  can  probably  make  but  a 
short  resistance." 

But  there  were  the  Indians,  —  added  this  obstinate 
civilian  with  his  provincial  ideas  of  military  operations. 
The  Indians  would  side  with  the  French  and  watch  the 
English  from  the  moment  when  they  entered  the  Great 
Woods,  and  unless  the  utmost  care  were  taken  the  scar- 
let column  would  be  "  cut  like  a  thread  into  several 
pieces."  At  this  the  bluff  soldier  burst  forth  into  oaths 
and  expressions  of  disdain. 

"  These  savages,"  he  exclaimed,  "  may  be  indeed  a 
formidable  enemy  to  rmv  American  militia,  but  upon 
the  King's  regular  and  disciplined  troops,  sir,  it  is  impos- 
sible to  make  any  impression  !" 

It  was  the  pride  that  goes  before  the  heavy  falls  of 
life.  This  worthy  soldier,  as  brave  as  his  sword,  and 
with  a  hundred  generous  instincts,  wanted  the  brain  of 
the  army-leader,  and  was  merely  a  fighting  man.  The 
only  act  of  his  life,  at  this  critical  moment,  which  indi- 
cated prudence  was  the  invitation  sent  to  young  Colonel 
George  Washington,  of  Mount  Vernon,  to  accompany 
him  as  a  member  of  his  staff.  Washington  had  resigned 
his  commission  in  great  disgust,  at  the  end  of  1754, 
upon  hearing  that,  under  a  new  organization,  his  subor- 
dhiates  were  to  rank  him.  He  however  accepted  Brad- 
dock's  invitation,  and  thus  became  an  actor  in  the  trag- 
edy that  followed.  It  was  May  now,  and  the  English 
troops  were  on  the  march  westward  to  the  rendezvous. 


THE   TRAGEDY  OF  DUQUESNE.  347 

Early  in  July  all  was  to  end,  as  a  tragic  drama  ends 
with  the  fall  of  the  curtain. 

General  Braddock  had  ordered  his  forces  to  be  con- 
centrated at  AYills's  Creek,  the  present  Cumberland,  on 
the  upper  Potomac.  He  followed  them  toward  the  end 
of  May,  traveling  in  his  coach,  and  stopped,  it  seems,  at 
Greenway  Court  to  visit  Lord  Fairfax.  As  an  English 
nobleman  and  "  County  Lieutenant "  of  all  the  lower 
Shenandoah  Valley,  the  old  lord  was  entitled  to  this 
mark  of  respect ;  and  Washington  also  went  to  Green- 
way  to  procure  fresh  horses.  The  tarrying  there  was 
brief.  The  lawn  in  front  of  the  old  lodge  with  its  bel- 
fries on  the  roof,  echoed  for  a  moment  with  the  rattle 
of  hoofs,  and  the  roll  of  wheels,  as  Braddock  stopped  to 
greet  the  Earl ;  then  the  fine  coach  was  whirled  away, 
and  the  General  had  made  his  first  and  last  visit  to  the 
sylvan  manor-house.  He  hastened  on  through  Winches- 
ter, a  small  border  village,  uttered  volleys  of  curses  at 
the  horrible  mountain  roads,  and  reaching  Cumberland 
passed  in  front  of  his  troops,  like  a  military  meteor,  in 
the  midst  of  rollinoj  drums  and  the  thunder  of  cannon. 

At  once  the  firm  soldier-hand  was  felt  throughout  the 
little  army.  Stringent  orders  were  issued  and  rigidly 
enforced ;  some  Indian  beauties  in  camp,  of  whom  "  the 
officers  were  scandalous  fond,"  — among  them  the  "daz- 
zlinoj  Bright  Liirhtnins^,  the  daus^hter  of  White  Thun- 
der,"  —  were  ordered  to  depart ;  and  Washington,  look- 
ing with  ardent  eyes  at  this  new  military  pageant,  was 
delighted  with  everything,  and  studied  his  profession  for 
another  struggle,  —  against  these  red-coats.  But  Gen- 
eral Braddock  was  in  no  better  humor  than  when  he 
had  "  heartily  damned  "  the  Virginia  roads.  He  could 
get  no  wagons,  and  uttered  fearful  oaths.     When  some 


348      VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

one  told  him  he  must  go  on  horseback,  he  "  desj^ised  his 
observations ; "  and  when  Washington  said  that  the 
march  of  a  column  with  wagons  would  prove  "  a  tre- 
mendous undertaking,"  the  General  did  not  conceal  his 
displeasure  at  the  intrusion  of  such  crude  notions  by  a 
mere  "  Provincial." 

The  army  set  out  from  Cumberland  in  the  first  days 
of  June  (1755).  It  consisted  of  two  royal  regiments 
numbering  together  one  thousand  men,  and  Provincials 
from  Virginia,  Maryland,  and  New  York,  which  made 
the  full  force  a  little  more  than  two  thousand.  Soon 
the  tremendous  undertaking  of  penetrating  the  Great 
Woods  with  the  unwieldy  column  began.  The  army 
was  followed  by  a  long  train  of  wagons  loaded  down 
with  the  bajxixaae  of  the  officers ;  and  the  line  often  ex- 
tended  for  three  or  four  miles.  It  was  the  wildest  of 
absurdities.  Never  had  obstinate  adherence  to  martinet 
ideas  had  so  strong  an  illustration.  This  English  soldier, 
relying  on  English  traditions,  was  dragging  his  cumbrous 
machine  through  the  American  woods  as  if  they  were 
the  plains  of  Europe.  And  all  this  time  his  dread 
enemy  was  watching  him.  From  the  heights  of  every 
mountain  Indian  runners  looked  down  and  laughed 
quietly.  But  the  pioneers  still  went  in  front  cutting  a 
road  for  the  creaking  wagons ;  the  scattered  troops 
straggled  along  ;  and  in  this  manner  General  Braddock 
went  into  the  ffreat  res-ion  called  the  "  Shades  of 
Death,"  the  shadow  of  his  own  hovering  above  him. 

At  Little  Meadows  Braddock  saw  for  the  first  time 
that  he  was  committing  a  terrible  blunder.  He  had  re- 
fused to  listen  to  the  advice  of  Washington,  but  now 
swallowed  his  pride,  and  consulted  the  "  Provincial." 
Washington,  always  grave  and  courteous,  repeated  his 


THE  TRAGEDY  OF  DUQUESNE,  349 

former  views.  It  was  necessary  to  mobilize  the  army  ; 
to  leave  the  baggage  behind,  and  advance  rapidly  with 
a  body  of  picked  troops,  and  ammunition  on  pack- 
horses,  and  so  surprise  Fort  Duquesne  before  it  could 
be  reenforced.  Braddock  consented  with  ill-concealed 
reluctance  ;  then  his  splendid  regulars  were  not  all-suf- 
ficient, advancing  and  fighting  in  their  own  manner  ! 
His  wrath  descended  on  a  brave  ranger,  since  it  effected 
nothing  with  this  grave  young  Colonel  Washington. 
Captain  Jack,  called  the  "  Black  Rifle,"  a  famous 
fighter  of  the  woods,  came  and  offered  his  services.  He 
would  go  with  his  rangers  in  front,  he  said,  and  recon- 
noitre.    But  Braddock  tossed  away  from  him. 

"  There  was  time  enough,"  he  said  haughtily,  "  for 
making  arrangements ;  he  had  experienced  troops  upon 
whom  he  could  completely  rely  for  all  purposes." 

Thereupon  the  borderer,  shouldering  his  rifle,  turned 
his  back  on  Braddock  and  went  away  with  his  rangers 
to  their  homes  on  the  Juniata,  — leaving  him  to  his  fate. 
Even  then  the  old  folly  went  on.  "  They  were  halting," 
Washington  afterwards  said,  "  to  level  every  mole-hill 
and  erect  bridges  over  every  brook,  by  which  means  we 
were  four  days  in  getting  twelve  miles'^  Some  friendly 
Indians  went  before  to  scour  the  woods.  Traces  of  fires 
were  found  showing  that  French  scouts  were  every- 
where ;  but  no  opposition  was  made,  and  at  last  they 
halted  on  the  Monongahela,  about  fifteen  miles  south  of 
Fort  Duquesne  (July  8,  1755). 

The  grapple  was  near  now ;  this  night  was  the  last 
spent  by  many  a  brave  fellow  on  earth.  Braddock  re- 
solved to  advance  and  attack  the  fort  on  the  next  morn- 
ing. It  was  only  a  short  march  distant,  and  the  English 
were  now  on  the  same  side  of  the  river.     But  to  reach 


350       VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

Duquesne  it  was  necessary  to  make  two  crossings.  A 
steep  bank  in  front  ran  down  into  the  water  rendering 
a  passage  there  impossible ;  there  was,  however,  a  prac- 
ticable ford,  and  another  five  miles  below  ;  and  Braddock 
determined  to  cross  at  the  two  fords  and  so  advance  to 
the  attack. 

Early  on  the  next  morning  (Jnly  9,  1755),  he  moved 
with  his  advance  of  twelve  hundred  men  and  ten  can- 
non. The  march  was  made  in  the  most  unconcerned 
manner.  True  to  the  last  to  his  disdain  of  precaution, 
Braddock  advanced  with  his  "regulars"  in  front;  with 
drums  rolling,  fifes  shrilling,  and  flags  floating  in  all  the 
pride  and  pomp  of  glorious  war.  There  were  a  great 
man^  people  who  could  have  told  him  that  he  was  tempt- 
ing his  fate ;  but  talking  reason  to  General  Braddock 
had,  for  some  weeks  now,  proved  a  loss  of  time.  So  the 
brave  "  regulars  "  stepped  out  proudly  to  the  tap  of  the 
drum  ;  the  English  music  sounded  ;  the  English  flags 
flaunted ;  and  the  Virginian  and  other  "  provincial  " 
rangers  of  the  woods  marched  behind,  to  assist  in  the 
improbable  event  that  their  services  would  be  required. 
Washington  said  afterwards  that  this  was  the  finest  sight 
he  had  ever  witnessed ;  and  so  the  twelve  hundred 
doomed  men  crossed  the  ford  in  triumph  ;  found  no  more 
trouble  at  the  lower  crossing  ;  and  were  now  on  the  east 
bank  again,  not  far  from  Fort  Duquesne. 

The  commandant  there  was  De  Contrecoeur,  and  he 
had  despaired  of  holding  the  place  ;  exaggerated  reports 
of  Braddock's  force  had  reached  him  ;  and  he  was  con- 
sulting whether  to  stand  fast  or  evacuate  the  fort,  when 
De  Beaujeu,  one  of  his  young  captains,  offered  to  take 
a  force  and  advance  to  meet  the  English.  To  this  De 
Contrecoeur  assented.  De  Beaujeu  marched  prom2:)tly ; 
and  the  collision  followed. 


THE  TRAGEDY  OF  DUQUESNE.  351 

The  English  had  crossed  the  ford  and  were  marchino; 
across  a  plain  in  front  of  which  were  wooded  hills.  On 
each  side  of  the  road  Jeading  up  this  slope  were  ravines, 
covered  with  thicket,  and  here  the  battle  took  place. 
The  English  had  reached  the  spot,  when  a  commotion 
in  the  woods  in  front  attracted  their  attention.  It  was 
De  Beaujeu  advancing  at  the  head  of  his  two  hundred 
and  thirty  Canadians,  and  six  hundred  and  thirty  sav- 
ages, in  all  860  men.  The  young  Frenchman  bounded 
forward  in  a  gay  hunting-shirt  and  silver  gorget,  and 
waved  his  hat  —  the  signal  for  his  skirmishers  to  scatter 
behind  the  trees  and  rocks.  At  the  sio;nal  the  Indians 
disappeared  to  the  right  and  left,  leaving  the  French  in 
the  centre;  and  upon  this  force  the  English  opened  a 
quick  fire  which  killed  about  twelve  men,  among  them 
De  Beaujeu,  who  fell  as  he  was  cheering  on  his  troops. 
But  the  English  good  fortune  was  short-lived  ;  it  was 
the  only  gleam  of  success,  this  first  quick  fire,  during 
the  whole  bloody  tragedy. 

There  was  no  battle,  properly  speaking  ;  it  was  a 
mere  slaughter.  The  English  regulars,  huddled  up  like 
sheep  in  a  narrow  road,  from  which  they  could  not  extri- 
cate themselves,  lost  their  heads  at  the  merciless  fire  from 
the  ravines,  fired  in  the  air,  were  seized  by  mortal  panic, 
and  had  not  even  the  presence  of  mind  to  fly.  The  offi- 
cers, who  acted  "  with  incomparable  bravery,"  would  not 
let  them  take  shelter  behind  trees,  and  in  vain  attempted 
to  make  them  advance.  They  seemed  not  to  hear 
the  words,  or  to  feel  the  flats  of  the  swords  striking 
their  backs;  the  terrible  fire,  poured  into  their  ranks 
from  the  Indians  hidden  behind  the  rocks,  paralyzed 
them.  Rioht  and  left  from  the  tanoled  ravines  issued 
fatal  volleys  ;  and  at  every  shot  almost,  a  red-coat  fell, 


352      VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

for  the  Indians  aimed  deliberately  before  firing.  The 
Virginia  ranjjers  scattered  and  fouoht  from  behind  trees 
as  they  were  accustomed  to  do.  This  and  the  cannon 
was  all  that  preserved  the  regulars  from  a  consecutive 
butchery  of  each  man  in  turn.  They  stood  there  dazed 
and  deprived  of  reason.  Their  "  dastardly  behavior  " 
showed  that  there  was  no  longer  any  hope.  Their  offi- 
cers and  the  Viro;inians  and  other  Provincials  did  all 
that  men  could  do,  but  it  was  in  vain.  Washington 
had  "  four  bullets  through  his  coat  and  two  horses  shot 
under  him."  Braddock  had  three  horses  killed  under 
him,  and  two  wounded  so  as  to  be  disabled.  He  did  all 
that  a  brave  soldier  could  do  ;  but  he  was  struggling 
against  what  no  commander  can  make  headway  against 
—  the  pusillanimity  of  his  men.  The  Indian  fire  utterly 
destroyed  now  their  remains  of  courage.  They  broke 
and  rolled  over  each  other  in  the  wild  attempt  to  es- 
cape. At  last  Braddock  fell.  A  bullet  passed  through 
his  right  arm,  entered  his  breast,  and  he  would  have 
dropped  from  the  saddle  had  not  Captain  Stewart  of 
the  Virginia  Light  Horse  caught  him  in  his  arms.  In 
his  agony  he  groaned  aloud  and  asked  to  be  left  to  die 
on  the  field.  His  men  were  now  in  wild  disorder. 
They  threw  away  their  guns,  accoutrements,  and  even 
their  clothes,  and  rushed  into  the  river.  Cannon,  in- 
fantry, and  horse  hastened  away,  and  the  Virginia 
rangers  were  obliged  to  follow.  The  army  was  in  wild 
flight.  They  had  lost  more  than  half  their  number  by 
that  fearful  hidden  fire.  Sir  Peter  Halket  was  dead  ; 
Shirley,  secretary  of  Braddock,  was  shot  through  the 
head  ;  the  Virginians  were  nearly  decimated :  out  of 
eighty-six  officers  twenty-six  were  killed  and  thirty- 
seven  wounded.     The  enemy's  loss,  all  numbered,  was 


THE  TRAGEDY    OF  DUQUESNE.  353 

but  twenty-eight  killed  and  twenty-nine  wounded.  All 
that  saved  the  English  was  the  cupidity  of  the  sav- 
ages. They  stopped  to  gather  up  the  muskets  and  scar- 
let coats  littering  the  ground  ;  and  that  alone  preserved 
the  fugitives  from  the  tomahawk  as  they  rushed  over 
the  Monontjahela. 

Braddock  was  borne  from  the  field,  and  his  friends 
hastened  on  with  their  mortally  wounded  commander. 
His  brave  English  officers  and  the  Virginians  were  the 
only  people  who  remained  with  him.  His  own  men, 
mastered  by  a  shameful  jDanic,  deserted  him.  He  was 
placed,  according  to  tradition,  in  the  folds  of  a  large 
silk  sash;  the  ends  were  affixed  to  the  saddles  of  two 
horses  moving  abreast ;  and  in  this  military  fashion  the 
dying  officer  took  his  way  back  toward  Virginia,  which 
he  was  never  to  reach.  The  army  had  vanished,  and 
only  the  little  cavalcade  of  English  officers  and  Pro- 
vincials remained  with  poor  Braddock.  In  these  last 
hours  he  saw  all  his  errors,  and  told  the  Virginians, 
who  were  "  unremitting  in  their  attentions  to  him,'* 
that  he  had  done  them  injustice :  they  were  true  sol- 
diers, who  had  acquitted  themselves  like  men.  To 
Washington,  who  seems  to  have  commanded  the  little 
escort,  he  apologized  feelingly  for  all  his  ill-humor  ; 
and,  as  an  evidence  of  his  regard,  presented  him  with 
a  favorite  riding  horse,  and  his  own  servant,  Bishop. 
As  he  went  on  through  the  "  Shades  of  Death "  he 
kept  groaning  and  muttering,  — 

"  Who  would  have  thought  it !  Who  would  have 
thought  it !  But  we  shall  know  better  how  to  deal  with 
them  another  time  !  " 

He  was  not  to  have  any  more  dealings  with  them. 
As  he  drew  near  Great  Meadows,  the  scene  of  Wash- 
23 


354      VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

ington's  capitulation  in  the  year  before,  his  strength 
failed  him.  He  could  go  no  further,  and  the  end  soon 
came.  Four  days  after  the  battle  to  which  he  had  ad- 
vanced with  the  joy  of  a  soldier,  Braddock  expired  (July 
13,  1755),  and  was  buried  in  the  wilderness.  His  grave 
was  dug  near  old  Fort  Necessity,  and  Washington  read 
the  burial  service,  for  there  was  no  chaplain.  Then 
the  spot  was  carefully  concealed  to  prevent  its  discovery 
by  the  Indians  ;  and  without  even  firing  a  salute  over 
the  soldier's  grave,  the  English  officers  and  the  Virgin- 
ians continued  their  way  toward  Cumberland. 

The  remnant  of  the  fine  army  had  preceded  them  —  a 
crowd  of  disordered  fugitives.  The  campaign  which 
was  to  capture  Duquesne  and  Niagara  and  Frontenac 
before  the  autumn,  had  ended  in  a  single  month  with 
Braddock  cold  in  his  grave,  and  the  flower  of  his  troops 
butchered.  What  was  left  of  his  fine  array  marching 
proudly  to  the  tap  of  the  drum,  was  a  remnant  of  shud- 
dering fuofitives,  crouchinor  down  behind  the  defenses  at 
Fort  Cumberland,  and  listening  for  the  tramp  of  the 
French  and  the  yells  of  the  savages. 

XXVII. 

THE    END    OF    THE    STRUGGLE. 

The  bloody  ending  of  Braddock's  enterprise  exposed 
the  whole  western  frontier  of  Virginia  to  the  enemy. 
She  had  to  look  to  herself  now,  for  the  King's  troops 
and  commanders  had  been  tried  and  found  wanting. 
Washington,  the  one  man  who  was  able  to  protect  the 
border,  had  been  set  aside  as  a  "  Provincial,"  and  had 
returned  to  Mount  Vernon  ;  but  now  in  the  time  of  pub- 


THE  END    OF  THE  STRUGGLE.  355 

lie  distress  lie  was  again  called  upon.  In  the  autumn 
of  1755,  when  the  shadow  of  the  Duquesne  disaster  dark- 
ened the  whole  frontier,  he  was  sent  to  Winchester  by 
the  Virginia  authorities  to  defend  the  valley. 

The  times  demanded  the  faculties  of  the  orofanizer 
and  the  nerve  of  the  soldier.  The  remon  toward  the 
Ohio  swarmed  with  Indians  who  were  inflamed  by  the 
disaster  to  the  Eno;lish  arms  and  were  committing:  mer- 
ciless  outraires  on  the  inhabitants.  Of  these  outrages 
we  find  terrible  accounts  in  the  border  chronicles,  of 
which  one  or  two  examples  are  here  given  :  "  An  In- 
dian seized  Mrs.  Scott  and  ordered  her  not  to  move; 
others  stabbed  and  cut  the  throats  of  the  three  smaller 
children  in  their  beds,  and  afterwards  lifting  them  up, 
dashed  them  upon  the  floor  near  their  mother.  The 
eldest,  a  beautiful  girl  of  eight  years  old,  awoke,  es- 
caped out  of  bed,  ran  to  her  parent  and  cried,  "  O 
mamma,  mamma  !  Save  me  !  "  The  mother  with  a  flood 
of  tears  entreated  the  savages  to  spare  the  child,  but 
they  tomahawked  and  stabbed  her  in  her  mother's  arms." 
Such  events  were  of  frequent  occurrence,  and  even 
greater  enormities  were  committed.  In  the  Shenan- 
doah Valley  a  settler's  house  was  attacked  by  savages, 
burned  to  the  ground,  and  four  children,  torn  from  their 
mother,  hung  to  trees  and  shot  to  death.  One  boy  of 
twelve  or  thirteen  was  taken  away  prisoner  with  his 
father  and  bjother,  and  his  fate  is  given  in  the  words 
of  the  border  historian  :  "  They  first  ordered  him  to  col- 
lect a  quantity  of  dry  wood.  The  poor  little  fellow 
shuddered,  burst  into  tears,  and  told  his  father  they 
intended  to  burn  him.  His  father  replied,  '  I  hope 
not,'  and  advised  him  to  obey.  When  he  had  collected 
a  suflicient  quantity  of  wood,  they  cleared  and  smoothed 


356      VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

a  ring  around  a  sapling,  to  whicli  they  tied  liim  by  one 
hand,  then  formed  a  trail  of  wood  around  the  tree,  and 
set  it  on  fire.  The  poor  boy  was  then  compelled  to  run 
round  in  this  ring  of  fire  until  his  rope  wound  him  up 
to  the  sapling,  and  then  hack  till  he  came  iyi  contact  with 
the  fiame,  whilst  his  infernal  tormentors  were  drinking, 
singing,  and  dancing  around  him.  This  was  continued 
for  several  hours,  until  the  poor  and  helpless  boy  fell 
and  expired  with  the  most  excruciating  torments." 

These  horrors  will  account  for  the  old  border  senti- 
ment toward  the  Indians.  Intense  hatred  burned  in 
every  breast,  and  the  war  of  the  races  was  a  war  to  the 
death.  Under  the  pressure  of  the  incessant  peril  the 
characters  of  the  frontiersmen  developed  the  rugged 
strength  which  is  so  noticeable  a  feature  of  the  times ; 
and  the  millions  of  Americans  who  are  descended  from 
them  have  in  their  blood  still  the  manhood  resultinsc 
from  these  bitter  trials. 

When  Washington  repaired  to  Winchester  he  found 
the  place  full  of  refugees,  and  he  wrote  to  Governor 
Dinwiddle  :  "  The  supplicating  tears  of  the  women  and 
moving  petitions  of  the  men  melt  me  into  such  deadly 
sorrow  that  I  solemnly  declare,  if  I  know  my  own  mind, 
I  could  offer  myself  a  willing  sacrifice  to  the  butchering 
enemy,  provided  that  would  contribute  to  the  people's 
ease."  It  was  hard  to  reduce  the  chaos  to  order,  but 
the  work  was  performed ;  and  soon  the  frontier  was  in 
a  state  of  defense.  A  fort  was  built  in  the  suburbs  of 
the  town,  named  Fort  Loudoun  from  the  English  com- 
mander ;  and  this  was  mounted  with  twenty-four  cannon, 
and  had  barracks  for  four  hundred  and  fifty  men.  In 
liis  quarters  above  the  gateway,  Washington  overlooked 
the  tumultuous  crowd  of  borderers,  and  his  orders  at 


TUE  END    OF  THE  STRUGGLE.  357 

length  moulded  them  into  a  military  force.  The  work 
was  accomplished  in  spite  of  the  incapacity  of  the  Gov- 
ernor, who  complained  that  the  young  "Provincial" 
treated  him  with  scant  ceremony.  The  simple  fact  was 
that  Washington  was  a  soldier,  and  the  Governor  an  ex- 
clerk  filling  a  position  for  which  he  was  wholly  unfitted. 
Knowing  the  necessities  of  the  time  and  place,  the  young 
commandant  wrote  his  mind  freely,  and  spite  of  every 
official  hindrance  accomplished  his  object.  The  border 
was  protected,  and  no  enemy  came  to  assail  it,  —  the 
first  hard  and  successful  military  work  of  the  future 
General  of  the  American  armies. 

With  the  year  1758  the  long  struggle  virtually  ended. 
An  attack  was  made  on  Fort  Duquesne  by  Major  Grant 
with  eight  hundred  men,  and  his  force  was  cut  to  pieces 
with  the  exception  of  a  small  remnant.  These  were 
saved  by  Captain  BuUit,  an  officer  of  the  Virginia 
forces,  who  charged  the  enemy  and  covered  the  retreat 
of  the  few  survivors.  In  November  of  the  same  year, 
however  (1758),  General  Forbes  advanced  in  force,  and 
the  French  blew  up  Fort  Duquesne  and  retreated. 
Washington,  now  Lieutenant-Colonel,  was  the  first  to 
enter  with  his  Virginians,  and  j)lanted  the  flag  of  Eng- 
land on  the  smokino;  ruins. 

The  last  act  of  the  drama  was  the  fierce  wrestle  on 
the  Plains  of  Abraham,  where  a  monument  inscribed 
"  Here  died  Wolfe,  victorious,"  still  commemorates  the 
final  scene.  It  is  the  historic  landmark  of  the  conclu- 
sion of  the  bitter  struggle,  and  the  long  rivalry  of  France 
and  England  in  America.  Canada  was  lost  and  the 
great  region  south  of  the  Lakes  along  with  it.  The  Eng- 
lish line  in  the  west  was  to  be  the  Mississippi,  and  in 
the  redistribution  of  territory  the  Floridas  were  surren- 


358      VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

dered  by  Spain.  Thus  England  had  become  mistress  of 
a  greater  domain  than  was  claimed  in  the  old  Virginia 
charters.  "  Nova  Francia "  in  the  north  and  Florida 
in  the  south  had  been  absorbed  by  the  conquering  Anglo- 
Saxons. 

Here  the  period  of  the  Colony  ends  and  the  period  of 
the  Commonwealth  virtually  begins.  Out  of  the  war 
with  France  grew  the  struggle  which  separated  the  Eng- 
lish provinces  from  the  Crown.  Peace  was  formally 
concluded  in  the  year  1763.  In  the  same  year  Patrick 
Henry  declared  at  Hanover  Court  House  that  the  Vir- 
sjinians  alone  had  the  rio-ht  to  leo'islate  for  Viroiuia. 
Two  years  afterwards  in  the  House  of  Burgesses  he  re- 
peated the  same  defiance,  in  the  discussion  of  the  Stamp 
Act,  and  the  action  of  Virginia  "  gave  the  signal  to  the 
Continent." 

• 
XXVIII. 

SOME    WRITINGS    OF    THE    COLONIAL    PERIOD. 

A  FE\v  works  written  by  Virginians  in  the  seventeenth 
and  eighteenth  centuries  demand  special  notice.  They 
are  remarkable  writings  for  the  place  and  time,  and  are 
entitled  to  a  high  rank  in  American  literature. 

Among  these  works  are  the  pamphlets  giving  a  de- 
tailed account  of  the  Great  Rebellion.  Their  titles 
are  :  — 

I.  "  The  Beginning,  Progress,  and  Conclusion  of 
Bacon's  Rebellion  in  Virginia  in  the  years  1675  and 
1676,"  by  a  writer  signing  himself  "  T.  M." 

II.  "  An  Account  of  Our  Late  Troubles  in  Virginia, 
written  in  1676  by  Mrs.  An.  Cotton  of  Q.  Creek." 

III.  "  A  Narrative  of  the  Indian  and  Civil  Wars  in 


WRITINGS   OF  THE   COLONIAL  PERIOD.     359 

Virginia  in  the  years  1675  and  1676,"  of  which  the 
authorship  is  not  indicated  in  any  manner. 

Tliese  are  the  contemporary  narratives  written  by 
eye-witnesses  of  the  events  and  are  invaluable  authori- 
ties for  the  history  of  the  Great  Rebellion.  They  were 
discovered  by  a  fortunate  accident.  "  T.  M.'s  Account" 
was  found  in  England  in  MS.  in  the  library  of  Lord 
Oxford,  and  was  sent  to  Jefferson,  who  thought  it  so  im- 
portant that  he  "  most  carefully  copied  it  with  his  own 
hand."  The  other  narratives  were  discovered  also  in 
MS.,  soon  after  the  Revolution,  in  the  home  of  "  an  old 
and  respectable  family  of  the  Northern  Neck  of  Vir- 
ginia," and  only  printed  in  the  present  century.  Of  the 
writers  almost  nothing  is  known.  "  T.  M.,"  whose 
work  is,  perhaps,  the  most  picturesque  and  valuable, 
seems  to  have  drawn  uj)  his  account  for  the  pleasure  of 
Lord  Oxford,  and  only  says  of  himself  that  he  resided  in 
Northumberland  County  and  was  a  Burgess  from  Staf- 
ford. Pie  is  supposed  to  have-  been  Thomas  Matthews, 
a  son  of  the  Governor,  but  the  fact  is  not  established. 
As  to  "  Mrs.  An.  Cotton  of  Q.  Creek,"  she  is  a  shadow ; 
and  the  writer  of  the  third  narrative  is  absolutely  un- 
known. 

But  the  authorship  of  the  pamphlets  is  of  little  impor- 
tance. They  were  at  least  written  by  Virginians  in  Vir- 
ginia, and  are  among  the  most  curious  productions  in 
American  literature.  The  style  indicates  a  complete 
transition  from  the  earnestness  and  rude  strenijth  of  the 
writings  of  the  Plantation  time,  to  the  quibbling  and 
conceits  of  the  time  of  Charles  II.  The  authors  are 
nothing  if  not  humorous.  They  overload  their  pages 
with  quaint  phrases  and  grotesque  expressions.  How- 
ever serious  the  events  may  be,  they  look  at  them  from 


360      VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

the  ludicrous  point  of  view,  and  the  passionate  tragedy 
of  the  Rebellion  becomes  a  species  of  comedy.  At  the 
attack  on  the  Maryland  fort  the  Indians  "  slipt  through 
the  leaguer  leaving  the  English  to  prosecute  the  siege 
as  Schogin's  wife  brooded  the  eggs  that  the  fox  had 
sucked."  The  ladies  placed  upon  the  Jamestown  earth- 
works are  the  "  white  aprons  "  and  ''  a  white  guard  to 
the  Devil ; "  and  Ingram  is  an  "  ape  "  who  steps  on  the 
stage  when  the  lion  has  made  his  exit,  —  a  "  milksop 
general  "  who  stands  "  hat  in  hand  looking  as  demurely 
as  the  Great  Turk's  Mufty."  Thus  all  turns  to  conceit 
under  the  hands  of  the  jocose  T.  M.  and  his  associates, 
who  nevertheless  present  a  clear,  detailed,  and  admii*ably 
picturesque  account  of  the  great  events  which  they  have 
seen  pass  before  them.  Bacon  himself  is  often  carica- 
tured, but  the  general  admiration  of  the  individual  is 
plain  from  the  narratives  ;  and  that  by  an  unknown 
writer  contains  some  verses  referring  to  him  which  are 
remarkable.  They  are  styled  "  Bacon's  epitaph  made 
by  his  man,"  but  were  probably  written  by  some  gentle- 
man of  the  time  who  feared  to  sign  them.  A  short  ex- 
tract will  indicate  their  force. 

"  Only  this  difference  does  from  trutli  proceed, 
They  in  the  guilt,  he  in  the  name  must  bleed, 
While  none  shall  dare  his  obsequies  to  sing 
In  deserv'd  measures,  until  time  shall  bring 
Truth  crown'd  with  Freedom,  and  from  danger  free, 
To  sound  his  praises  to  posterity." 

An  excellent  work,  written  soon  after  the  Rebellion 
(in  1687),  was  "  A  Deed  of  Gift  for  my  dear  son,  Cap- 
tain Matt.  Page,"  by  John  Page  of  Rosewell,  The 
Deed  of  Gift  is  a  devout  production  full  of  the  earnest- 
ness and  piety  which  characterized  so  many  members  of 
this  excellent  family.      It  contains  serious  exhortations, 


WRITINGS   OF  THE   COLONIAL  PERIOD.      S61 

and  maxims  for  right  living,  and  is  written  with  quaint 
force,  as  where  the  author  says :  "  Think  it  a  long  art 
to  die  well,  and  that  you  have  but  a  short  time  to  learn 
it ;  you  cannot  be  robbed  by  death  of  the  time  or  years 
already  spent  because  they  are  already  dead  to  you  ;  and 
that  time  which  is  yet  to  come  is  not  yet  yours." 

Two  valuable  histories  of  Virginia  were  produced  in 
the  first  half  of  the  eighteenth  century :  that  by  Rob- 
ert Beverley,  published  in  1705,  and  that  by  William 
Stith  in  1747.  Beverley  was  a  son  of  the  Major  Rob- 
ert Beverley  who  had  sided  with  Berkeley,  and  he  wrote 
his  history  to  correct  the  errors  of  a  British  account  of 
Virginia.  The  narrative  portion  of  the  work,  however, 
is  only  a  summary  and  is  frequently  inaccurate  ;  the 
real  value  of  the  book  consists  in  the  full  account  of  the 
structure  of  government  and  the  condition  of  society  in 
Virginia.  The  author  was  an  ardent  Virginian,  but  does 
not  spare  the  foibles  of  his  brother  planters,  who  are  de- 
lineated with  a  caustic  pen.  Stith's  history  extends  only 
to  the  end  of  what  is  in  this  book  styled  the  Plantation 
period,  and  is  the  work  of  an  enthusiastic  student.  The 
author  was  an  exemplary  clei'gyman  who  had  been  pro- 
fessor in  William  and  Mary  College.  He  was  after- 
wards minister  at  Varina,  Dale's  old  settlement,  where 
he  wrote  his  history  as  "  a  noble  and  elegant  entertain- 
ment," he  says,  "  for  my  vacant  hours."  The  work  is 
famous  for  its  extreme  accuracy,  and  procured  for  the 
writer  the  honorable  title  of  "  the  accurate  Stith."  It 
is  based  throughout  on  Smith's  "  General  History,"  and 
he  speaks  of  the  soldier  as  "  a  very  honest  man  and  a 
strenuous  lover  of  the  truth ; "  in  which  he  differs  to  a 
surprising  extent  from  the  modern  critics  whose  long 
perspective  seems  to  have  magnified  their  powers  of  vis- 


362     VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY   OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

ion.  Stitli  had  planned  a  full  history  down  to  his  own 
time,  but  never  completed  it.  A  third  work  was  the 
brief  history  of  the  colony  by  Sir  "William  Keith,  but  it  is 
of  little  value  as  an  authority. 

One  author  of  the  period  remains  to  be  spoken  of :  a 
man  of  brilliant  wit,  of  high  culture,  and  the  richest 
humor,  a  Virginian  of  Virginians,  and  the  perfect  flower 
of  his  time.  Early  in  the  century  steps  on  the  stage 
and  begins  to  write,  the  Honorable  William  Byrd  of 
"  Westover,"  the  elegant  gentleman  and  traveler-author, 
whose  visit  to  Spotswood  on  the  Rapidan  has  been  no- 
ticed. He  was  one  of  the  brightest  stars  in  the  social 
skies  of  Colonial  Virginia.  All  desirable  traits  seemed 
to  combine  in  him  :  personal  beauty,  elegant  manners, 
literary  culture,  and  the  greatest  gayety  of  disposition. 
Never  was  there  a  livelier  companion,  and  his  wit  and 
humor  seemed  to  flow  in  an  unfailing  stream.  It  is  a 
species  of  jovial  grand  seigneur  and  easy  master  of  all 
the  graces  that  we  see  in  the  person  of  this  old  author- 
planter  of  the  banks  of  James  River.  He  wrote  with- 
out thinking  of  or  caring  at  all  for  the  critics  ;  as  men 
do  when  the  spirit  moves  them,  and  for  their  personal 
pleasure.  Two  or  three  pamphlets  contain  all  his  writ- 
ings, of  which  the  longest  is  the  "  History  of  the  Divid- 
ing Line,"  a  record  of  his  journey  to  establish  the  bound- 
ary between  Virginia  and  North  Carolina.  This  sparkles 
all  over  with  wit  and  the  broadest  humor,  much  too 
broad  and  comic  indeed  for  a  drawing-room  table  in  the 
nineteenth  century.  But  it  is  a  virile  and  healthy  book, 
full  of  high  spirits  and  the  zest  of  open-air  life.  The 
gay  Colonel  afterwards  wrote  his  "  Journey  to  the  Land 
of  Eden,"  and  "  Progress  to  the  Mines  ;  "  and  the  large 
manuscript  volume,  containing   the   three  works,  may 


WRITINGS   OF  THE   COLONIAL  PERIOD.        363 

still  be  seen  under  his  portrait  at  "  Brandon,"  on  James 
River.  They  brim  with  humor  and  incessant  jests, 
particularly  at  the  expense  of  the  ladies,  whom  the 
writer  seems  to  have  liked  so  much  that  he  could  never 
forbear  from  teasing  them.  We  ma}^  fancy  the  worthy 
planter  in  ruffles  and  powder,  leaning  back  in  his  arm- 
chair at  Westover,  and  dictating,  with  a  smile  on  his 
lips,  the  gay  pages  to  his  secretary.  The  smile  may  be 
seen  to-day  on  the  face  of  his  portrait ;  a  face  of  re- 
markable personal  beauty  framed  in  the  curls  of  a  flow- 
ing peruke  of  the  time  of  Queen  Anne. 

But  the  status  and  surroundings  of.  this  famous  old 
Virginia  author  were  very  different  from  those  of  Steele 
and  Addison.  If  there  were  garrets  at  Westover  it  is 
not  probable  that  the  serene  nabob  ever  intruded  on 
their  dust.  He  was  "  the  Honorable  William  Byrd, 
Esq.,  who,  being  born  to  one  of  the  amplest  fortunes 
in  this  country,  was  sent  early  to  England,  where  he 
made  a  happy  proficiency  in  polite  and  various  learn- 
ing ;  contracted  a  most  intimate  and  bosom  friendship 
with  the  learned  and  illustrious  Charles  Boyle,  Earl 
of  Orrery ;  was  called  to  the  bar  of  the  Middle  Tem- 
ple ;  was  chosen  Fellow  of  the  Royal  Society ;  and  be- 
ing thirty-seven  years  a  member,  at  last  became  presi- 
dent of  the  Council  of  this  colony."  This  colonial 
seigneur,  who  wrote  the  famous  "Westover  MSS."  for 
his  amusement,  was  also  "  the  well-bred  gentleman  and 
polite  companion,  the  constant  enemy  of  all  exorbitant 
power,  and  hearty  friend  of  the  liberties  of  his  coun- 
try." His  path  through  life  was  a  path  of  flowers.  He 
had  wealth,  culture,  "the  best  private  library  in  Amer- 
ica," social  consideration,  and  hosts  of  friends ;  and 
when    he  went  to  sleep    under  his  monument  in  the 


364      VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

garden  at  Westover,  he  left  behind  him  not  only  the 
reputation  of  a  good  citizen,  but  that  of  the  great  Vir- 
ginia wit  and  author  of  the  century. 


XXIX. 

THE    GOLDEN    AGE    OF    VIRGINIA. 

The  eighteenth  century  may  be  styled  the  Golden 
Age  of  Virginia.  It  was  the  period  when  the  colony 
reached  the  most  peculiar  and  striking  stage  of  its  de- 
velopment. The  future  will  no  doubt  prove  an  era  of 
larger  material  growth  ;  it  is  impossible  that  it  can  pre- 
sent the  same  remarkable  characteristics  and  contrasts. 
A  prosperous  and  brilliant  society  flourished  on  the 
banks  of  the  lowland  rivers,  and  a  hardy  race  had  set- 
tled in  the  Valley,  beyond  which  a  scattered  population 
of  hunters  and  pioneers  was  pushing  toward  the  Ohio. 
The  period,  the  men,  the  modes  of  life,  were  all  pictur- 
esque and  full  of  w^arm  blood  as  in  the  youth  of  a  nation. 
Society  had  not  lost  the  impetus  of  the  first  years,  but 
it  was  firm  in  the  grooves.  By  the  end  of  the  seven- 
teenth century  it  had  taken  the  mould  which  it  pre- 
served until  the  great  political  and  social  convulsion  of 
the  Revolution  gave  it  a  new  shape. 

Let  us  glance  at  this  ancient  regime  which  is  now 
the  deadest  of  dead  things,  and  endeavor  to  avoid  ex- 
treme views  about  it.  It  is  easy  to  denounce  or  to 
eulogize  it,  to  represent  it  as  a  bad  social  organization 
which  met  with  the  fate  which  it  deserved,  or  as  the  model 
in  all  things  of  a  well-ordered  community.  Neither 
view  is  just,  and  the  truth  lies,  as  usual,  between  the  two 
extremes.    That  old  society  had  its  virtues  and  its  vices 


THE   GOLDEN  AGE   OF  VIRGINIA.  365 

like  other  societies  ;  with  all  its  courage  and  kindliness 
it  was  extremely  intolerant;  but  it  succeeded  in  work- 
ing out  the  problem  of  living  happily  to  an  extent  which 
we  find  few  examples  of  to-day.  It  j^^'esented,  above 
all,  the  curious  phenomenon  of  a  community  composed 
of  varied  classes  who  never  came  into  collision  with 
each  other  —  a  democratic  aristocracy  which  obstinately 
resisted  the  royal  authority,  and  first  and  last  fought 
for  the  doctrine  that  the  personal  right  of  the  citizen 
was  paramount  to  all.  An  immense  change  had  taken 
place  in  society  since  the  Plantation  time.  What  was 
rude  had  become  luxurious.  The  log-houses  of  the  early 
settlers  had  given  place  to  fine  manor-houses.  Where 
forests  once  clothed  the  rich  low  grounds  there  were 
now  cultivated  fields.  The  pioneer  who  had  scarcely 
dared  to  stir  abroad  without  fire-arms  was  now  a  ruffled 
dignitary  who  rode  in  his  coach-and-four  —  a  justice, 
a  vestryman,  and  worshipful  member  of  the  House  of 
Burgesses.  His  land,  purchased  for  a  trifle,  had  be- 
come a  great  and  valuable  estate.  No  creditor  could 
touch  it,  for  it  was  entailed  on  his  eldest  son.  The 
wilderness  of  Virginia  had  been  turned  into  a  new  Eng- 
land, where  the  lord  of  the  manor  ruled,  and  his  son 
would  rule  after  him. 

Tliis  development  of  the  first  adventurers  into  nabobs 
and  lords  of  society  may  be  said  to  have  fairly  begun 
with  tlie  Cavalier  invasion  after  the  execution  of  Charles 
I.  Many  of  these  immigrants  were  men  of  rank  and 
brought  with  them  to  Viri^inia  the  views  and  habits  of 
the  English  gentry.  They  set  the  fashion  of  living; 
and  continued  to  influence  Virginia  usages  to  the  time 
of  the  Revolution.  Then  the  old  was  confronted  by 
the  new.     The  time  was  evidently  at  hand  when  so- 


366     VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

ciety  was  to  be  reorganized  and  established  on  another 
basis.  The  Commonwealth  slowly  undermined  and  was 
to  end  by  effacing  the  Colony.  Royalist  and  aristocratic 
sentiments  had  lost  their  force,  and  were  regarded  as 
antiquated.  It  was  seen  that  kings  and  a  privileged 
class  were  no  longer  necessary  to  the  existence  of  na- 
tions ;  and  the  result  was  the  theory  of  republicanism, 
the  mainspring  of  the  modern  world. 

The  period  from  the  middle  of  the  seventeenth  cen- 
tury to  the  Revolution  was  thus  the  high-water  mark 
between  the  flow  and  ebb  of  the  social  tide  iu  Virginia. 
What  preceded  it  was  formation,  what  followed  it  was 
transition.  During  this  era  only,  society  is  stationary. 
It  presented  all  the  features  of  a  social  fabric  which 
has  settled  down  firmly  and  which  nothing  can  shake 
from  its  foundations.  A  prevalent  fancy  is  that  this 
foundation  was  African  slavery,  but  no  impression  could 
be  more  unfounded.  African  slavery,  and  the  system 
of  indented  servitude,  which  was  the  same  thing  in  a 
milder  form,  were  only  incidents.  This  subjection  of 
a  part  of  the  community  to  the  rest  was  congenial  to 
the  love  of  ease  and  rule  in  the  Virginia  character,  but 
there  the  effect  of  the  system  ended.  The  Virginia 
landholder  would  have  been  the  same  individual  in  the 
absence  of  slaves  or  indented  servants.  The  sentiment 
of  aristocracy  attributed  to  him  was  quite  independent 
of  the  system,  as  it  is  independent  of  any  such  institu- 
tion in  the  English  of  to-day.  The  planter  regarded 
his  servants  —  the  term  "  slave  "  was  rarely  used  — 
simply  as  laborers  and  domestic  attendants,  who  pro- 
duced his  crops  and  waited  upon  him.  In  return,  he 
was  to  supply  them  with  the  necessaries  of  life ;  and 
there  was  a  well-grounded  conviction  that  they  were  a 


THE   GOLDEN  AGE   OF    VIRGINIA.  367 

costly  luxury.  It  was  not  seen,  as  we  may  see  to-day, 
that  slavery  was  the  gangrene  of  the  body  politic,  but  its 
vice  was  even  then  clearly  pointed  out.  Mr.  Boucher,  a 
minister,  preaching  to  the  planters  of  Hanover  in  1763, 
said  :  "  Except  the  immediate  interest  he  has  in  the 
property  of  his  slaves,  it  would  be  for  every  man's  in- 
terest that  there  were  no  slaves,  because  the  free  labor 
of  a  t'ee  man  who  is  regularly  hired  and  paid  for  the 
work  he  does,  and  only  for  what  he  does,  is  in  the  end 
cheaper  than  the  eye  service  of  the  slave," 

As  a  simple  historic  fact,  African  slavery,  like  the 
system  of  indented  servitude,  was  in  the  eighteenth  cen- 
tury a  great  feature  of  American  society,  not  of  the 
South  only.  There  was  little  prejudice  against  it,  north 
or  south,  in  those  early  years ;  and  the  predominance 
of  the  race  in  the  South  was  the  result  of  climatic  con- 
ditions only.  The  number  of  African  slaves  in  North 
America  in  1756,  the  generation  preceding  the  Revolu- 
tion, was  about  292,000.  Of  these  Vh-ginia  had  120,000, 
her  white  population  amounting  at  the  same  time  to  173,- 
000.  The  African  increase  in  Virginia  had  been  steady. 
In  1619  came  the  first  twenty,  and  in  1649  there  were 
300.  In  1670  there  were  2000.  In  1714  there  were 
23,000.  In  1756  there  were  120,000.  The  172,000 
who,  in  addition  to  these,  made  up  the  African  popula- 
tion of  America,  were  scattered  through  the  provinces 
from  New  England  to  Georgia.  The  class  were  almost 
uniformly  well  treated.  Nothing  indeed  could  be  more 
unjust  than  the  impression  that  the  slaveholder  of  Vir- 
ginia or  New  England  was  a  brutal  tyrant.  The  Afri- 
can -was  regarded  in  the  light  of  an  humble  friend  and 
retainer ;  and  the  clergyman  above  mentioned  said  to 
his  listeners  in  Vii-ginia  :  "  I  do  jou  no  more  than  jus- 


368     VIRGINIA:  A   HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

tice  in  bearing  witness  that  in  no  part  of  the  world  were 
slaves  ever  better  treated  than,  in  general,  they  are  in 
these  colonies." 

Virginia  society  in  the  eighteenth  century  was  com- 
posed of  heterogeneous  materials.  Beginning  with  Ac- 
comac  and  the  lower  Tidewater,  we  have  the  'longshore- 
men, living  by  their  nets,  a  merry  and  careless  race, 
fond  of  their  "  horse-penning  "  festivities  on  the  inlands 
of  the  Atlantic  coast,  when  the  wild  horses  were  driven 
up  in  autumn  to  be  caught ;  the  merchants  or  "  factors  " 
in  the  infrequent  towns ;  the  small  landholders,  an- 
swering to  the  English  yeomen  ;  the  planters  of  the 
James  and  York ;  the  Church  of  England  and  "  New 
Light"  ministers;  the  Scotch-Irish  and  others  settled 
in  the  Valley  ;  and  the  border  families  of  the  moun- 
tains, pushing  civilization  steadily  beyond  the  Allegha- 
nies.  One  of  the  most  interesting  of  these  types  was 
the  small  landholder.  The  impression  that  this  class 
were  men  of  inferior  character,  having  a  great  jealousy 
of  the  planters,  has  nothing  whatever  to  support  it.  It 
is  largely  due  to  Mr.  AYirt  and  other  writers  who  al- 
lowed their  imaginations  to  control  their  judgments. 
The  proof  is  everywhere  seen  in  the  old  records  that 
the  planters  and  small  landholders  lived  in  entire  har- 
mony, and  had  a  mutual  respect  and  regard  for  each 
other.  They  opposed  Berkeley  together,  and  fought 
side  by  side  under  Bacon  ;  stood  shoulder  to  slioulder 
in  the  Revolution  ;  and  as  neighbors  and  fellow-citizens 
were  associated  and  worked  together  for  aims  as  dear 
to  one  class  as  to  the  other.  The  question  of  suffrage 
never  divided  them —  that  applied  only  to  freedmen  who 
had  served  their  time,  but  were  yet  landless.  Freehold 
tenure  of  his  estate  made  the  small  landholder  the  po- 


THE   GOLDEN  AGE   OF    VIRGINIA.  369 

litical  equal  of  his  richer  neighbor.  As  to  the  charac- 
ter of  this  class  there  is  no  doubt  at  all.  They  were 
men  of  great  independence,  with  that  personal  pride 
which  lies  at  the  foundation  of  true  manhood  ;  and  the 
existence  of  any  sentiment  of  subserviency  to  the  plant- 
ers is  a  fancy  for  which  there  is  no  warrant  in  the  an- 
nals of  the  time.  Even  later,  when  agitators  urged  the 
French  doctrine  that  the  poor  were  the  natural  ene- 
mies of  the  rich,  the  doctrine  found  very  few  to  listen 
to  it.  The  two  classes  remained  friends,  and  with  few 
exceptions  have  remained  such  to  the  present  time. 

The  Virginia  planter  has  often  been  described,  his 
prejudices,  his  foibles,  his  self-importance  and  imposing 
surroundings.  He  has  been  made  the  target  of  satire 
and  is,  perhaps,  the  best  abused  American  type.  Many 
of  these  criticisms  are  just,  but  other  people  in  America 
at  the  time  very  much  resembled  him.  He  was  not  the 
only  victim  of  contracted  views  and  personal  pride,  and 
his  manner  of  living  was  imitated  in  other  quarters  of 
the  country.  Patroon-life  on  the  Hudson  was  similar 
to  planter- life  on  the  James.  Bishop  Kip  of  New 
York,  recalling  his  memories  of  former  days,  describes 
the  splendor  of  the  old  patroons,  their  swarming  "  re- 
demptioners  "  who  were  indented  servants,  their  "  negro- 
slaves,  of  whom  every  family  of  standing  possessed 
some,"  and  the  "  feudal  feeling  of  the  owners  of  the 
great  landed  estates."  The  "coming  down  from  Al- 
bany "  of  the  patroon,  was  like  a  royal  progress  ;  and  the 
writer,  who  had  been  "  much  at  the  South,"  had  never 
seen  there  "  such  elegance  of  living  as  was  formerly  ex- 
hibited by  the  old  families  of  New  York."  New  Eng- 
land was  not  behind  in  this  disjDlay  of  aristocratic  ele- 
gance. The  descendants  of  the  old  families  there,  too, 
24 


370      VIRGINIA:   A   HISTORY   OF   THE  PEOPLE. 

exhibited  in  their  dress,  manners,  and  mode  of  living,  a 
spirit  anything  but  democratic.  Everywhere  there  was 
social  inequality ;  it  is  certain  that  there  always  will 
be  ;  and  class-distinction  was  accepted  as  a  part  of  the 
order  of  things.  In  Virginia  the  system  seemed  in  its 
practical  operation  to  have  resulted  in  the  welfare  of  all 
alike.  Berkeley  said,  in  1670,  that  the  colony  was  "  tho 
most  flourishing  country  the  sun  ever  shone  over,"  and 
the  social  forces  seemed  to  work  in  harmony.  The  fatal 
antagonism  of  the  present  time  between  labor  and  capi- 
tal was  nowhere  seen ;  and  that  terrible  "  competition," 
which  M.  Blanc  calls  a  "  system  of  extermination,"  was 
undreamed  of.  Land  was  cheap  and  food  abundant, 
and  little  labor  supplied  that  daily  bread,  which  it  is  a 
fearful  problem,  to-day,  to  half  the  human  race  how  they 
are  to  obtain.  The  social  machine  seemed  a  cumbrous 
aifair,  but  it  moved  on  smoothly  without  wear  and  tear, 
or  the  ominous  grating  that  we  everywhere  hear  in  the 
modern  world. 

What  is  certain  is  that  life  was  easy  and  happy  in 
these  "  good  old  times  "  when  men  managed  to  live  with- 
out telegraphs,  railways,  and  electric  lights.  Virginians 
of  the  old  school  look  back  to  them  as  to  the  old  moons 
of  Villon,  and  insist  that  the  past  moons  were  brighter 
than  the  moons  of  to-day.  They  are  laughed  at  for 
their  pains,  but  after  all  it  was  a  happy  era.  Care 
seemed  to  keep  away  from  it  and  stand  out  of  its  sun- 
shine. The  planter  in  his  manor-house,  surrounded  by 
his  family  and  retainers,  was  a  feudal  patriarch  mildly 
ruling  everybody;  drank  wholesome  wine,  sherry  or 
canary,  of  his  own  importation  ;  entertained  everyone ; 
held  great  festivities  at  Christmas,  with  huge  log-fires 
in  the  great  fire-places,  around  which  the  family  clan 


THE  GOLDEN  AGE   OF    VIRGINIA.  371 

gathered  ;  and  everj^body,  high  and  low,  seemed  to  be 
happy.  It  was  the  life  of  the  family,  not  of  the  great 
world,  and  produced  that  intense  attachment  for  the  soil 
which  has  become  proverbial ;  which  made  a  Virginian 
once  say,  "  If  I  had  to  leave  Virginia  I  would  not  know 
where  to  go."  What  passed  in  Europe  was  not  known 
for  months,  but  the  fact  did  not  appear  to  detract  from 
the  general  content.  Journeys  were  made  on  horse- 
back or  in  coaches,  and  men  were  deliberate  in  their 
work  or  pleasures.  But  if  not  so  rapid  life  was  more 
satisfactory.  The  portraits  of  the  time  show  us  faces 
without  those  lines  which  care  furrows  in  the  faces  of 
the  men  of  to-day.  There  was  no  solicitude  for  the 
morrow.  The  plantation  produced  everything  and  was 
a  little  community  sufficient  for  itself.  There  was  food 
in  profusion  ;  wool  was  woven  into  clothing,  shoes  made, 
and  blacksmithing  performed  by  the  retainers  on  the  es- 
tate. Such  luxuries  as  were  desired,  books,  wines,  silk 
and  laces,  were  brought  from  London  to  the  planter's 
wharf  in  exchange  for  his  tobacco  ;  and  he  was  content 
to  pay  well  for  all,  if  he  could  thereby  escape  living  in 
towns.  Almost  nothing  was  manufactured  in  Virginia 
outside  of  the  shops  on  the  estates.  Iron  was  smelted 
at  Spotswood's  furnaces  on  the  Rappahannock,  —  six 
hundred  tons  in  1760,  - — but  it  went  away  for  the  most 
part  to  England  to  be  fashioned  into  articles  of  use  and 
resold  to  the  producer.  The  Virginia  planter  was  con- 
tent to  have  it  so :  to  be  left  to  live  as  he  liked ;  to  im- 
prove his  breeds  of  horses,  of  which  he  was  extremely 
fond ;  to  attend  races  ;  to  hunt  the  fox  ;  to  welcome 
everybody  at  his  hospitable  manor-house ;  to  take  his 
ease  as  a  provincial  seigneur  on  his  patrimonial  acres, 
and  to  leave  his  eldest  son  to  represent  the  family  in  the 


372      VIRGINIA:   A   HISTORY   OF   THE  PEOPLE. 

family  home.  If  this  state  of  things  nurtured  pride  and 
the  sentiment  of  self-importance,  many  virtues  were  also 
the  result :  the  sentiment  of  honor,  cordiality  of  man- 
ners, and  an  abounding  hospitality.  The  planter  was 
ridiculed  as  a  "  nabob  "  by  his  enemies,  but  he  was  also 
a  kind  neighbor  and  a  warm  friend.  He  was  brave, 
honest,  and  spoke  the  truth,  which  are  meritorious  traits ; 
and  under  his  foibles  and  prejudices  lay  a  broad  manli- 
ness of  nature  which  gave  him  his  influence  as  an  indi- 
vidual and  a  citizen. 

This  old  society  led  a  happy  existence  from  the  first 
years  of  the  century  to  the  Revolution.  There  was  a 
great  deal  to  enjoy.  Social  intercourse  was  on  the  most 
friendly  and  unceremonious  footing.  The  plantation 
house  was  the  scene  of  a  round  of  enjoyments.  Dur- 
ing the  winter  large  numbers  of  the  planters  went  to 
live  in  Williamsburg,  the  vice-regal  capital ;  and  here 
were  held  grand  assemblies  at  the  Raleigh  Tavern,  or 
the  old  capitol,  where  the  beaux  and  belles  of  the  time 
in  the  finest  silks  and  laces  danced  and  feasted.  Or 
the  theatre  drew  them ;  for  the  "  Virginia  Company 
of  Comedians  "  had  come  over  in  the  ship  Charming 
Sally,  and  acted  Shakespeare  and  Congreve  for  the 
amusement  of  the  careless  old  society.  The  youths 
passed  on  their  fine  horses  going  to  prosecute  their 
love  affairs  ;  and  the  poetical  portion  wrote  love  verses 
to  their  inamoratas,  and  published  them  in  the  "  Vir- 
ginia Gazette."  These  poems,  addressed  to  Chloe  or 
Myrtilla,  may  be  still  read  in  the  yellow  sheet ;  and  the 
notices  of  "  society  "  doings,  and  the  grand  balls  at  the 
Raleigh  Tavern.  Jefferson's  early  letters  also  give  us 
a  glimpse  of  the  gay  scene;  of  the  scrapes  of  the  college 
students,  the  crowded  streets,  and  the  dancing  at  the 


THE    GOLDEN  AGE    OF    VIRGINIA.  37 


Q 


Apollo,  ill  which  he  figured  with  his  dear  "  Belinda," 
and  was  happy. 

In  all  parts  of  the  colony  this  spirit  of  mirth  inspired 
people.  There  is  horse-racing  and  cock-fighting  ;  "  Ba- 
con's Thunderbolts "  are  the  names  of  spangles  who 
have  triumphed  in  many  battles  (1747).  In  the  "  Old 
Field  near  Captain  Bickerton's,  in  Hanover,  there  are 
to  be  grand  diversions.  There  is  first  to  be  a  horse- 
race ;  then  a  hat  is  to  be  cudgeled  for;  next,  twenty 
fiddlers  are  to  contend  for  a  new  fiddle  "  and  all  to  play 
together  and  each  a  different  tune."  Twelve  boys  are 
to  run  one  hundred  and  twelve  yards  for  a  hat  worth 
twelve  shillings ;  a  quire  of  ballads  is  to  be  sung  for  ;  a 
pair  of  silver  buckles  are  to  be  wrestled  for ;  the  pretti- 
est girl  on  the  ground  is  to  have  a  pair  of  handsome 
silk  stockings  of  one  pistole's  value  ;  and  all  "  this  mirth 
is  designed  to  be  purely  innocent."  The  date  is  1737. 
Nearly  forty  years  afterwards  (1774),  the  Virginians 
are  still  amusing  themselves  :  "  Yesterday,"  we  read, 
*'  was  celebrated  in  this  place  (Norfolk),  the  anniversary 
of  St.  Tammany,  the  tutelar  Saint  of  the  American 
Colonies."  There  is  a  royal  salute  of  twenty-one  guns, 
and  a  grand  entertainment  by  the  Sons  of  the  Saint. 
The  ball  is  opened  by  "one  of  our  Burgesses  accoutred 
in  the  ancient  habit  of  this  country,"  —  full  Indian 
dress.  The  "  ladies'  fair  bosoms  were  animated  with  a 
generous  love  of  their  country,"  we  are  informed  ;  and 
at  four  in  the  morning  the  Sons  "  encircled  their  King 
and  practiced  the  ancient  mysterious  war-danced 

This  is  the  state  of  things  on  Tidewater.  A  merry 
society  is  enjoying  itself  in  the  midst  of  security  and 
luxury ;  but  up  toward  the  mountains  and  beyond  them 
new  settlers  are  passing  the  time  in  a  different  manner. 


37-i       VIRGINIA:   A    HISTORY   OF   THE   PEOPLE. 

They  have  little  leisure  for  amusement,  and  no  taste 
whatever  for  dancing  parties  and  fine  living.  It  is  for- 
tunate that  they  have  not ;  the  time  and  place  are  not 
favorable  to  such  divertisements,  and  the  races  are  dif- 
ferent. German  Lutherans  and  Scotch-Irish  Presby- 
terians are  steadily  settling  in  the  fertile  Valley  from 
the  Potomac  to  James  River,  hewing  down  the  woods, 
erecting  churches  and  laying  the  foundations  of  republi- 
can society.  The  Indians  are  not  far  off,  but  these 
hardy  people  disregard  them.  The  German  and  Irish 
population  engage  in  their  festivities  ;  but  the  grave 
Calvinists  take  no  part  in  these,  and  live  the  sober  and 
self-contained  lives  of  their  ancestors,  the  Covenanters. 
It  is  a  very  great  race,  and  will  make  its  mark  here  as 
elsewhere.  Soon  the  old  intolerance  of  the  Establish- 
ment will  disappear  in  the  storm  of  the  Revolution  ; 
there  will  be  no  more  talk  of  the  denial  of  religious 
liberty  to  any  citizen ;  and  Virginia  will  become  a  har- 
monious society,  where  men  of  every  class  will  work 
together  for  a  common  object. 


III.    THE   COMMONWEALTH. 
I. 

THE    HOUR    AND    THE    MEN. 

As  the  Revolution  approaches  a  new  atnaosphere 
seems  to  envelop  events,  and  the  figures  of  the  act- 
ors in  public  affairs  grow  larger  and  more  imposing. 
Tlie  serene  Colonial  period  "is  coming  to  an  end,  and  a 
feverish  excitement  precedes  the  birth  of  the  Common- 
wealth. Old  ideas  are  losing  their  force,  and  the  fet- 
ters of  prescription  are  cracking.  Past  theories  of 
government  and  society  begin  to  be  subjected  to  analy- 
sis, and  every  day  this  analysis  grows  more  unfriendly. 
There  is  no  thought  yet  of  a  radical  change  —  of  separ- 
ating from  England  and  establishing  a  republic.  Public 
opinion  has  not  advanced  so  far,  and  will  not  for  ten 
j'ears  to  come.  As  late  as  July,  1775,  the  idea  of  separ- 
ation, according  to  Jefferson,  had  "never  yet  entered 
into  any  person's  mind."  In  1765,  therefore,  when  the 
political  agitations  begin,  there  are  no  friends  of  such 
a  measure.  All  that  the  Americans  ask  as  yet  is 
that  their  rights  as  British  subjects  shall  not  be  denied 
them;  that  Parliament  shall  not  tax  them  without  their 
consent ;  that  their  old  immunities  under  their  charters 
shall  be  respected. 

But  along  with  the  feverish  unrest  comes  the  inevita- 
ble expansion  of  thought  and  the  vague  dream  of  a  new 


376      VIRGINIA:   A    HISTORY  OF  THE   PEOPLE. 

order  of  things  wliich  marks  periods  of  moral  convul- 
sion. The  soil  is  fitted  to  receive  the  new  ideas,  to 
nourish  them  and  bring  them  to  maturity.  The  Amer- 
ican point  of  view  is  not  the  European.  The  air  does 
not  suit  the  old  political  philosophy  of  the  jus  divinum  ; 
from  Englishmen  the  people  have  come  to  be  Ameri- 
cans. The  long  struggle  in  the  old  world  between  the 
absolutist  principle  and  popular  right  has  much  more 
convulsed  the  new  ;  and  popular  right  has  been  the 
stronger.  The  free  land  has  produced  free  thought, 
and  free  thought  makes  free  men.  When  the  collision 
comes  at  last,  it  will  be  a  resolute  and  unshrinking 
struo-o-le.  The  protest  will  be  sudden  and  bitter,  and 
the  weak  Colonies  will  match  themselves  without  much 
hesitation  against  the  British  Empire. 

Cavalier  and  Puritan  will  go  hand  in  hand  when  the 
time  arrives;  but  they  enter  upon  the  Revolution  un- 
der very  different  circumstances  of  race  and  conviction. 
The  New  Englanders  arc  already  nearly  republicans. 
They  come  of  the  race  of  Ironsides  who  overturned 
Charles  I.  in  England,  and  it  will  require  little  to  per- 
suade them  to  attempt  to  overturn  George  III.  in  Amer- 
ica. Attachment  to  royalty  does  not  flourish  in  the 
bleak  northern  air ;  it  is  a  pale  and  drooping  plant  there. 
The  whole  country  east  of  the  Hudson  is  leagued  in 
feelinof  ao:aiust  Kins^  and  Parliament.  In  the  New 
England  churches  where  the  decorous  Calvinists  assem- 
ble with  grave  faces,  there  are  no  prayers  for  his  Maj- 
esty and  his  royal  family.  The  Calvinistic  theology  is  re- 
publican, not  monarchic;  royalty  and  nobility  begin  to 
be  laughed  at  as  superstitions.  Social  distinctions  are  re- 
garded with  jealousy  and  increasing  disfavor.  The  Eng- 
lish Church  has  few  friends.     When  the  time  comes  to 


THE  HOUR   AND    THE   MEN.  877 

put  an  end  to  Church  and  King  in  America,  the  hardy 
descendants  of  the  men  of  Plymouth  will  proceed  to  act 
in  the  business  before  them  with  a  grand  unanimity,  and 
all  classes  will  work  tos^ether  to  effect  the  result. 

In  the  southern  colonies,  and  especially  in  Virginia, 
matters  are  different.  The  men  wlio  settled  on  James 
River  were  Royalists  and  Church  of  England  people. 
They  called  their  colony  Jamestown  in  honor  of  the 
King,  and  as  soon  as  they  landed,  nailed  a  bar  of  wood 
between  two  trees  to  serve  as  a  reading-desk  for  the 
English  minister  to  lay  his  Book  of  Common  Prayer 
upon.  Those  who  followed  them  were  persons  of  the 
same  opinious,  and  at  the  middle  of  the  century  came 
the  great  wave  of  Cavalier  refugees,  passionate  adher- 
ents of  Church  and  King.  Their  devotion  to  both  was 
strong.  When  Charles  I.  was  beheaded,  the  Virginians 
denounced  the  reijicides  as  murderers ;  and  when  dissent 
raised  its  head  in  the  colony,  they  promptly  crushed  it. 
Their  sentiment  was  not  servile.  They  deposed  the 
King's  Governor,  and  made  war  on  the  King  himself ; 
but  they  had  no  desire  whatever  to  abolish  the  royal 
authority  in  Virginia.  And  they  were  Churchmen  as 
they  were  King's-men.  They  denounced  the  clergy, 
but  they  clung  to  Episcopacy,  and  their  attitude  toward 
the  Revolution  was  thus  peculiar.  Add  the  apparent 
social  obstacle  to  a  frank  adhesion  to  the  great  move- 
ment. That  movement  was  essentially  democratic,  and 
the  Virginia  planters  were  advocates  of  class.  Their 
predominance  was  a  part  of  the  order  of  things.  Time 
out  of  mind  they  had  made  laws  in  the  Burgesses  ;  ad- 
ministered affairs  in  the  King's  Council  ;  and  presided 
as  magistrates  in  the  county  courts  or  the  halls  of  their 
manor-houses,  where  their  worships  tried  offenders,  as 


378      VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY   OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

Sir  Thomas  Lucy  tried  Shakespeare  at  Charlecote,  and 
dealt  out  punishment.  All  the  powers  of  government 
and  society  were  in  the  hands  of  their  class  ;  to  have 
looked  for  anything  but  the  aristocratic  sentiment  from 
such  people  would  have  seemed  absurd.  To  sum  up  the 
planter  view :  a  good  citizen  ought  to  be  a  loyal  sub- 
ject and  Churchman ;  landed  right  was  the  key-stone 
of  society  ;  Dissenters  must  be  put  down  ;  and  all  who 
opposed  these  views  were  agitators  and  disturbers  of 
the  peace. 

A  sharp  steel  was  necessary  to  pierce  this  hard  crust 
of  social  and  religious  intolerance ;  and  the  steel  was 
ready.  The  weapon  with  which  England  struck  was 
the  claim  to  tax  the  Americans  without  allowing  them 
representation.  Would  the  Virginians  submit  to  that  ? 
It  seemed  that  they  would  be  degenerate  sons  of  their 
sires  if  they  did  so ;  but  many  people  shook  their  heads. 
Could  King-lovers  and  Churchmen  be  counted  on  to 
espouse  a  great  popular  movement,  and  put  all  that  they 
cherished  on  the  hazard  of  the  result  ?  The  answer 
came  without  delay. 

II. 

HENRY,  "THE  PROPHET  OF  REVOLUTION." 

The  pulse  of  the  time  was  felt  in  a  fierce  struggle  on 
an  obscure  arena  which  indicated  the  fever  in  the  public 
blood. 

This  was  the  trial  of  the  "  Parsons'  Cause"  in  Han- 
over County  in  1763,  the  first  intimation  of  the  ap- 
proaching conflict.  Up  to  this  time  the  antagonism  to 
English  abuses  had  taken  the  shape  of  petitions  and 
protests.      The   history  of   the   times  is   buried  under 


HENRY,    THE  PROPHET   OF  REVOLUTION.      379 

documents  —  memorials  to  King  and  Commons,  as- 
sertions of  ancient  immunities,  and  discussions  of  the 
rights  of  the  Americans  under  their  charters.  This 
phase  of  tlie  subject  is  interesting  only  to  students. 
AVhat  is  most  worth  attention  is  the  immense  move- 
ment beneath,  the  upheaval  of  the  popular  mind  which 
swept  all  before  it;  and  the  first  indication  of  this  is 
the  incident  now  to  be  described.  It  is  further  in- 
teresting as  the  first  public  appearance  of  a  man  who 
was  styled  by  his  cotemporaries  the  "  Prophet  of  Rev- 
olution "  and  the  "  Man  of  the  People  "  —  Patrick 
Henry. 

Henry  was  born  in  1736,  at  his  father's  house  of 
"  Studley,"  in  Hanover,  and  was  at  this  time  a  man  of 
twenty-seven.  The  prevalent  impression  that  he  was 
of  low  origin  is  an  entire  mistake.  His  father  was  Col- 
onel John  Henry,  a  man  of  culture,  belonging  to  an  old 
Scottish  family,  a  magistrate  and  "loyal  subject,  who 
took  pleasure  in  drinking  the  King's  health  at  the  head 
of  his  regiment."  He  and  his  wife  were  members  of  the 
Establishment,  his  brother  was  a  minister,  and  all  were 
persons  of  education  and  respectability.  A  similar  error 
is  the  ignorance  attributed  to  Patrick  Henry.  He  was, 
in  fact,  so  well  educated  by  his  father,  that  at  fifteen  he 
read  Livy  and  Horace  ;  and  throughout  his  life  "  But- 
ler's Analogy  "  was  his  "standard  volume."  He  never 
attended  college,  which  probably  resulted  from  the  pov- 
erty of  his  family;  but  his  education  at  home  was  more 
than  respectable  for  the  time.  The  statements  in  rela- 
tion to  his  early  idleness  and  incapacity  for  business 
seem  to  rest  on  much  better  support.  It  was  the  old 
story  of  a  great  genius  who  was  unfitted  by  nature  for 
a  life  of  routine.    He  was  long  finding  out  what  he  was 


380       VIRGINIA:    A   HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

fit  for.  He  became  a  country  storekeeper,  and  duly  a 
bankrupt.  Then  he  attempted  farming,  and  the  same 
result  followed.  Then  he  went  back  to  his  store  and 
the  second  venture  "  turned  out  more  unfortunate  than 
the  first."  Mr.  Wirt  paints  him  at  this  period  as  an  in- 
corrioilile  idler,  passing  his  time  in  hunting  and  fishing, 
or  tellino-  humorous  stories  when  he  should  have  been 
attendino-  to  his  business.  To  crown  evervthino-  he 
had  married,  and  finding  himself  at  the  end  of  his  re- 
sources, went  to  live  and  assist  his  father-in-law  at  the 
inn  at  Hanover  Court-house,  wlience  the  statement  made 
by  Jefferson  that  he  had  been  a  "  bar-keeper." 

Ilenry  was  meanwhile  unconsciously  educating  him- 
self for  the  great  career  of  oratory.  He  studied  human 
nature  assiduously  in  his  rustic  neighborhood;  and  a 
fortunate  chance  placed  before  him  two  remarkable 
models.  These  were  James  Waddel,  the  Blind  Preacher, 
at  whose  sermons  "  whole  congregations  were  bathed  in 
tears  ; "  and  Samuel  Davies,  the  Presbyterian  Apostle, 
of  whom  Henry  said  that  he  was  "  the  greatest  orator 
that  he  had  ever  heard."  The  unknown  young  man 
heard  them  both  and  came  away  with  his  heart  burning 
within  him.  The  blood  of  the  born  orator  must  have 
throbbed  in  his  veins  as  he  looked  at  the  trembling  and 
weeping  crowds.  Here,  at  last,  was  his  own  career  be- 
fore him :  to  sway  hearts,  not  to  sell  goods.  Was  the 
fire  in  him  ?  He  began  by  studying  law  to  fit  himself 
for  the  bar,  —  if  six  weeks'  reading  may  be  called  study. 
Procuring  a  license,  with  great'difficulty,  he  then  opened 
an  office  at  the  Court-House  ;  but,  according  to  his  biog- 
raplier,  he  was  so  ignorant  that  he  was  unable  to  draft 
an  ordinary  deed.  He  is  described  by  the  same  writer 
as  shabby  in  dress  and  loutish  in  manners  ;    as  saying, 


HENRY,    THE  PROPHET  OF  REVOLUTION.      381 

*^naitral  parts  are  better  than  all  the  larnin  on  airth  ;" 
but  these  stories  are  extremely  doubtful.  It  is  incredi- 
ble that  a  Latin  scholar  and  reader  of  "  Butler's  Anal- 
oofv,"  one  of  the  abstrusest  of  books,  should  have  em- 
ployed  such  expressions.  He  no  doubt  used  Virgin- 
ianisms ;  if  he  used  vulgarisms  it  was,  probably,  in  a 
spirit  of  liumor.  The  fact  remains,  however,  that  he 
was  of  rustic  address,  and  "  ungainly  "  in  person  ;  and 
that  no  one  acquainted  with  him  had  the  least  suspicion 
that  under  this  unpromising  exterior  lay  the  immense 
genius  for  oratory  which  was  to  shape  the  history  of  the 
North  American  continent. 

This  was  revealed  for  the  first  time  in  the  "  Parsons' 
Cause  "  in  December,  1763  ;  a  suit  brought  by  a  minis- 
ter of  the  Church  of  England  for  arrearages  of  salary. 
In  a  ^^ar  of  failure  in  the  tobacco  crop  the  Virginia 
Burgesses  had  enacted  that  all  debts  payable  in  that 
commodity,  then  a  species  of  currency,  might  be  paid  in 
money  at  the  rate  of  twopence  for  the  pound  of  to- 
bacco. The  blow  was  heavy  to  the  clergy,  whose  legal 
salary  of  16,000  pounds  of  tobacco  was  worth  at  the 
time  about  sixpence  a  pound ;  and  the  legality  of  the 
Act  was  referred  to  the  King,  who  decided  against  it. 
The  clergy  were  therefore  entitled  to  their  tobacco,  or 
its  value,  and  nothing  was  left  but  the  question  of  the 
amounts  to  be  paid  them  as  damages.  Mr.  Maury,  a 
minister  of  Hanover:  brought  suit  to  recover  his  own. 
There  was  no  question  of  law  to  be  settled  by  the  Court. 
The  King  had  decided  the  law,  and  the  counsel  for  the 
defendants,  the  Hanover  collectors,  retired  from  tho 
case.  There  was  a  very  prevalent  desire,  however,  that 
something  should  be  said  on  the  question,  and  Henry 
was  emploj^ed  to  oppose  "  the  parsons." 


382      VIRGINIA:    A  HISTORY   OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

A  remarkable  scene  followed.  Henry  rose  to  address 
the  jury  in  presence  of  a  great  crowd.  He  had  never 
before  spoken  in  public,  and  at  first  his  voice  faltere  .. 
He  hung  his  head  and  seemed  to  be  overvThelmed,  but 
soon  a  strange  transformation  took  place  in  his  appear- 
ance. His  head  rose  haughtily  erect  and  as  he  proceeded 
his  delivery  grew  passionate.  He  bitterly  denounced 
the  clergy,  a  number  of  whom  retired  in  indignation 
from  the  Court-house ;  and  stigmatized  the  King,  who 
had  supported  their  demand,  as  a  tyrant  who  had  for- 
feited all  claim  to  obedience.  At  this  the  counsel  for 
the  plainti-ff  cried,  "  The  gentleman  has  spoken  trea- 
son ! "  but  Henry's  language  only  grew  more  violent. 
The  crowd  around  him  swayed  to  and  fro,  in  evident 
sympathy  with  the  speaker,  who,  with  passionate  vehe- 
mence, insisted  that  the  Burgesses  of  Virginia  were  "  the 
only  authority  which  could  give  force  to  the  laws  for 
the  government  of  this  colony."  The  words  were  trea- 
son, since  they  defied  the  royal  authority ;  and  when  the 
jury  retired,  the  crowd  was  in  the  wildest  commotion. 
Five  minutes  afterwards  the  jury  returned  with  a  verdict 
fixing  the  plaintiff's  damages  at  "  one  penny,"  and  a 
loud  shout  of  applause  followed.  The  jury,  like  the 
young  orator,  had  defied  the  will  of  the  King  ;  and  when 
Court  adjourned,  Patrick  Henry  was  caught  up  and 
borne  on  the  shoulders  of  the  excited  crowd,  around 
the  Court  green,  in  triumph. 

Such  was  the,  famous  *'  Parsons'  Cause."  An  obscure 
lawsuit  had  assumed  the  proportions  of  an  historic  event. 
A  great  assemblage  in  one  of  the  most  important  coun- 
ties of  Virginia  had  wildly  cheered  Henry's  denuncia- 
tions of  the  Crown,  and  his  demand  that  the  authority 
of  the  Burgesses  of  Virginia  should  take  precedence  of 
the  authority  of  the  King  of  England. 


THE  STAMPS.  383 

III. 
THE    STA3IPS. 

This  affair  of  the  outposts  immediately  preceded  the 
pitched  battle.  England  and  the  Colonies  were  now  to 
come  to  open  quarrel  on  a  vital  issue.  The  war  with 
France  had  inflicted  on  Great  Britain  a  great  incubus 
of  debt.  A  part  of  this  debt  had  been  incurred  in  the 
defense  of  the  Americans  ;  now  Parliament  asserted  the 
plausible  right  to  raise  revenue,  by  imposing  taxes  on 
the  Colonies,  for  the  payment  of  their  proportion  of  it. 

When  it  became  known  in  1764  that  this  right  was 
claimed,  there  was  an  outburst  of  indignation.  In  Vir- 
ginia the  universal  public  sentiment  was  that  the  claim 
was  illegal  and  oppressive.  From  the  earliest  times 
the  House  of  Burgesses  had  regulated  the  affairs  of  Vir- 
ginia ;  and  their  right  to  do  so  had  been  formally  recog- 
nized by  Charles  II.,  who  had  declared,  under  the  privy 
seal  in  1676,  that  "taxes  ought  not  to  be  laid  on  the 
inhabitants  and  proprietors  of  the  colony  hut  hy  the  com- 
mon consent  of  the  General  Assembly.''^  Thus  the  right 
to  tax  the  Colonies  without  their  consent,  if  ever  assert- 
ed, had  been  authoritatively  disclaimed.  All,  in  fact, 
was  against  it :  the  old  '•  Constitution  of  Government " 
of  the  time  of  James  I. ;  the  recognition  of  the  Assembly 
as  a  law-making  power  by  Charles  I. ;  and  the  formal 
abandonment  of  any  such  claim  by  Charles  II.  When, 
therefore,  the  advisers  of  George  III.  proclaimed  the 
new  doctrine,  they  did  so  in  violation  of  the  express  en- 
gagements of  his  predecessors,  and  substituted  his  will 
for  the  chartered  rights  of  the  Virginia  people. 


384      VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

The  question  was  whether  the  people  were  going  tc 
submit.  The  navigation  laws,  an  external  tax,  had  been 
acquiesced  in  under  protest,  but  the  new  claim  was  dif- 
ferent ;  the  impost  was  to  be  direct  and  galling.  The 
most  daring  of  the  English  statesmen  had  hitherto  shrunk 
from  it.  Walpole  had  declared  that  it  was  "  a  measure 
too  hazardous  for  him  to  venture  upon;  "  "  I  have  Old 
England  set  against  me,"  he  said,  "and  do  you  tliink 
that  I  will  have  New  England  likewise  ? "  But  times 
and  men  had  changed  now.  The  new  Ministers  were 
less  cautious,  and  opsuly  asserted  the  obnoxious  claim. 
The  British  Empire  was  the  British  Empire,  and  the 
House  of  Commons  was  to  make  laws  to  govern  it. 

Peace  was  declared  between  England  and  France  in 
1763,  and  in  1764  the  new  doctrine  was  broached,  and 
the  right  of  direct  taxation  asserted.  In  the  next  year 
the  matter  took  shape.  Mr.  Grenville  brought  in  a  bill 
which  passed  the  Commons  by  a  vote  of  five  to  one: 
met  with  no  opposition  in  the  Lords  ;  and  (March,  1765), 
the  King  approved  it,  and  it  became  a  law.  This  was 
the  now  famous  "  Stamp  Act."  By  this  law  all  instru- 
ments of  writing  used  in  the  transaction  of  business  in 
the  Colonies  were  declared  to  be  thenceforth  null  and 
void,  unless  executed  on  stamped  paper  paying  a  reve- 
nue to  the  Crown. 

When  the  Virginia  House  of  Burgesses  assembled  in 
the  spring  of  1765,  they  were  met  by  a  plain  question: 
Were  they  to  submit  to  the  new  law  or  resist  it  as  an 
invasion  of  right  ?  The  decision  must  be  prompt.  The 
stamps  were  coming,  and  action  must  be  taken  at  once. 

The  Burgesses  met  in  the  "  Old  Capitol  "  at  Wil- 
liamsburg, and  the  spectacle  was  imposing.  The  Speaker 
sat  on  a  dais  under  a  red  canopy  supported  by  a  gilded 


THE   STAMPS.  385 

rod,  and  the  clerk  beneath  with  the  mace  lying  on  the 
table  before  him  to  indicate  that  the  Assembly  was  in 
full  session.  The  members,  ranged  in  long  rows,  were 
the  most  eminent  men  of  Virginia,  and  evidently  ap- 
proached the  great  business  before  them  with  deep  feel- 
ing. The  issue  was  serious.  On  one  side  was  submis- 
sion to  wrong ;  on  the  other  collision  with  England. 
The  old  attachment,  to  what  was  called  "  Home,"  was 
still  exceedingly  strong.  It  had  been  shaken  but  not 
destroyed,  and  was  still  a  controlling  sentiment.  To 
openly  resist  the  Crown  would  be  to  invite  coercion  : 
and  that  meant  war,  which  would  be  deplorable.  Even 
if  the  Colonies  were  successful,  separation  from  the 
mother-land  would  probably  follow ;  and  not  one  Vir- 
ginian in  ten  thousand  desired  such  a  separation.  The 
general  sentiment  was  in  favor  of  further  remonstrances 
and  memorials ;  but  a  considerable  party  opposed  this 
policy  as  behind  the  times.  It  was  said  that  Parliament 
meant  to  crush  the  liberties  of  the  people  ;  that  the  King 
was  their  enemy  ;  and  that  to  approach  either  King  or 
Parliament  with  honeyed  words  and  professions  of  attach- 
ment would  be  hypocrisy.  The  only  course  to  pursue 
now  was  to  speak  out  plainly,  not  in  the  tone  of  suppli- 
ants but  in  the  voice  of  men  demanding  their  rights  and 
determined  to  have  them. 

In  the  midst  of  the  general  doubt  and  hesitation  Pat- 
rick Henry,  who  had  been  elected  a  Burgess  from  Lou- 
isa County,  rose  and  offered  his  celebrated  resolutions, 
which  he  had  written  on  a  blank  leaf  torn  from  an  old 
law-book.  The  resolutions  were  five  in  number,  and 
presented  in  admirably  clear  terms  the  whole  case 
against  the  Stamp  Act.  The  points  insisted  upon  were 
that  the  first  Virginia  settlers  had  brought  with  them 

25 


386     VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

from  England  all  the  rights  and  immunities  of  British 
subjects  ;  that  two  royal  charters  had  expressly  recog- 
nized these  rights  ;  that  the  taxation  of  the  people  by 
themselves  was  the  distinguishing  characteristic  of  Brit- 
ish freedom  ;  and  that  "  the  General  Assembly  of  this 
colony  has  the  sole  right  and  power  to  lay  taxes  and 
impositions  on  the  inhabitants  of  this  colony." 

On  these  resolutions  took  place  an  excited  debate. 
They  were  opposed  by  the  ablest  men  of  the  Burgesses 
as  impolitic  ;  and  Jefferson,  who  was  present,  afterwards 
spoke  of  the  discussion  as  "  most  bloody."  The  opposi- 
tion only  aroused  the  wonderful  genius  of  Henry.  He 
was,  at  this  time,  just  twenty-nine,  tall  in  figure  but 
stooping,  with  a  grim  expression,  small  blue  eyes  which 
h£^d  a  peculiar  twinkle,  and  wore  a  brown  wig  without 
powder,  a  "  peach-blossom  coat,"  leather  knee-breeches, 
and  yarn  stockings.  He  had  ridden  to  Williamsburg  on 
*'  a  lean  horse,"  and  carried  his  papers  in  a  pair  of  sad- 
dle-bags. These  details  have  been  preserved  by  tradi- 
tion, and  present  a  familiar  portrait  of  the  great  orator, 
—  always  the  best  portrait. 

Of  the  splendor  of  his  eloquence  on  this  his  first  ap- 
pearance before  the  eyes  of  the  whole  country  there  can 
be  no  doubt  whatever.  It  was  one  of  the  noblest  dis- 
plays of  an  oratory,  which  his  contemporaries  declared 
indescribable.  Once  aroused,  passion  transformed  him, 
and  he  magnetized  his  listeners.  One  who  had  heard 
him  often  and  tried  to  describe  him,  said  that  his  power 
lay  not  so  much  in  his  matter  as  in  his  manner ;  in  "  the 
greatness  of  his  emotion  and  passion,  the  matchless  per- 
fection of  the  organs  of  expression ;  the  intonation, 
pause,  gesture,  attitude,  and  indescribable  play  of  coun- 
tenance."    It  is  the  description  of  a  great  actor  or  great 


THE  STAMPS.  387 

orator,  which  are  nearly  the  same ;  and  is  no  doubt 
accurate.  He  ended  his  speech  with  a  bitter  outburst. 
In  the  midst  of  cries  of  "  Treason ! "  he  exclaimed, 
"  Caesar  had  his  Brutus,  Charles  the  First  his  Cromwell, 
and  George-the  Third  may  profit  by  their  example ;  if 
this  be  treason  make  the  most  of  it ! "  In  spite  of  all 
opposition  the  resolutions  passed  the  Burgesses,  —  the 
last  by  one  majority.  The  passionate  eloquence  of  the 
young  County  Court  lawyer  had  committed  the  great 
colony  of  Virginia  to  resistance. 

Such  was  the  famous  scene  in  the  Burgesses,  which 
marked  distinctly  the  beginning  of  a  new  era,  for  the 
Revolution  may  be  said  to  date  from  it.  It  has  suffered 
from  over-coloring.  For  the  greater  glory  of  the  great 
man  whose  wonderful  eloquence  shaped  the  action  of 
the  House,  certain  writers  have  thought  it  necessary  to 
caricature  his  opponents.  A  somewhat  theatrical  pic- 
ture has  been  drawn  of  the  scene  and  the  actors.  The 
ruffled  planters,  it  is  said,  were  dragged  on  against  their 
will.  They  had  come  in  these  May  days  of  1765  to 
delay,  not  promote  action.  They  were  distinctly  be- 
hind the  times  and  bent  on  submission.  When  a  plain 
"  man  of  the  people  "  rose  in  his  place  to  propose  action 
the  powdered  heads  turned  suddenly,  and  all  eyes  were 
fixed  on  him  with  surprise  and  hauteur. 

The  picture  is  imaginary.  If  the  heads  suddenly 
turned,  the  circumstance  was  not  so  astonishing.  A 
young  member  who  was  almost  unknown  was  taking  the 
leadership,  at  the  most  critical  of  moments,  in  a  body 
composed  of  the  oldest  and  ablest  men  of  the  colony. 
The  intimation  that  classes  were  divided  on  the  question 
has  nothing  to  support  it.  Jefferson,  a  zealous  demo- 
crat, spoke  of  those  who  opposed    the  resolutions  as 


888      VIRGINIA:    A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

"  ciphers  of  aristocracy "  and  men  unfitted  for  the 
times ;  but  among  these  opponents  were  Peyton  Ran- 
dolph, afterwards  President  of  the  First  Congress ;  Ed- 
mund Pendleton,  to  become  the  head  of  the  Committee 
of  Safety ;  George  Wythe,  one  of  the  "  Signers ; " 
Richard  Bland,  an  eminent  patriot ;  and  probably  Wash- 
ington, then  in  the  Burgesses. 

But  after  making  every  allowance  for  Mr.  Wirt's 
rhetoric,  the  triumph  of  Henry  in  this  hot  struggle  was 
one  of  the  great  events  of  American  history.  He  had 
driven  his  policy  through  the  Bul'gesses  in  spite  of  all 
opposition,  and  some  chance  utterances  of  the  moment 
indicate  the  strong  antagonisms. 

"  I  would  have  given  five  hundred  guineas  for  a  sin- 
gle vote ! "  exclaimed  Peyton  Randolph,  as  he  rushed 
through  the  lobby ;  and  as  Henry  came  out  of  the 
Capitol  a  man  of  the  crowd  slapped  him  on  the  shoulder 
and  cried  :  — 

"  Stick  to  us,  old  fellow,  or  we  are  gone  !  " 

The  vote  that  was  worth  five  hundred  guineas  was 
that  which  would  have  defeated  the  fifth  resolution  ; 
and  the  importance  of  this  resolution  lay  in  the  fact  that 
it  announced  the  determinate  decision  of  Virginia.  What 
it  meant,  if  it  meant  anything,  was  that  the  colony  was 
prepared  to  resist  the  Crown.  England  demanded  her 
obedience,  and  speaking  for  herself  she  refused  to  obey. 

Governor  Fauquier  dissolved  the  Assembly,  but  the 
mischief  was  done.  The  position  taken  by  Virginia 
everywhere  strengthened  the  hands  of  the  party  for  re- 
sistance. In  England  it  produced  a  profound  sensation. 
"  I  rejoice,"  exclaimed  Pitt,  "  that  America  has  resisted! 
Three  millions  of  people  so  dead  to  all  the  feelings  of 
liberty  as  voluntarily  to  submit  to  be  slaves  would  have 


THE  STAMPS.  389 

been  fit  instruments  to  make  slaves  of  all  the  rest.  I 
know  the  valor  of  your  troops,  the  force  of  this  country  ; 
but  in  such  a  case  success  would  be  hazardous.  America, 
if  she  fell,  would  fall  like  a  strong  man  :  she  would  em- 
brace the  pillars  of  the  State  and  pull  down  the  Con- 
stitution with  her." 

The  importance  attached  to  the  action  of  Virginia  is 
shown  by  the  references  made  to  it  at  the  time.  "  Vir- 
ginia rang  the  alarm  bell,"  said  a  writer  of  the  North; 
and  General  Gage  wrote,  "Virginia  gave  the  signal  to 
the  Continent."  Massachusetts  proposed  a  General 
Congress,  and  it  met  at  New  York  in  October  (1765), 
but  only  nine  colonies  were  represented  and  its  proceed- 
ings were  confined  to  protests.  The  invitation  to  take 
part  in  it  reached  Virginia  after  the  dissolution  of  the 
Assembly,  and  no  action  could  be  taken  upon  it ;  but  at 
the  next  session  of  the  body  the  proceedings  were  con- 
curred in. 

The  English  ministry  were  now  compelled  to  come 
to  an  open  collision  with  the  Americans,  or  rescind  the 
Stamp  Act.  In  March,  1766,  just  one  year  after  its  pas- 
sage, it  was  repealed.  But  the  right  was  distinctly  as- 
serted "  to  hind  the  colonies  and  people  of  America  in  all 
cases  ivkatsoever."  That  was  an  open  declaration  of 
war,  and  necessarily  led  to  the  absolute  subjection  of  the 
Americans  or  to  rev^olution.  They  chose  revolution, 
and  it  may  be  said  to  have  begun  when  Henry  forced 
through  his  resolutions,  in  the  Burgesses,  in  1765. 


390      VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

IV. 

THE    WAR    OF    THE    CHURCHES. 

All  thiugs  now  hastened.  With  every  passing  hour 
the  atmosphere  grew  hotter.  A  great  political  struggle 
was  felt  to  be  coming ;  and  the  religious  animosities  of 
the  time,  which  had  been  long  smouldering,  steadily 
gathered  strength  as  the  days  went  by. 

Threatening  hands  were  raised  in  every  quarter 
against  the  Established  Church,  and  the  attacks  of 
her  combined  enemies,  the  non-conformists  of  all  de- 
scriptions, began  in  earnest.  They  were  to  overthrow 
the  Establishment  at  last,  and  destroy  it,  root  and 
branch,  but  as  yet  it  was  too  strong  for  them ;  and  the 
civil  authorities,  acting  iu  its  supposed  interests,  re- 
sorted to  persecution.  This  was  directed  chiefly  at  the 
Baptists,  who  had  recently  become  a  strong  communion. 
The  first  church  was  formally  established  in  1760,  but 
soon  there  were  numbers  of  others  in  Spotsylvania, 
Orange,  Louisa,  and  Fluvanna.  A  passionate  impulse 
swayed  the  preachers  of  the  Baptist  faith.  The  prop- 
aganda went  on  without  rest.  They  saw  visions  which 
spurred  them  to  call  others  to  repentance,  and  the  true 
form  of  baptism.  James  Read,  in  North  Carolina,  had 
a  mysterious  call  by  night.  In  his  sleep  he  was  heard 
crying  "Virginia!  Virginia !  "  and  obeying  the  heavenly 
voice  he  set  out  and  reached  Orange,  where  great  crowds 
flocked  to  listen  to  him.  Soon  the  Establishment  took 
alarm.  The  clergy  denounced  the  new  sect,  calling 
them  followers  of  the  German  Anabaptists,  and  pre- 
dicting a  repetition  of  the  horrors  of  Munster.      But 


THE  WAR  OF  THE   CHURCHES.  391 

this  the.  Baptists  indignantly  denied,  asserting  that  they 
were  preachers  of  the  true  Gospel  only ;  if  they  disturbed 
the  lethargy  of  the  Establishment  it  was  not  their  fault. 
Persecution  followed.  In  June,  1768,  three  preachers  of 
the  new  church,  John  Waller,  Lewis  Craig,  and  James 
Childs,  were  arrested  by  the  sheriff  of  Spotsylvania. 
They  were  offered  their  liberty  if  they  would  promise 
to  discontinue  preaching ;  but  that  had  no  more  effect 
in  their  case  than  in  the  case  of  John  Bunyan.  They 
gloried  in  their  martyrdom.  As  they  went  to  prison 
through  the  streets  of  Fredericksburg,  they  raised  the 
resounding  hymn,  "  Broad  is  the  road  that  leads  to 
death."  Through  the  windows  of  the  jail  they  preached 
to  great  throngs  of  people.  When  this  had  gone  on  for 
more  than  a  month  they  were  released  ;  they  had  reso- 
lutely persisted  in  making  no  promises  to  discontinue 
their  efforts.  Their  persecutors  were  even  ashamed. 
When  they  were  arraigned  for  "  preaching  the  Gospel 
contrary  to  law,"  Patrick  Henry,  who  had  ridden  fifty 
miles  to  witness  the  trial,  suddenly  rose  and  exclaimed : 

"  May  it  please  your  worships,  what  did  I  hear  read  ? 
Did  I  hear  an  expression  that  these  men  whom  your 
worships  are  about  to  try  for  misdemeanor  are  charged 
with  preaching  the  Gospel  of  the  Son  of  God  ?  " 

The  solemn  voice  is  said  to  have  deeply  moved  all 
who  heard  it.  The  State  prosecutor  "  turned  pale  with 
agitation,"  and  the  court  were  near  dismissing  the  ac- 
cused. Elsewhere  the  persecution  went  on  ;  in  Ches- 
terfield, Middlesex,  Caroline,  and  other  counties.  Men 
were  imprisoned  for  their  faith  ;  it  was  a  reproduction 
of  the  monstrous  proceedings  in  the  Mother  Country. 
But  the  result  was  what  might  have  been  foreseen  by 
any  but  the  judicially  blind.     The  Baptists  only  grew 


892     VIRGINIA:   A  HISTORY  OF   THE  PEOPLE. 

Stronger.  In  1774  the  Separates  had  fifty-four  Churches, 
and  the  Regulars  were  steadily  increasing  also.  One 
and  all,  these  and  other  Dissenters,  were  actuated,  says 
one  of  their  advocates,  by  two  strong  principles  —  love 
of  freedom  and  "  hatred  of  the  Church  Establishment." 
They  were  "  resolved  never  to  relax  their  efforts  until 
it  was  utterly  destroyed,"  and  they  lived  to  see  the  wish 
fulfilled. 

In  this  bitter  antagonism  to  the  Establishment  the 
Methodists  had  no  part ;  they  were  "  a  society  within 
the  Church,"  and  advocated  only  a  more  evangelical 
spirit  in  worship.  But  the  Quakers  and  Presbyterians 
cooperated  with  the  Baptist  Dissenters  and  were  unrest- 
ing in  their  hostility  to  the  union  of  Church  and  State. 
The  noble  memorial  from  the  Presbytery  of  Hanover, 
which  may  yet  be  seen  on  the  yellow  old  sheet  in  the 
Virginia  Archives,  sums  up  the  whole  case  with  admi- 
rable eloquence  and  force.  It  is  trenchant  and  severe, 
but  that  was  natural.  It  is  the  great  protest  of  Dissent 
in  all  the  years. 

It  may  as  well  be  added  here  that  the  long  wrestle 
went  on  into  the  Revolution  and  after  its  close,  and 
non-conformity  grew  lusty  with  the  rich  food  fed  to  it. 
The  Act  of  Religious  Freedom  did  not  satisfy  the  non- 
conformists. They  took  fire  at  the  very  terms  "  Dis- 
senter "  and  "  Toleration."  Wliy  were  tliey  dissenters 
from  the  Episcopal  Church  any  more  than  the  Epis- 
copalians were  dissenters  from  them  ?  Why  were  they 
to  be  "  tolerated  ?  "  The  truth  is,  a  great  legacy  of 
hatred  had  been  bequeathed  to  the  new  generation  who 
remembered  the  persecutions  to  which  their  fathers  had 
been  subjected.  They  were  relentless  in  their  hos- 
tility.    An  earnest  advocate  of  their  views  in  our  own 


THE    WAR   OF  THE   CHURCHES.  393 

day  writes :  "  The  patriots  of  Virginia  were  not  con- 
tent with  victory  half  won.  They  knew  that  their 
principles  were  sound  and  they  followed  them  out  to 
their  extreme  results.  AVliile  life  lingered  in  any  sev- 
ered limb  of  the  Establishment  they  did  not  feel  safe. 
They  renewed  their  attacks^  until  they  had  not  merely 
hewn  down  the  tree,  but  had  torn  it  up  by  the  roots,  and 
had  destroyed  the  last  germ  from  which  it  might  be  re- 
produced." 

The  immemorial  hostility  thus  pursued  the  Episco- 
pacy to  the  end.  The  dislike  of  the  Episcopal  clergy 
had  terminated  in  dislike  of  the  Episcopal  tenets,  which 
Samuel  Davies  had  thought  so  admirable.  In  demand- 
ing their  incontestable  rights,  which  it  was  a  shame  to 
have  so  long  withheld  from  them,  the  opponents  of  the 
Establishment  demanded  them  with  outcries  against  the 
Episcopacy,  which  were  neither  discriminating  nor  just. 
The  vestries  had  been  largely  responsible  for  that  ill- 
living  in  the  clergy.  Few  good  men  would  come  to 
preach  in  Virginia  when  their  places  in  the  parishes 
depended  upon  the  whim  of  the  "  parson's  masters  ;  " 
when  they  were  scanned  with  critical  eyes,  to  be  dis- 
missed at  a  moment's  warning.  The  Church,  too,  had 
now  come  to  be  hated  by  its  old  adversaries.  It  was 
treated  without  mercy  when  it  was  disabled  and  power- 
less. It  is  not  a  pleasant  spectacle,  looking  back  to 
those  old  times.  One  fancies,  while  reading  the  story, 
some  poor  animal  with  legs  broken,  dragging  its  bleed- 
ing body  along,  pursued  by  relentless  enemies,  M'ho 
worry  it  with  sharp  teeth  in  the  very  death  agony. 
The  law  for  exempting  Dissenters  overthrew  the  Es- 
tablishment;  that  was  just.  But  this  was  not  enough. 
When  the  Church,  on  its  petition  (1784),  was  made  a 


394     VIRGINIA:  A   HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

body  corporate  to  manage  its  own  affairs,  new  excite- 
ment arose.  It  was  in  vain  to  point  out  tliat  other 
communions  were  at  full  liberty  to  become  corpora- 
tions. The  Presbytery  of  Hanover  were  implacable, 
and  protested  against  the  law.  They  would  have  noth- 
ing to  do  with  it.  They  cried  with  comic  alarm  that 
the  old  Establishment,  which  was  deadest  of  the  dead, 
was  coming  to  life  again  ;  and  the  law  was  repealed. 

Lastly  the  Bill  for  Religious  Freedom,  the  darling 
project  of  Jefferson,  consolidated  the  policy  of  non-in- 
tervention in  matters  of  faith  into  a  compact  system. 
There  was  no  longer  any  Establishment  or  shadow  of 
such  a  thing ;  at  the  end  of  the  century  it  was  dead  in 
all  its  parts.  But  even  that  was  not  enough.  We 
have  set  forth  its  persecuting  spirit ;  let  us  see  how  it 
was  persecuted  in  tqrn.  The  modern  principle  that  the 
spoils  belong  to  the  victors  was  applied  to  it.  The  old 
hostility  was  not  dead,  it  had  only  gone  to  sleep  ;  and 
now  it  woke  and  struck  a  last  blow.  The  glebe  lands 
of  the  Church  w^re  directed  to  be  sold  (1802).  It  was 
not  to  keep  its  parsonages,  the  donations  made  to  it,  or 
the  vessels  used  in  Baptism  and  the  Holy  Communion. 
The  question  came  before  the  Court  of  Appeals,  of 
which  Edmund  Pendleton  was  now  president.  He  was 
bitterly  opposed  to  the  sale  of  the  Church  property, 
which  he  considered  a  great  wrong.  But  just  before 
the  decision,  while  he  was  writing  his  opinion,  he  sud- 
denly expired.  His  vote  would  have  prevented  it ;  and 
doubtless  his  sudden  death  was  regarded  by  zealots  as 
the  intervention  of  Providence. 

The  Court  decided  aacainst  the  Church.  It  is  true 
the  law  forbade  the  sale  of  the  Church  edifices  and  the 
property  in  them  ;  but  this  provision  protected  neither. 


THE   WAR   OF  THE   CHURCHES.  395 

The  parishes  were  obliterated  and  the  clergy  scattered. 
Thus  all  fell  into  the  hands  of  persons  who  had  small 
respect  for  religious  things.  The  Church  buildings 
were  put  to  profane  uses.  "  A  reckless  sensualist," 
says  Dr.  Hawk^*,  "  administered  the  mbrning  dram  to 
his  guests  from  the  silver  cup  "  used  in  the  Holy  Com- 
munion. Another  "  converted  a  marble  baptismal  font 
into  a  watering-trough  for  horses." 

What  to  say  of  these  things  ?  There  is  nothing  to 
say.  It  was  simply  a  phase  of  this  poor  human  nature 
which  all  the  years  reproduce.  It  was  not,  however,  a 
misfortune  to  the  Church  thus  to  fall  before  its  enemies. 
It  had  persecuted  and  reaped  the  harvest ;  it  was  perse- 
cuted in  turn,  and  its  day  of  adversity  was  better  for  it 
than  its  day  of  prosperity.  Its  adversaries  overthrew  it 
utterly,  tearing  up,  as  they  supposed,  its  Yery  roots ;  and 
through  all  the  long  years  of  the  first  quarter  of  the 
new  century  "  the  dust  lay  an  inch  thick  "  on  the  un- 
used Prayer  Books.  The  old  church  buildings  were 
closed  or  had  fallen  into  the  hands  of  vandals.  The 
ancient  tombstones  were  defaced,  the  holy  vessels  pro- 
faned ;  ministers  and  people  were  dispersed,  and  wor- 
shiped only  in  private  ;  and  when  Bishop  Meade  ap- 
plied to  Chief  Justice  Marshall  for  a  subscription  he 
gave  it,  but  said  that  it  was  useless  to  attempt  to  revive 
so  dead  a  thing  as  the  Episcopal  Church. 

Nevertheless  it  revived.  Excellent  Dr.  Griffith  had 
been  elected  the  first  Virginia  bishop  (1786)  ;  James 
Madison  the  second  (1790)  ;  and  Richard  Channing 
Moore  the  third  (1814).  It  was  left  for  the  pure  apos- 
tle, William  Meade,  to  labor  without  ceasing  and  raise 
the  prostrate  Church  from  the  dust.  In  the  years  pre- 
ceding and  following  his  ordination  as  bishop  (1829), 


396      VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

he  was  unresting.  He  went  to  and  fi^-o  on  horseback, 
an  itinerant  apostle  preaching  the  faith.  He  was  a 
man  of  great  ability,  pure  in  heart  and  resolute  of  will. 
At  his  call  the  old  worshipers  came  bacic  to  the  ruined 
places,  and  the  dismantled  churches,  Ifialf  overgrown 
with  brambles  and  ivy,  were  once  more  thronged.  Life 
had  still  been  in  the  body,  an  obstinate  vitality  which 
refused  to  be  trodden  out.  What  ih'6  Church  had  lost 
was  the  impure  blood,  and  it  rose  purified  and  invigo- 
rated. The  great  and  good  man  w^ho  had  cried  to  it, 
"Awake  thou  that  sleepest  and  arise  from  the  dead  !  " 
gave  his  own  impress  to  it  from  that  time  forward.  It 
had  once  been  intolerant  and  many  of  its  ministers  had 
not  been  exemplary  peo^^le  ;  in  the  future  it  was  to  be 
the  most  tolerant  of  all  communions,  and  its  clergy 
were  to  be  models  of  piety  and  self-sacrifice. 

That  is  the  character  of  the  Church  to-day.  It  is 
so  liberal  in  spirit  that  in  certain  other  dioceses  it  is 
scarcely  recognized  as  an  "  Episcopal  Church  "  at  all. 
No  criticism  could  be  more  welcome.  It  is  to  say  that 
the  Episcopal  Church  of  Virginia  is  not  cursed  by  a 
spirit  of  narrow  sectariauism  —  is  evangelical. 

V. 

THE    HEART    OF    THE    REBELLION. 

To  return  to  the  Revolutionary  outburst.  The  politi- 
cal agitation  of  the  time  even  dwarfed  the  religious  ran- 
cor, and  all  centered  at  Williamsburg,  the  heart  of  the 
Rebellion. 

A  glance  at  the  old  capital  may  illustrate  the  history 
of  the  times.     It  was  the  central  stage  of  the  revolution- 


THE  HEART  OF   THE   REBELLION.  397 

ary  drama ;  of  the  jarring  passions,  the  fierce  collisions, 
of  the  pageants,  the  splendors,  the  anxieties,  and  heart- 
burnings of  the  epoch.  It  was  built  on  the  site  of  the 
former  "  Middle-Plantation,"  where  Bacon  and  his  men 
had  taken  the  oath  against  England  ;  and  consisted  of 
Gloucester  Street,  the  main  thoroughfare,  with  the  Old 
Capitol  at  one  end  and  William  and  Mary  College  at 
the  other,  Palace  Street  debouching  upon  it,  and  a  few 
others,  as  in  undeveloped  towns.  The  College  has  been 
spoken  of  ;  the  Old  Capitol  was  a  building  of  two  stories, 
with  a  tall  portico  in  front,  and  this  edifice  was  called 
afterwards  the  "  Heart  of  the  Rebellion,"  a  name  which 
may  be  transferred  to  Williamsburg.  Here  took  place 
some  of  the  most  striking  scenes  in  the  history  of  the 
time.  The  old  walls  reechoed  the  thunder  of  Henry's 
denunciations  of  the  Stamp  Act ;  the  Council  Chamber 
above  was  the  scesne  of  the  dismissal  of  the  Burgesses ; 
and  in  the  hall  of  the  House  took  place  the  historic 
"  Assembly  "  given  in  honor  of  Lady  Dunmore  and  her 
family  on  the  eve  of  the  final  collision. 

The  Governor's  Palace,  standing  near  Gloucester 
Street,  was  a  building  of  large  size  surrounded  by 
pleasure-grounds  embracing  more  than  three  hundred 
acres,  planted  with  lindens  and  other  trees.  In  the  re- 
ception room  of  the  Palace  hung  portraits  of  the  King 
and  Queen,  and  this  buildhig  also  witnessed  many  scenes 
connected  with  public  affairs.  Among  other  incidents 
was  its  occupation  by  the  English  marines,  who  rifled 
the  "  Old  Magazine  "  of  its  muskets  and  powder.  The 
latter  was  a  stone  octagon  which  still  stands,  and  is  an 
interesting  landmark.  It  was  built  by  Spotswood  in 
1716,  and  is  therefore  more  than  a  century  and  a 
half   old.      A  last  object  of   interest  was   the  famous 


398      VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

''  Raleigh  Tavern  "  on  Gloacester  Street,  a  building  of 
wood,  erected  about  1700,  with  entrances  on  both  fronts 
and  a  leaden  bust  of  Sir  Walter  Raleigh  over  the  main 
doorway.  The  large  apartment  in  the  Raleigh,  called 
the  "Apollo  Room,"  was  the  place  of  meeting  of  the 
Burgesses  after  their  dissolution  by  the  royal  Gov- 
ernors. Here  many  important  measures  were  deter- 
mined upon  by  the  leaders,  and  the  room  may  be  called 
the  Faneuil  Hall  of  Virginia.  It  was  also  a  favorite 
place  for  balls ;  and  Jefferson,  writing  from  College, 
speaks  with  rapture  of  "  dancing  with  Belinda  in  the 
Apollo." 

The  town  consisted  of  detached  houses  without  pre- 
tensions to  architectural  beauty,  but  this  modest  hamlet 
was  in  winter  the  scene  of  much  that  was  brilliant  and 
attractive  in  Virginia  society.  It  was  the  habit  of  the 
planters  to  come  with  their  families  to  enjoy  the  pleas- 
ures of  the  Capital  at  this  season,  and  tradition  has  pre- 
served the  appearance,  at  such  times,  of  the  old  Heart 
of  the  Rebellion.  Gloucester  Street  was  an  animated 
spectacle  of  coaches-and-four  containing  the  "  nabobs  " 
and  their  dames  ;  of  maidens  in  silk  and  lace  with  high- 
heeled  shoes  and  clocked  stockings;  of  youths  passing 
on  spirited  horses, — and  all  these  people  are  engaged 
in  attending  the  assemblies  at  the  Palace,  in  dancing 
in  the  Apollo,  in  snatching  the  pleasure  of  the  moment, 
and  enjoying  life  under  a  regime  which  seemed  made 
for  enjoyment.  The  love  of  social  intercourse  had 
been  a  marked  trait  of  the  Virginians  in  all  genera- 
tions, and  at  the  middle  of  the  century  the  instinct  had 
culminated.  The  violins  seemed  to  be  ever  playing  for 
the  divertisement  of  the  youths  and  maidens ;  the  good 
horses  were  running  for  the  purse  or  cup  ;  cocks  were 


THE  HEART  OF  THE  REBELLION,  399 

fighting ;  the  College  students  were  mingling  with  the 
throng  in  their  "academic  dress  ;"  and  his  serene  Ex- 
cellenc}^,  in  his  fine  coach  drawn  by  six  milk-white  horses, 
goes  to  open  the  Plouse  of  Burgesses,  after  which  he  will 
sternly  dissolve  them.  It  is  a  scene  full  of  gayety  and 
abandon ;  but  under  it  is  a  volcano.  Never  was  Wil- 
liamsburg more  brilliant  than  on  the  eve  of  the  explo- 
sion. We  shall  see  the  last  supreme /e/e  when  the  cour- 
teous Burgesses  invite  his  Excellency's  amiable  family 
to  attend  a  great  assembly  in  their  honor,  thou<yh  he 
has  ordered  them  to  leave  the  Capitol  and  the  die  is 
cast. 

All  these  lights  and  shadows  of  the  past  concentrated 
at  Williamsburg,  where  the  King's-men  were  going  to 
show  whether  they  would  or  would  not  espouse  the 
Revolution.  As  to  that  there  had  been  mis^ivinofs. 
Men  like  Otis  and  Adams  looked  confidently,  they  de- 
clared, for.  decisive  action  to  "  that  ancient  colony  of 
whose  disinterested  virtue  this  province  has  had  ample 
experience."  But  the  general  sentiment  was  scarcely 
so  flattering.  There  had  been  a  wide-spread  impression 
that  the  Virginians  w^ere  monarchists  and  aristocrats  who 
could  not  be  relied  upon  in  a  struggle  against  the  Crown. 
The  action  of  the  representatives  of  the  people  had  fol- 
lowed. They  had  declared  that  Virginians  only  had 
the  riojht  to  make  laws  for  Viroinia.  The  whole  coun- 
try  rose  to  support  the  defiance;  and  Massachusetts  was 
now  to  have  another  experience  of  the  disinterested 
virtue  of  the  ancient  colony.  Virginia  in  1774  will 
resolve  that  an  attack  on  Massachusetts  is  an  attack 
on  Virginia;  and  will  recommend  a  General  Congress 
which  at  her  call  will  declare  the  American  Colonies  in- 
dependent of  Great  Britain.  . 


400      VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

VI. 
THE    STEPPING-STONES    OF    REVOLUTION. 

For  about  ten  years  after  the  Stamp  Act  agitation 
all  Virijinia  was  in  turmoil.  Great  events  were  felt  to 
be  near  and  the  air  was  sultry  with  the  heat  of  the  com- 
ing storm. 

The  English  Parliament  had  recoiled  before  the  deter- 
mined  opposition  to  the  Stamp  Act,  and  repealed  it; 
but  in  1767  a  new  duty  was  laid  on  glass,  paper,  and 
tea,  to  take  effect  in  the  autumn.  Thereat  rose  new 
commotions,  altercations  with  the  King's  officers,  and  so 
much  hot  blood  that  suddenly  two  English  regiments 
appeared  at  Boston.  Since  the  Americans  would  not 
listen  to  reason,  they  were  to  be  argued  with  through 
the  muzzles  of  musketry  and  cannon.  But  the  new  Eng- 
lish logic  had  no  more  effect  than  the  old.  The  hearts  of 
the  people,  north  and  south,  grew  ever  hotter.  In  Vir- 
ginia the  old  affection  for  England  became  weaker  and 
weaker.  There  and  everywhere  memorials,  representa- 
tions, protests,  the  reverse  of  humble,  continued  to 
darken  the  air  and  give  due  notice  of  what  was  coming. 

In  the  next  year  (1768),  died  his  Excellency  Francis 
Fauquier,  a  man  of  ability,  of  elegant  manners,  a  de- 
lightful companion,  a  free-thinker,  and  furious  card- 
player  at  his  Palace  or  on  his  visits  to  the  manor-houses 
of  the  planters,  who  greatly  liked  him  for  his  genial 
manners  and  character.  John  Blair,  President  of  the 
Council,  replaced  him  for  the  time ;  and  in  the  autumn 
(1768),  came  Norborne  Berkeley,  Lord  Botetourt,  the 
most  popular,  perhaps,  of  all  the  royal  Governors  of 
Virginia. 


THE  STEPPING-STONES   OF  REVOLUTION.    401 

Lord  Botetourt  went  to  open  the  Burgesses  (May 
1769),  in  a  coach  presented  to  him  by  King  George  III. 
It  was  drawn  by  six  white  horses,  and  the  insignia  of 
royalty  were  seen  everywhere.  On  that  day  and  the 
next  he  entertained  fifty-two  gentlemen  at  dinner  in  the 
Palace  ;  but  under  all  these  festivities  and  cordial  bows 
and  smiles  was  the  heart-burning  of  the  time.  Five 
days  afterwards  the  Burgesses  proceeded  to  business. 
In  February  Parliament  had  advised  the  King  to  trans- 
port persons  guilty  of  treason  to  England  for  trial.  At 
this  the  Virghiians  took  fire.  The  Burgesses  passed 
resolutions  declaring  the  transportation  of  Americans 
an  act  of  tyranny  ;  that  the  proceeding  would  be  dan- 
gerous ;  that  the  Colonies  alone  had  the  right  to  tax 
themselves;  and  that  these  resolves  should  be  trans- 
mitted to  the  other  Colonies  for  their  approval.  Cordial 
Governor  Botetourt  was  thus  met  in  the  very  beginning 
by  resolute  opposition.  There  was  nothing  for  him  to 
do  but  dissolve  the  refractory  Burgesses,  and  he  did  so  ; 
but  that  only  added  fuel  to  the  flame.  There  was  no 
thought  of  stopping  now  ;  the  current  swept  all  before 
it.  The  Burgesses  met  in  the  Apollo  Room  of  the  Ra- 
leigh Tavern,  and  repeated  their  protest  in  a  more  prac- 
tical manner.  They  reaffirmed  their  resolutions  against 
the  transportation  of  Americans  for  trial  ;  and  unani- 
mously adopted  an  agreement,  drawn  by  George  Mason 
and  presented  by  George  Washington,  not  to  import  or 
purchase  any  English  commodities,  or  any  slaves  until 
their  rights  were  redressed.  This  paper  was  soon  fly- 
ing through  the  length  and  breadth  of  the  country  for 
sionatures. 

Once  more  England  drew  back.  The  right  to  tax  the 
Americans  was  still  insisted  upon,  but  the  Act  of  1767 
26 


402      VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

was  repealed  except  as  to  tea  (March,  1770).  This  duty 
was  retained  as  an  assertion  of  the  right  to  tax,  and 
Lord  North,  the  new  Premier,  who  had  succeeded  the 
Duke  of  Grafton,  said  frankly,  "  a  total  repeal  cannot 
be  thoufj^ht  of  till  America  is  prostrate  at  our  feet^ 
There  seemed  little  likelihood  that  the  Americans  were 
going  to  assume  that  humble  attitude ;  but  it  now  became 
plain  that  the  smiling  Premier  who  went  to  sleep  while 
his  opponents  were  denouncing  him,  had  made  up  his 
mind  to  employ  coercion. -"^ 

At  this  critical  moment  (October,  1770),  Lord  Bote- 
tourt died.  He  had  become  warmly  attached  to  the  Vir- 
ginians and  had  greatly  endeared  himself  to  them. 
When  he  was  notified,  by  the  Earl  of  Hillsborough,  of 
the  intended  repeal  of  the  Act  of  1767,  he  said  to  the 
Assembly,  "I  will  be  content  to  be  declared  infamous 
if  1  do  not  to  the  last  hour  of  my  life,  at  all  times  and 
in  all  places  and  upon  all  occasions,  exert  every  power 

1  Baron  North  is  not  a  popular  historical  personage  in  this  country, 
but  like  George  III.  he  was  not  as  black  as  he  is  painted.  He  honestly 
believed  in  the  right  of  Parliament  to  tax  the  Colonies  and  listened  to 
the  denunciations  of  Colonel  Barre  and  others  with  serene  good-humor. 
He  often  slept  in  his  seat  while  the  opposition  thunder  was  rolling 
above  his  head,  and  revenged  himself  by  hon-mots.  Having  closed  his 
eyes  one  day  an  opponent  exclaimed  :  "Even  now,  in  the  midst  of  these 
perils,  the  noble  lord  is  asleep  !  "  when  North  was  heard  to  mutter 
with  his  customary  humor,  "  I  wish  to  God  I  were  !  "  When  Colonel 
Barre  was  making  a  long  speech  on  the  naval  histor}^  of  England,  North 
requested  a  friend  to  wake  him  when  the  speaker  "came  near  our  own 
times."  The  friend  woke  him,  when  North  asked,  "  Where  are  we  ?  " 
"At  the  Battle  of  La  Hague,  my  lord."  "  Oh,  my  dear  friend,"  said 
North,  "  You  have  waked  me  a  century  too  soon."  One  day  objec- 
tion was  made  to  his  application  of  the  term  "  rebels"  to  the  Ameri- 
cans. "  Well,"  he  said,  with  his  unfailing  wit,  "  then  to  please  you 
I  will  call  them  the,  gentlemen  in  ojyposition  on  the  other  side  of  the 
water;'''  the  neatest  of  intimations  that  the  opposition  in  Parliament 
were  no  better. 


THE  STEPPING-STONES   OF  REVOLUTION.    403 

with  which  I  am  or  ever  shall  be  legally  invested,  in 
order  to  obtain  and  maintain  for  the  continent  of  America 
that  satisfaction  which  I  have  been  authorized  to  prom- 
ise." He  wished  them,  he  said,  "freedom  and  happi- 
ness till  time  should  be  no  more ; "  but  he  did  not  live 
to  witness  the  great  struggle  for  that  freedom.  His 
death  is  said  to  have  been  hastened  by  chagrin  at  the 
course  of  his  government ;  and  the  Virginians,  who  sin- 
cerely lamented  him,  named  a  county  after  him  and 
erected  a  statue  to  his  memory.  It  was  placed  in  front 
of  William  and  Mary  College,  and  as  his  friend  the 
Duke  of  Beaufort  asked  permission  to  "  erect  a  monu- 
ment near  the  place  where  he  ivas  buried,^'  it  is  probable 
that  he  was  interred  beneath  the  floor  of  the  old  chapel. 
He  was  succeeded  by  William  Nelson,  President  of  the 
Council,  and  he  in  turn  (1772),  by  John  Murray,  Earl 
of  Dunmore. 

It  was  unfortunate  for  Lord  Dunmore  that  he  should 
have  followed  so  cordial  a  person  as  Botetourt.  Never 
was  ruler  more  unpopular  ;  and  even  after  making  al- 
lowance for  the  hot  passions  of  the  time,  the  new  Gov- 
ernor must  have  been  an  unprepossessing  person.  He 
was  abrupt  and  imperious  in  manner,  arbitrary,  resolved 
to  crush  the  spirit  of  rebellion,  and  not  disposed  to  re- 
coil from  any  means  in  his  power  to  accomplish  that 
object.  He  brought  with  him,  as  private  secretary, 
Captain  Foy,  who  had  fought  bravely  at  Minden  ;  and 
this  selection  of  a  soldier  as  his  confidential  adviser  and 
agent  probably  indicated  a  conviction  that  sooner  or 
later  there  would  be  armed  resistance  in  Virginia. 

With  spring  of  the  next  year  (1773)  came  new  ex- 
citement. Parliament  reasserted  in  still  stronger  terms 
the  right  to  transport  accused  persons  to  England  for 


404     VIRGINIA:  A   HISTORY  OF   THE  PEOPLE. 

trial,  and  in  Virginia  the  protest  of  1769  was  renewed. 
The  Burgesses  were  in  session  and  the  spirit  of  resist- 
ance led  to  an  important  measure.  liemy,  Jefferson, 
Lee,  and  others  were  accustomed  to  meet  in  a  private 
room  at  the  Raleigh  Tavern  for  consultation  ;  and  at 
one  of  these  meetings  Richard  Henry  Lee  proposed  the 
appointment  of  a  committee  to  obtain  "the  most  early 
and  authentic  intelligence  "  of  affairs  in  England,  and 
to  "  maintain  a  correspondence  and  communication  with 
our  sister  colonies."  A  similar  plan  had  already  been 
devised  in  Massachusetts  for  communication  between 
the  counties  of  that  colony  ;  the  scope  of  the  Virginia 
plan  was  larger,  since  it  looked  to  correspondence  and 
consultation  between  all  the  Colonies.  The  resolutions 
were  offered  (March  12,  1773)  by  Dabney  Carr,  a 
young  member  of  brilliant  genius,  who  died  soon  after- 
wards. They  were  promptly  passed,  and  the  commit- 
tee appointed.  It  consisted  of  the  most  distinguished 
members  of  the  Burgesses  :  Robert  Carter  Nicholas, 
Richard  Bland,  Richard  Henry  Lee,  Benjamin  Harri- 
son, Edmund  Pendleton,  Patrick  Henry,  Dudley  Digges, 
Dabney  Carr,  Archibald  Cary,  and  Thomas  Jefferson. 
The  Governor  at  once  dissolved  the  Assembly,  but  the 
mischief  was  done.  From  that  moment  revolution  was 
organized. 

The  Committees  of  Correspondence  were  going  to 
combine  all  the  elements  of  resistance.  Hitherto  the 
American  colonies  had  been  detached  communities.  The 
men  of  the  North  and  the  men  of  the  South,  separated 
by  hundreds  of  miles,  without  steam  or  electricity,  were 
practically  strangers,  and  knew  not  whether  they  could 
depend  on  each  other.  Boston  might  be  bombarded, 
or  Williamsburg  in  flames,   and  neither  might  know 


JEFFJiRSON,   THE   ''APOSTLE    OF  DEMOCRACY^     405 

what  was  the  fate  of  the  other.  The  action  of  one 
colony  might  embarrass  the  rest ;  then-  counsels  mio-ht 
clash  and  they  might  be  crushed  in  detail.  Now  this 
danger  had  passed.  The  thirteen  provinces  were  a 
unit.  Through  the  Committees,  which  were  prpuiptly 
appointed  everywhere,  the  leaders  consulted,  matured 
their  plans,  and  agreed  upon  their  coarse  of  action.  A 
portentous  power  had  suddenly  thrust  itself  into  the 
quarrel ;  and  William  Lee  wrote  from  London  that 
this  inter-colonial  consultation  had  "  struck  a  greater 
panic  into  the  ministers  "  than  all  that  had  taken  jolace 
since  the  days  of  the  Stamp  Act.  That  estimate  of  the 
importance  of  the  plan  was  just.  A  great  machine  had 
been  put  in  motion,  and  was  hewing  out  the  pathway 
to  revolution.  Thenceforward  the  American  colonies 
would  no  longer  engage  here  and  there  in  desultory 
and  useless  skirmishing,  but  advance  in  solid  column, 
shoulder  to  shoulder,  to  the  decisive  struggle. 


VII. 

JEFFERSON,    THE    "  APOSTLE    OF    DEMOCRACY." 

The  country  was  now  upon  the  threshold  of  revolu- 
tion. For  ten  years  the  minds  of  the  Americans  had 
been  growing  hotter  ;  the  black  cloud  had  become 
blacker ;  the  lightning  had  begun  to  flicker ;  the  tem- 
pest was  coming. 

The  Virginia  leaders  were  an  illustrious  group.  They 
were  nearly  without  exception  descendants  of  the  refu- 
gees who  had  come  over  after  the  execution  of  Charles 
I. ;  and  their  memory  is  still  cherished  with  peculiar 
veneration  in  Virginia.     Among  these  were  Archibald 


406       VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

Gary  of  Ampthill,  called  "  Old  Iron,"  a  man  of  low 
stature,  grim,  irascible,  with  piercing  eyes,  who,  when 
Henry  was  spoken  of  as  dictator,  sent  him  word  that 
*St-he  day  of  his  appointment  should  be  the  day  of  his 
deaths  .for  he  should  find  his  (Gary's)  dagger  in  his 
heart  before  tin  sunset  of  that  day  ;"  Richard  Bland, 
an  old  man  neariy  blind  and  wearing  a  bandage  over 
his  eyes,  the  author  of  the  famous  "  Enquii-y  into  the 
Rights  of  the  American  Golonies,"  and  called  the  Vir- 
ginia Antiquary  ;  Thomas  Nelson,  of  a  family  distin- 
guished for  patriotism  and  integrity,  tall,  blue  -  eyed, 
and  full  of  courtesy,  who  was  to  sign  the  Declaration, 
command  in  the  field,  and  become  Goveriior  of  Vir- 
ginia ;  John  Page,  the  pious  churchman,  to  become  a 
member  of  the  Gommittee  of  Safety,  and  also  Governor 
of  Virginia  ;  Benjamin  Harrison,  also  one  of  the  "  Sign- 
ers," large  of  person,  suffering  from  gout,  but  full 
of  pleasantry  and  good  humor  ;  Peyton  and  Edmund 
Randolph,  resolute  patriots,  the  one  to  become  presi- 
dent of  the  First  Gongress,  and  the  other  Governor  of 
Virginia  and  the  first  Attorney-General  and  Secretary 
of  State  of  the  United  States  ;  George  Wythe,  the  able 
lawyer;  Robert  Garter  Nicholas,  the  excellent  financier; 
and  many  more.  Above  these  rose  a  smaller  group 
who  became  the  great  landmarks  of  the  time,  each  of 
whom  was  connected  with  some  notable  event  or  changre 
in  the  current  of  thought  and  action.  These  were 
Henry,  Jefferson,  Lee,  Pendleton,  and  Mason. 

Henry  has  been  spoken  of.  He  was  the  leader  of 
the  leaders.  Jefferson  said  of  him  that  he  "  spoke  as 
Homer  wrote,"  and  that  he  "  gave  the  first  impulse  to 
the  ball  of  the  Revolution ; "  but  the  impulse  once  given, 
others  directed  it  in  its  course,  tracing  out  for  it  the  path 


JEFFERSON,    THE   ''APOSTLE   OF  DEMOCRACY.^'    407 

which  it  was  to  follow.  Among  these  latter  Thomas 
Jefferson  was  the  foremost.  His  father  was  Peter  Jef- 
ferson of  "  Shadwell,"  in  Albemarle,  and  here  Jefferson 
was  born  in  April,  1743.  At  seventeen  he  was  sent 
to  William  and  Mary  College  ;  afterwards  studied  and 
began  the  practice  of  law  ;  when  he  was  about  thirty 
married  a  young  lady  of  Charles  City  with  a  beautiful 
face  and  a  considerable  estate  ;  and  following  his  bent 
entered  ardently  into  politics.  We  have  the  portrait  of 
him  as  a  young  man.  Pie  was  tall,  and  his  figure  was 
"  angular  and  far  from  beautiful,"  his  face  sunburnt,  his 
eyes  gray,  and  his  hair  sand-colored.  His  disposition 
was  gay  and  mercurial,  and  he  was  an  excellent  per- 
former on  the  violin  ;  a  squire  of  dames,  and  a  partici- 
pant in  all  the  gayeties  of  the  little  Capital.  Of  this 
early  period  of  his  life  his  letters  to  John  Page  from 
Williamsburg,  present  a  vivid  picture.  They  give  an 
account  of  his  love  mishaps  with  Miss  Rebecca  Bur- 
well,^  a  young  lady  of  the  Capital,  whom  he  styles  "  Be- 
linda," and  are  in  vivid  contrast  with  the  popular  idea 
of  the  gray  politician  and  President.  He  was  not,  how- 
ever, an  idler,  and  acquired  a  fondness  for  helles  lettres, 
more  especially  for  the  Italian  poets  and  the  rhapsodies 
of  Ossian.  His  religious  doubts  seem  to  have  already 
begun,  and  have  been  attributed  to  his  association,  at 
this  time,  with  Governor  Fauquier,  who  was  a  con- 
firmed free-thinker.  The  statement  is  probably  true, 
and  he  never  shook  off  the  sinister  influence.  Long 
afterwards  he  and  his  friend  John  Page  would  discuss 

1  The  Burwells  were  an  old  and  worthy  family  of  York  and 
Gloucester.  Of  Lewis  Burwell,  Lieutenant-Governor  in  1750,  it  was 
said  that  he  "  had  embraced  almost  every  branch  of  human  knowl- 
edge in  the  circle  of  his  studies." 


408     VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

Christianity  in  the  observatory  at  "  Rosewell  ; "  but  his 
pious  host  could  make  no  iuapression  upon  him. 

Entering  the  Burgesses  at  twenty-six,  Jefferson  soon 
became  a  man  of  mark.  He  scarcely  ever  addressed  the 
House,  but  was,  from  the  first,  in  consultation  with  tlie 
leaders  who  recognized  his  ability.  It  was  seen  that 
his  temperament  and  views  were  those  of  the  revolution- 
naire.  Under  the  suave  and  composed  manner  was  an 
inflexible  resolution.  He  was  by  nature  an  iconoclast. 
His  intellect  was  a  machine,  which  rolled  on  pitilessly, 
crushing  with  its  heavy  wheels  all  old-world  prejudices. 
His  inexorable  logic  shrunk  from  nothing.  While  other 
thinkers,  even  the  most  advanced,  recoiled  from  the  con- 
sequences of  the  abstract  principles  which  they  advo- 
cated, Jefferson  followed  out  his  trains  of  reasoning  to 
and  beyond  the  bounds  of  treason.  He  was  the  great 
political  free-thinker  of  his  age,  as  he  was  a  free-thinker 
on  religious  questions.  He  may  be  styled  the  American 
Yoltaire,  discarding  faith  as  an  absurdity,  and  resting 
his  convictions  on  the  chillest  logic.  He  had  no  respect 
for  the  existing  state  of  things  in  Virginia.  Not  only 
the  political  fabric  but  the  whole  frame-work  of  society 
revolted  him.  He  scoffed  at  the  Planter  class,  to  which 
he  himself  belonged ;  called  them  "  cyphers  of  aristoc- 
racy" and  denounced  them  as  obstructionists;  and  even 
laughed  at  the  claims  of  his  mother's  family,  the  Ran- 
dolphs,  to  ancient  pedigree,  to  which  every  one,  he  said, 
"  might  ascribe  the  faith  and  merit  he  chose."  The 
flout  was  gratuitous,  for  the  Randolphs  were  an  old  and 
honorable  family,  but  Jefferson  would  not  spare  even 
his  own  blood. 

To  sum  up  the  character  of  this  remarkable  man,  he 
was  a  skeptic,  a  democrat,  an  overturner,  and  a  rebuilder. 


JEFFERSON,    THE   ''APOSTLE   OF  DEMOCRACY.''    409 

From  the  first  he  is  ready  to  undermine  the  very  bases 
of  authority ;  soon  he  will  announce  their  overthrow, 
and  lay  down  the  j^rinciples  upon  which  the  new  fabric 
must  rest.  His  "  Summary  View  of  the  Rights  of 
British  America,"  written  in  1774,  is  the  germ  of  the 
Declaration.  His  opinions  are  already  matured.  The 
paper  was  sent  to  the  Virginia  Convention  as  the  pro- 
posed basis  of  instructions  to  the  delegates  in  Congress, 
and  gives  the  exact  measure  of  Jefferson's  genius  as  a 
revolutionary  leader.  Its  tone  is  bold,  almost  imperious. 
The  young  writer  does  pot  mince  his  words.  His  Maj- 
esty is  informed  that  his  officials  are  "  worthless  minis- 
terial dependents ; "  that  if  the  Americans  suffered  them- 
selves to  be  transported  for  trial  they  would  be  "  cowards 
meriting  the  everlasting  infamy  now  fixed  on  the  authors 
of  the  Act."  The  King  is  notified  that  "  Kings  are  the 
servants  not  the  proprietors  of  the  people,  and  that  the 
whole  art  of  government  consists  in  the  art  of  being 
honest."  The  tone  of  the  paper  indicates  the  marked 
change  which  had  taken  place  in  the  attitude  of  the 
Americans  toward  England.  It  was  a  long  way  from 
"your  Majesty's  obedient  humble  servants"  to  these 
brusque  phrases,  and  Jefferson's  concluding  words: 
"  This,  Sire,  is  our  last,  our  determined  resolution." 

The  paper  was  not  adopted,  but  it  was  ordered  to  be 
published,  and  led  to  the  selection  of  Jefferson  to  draft 
the  Declaration  of  Independence. 


410     VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

VIII. 

LEE,    MASON,    AND    PENDLETON. 

The  three  men  who  took  the  most  conspicuous  part 
in  Virginia  affairs  after  Henry  and  Jefferson,  —  if  they 
could  be  said  to  come  after  them,  —  were  Richard  Henry 
Lee,  George  Mason,  and  Edmund  Pendleton. 

Richard  Henry  Lee  belonged  to  a  distinguished  family 
of  the  "  Northern  Neck,"  between  the  Rappahannock 
and  Potomac.  He  was  born  at  "  Stratford,"  in  West- 
moreland, in  January  1732;  and  was  thus  nearly  of  the 
exact  age  of  Washington.  All  the  traditions  of  his 
family  were  Cavalier.  He  was  a  descendant  of  the 
Richard  Lee  who  had  plotted  with  Berkeley  to  set  up 
the  flag  of  Charles  11.  in  Virginia  ;  and  his  ancestors 
had  been  noted,  in  all  generations,  for  their  royalist  sen- 
timents. To  look  to  such  a  family  for  a  leader  against 
the  Crown  seemed  hopeless,  and  yet  Richard  Henry  Lee 
was  to  prove  as  much  of  an  extremist  as  Patrick  Henry. 
He  was  educated  in  England,  and  from  his  early  man- 
hood took  part  in  public  affairs.  As  early  as  1768  he 
conceived  the  scheme  of  the  "  Committees  of  Corre- 
spondence," and  in  1773  procured  its  adoption  in  the 
House  of  Burgesses.  His  fame  as  the  mover  of  the 
Declaration  of  Independence  was  yet  to  come. 

Lee  was  at  this  time  forty-two  years  old,  graceful  in 
person,  extremely  cordial  in  his  manners,  and  so  elegant 
a  speaker  that  he  was  said  to  have  practiced  his  gestures 
before  a  mirror.  He  was  called  the  "  Gentleman  of  the 
Silver  Hand,"  and  wore  a  black  bandage  on  one  hand 
to  hide  a  wound  which  he  had  received  while  shooting 


LEE,   MASON,  AND  PENDLETON.  411 

swans  on  the  Potomac.  He  lived  at  "  Chantilly," .  in 
Westmoreland,  and  eujo3'ed  the  regard  and  respect  of 
the  entire  community ;  a  quiet  gentleman  full  of  suave 
courtesy,  who  seemed  anything  but  a  revolutionist.  And 
yet  of  all  tlie  great  leaders  of  Virginia  at  that  time,  none 
was  readier  to  go  all  lengths  in  resisting  the  Crown. 

George  Mason,  the  author  of  the  Virginia  Bill  of 
Rights,  was  one  of  the  greatest  men  of  a  great  period. 
He  was  born  in  Stafford  in  1726,  and  was  the  descen- 
dant of  an  ofRcer  of  the  army  of  Charles  II.  He  was 
large  in  person,  athletic,  with  a  swarthy  complexion,- 
and  black  eyes,  whose  expression  was  described  as  "  half 
sad,  half  severe."  He  was  a  man  of  reserved  address, 
but  his  wit  was  biting.  When  an  opponent  in  poli- 
tics said  that  the  people  of  Fairfax  knew  that  "  Colonel 
Mason's  mind  w,as  failing  him  from  age,"  he  retorted 
with  mordant  sarcasm,  that  his  friend  had  one  consola- 
tion :  "  when  his  mind  failed  him  no  one  would  ever  dis- 
cover it  1 "  He  lived  the  life  of  a  planter  at  "  Gunston 
Hall,"  on  the  Potomac,  wrapped  up  in  his  "  dear  little 
family,"  reading  the  best  English  books,  and  averse  to 
public  position,  though  he  had  served  in  the  Burgesses, 
and  was  recognized  as  a  man  of  the  first  ability.  His 
views  and  the  great  elements  of  his  character  were  well 
knou^n  to  the  leaders.  Mason  was  an  American  of 
Americans,  and  clung  to  his  right  with  all  the  vehe- 
mence of  his  strong  nature.  At  the  outburst  of  the  great 
struggle  he  wrote  :  "  If  I  can  only  live  to  see  the  Ameri- 
can Union  firmly  fixed,  and  free  governments  established 
in  our  western  world,  and  can  leave  to  my  children  but 
a  crust  of  bread  and  liberty,  I  shall  die  satisfied,  and  say 
with  the  Psalmist,  '  Lord,  now  lettest  thou  thy  servant 
depart  in  peace.'  "    In  the  Revolution  he  wrote,  "  I  will 


412^VIEGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

risque  the  last  penny  of  my  fortune  and  the  last  drop  of 
my  blood  upon  the  issue  ;  "  and  in  his  will  he  enjoined 
his  sons  "  never  to  let  the  motive  of  private  interest  or 
ambition  induce  them  to  betray,  nor  the  terrors  of  pov- 
erty and  disgrace,  or  the  fear  of  danger  or  death,  deter 
them  from  asserting  the  liberty  of  their  country,  and  en- 
deavoring to  transmit- to  their  posterity  those  sacred 
rights  to  which  themselves  were  born."  It  was  the  spirit 
of  the  Virginians  in  all  generations,  now  facing  the  new 
times  as  it  had  faced  the  old.  . 

Mason  was  called  upon  to  draft  the  Virginia  Bill  of 
Rights  and  Constitution,  and  did  so.  The  former  is  the 
most  remarkable  paper  of  the  epoch,  and  was  the  foun- 
dation of  the  great  American  assertion  of  right.  Jeffer- 
son went  to  it  for  the  phrases  and  expressions  of  the  ■ 
Declaration,  and  it  remains  the  original  chart  by  which 
free  governments  must  steer  their  course  in  all  coming 
time.  The  writer  lays  down  the  fundamental  principle, 
that  all  men  are  "  by  nature  equally  free  and  independ- 
ent, and  have  certain  inherent  rights  -  of  which,  when 
they  enter -into  a  state  of  society,  they  cannot  by  any 
compact  deprive  or  divest  their  posterity."  And  these 
rights  are  named  :  they  are  '•  the  enjoyment  of  life  and 
liberty,  with  the  means  of  acquiring  and  possessing  prop- 
erty, and  pursuing  and  obtaining  happiness  and  safety." 
All  power,  he  says,  is  "  vested  in  and  consequently  de- 
rived from  the  people;"  and " magistrates  are  their  trust- 
ees and  servants,  and  at  all  times  amenable  to  them." 
Government  is  instituted  for  the  common  benefit  of  all, 
and  when  it  is  found  inadequate  or  hostile,  "  a  majority 
of  the  community  has  the  right  to  alter  or  abolish  it." 
All  men  having  "  sufficient  evidence  of  permanent  com- 
mon interest  with,  and  attachment  to,  the  community  " 


LEE,   MASON,   AND  PENDLETON.  413 

should  have  the  right  of  suffrage.  The  freedom  of  the 
press  is  "'  one  of  the  great  bulwarks  of  liberty  and  can 
never  be  restrained  but  by  despotic  governments."  The 
natural  defense  of  a  state  is  "  a  well-regulated  militia; " 
standing  armies  are  "  dangerous  to  liberty  ;  "  and  "  in  all 
cases  the  military  should  be  under  strict  subordination 
to,  and  governed  by,  the  civil  power."  Religion  is  "  the 
duty  which  we  owe  to  our  Creator,  and  the  manner  of 
discharging  it  can  be  directed  only  by  reason  and  con- 
viction, not  by  force  or  violence  ;  and  therefore  all  men 
are  equally  entitled  to  the  free  exercise  of  religion  ac- 
cording to  the  dictates  of  conscience."  Lastly,  the 
blessing  of  liberty  can  only  be  preserved  by  "  a  firm  ad- 
herence to  justice,  moderation,  temperance,  frugality,  v 
and  virtue,  and  by  frequent  recurrence  to  fundamental 
principles." 

Such  were  the  foundations  of  free  government,  laid 
broad  and  deep,  by  George  Mason.  The  equality  of 
men  politically ;  the  enjoyment  of  life,  lil^erty,  and  the 
pursuit  of  happiness  ;  the  responsibility  of  magistrates  ; 
the  right  of  the  people  to  abolish  oppressive  govern- 
ment ;  suffrage  to  all  men  having  a  permanent  interest 
in  the  community  ;  the  freedom  of  the  press  ;  the  sub- 
jection of  the  military  to  the  civil  authority ;  the  free 
exercise  of  religion  ;  and  an  adherence  to  justice,  mod- 
eration, and  virtue  ;  these  were  to  be  the  burning  and 
shining  lights  to  guide  the  new  generation  in  their 
march  to  the  Canaan  of  the  future. 

Edmund  Pendleton  was  the  last  of  this  small  group 
of  representative  men.  He  was  the  conservative  states- 
man of  the  time  as  opposed  to  the  revolutionists  ;  a  stu- 
dent and  jurisconsult  who  wished  to  lop  off  abuses,  not 
hew  down  the  tree,  and  opposed  the  violent  counsels  of 


414      VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

Henry  as  prejudicial  to  the  cause.  Like  nearly  all  the 
leaders  of  the  time,  Pendleton  was  of  royalist  descent 
and  a  Churchman.  He  belonged  to  "  a  good  family 
gone  to  decay,"  who  had  come  to  Virginia  about  a  cen- 
tury before,  and  in  his  youth  found  that  he  had  to  make 
his  own  way.  He  was  born  in  the  county  of  Caroline 
(1721),  where,  at  his  estate  of  "  Edmundsbury,"  he 
spent  his  life ;  became  clerk  of  the  County  Court  and 
then  a  member  of  the  bar  ;  and  entering  the  Burgesses, 
at  the  age  of  thirty,  soon  rose  to  distinction.  He  may 
be  styled  the  conservatist-revolutionist  of  the  era,  and 
said  of  himself  that  his  great  aiui  was  to  ''  raise  the 
spirits  of  the  timid  to  a  general  united  oppositions^  and 
oppose  "  the  violent  who  were  for  plunging  us  into  rash 
measures."  His  patriotism  and  ability  were  amply  rec- 
ognized in  his  generation ;  he  was  President  of  the 
Committee  of  Safety,  of  many  of  the  Conventions,  and 
finally  of  the  Virginia  Supreme  Court ;  and  left  behind 
him  a  name  eminent  for  integrity  and  piety. 

In  person  Edmund  Pendleton  was  tall,  with  blue 
eyes,  which  seem  to  have  been  common  in  the  Revolu- 
tionary leaders,  and  manners  of  great  sweetness.  It  was 
said  of  him  that  his  face  was  "  of  the  first  order  of  manly 
beauty  ;  his  voice  clear  and  silver-toned  and  under  per- 
fect control ;  and  his  manner  so  fascinating  as  to  charm 
all  who  came  in  contact  with  him."  Of  his  rank  as  a 
public  speaker  there  can  be  no  question.  He  had  "  a 
perennial  stream  of  transparent,  cool,  and  sweet  elocu- 
tion ; "  but  this  description  is  that  of  a  m.ere  master  of 
graceful  rhetoric,  and  leaves,  probably,  a  very  incorrect 
idea  of  his  real  force.  He  was  a  lav/yer  of  the  first  abil- 
ity, with  an  intellect  essentially  judicial ;  and  Jefferson 
said  that  he  was  "  the  ablest  man  in  debate  he  had  ever 
met  with." 


VIRGINIA  AND  MASSACHUSETTS.  415 

Such  was  Pendleton,  the  conservative-revolutionist, 
who  looked  to  "  united  opposition  "  and  waited.  It 
may  be  said  of  him,  and  those  who  acted  with  him, 
that  they  constituted  the  balance-wheel  regulating  the 
movement  of  the  great  time-piece,  which  was  now  about 
to  strike  the  hour  of  revolution. 


IX. 

VIRGINIA    AND    MASSACHUSETTS. 

In  the  spring  of  1774  revolution  was  in  the  very  air. 
The  situation  of  affairs  was  now  stripped  of  all  ambigu- 
ity. England  had  resolved  to  subject  the  Americans  to 
her  will.  The  theory  that  they  were  entitled  to  all  the 
rights  of  British  subjects  was  openly  repudiated.  They 
had  been  reduced  to  obedience  by  Parliament  in  the 
time  of  Cromwell ;  and  Parliament,  whether  they  were 
represented  there  or  not,  was  to  rule  tliem  still.  Eng- 
land was  to  be  master.  The  American  Assemblies  were 
to  be  mere  municipal  bodies  for  the  transaction  of  small 
local  affairs.  Direct  imposts  were  to  be  laid  upon  them  ; 
and  if  they  rebelled  they  were  to  be  transported  across 
the  ocean  to  be  tried  by  their  enemies.  The  issue  was 
thus  made  up  :  submission  to  wrong  or  resistance.  Re- 
sistance meant  war.  Would  the  Americans  risk  that  ? 
It  soon  became  evident  what  they  had  decided  upon  : 
they  were  going  to  fight. 

Boston  was  already  occupied  by  British  troops.  Since 
the  collision  of  the  citizens  and  soldiery  in  1770,  known 
as  the  Boston  "  Massacre,"  all  had  been  in  commotion 
there.  New  England,  always  hostile  to  royalty  and 
foreign  rule,  ilioved  restlessly  like  a  horse  under   the 


4 


416      VIRGINIA:   A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

spur.  In  December  (1773),  an  overt  act  of  rebellion 
warned  England  what  was  coming.  The  tax  on  tea 
had  never  been  repealed,  and  it  was  hoped  that  it  would 
be  submitted  to.  The  East  India  Company  was  author- 
ized to  export  it  to  America  free  of  duty,  which  made 
the  price  there  less  than  it  had  been  before  the  imposi- 
tion of  the  tax ;  and  ships  containing  three  hundred  and 
forty-two  chests  arrived  at  Boston.  The  test  was  direct, 
and  the  Boston  men  met  it.  A  party,  disguised  as  Mo- 
hawk Indians,  boarded  the  ships,  threw  the  tea  over- 
board, and  quietly  retired  to  their  homes.  When  intel- 
ligence of  this  overt  act  of  resistance  reached  England 
it  aroused  bitter  indignation.  Parliament  struck  back 
with  the  "  Boston  Port  Bill ; "  on  and  after  June  4,  1774, 
the  harbor  of  Boston  was  to  be  closed.  Under  this 
blockade,  stifling  her,  she  would  come  to  her  senses. 

The  value  of  the  Committees  of  Correspondence  was 
now  seen.  Swift  expresses  brought  the  news  to  Vir- 
ginia, as  on  the  wings  of  the  wind ;  the  riders  traveled 
so  rapidly  that  it  was  said  of  them  that  they  "  must  al- 
most have  flown."  The  House  of  Burgesses  was  in  ses- 
sion  when  the  intellio^ence  reached  Williamsburor ;  like 
the  men  of  Boston  they  were  called  upon  to  act  j^romptly 
or  give  up  the  contest ;  and  they  acted  at  once.  It  was 
the  blow  aimed  at  Massachusetts  which  brought  affairs 
to  a  crisis,  and  by  uniting  all  the  elements  of  resistance 
precipitated  the  Revolution  in  Virginia. 

It  may  interest  the  reader  to  visit  the  little  capital  of 
Williamsburg  at  this  moment,  and  see  what  followed. 
The  events  were  like  the  shifting  scenes  of  a  drama. 
The  old  and  the  new  were  suddenly  brought  face  to  face  : 
the  old  went  out  with  music  and  the  new  came  in  with 
an  ominous  muttering.     Lord  Dun  more  had  now  been 


VIRGINIA  AND  MASSACHUSETTS.  417 

in  Virginia  for  about  two  years.  He  was  far  from  popu- 
lar. From  the  first  he  had  surrounded  himself  with  the 
trappings  of  etiquette.  A  court  herald  had  proclaimed 
a  code  of  rules  for  the  guidance  of  the  Virginians  in  ap- 
proaching his  Excellency.  He  entertained  little,  and 
made  few  efforts  to  establish  cordial  relations  between 
himself  and  the  society  of  Williamsburg,  as  Fauquier 
and  Botetourt  had  done.  His  attitude  toward  the  Vir- 
ginians may  be  summed  up  in  the  statement,  that  he  saw 
the  spirit  of  rebellion  pervading  all  classes  and  meant  to 
crush  it. 

This  was  the  state  of  things  at  Williamsburg  in  the 
spring  of  1774.  The  Virginians  responded  to  Lord 
Dunmore's  ill-disguised  hostility  by  offering  him  a  mark 
of  courtesy.  His  family,  whom  he  had  left  in  New 
York,  arrived  at  Williamsburg  :  "  the  Right  Honorable 
the  Countess  of  Dunmore,  wiih  Lord  Fincastle,  the  Hon- 
orable Alexander  and  John  Murray,  and  the  Ladies 
Catherine,  Augusta,  and  Susan  Murray."  This  is  the 
announcement  taken  from  the  "  Virginia  Gazette,"  which 
adds  that  the  arrival  of  the  Countess  gave  "  inexpressi- 
ble pleasure  and  satisfaction  to  the  inhabitants,  who 
made  a  general  illumination  upon  the  happy  occasion, 
and  with  repeated  acclamations  welcomed  her  ladyship 
and  family  to  Virginia."  Such  were  the  rounded  pe- 
riods of  the  reporter  of  the  time,  who  it  is  to  be  hoped 
was  welcomed,  in  turn,  for  his  eloquent  phrases,  at  the 
Palace.  The  ladies  made  an  agreeable  impression.  One 
present  at  the  time  wrote:  "Lady  Dunmore  is  here: 
a  very  elegant  woman.  Her  daughters  arc  fine,  sprightly, 
sweet  girls.  Goodness  of  heart  flashes  from  them  in 
every  look."  And  in  order  to  show  their  satisfaction 
at  the  arrival  of  the  Countess  and  her  family,  the  gen- 
27 


418      VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

tlemen  of  the  Burgesses,  who  assembled  at  Williamsburg 
soon  afterwards,  resolved  to  give  a  brilliant  ball,  in  their 
honor,  at  the  Capitol. 

Suddenly  the  sky  was  overclouded.  The  news  ar- 
rived from  Boston  that  on  the  fourth  of  June  the  harbor 
■was  to  be  closed  as  a  punishment  for  the  destruction  of 
the  tea.  The  intelligence  was  met  in  the  House  of 
Burgesses  "  with  a  burst  of  indignation."  The  first  of 
June  was  "  set  apart  as  a  day  of  fasting,  humiliation,  and 
prayer,  devoutly  to  implore  the  Divine  interposition  for 
averting  the  heavy  calamity  which  threatens  the  civil 
rights  of  America."  This  action  was  taken  on  May  24 
(1774).  What  followed  is  thus  recorded  in  the  "  Vir- 
ginia  Gazette "    three   days   afterwards  :  — 

"  Yesterday,  between  three  and  four  o'clock  p.  m., 
the  Right  Honorable,  the  Earl  of  Dunmore,  sent  a  mes- 
sage to  the  Honorable  the  House  of  Burgesses,  by  the 
clerk  of  the  Council,  requiring  their  immediate  attend- 
ance in  the  Council  Chamber,  when  his  Excellency 
spoke  to  them  as  follows :  '  Mr.  Speaker,  and  Gentle- 
men of  the  House  of  Burgesses,  I  have  in  my  hand  a 
paper  published  by  order  of  your  Plouse,  conceived  in 
such  terms  as  reflect  highly  upon  his  Miijesty  and  the 
Parliament  of  Great  Britain,  which  makes  it  necessary 
for  me  to  dissolve  you,  and  you  are  dissolved  accord- 
ingly." ..."  This  evening  there  is  to  be  a  ball  and 
entertainment  at  the  Capitol,  given  by  the  Honorable 
the  House  of  Burgesses,  to  welcome  Lady  Dunmore 
and  the  rest  of  the  Governor's  family  to  Virginia." 

The  ball  duly  took  place.  The  Old  Capitol  wdiich 
had  been  the  scene  of  the  passionate  protest  against  the 
Stamp  Act,  and  the  bitter  denunciation  of  the  Boston 
Port  Bill,  was  now  to  be  full  of  the  gay  music  of  vio- 


VIRGINIA  AND  MASSACHUSETTS.  419 

lins,  and  to  see  a  brilliant  assemblage  bowing  low  to 
her  Ladyship  the  Countess  of  Dunmore.  The  Gov- 
ernor and  his  family  were  present,  and  the  fine  enter- 
tainment went  on  its  way  ;  but  the  violins  stopped  at 
last,  the  Old  Capitol  was  silent  again,  and  the  Bur- 
gesses went  home  to  consider  more  serious  matters  than 
dancing-parties. 

They  had  already  taken  a  decisive  step.  On  the 
morning  of  the  same  day  (May  27,  1774),  the  Burgesses 
had  assembled  at  the  Raleigh  Tavern ;  passed  resolu- 
tions against  the  use  of  tea ;  and  directed  the  Commit- 
tee of  Correspondence  to  propose  a  General  Congress  of 
the  colonies.  In  this  measure  Massachusetts  had  fore- 
stalled Virginia  by  procuring  the  meeting  of  a  similar 
body  at  New  York  in  1765  ;  and  now,  before  the  action 
of  the  Southerners  was  known,  the  same  colony  made 
the  same  recommendation.  It  was  felt  that  a  solemn 
consultation  between  all  the  colonies  was  essential,  and 
North  and  South  moved  together.  The  next  proceed- 
ing of  the  Burgesses  was  to  recommend  the  election  of 
delegates  to  a  Convention,  to  meet  on  the  first  of  the 
ensuing  August ;  and  the  word  Convention,  like  the 
word  Congress,  was  ominous.  Both  bodies  were  to 
assemble  without  warrant  from  the  royal  authority. 
They  were  in  every  sense  illegal  and  revolutionary ; 
but  revolution  was  now  the  only  resource.  Either  the 
Virginians  were  to  wait  patiently,  and  submit  them- 
selves to  the  good  pleasure  of  Lord  Dunmore,  or  they 
were  to  take  their  own  affairs  into  their  own  hands  and 
proceed  to  act. 

Events  hurried  on.  The  first  of  June  was  observed 
throughout  Virginia  as  a  day  of  fasting  and  prayer. 
The  people  went  to  church  in  mourning,  and  abstained 


420      VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

from  all  occupations.  George  Mason  wrote  to  a  friend : 
"  Please  to  tell  my  dear  little  family  that  I  desire  my 
three  eldest  sons  and  my  two  oldest  daughters  may  at- 
tend church  in  mourning."  At  Williamsburg  a  sermon 
was  preached  in  Bruton  Church  from  the  text  "  Help 
Lord !  for  the  godly  man  ceaseth,  for  the  faithful  fail 
from  among  the  children  of  men."  The  tea  was  sealed 
up  or  destroyed,  and  disapi^eared  from  every  table  ; 
lastly,  as  an  evidence  of  earnest  sympathy,  money  and 
provisions  were  sent  to  "  our  distressed  fellow  subjects 
of  Boston  ;  "  an  jearly  proof,  and  one  of  a  long  series  of 
such  given  by  Virginia,  of  her  devotion  to  the  sentiment 
of  union. 

Although  Lord  Dunmore  had  issued  writs  for  a  new 
Assembly  to  convene  on  the  eleventh  of  August,  the 
Convention  duly  met  (August  1,  1774),  at  Williamsburg. 
It  consisted  of  the  first  men  of  Virginia,  and  the  pulse 
of  the  body  beat  hot  and  quick.  Even  Washington,  the 
least  excitable  of  men,  in  presenting  resolutions  passed 
in  his  county,  Fairfax,  made  a  passionate  speech.  "  He 
was  ready,"  he  said,  ''  to  raise  one  thousand  men,  sub- 
sist them  at  his  own  expense,  and  march  at  their  head 
to  the  relief  of  Boston."  The  main  business  before  the 
Convention  was  to  appoint  delegates  to  the  General 
Congress.  It  had  been  promptly  agreed  to  by  the  other 
colonies,  and  was  to  meet  early  in  September.  The 
delegates  appointed  (August  11,  1774),  were  Peyton 
Handolph,  Richard  Henry  Lee,  George  Washington, 
Patrick  Henry,  Richard  Bland,  Benjamin  Harrison,  and 
Edmund  Pendleton. 

The  first  Congress  met  at  Philadelphia  on  the  fifth  of 
September  (1774),  and  the  men  of  the  North  and  the 
South  were  at  last  in  presence  of  each  other.     "  It  is 


VIRGINIA  AND  MASSACHUSETTS.  421. 

such  an  Assembly,"  wrote  John  Adams,  "  as  never  be- 
fore came  together  of  a  sudden  in  any  part  of  the 
world."  By  a  singular  chance  the  Psalter  for  the 
day  of  the  month  in  the  Prayer-Book,  used  in  open- 
ing the  Congress  with  prayer,  contained  the  words : 
"  Plead  my  cause,  O  Lord,  with  them  that  strive  against 
me  ;  fight  against  them  that  fight  against  me."  A  long 
and  deep  silence  followed,  when  Patrick  Henry  rose 
and  made  one  of  his  greatest  and  most  earnest  speeches. 
*"'  British  oppression,"  he  exclaimed,  "  has  effaced  the 
boundaries  of  the  several  colonies.  The  distinctions 
between  Virginians,  Pennsylvanians,  New  Yorkers,  and 
New  Englanders,  are  no  more.  I  am  not  a  Virginian 
but  an  American  !  " 

The  action  of  the  Congress  was  calm  and  moderate. 
Washington  writing  at  the  time  said,  that  it  was  not  the 
wish  of  the  Colonies  "separately  or  collectively  to  set 
up  for  independency."  What  was  looked  to  was  a  re- 
dress of  grievances ;  and  the  Congress  agreed  upon  a 
Declaration  of  Rights,  an  Address  to  the  People  of  Great 
Britain,  and  another  to  the  People  of  the  Colonies  ;  the 
last  written  by  Richard  Henry  Lee,  and  concluding  with 
the  words  that  it  behooved  the  Americans  to  "  extend 
their  views  to  mournful  events."  In  October  the  body 
adjourned,  to  reassemble  in  the  sj)ring  if  necessary.  Its 
moderation  had  made  friends  for  the  American  cause  in 
England  and  everywhere.  Lord  Chatham,  in  the  House 
of  Lords,  said  :  "  I  know  not  the  people  or  Senate,  who, 
in  such  a  complication  of  difficult  circumstances,  can 
stand  in  preference  to  the  delegates  of  America  assem- 
bled in  General  Congress  in  Philadelphia." 

What  the  Congress  had  done  was  simply  to  state  the 
American  grievances  with  "  decency,  firmness,  and  wis- 


422      VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

dom  ; "  but  the  vital  circumstance  underlying  all  was 
that  the  Americans  had  at  last  met  in  Council. 


THE    FIRST    BLOOD    OF    THE    REVOLUTION. 

In  the  midst  of  these  political  events  the  Virginia 
border  was  the  scene  of  a  brief  but  bloody  episode  which 
has  been  described  as  "  the  first  blood  shed  in  the  Revo- 
lution." 

In  the  spring  a  party  of  borderers  had  murdered  the 
/  family  of  Logan,  an  Indian  chief  living  on  the  Ohio, 
and  the  rumor  came  that  tlie  red  men  were  about  to  rise 
all  along  the  frontier.  What  then  appears  on  the  surface 
is  that  Lord  Dunmore  resolved  to  go  and  crush  them, 
for  which  purpose  he  assembled  two  divisions  in  the 
upper  and  lower  Shenandoah  Valley.  Taking  command 
in  person  of  the  latter  he  advanced,  in  the  summer, 
through  northwestern  Virginia,  directing  the  second  di- 
vision to  meet  him  at  the  mouth  of  the  Kanawha. 

This  force  was  placed  under  command  of  General 
Andrew  Lewis.  Lewis  was  a  representative  man,  the 
perfect  type  of  the  borderer  and  Indian  fighter.  He 
was  born  in  Ireland  about  1730,  and  was  a  man  therefore 
of  middle  age  ;  of  large  and  powerful  frame,  as  brave  as 
steel,  full  of  enterprise  and  caution  mingled,  and  the 
idol  of  the  frontier  population.  His  personal  appear- 
ance is  correctly  exhibited  in  the  bronze  statue  of  him 
at  Richmond,  where  he  is  represented  in  the  fringed 
hunting-shirt  of  the  border,  with  his  rifle  in  his  hand. 
He  had  been  with  Washington  at  Great  Meadows ;  was 
known  to  enjoy  his  confidence ;  and  was  now  assigned 


THE  FIRST  BLOOD   OF  THE   REVOLUTION.    423 

to  command  a  wing  of  Dunmore's  force.  Early  in  Sep- 
tember (1774),  two  regiments,  numbering  in  all  1,100 
men,  assembled  near  Lewisburg  in  western  Virginia, 
and  Lewis  set  out  on  his  march  for  the  mouth  of  the 
Kanawha.  The  advance  was  an  arduous  affair ;  the 
country  was  a  world  of  mountains,  and  no  wheeled  ve- 
hicle could  pass  through  it ;  the  ammunition  and  provis- 
ions were  borne  on  pack-horses  ;  and  cutting  their  way 
through  the  pathless  woods  the  division  at  last  reached 
Point  Pleasant,  on  the  Ohio,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Ka- 
nawha. 
/  Lord  Dunmore  was  nowhere  to  be  seen,  and  his  where- 
abouts were  a  mystery.  Vague  rumor  declared  that  he 
was  advancing  toward  the  Shawnee  towns,  the  present 
Chillicothe  ;  and  soon  runners  came  with  orders  to  Lewis 
to  cross  the  river  and  move  thither.  Before  the  order 
could  be  obeyed  Lewis  was  attacked  and  had  to  fight. 
Some  m.en,  who  had  crossed  the  Ohio,  returned  in  haste 
reporting  that  the  woods  were  full  of  Indians ;  and 
Lewis  had  just  formed  line  of  battle  when  a  heavy  force'  i^- 
assailed  him.  His  position  was  favorable  for  defense 
but  not  for  retreat.  Behind  him  was  the  Kanawha,  the 
"  River  of  the  Woods,"  on  his  left  was  the  Ohio,  and  on 
his  right  a  small  stream  called  Crooked  Run.  Thus 
his  flanks  were  protected,  but  if  defeated  there  was  little 
hope  of  retreat ;  and  the  Indian  force  opposed  to  him 
seemed  to  largely  outnumber  his  own.  It  consisted  of 
the  best  fighting  men  of  the  Dela wares,  Mingoes,  Caj^u- 
gas,  and  Wyandots  ;  and  their  commander  was  Corn- 
stalk, one  of  the  oldest  and  ablest  vv^arriors  of  tlie  Ohio 
tribes. 

A  fierce  struf^ale  followed.     The  Indians  swarmed  in 
the  woods  in  front,  where  they  had  erected  a  barricade,  * 


424     VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

and  steadily  advanced,  delivering  a  scattering  but  heavy- 
fire  from  behind  every  cover.  Tinder  this  galling  fire 
the  Virginians  grew  discouraged.  Many  of  their  best 
men  had  already  fallen,  though  the  sun  had  scarcely 
risen  above  the  woods  ;  among  the  rest  Colonel  Lewis, 
brother  of  the  General,  commanding  the  right  of  the 
forces.  He  was  mortally  wounded,  and  fell  "  at  the  foot 
of  a  tree,"  and  his  men  fell  back  taking  his  bofly  with 
them.  Nearly  at  the  same  moment  Colonel  Fleming, 
commanding  the  left,  was  severely  wounded  ;  and  that 
wing  also,  deprived  of  its  commander,  was  visibly 
shaken. 

General  Lewis,  who  had  lit  his  pipe  at  the  beginning 
of  the  action  and  had  coolly  watched  its  progress,  now 
advanced  with  his  reserve  and  made  an  obstinate  attack. 
For  some  hours  the  hot  struggle  remained  undecided, 
when  Lewis  put  an  end  to  it.  He  sent  a  party  through 
the  undergrowth,  on  Crooked  Run,  to  surprise  the  In- 
dian rear  ;  the  sudden  fire  they  delivered  proved  that  they 
were  behind  the  enemy  ;  and  Lewis,  rushing  forward  in 
front,  with  heavy  volleys,  drove  the  Indians  toward  the 
river.  A  panic  had  seized  upon  them  at  the  fire  in  their 
rear,  and  Cornstalk  in  vain  called  on  them  to  stand  firm. 
He  was  seen  in  front,  and  heard  shouting  in  the  Indian 
tongue  :  "  Be  strong !  be  strong  !  "  and  when  one  of  the 
fugitives  passed  him  he  buried  his  tomahawk  in  his 
brains.  But  the  battle  was  over  ;  the  Indians  were 
routed  and  flying  to  the  Ohio  ;  and  by  sunset  the  whole 
force  had  disappeared. 

The  ground  was  covered  with  dead,  and  the  loss  of 
the  Virginians  was.  heavy.  Two  colonels,  seven  cap- 
tains, three  lieutenants,  and  seventy-five  men,  were 
killed,  and  one  hundred  and  forty  wounded.      Out  of 


THE  FIRST  BLOOD   OF  THE  REVOLUTION.    425 

every  five  men  one  was  dead  or  wounded,  and  tliey 
were  the  flower  of  the  youth  of  West  Augusta.  A  sin- 
gle consolation  remained  to  the  border  families  who  had 
thus  lost  their  sons  and  brothers  :  this  was  the  last  of 
the  Indian  assaults.  Between  sunrise  and  sunset  Lewis 
and  his  Virginians  had  put  an  end  to  the  long  drama  of 
horror. 

Then  arose  a  passionate  demand  on  the  part  of  Lewis's 
men  :  Where  was  Dunmore  ?  The  attackincj  force  had 
come  from  the  direction  of  Chillicothe,  where  the  Gov- 
ernor was  said  to  have  concluded  a  peace.  Was  the 
bloody  business  at  the  mouth  of  the  Kanawha  the  result 
of  it?  The  men  raged,  but  Lewis  said  nothing.  Bury- 
ing his  dead  and  leaving  the  Lidian  corpses  "  to  be  de- 
voured by  birds  and  beasts  of  prey,"  he  erected  a  stock- 
ade, left  a  small  party  to  hold  it,  and  set  out  for  Chilli- 
cothe,  on  the  Scioto,  where  Lord  Dunmore,  in  command 
of  a  thousand  men,  was  quietly  waiting.  On  the  march 
he  was  met  by  an  order  to  return  to  Point  Pleasant. 
He  continued  to  advance,  without  taking  any  notice  of 
the  order,  and  finally  came  to  a  halt  within  three  miles 
of  the  Governor's  camp. 

A  furious  scene  followed.  Lord  Dunmore,  accompa- 
nied by  an  Indian  chief,  came  to  Lewis's  camp.  Why  had 
he  disobeyed  orders  ?  was  the  Governor's  harsh  demand. 
The  answer  of  Lewis  is  not  recorded,  but  it  was  prob- 
ably violent;  and  it  was  afterwards  said  that  if  he  had 
not  restrained  his  men  they  would  have  put  Dunmore  to 
death.  What  all  this  meant  may  be  explained  in  a  very 
few  words.  Lewis  and  his  troops  were  firm  in  the  con- 
viction that  Lord  Dunmore  knew  of  the  attack  t3  be 
made  upon  them,  and  intended  to  allow  them  to  be  sac- 
rificed.    The  charge  against  him  at  the  time  was  that 


426      VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

he  had  a  private  understanding  with  the  savages  :  that 
they  were  to  attack  the  frontier  and  divert  public  atten- 
tion from  politics  ;  and  by  destroying  Lewis,  disable 
the  colony  for  military  resistance  to  England.  Was 
this  true  ?  It  is  not  proved ;  but  in  the  spring  of  the  next 
year  Dunmore  is  known  to  have  plotted  to  produce  an 
Indian  outbreak.  His  confidential  agent,  Conolly,  was 
arrested  on  his  way  to  the  Ohio,  and  beneath  his  saddle 
were  discovered  papers  bearing  the  signature  of  Lord 
Dunmore,  showing  that  his  mission  was  to  arouse  the 
Indians  to  attack  the  Virginians. 

Lewis  obeyed  the  Governor's  order  and  marched  back 
home  with  his  divisions ;  and  Dunmore  himself  returned 
to  Williamsburg.  In  his  absence,  as  we  have  seen, 
many  things  had  occurred.  Conventions  and  Con- 
gresses had  met  and  deliberated ;  with  every  passing 
hour  the  spirit  of  resistance  had  gained  strength.  With 
the  first  spring  days  of  the  new  year  the  rattle  of  mus- 
ketry and  the  thunder  of  cannon  were  going  to  mingle 
with  the  debate,  and  stop  all  further  discussion. 


XI. 

VIRGINIA    ARMING. 

At  the  opening  of  the  next  year  (1775),  it  required 
no  prophet  to  see  that  great  events  were  on  the  march. 
With  every  passing  day  the  public  mind  had  become 
more  inflamed ;  and  the  people,  following  the  advice  of 
Richard  Henry  Lee,  began  to  "extend  their  views  to 
mournful  events,"  and  to  prepare  for  them. 

In  the  winter  of  1774  Virginia  was  already  under 
arms.     Lord  Dunmore,  writing  to  his  government  in 


VIRGINIA  ARMING.  427 

December,  said  :  "  Every  county  is  arming  a  company 
of  men  whom  tliey  call  an  independent  company,  for 
the  avowed  purpose  of  protecting  their  Committees, 
and  to  be  employed  against  government  if  occasion  re- 
quire. The  Committee  of  one  county  has  proceeded  so 
far  as  to  swear  the  men  of  their  independent  company 
to  execute  all  orders  which  shall  be  given  them  from 
the  Committee  of  their  county." 

This  picture  of  the  state  of  affairs  in  the  winter  of 
1774  leaves  nothing  in  doubt.  In  every  county  of  Vir- 
ginia was  a  Committee  of  Safety  and  an  independent 
company  ;  and  the  "  minute-men  "  were  sworn  to  obey 
all  orders  received  from  the  Committees. 

In  this  feverish  condition  of  the  public  mind  the  Vir- 
ginia Convention  again  met  at  the  town  of  Richmond 
(March  20,  1775),  for  Williamsburg  was  no  longer  a 
safe  place  for  treason-mongers.  Lord  Dunmore  was  in 
his  Palace  watching  in  sinister  silence  the  movements  of 
the  Virginians  ;  and  troops  from  his  men-of-war  lying 
in  the  river  would  make  short  work  of  rebel  assem- 
blies. 

The  Convention  met  in  "  Old  St.  John's  Church," 
on  a  grassy  hill  in  the  suburbs  of  the  present  Rich- 
mond, commanding  a  beautiful  view  of  the  foaming 
river.  Edmund  Pendleton  was  elected  president,  and 
the  first  proceedings  were  cautious.  Resolutions  were 
passed  expressing  a  strong  desire  for  the  return  of  peace, 
but  these  were  coupled  with  resolves  to  encourage  the 
manufacture  of  gunpowder,  salt,  iron,  and  steel.  There 
was  an  evident  indisposition  to  act  without  deliberation  ; 
and  when  Patrick  Henry  moved  that  steps  should  be 
taken  "  for  embodying,  arming  and  disciplining  the 
militia,"  many  of  the  members  opposed  the  resolution. 


428      VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

The  result  was  one  of  the  grandest  of  all  the  displays 
of  Henry's  oratory  :  "  If  we  wish  to  be  free  we  must 
fi'^-ht !  "  he  exclaimed  passionately.  "  It  is  too  late  to 
retire  from  the  contest.  There  is  no  retreat  but  in 
submission  and  slavery.  The  war  is  inevitable,  and 
let  it  come !  The  next  gale  that  sweeps  from  the  north 
will  bring  to  our  ears  the  clash  of  resounding  arhis  !  I 
know  not  what  course  others  may  take,  but  as  for  me, 
give  me  liberty  or  give  me  death  !  " 

These  vehement  appeals,  uttered  with  all  the  wonder- 
ful eloquence  of  the  great  orator,  carried  his  resolution 
through  the  Convention  ;  and  a  committee  was  appointed 
to  prepare  a  plan  of  organization  and  defense.  Henry 
had  once  more  overcome  all  opposition  by  the  fire  of 
his  oratory  ;  but  it  is  necessary  to  say  that  his  biog- 
rapher, Mr.  Wirt,  has  aimed  at  adding  to  his  celebrity 
by  the  picture  drawn  of  the  scene  in  the  Conven- 
tion. The  impression  is  sought  to  be  j)roduced  that  a 
body  of  laggards  v/ere  again  inspired  by  one  man ; 
and  the  view  is  singular  in  face  of  the  record.  The 
members  of  the  Convention  who  were  supposed  to  shrink 
from  armed  resistance  were  the  representatives  of  a 
people  who  were  already  under  arms  and  ready  to  re- 
sist. The  letter  of  Lord  Dun  more  to  the  Earl  of  Dart- 
mouth sets  forth  the  fact ;  and  another  writer  of  the  time 
said  "  the  Province  of  Virginia  is  raising  one  company 
in  every  county,  which  make  a  body  of  six  thousand 
men."  This  was  written  in  November,  1774  ;  at  that 
date  therefore  the  Virginians  were  arming  to  fight  Eng- 
land. It  is  incredible  that  in  March,  1775,  many 
months  afterwards,  the  representatives  of  these  same 
men  should  have  shrunk  with  horror,  as  Mr.  Wirt  inti- 
mates, from  the  idea  of  armed  resistance. 


THE   GUNPOWDER,  429 

So  much  is  necessary  to  establish  the  truth  of  history, 
which  is  nothing  if  not  truthful.  The  immense  service 
to  the  cause  of  Henry's  call  to  arms  remains.  His  rash- 
ness was  better  than  deliberate  counsels  ;  his  judgment 
in  reality  sounder  than  that  of  cooler  men.  The  reso- 
lutions announcing  formally  that  Virginia  was  ready  to 
fight  gave  a  great  impulse  to  resistance.  By  their  pas- 
sage, the  voice  of  Henry  became  the  voice  of  Virginia. 
What  the  great  Commonwealth  of  the  south  said  to  her 
sister  Commonwealths  everywhere  was,  "  The  war  is 
inevitable  —  let  it  come  !  " 

Patrick  Henry  had  thus  become,  as  in  the  days  of 
the  Stamp  Act,  the  foremost  of  the  Virginia  leaders  ; 
he  also  proved  himself  nearl}'-  a  prophet.  On  the  twen- 
ty-third of  March  he  had  exclaimed  :  "  The  next  gale 
that  sweeps  from  the  north  will  bring  to  our  ears  the 
clash  of  resounding  arms."  On  the  eighteenth  of 
April  a  British  force  marched  out  of  Boston  to  seize 
military  stores  belonging  to  the  colony  at  Concord, 
came  in  collision  with  the  militia  at  Lexington,  pushed 
on  to  Concord,  where  they  had  a  fight  with  the  minute- 
men,  and  retreated,  closely  pursued,  to  Boston  again. 
The  "  clash  of  arms,"  if  not  the  "  clanking  of  chains 
on  the  plains  of  Boston,"  had  taken  place,  as  Henry 
had  predicted. 

XII. 

THE   GUNPOWDER. 

The  fighting  had  thus  begun.  The  long  parliament- 
ary war  had  ended  in  real  war  at  last :  the  thunder  of 
Percy's  cannon  as  he  fell  back  on  Boston  gave  notice 
of  the  fact. 


430      VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

It  was  soon  apparent  that  a  preconcerted  arrange- 
ment had  been  made  to  disarm  all  the  Colonies.  Con- 
olly,  the  secret  agent  of  Lord  Dunmore,  made  his  ap- 
pearance in  Williamsburg  about  tlie  time  of  the  affair 
at  Concord,  and  a  little  before  daylight  (April  20,  1775), 
a  party  of  marines  who  had  been  secreted  in  the  Gover- 
nor's pahice  marched  silently  to  the  Old  Magazine  and 
removed  the  stores  of  gunpowder  belonging  to  the 
Colony  to  the  Magdalen  man-of-war,  lying  in  James 
River.  When  the  fact  was  discovered  soon  after  day- 
light, all  Williamsburg  ran  to  arms.  A  great  crowd 
filled  Gloucester  Street,  uttering  loud  threats  and  de- 
manding the  restoration  of  the  2:)0wder.  The  Council 
hastily  assembled,  and  a  hot  discussion  took  place  in  the 
Palace.  Lord  Dunmore  was  incensed  and  terrified. 
When  John  Page,  of  Rosewell,  supported  the  popular 
demand,  Dunmore  flew  into  a  rage.  Striking  his  fist 
violently  on  the  table,  he  cried,  "  Mr.  Page,  I  am  as- 
tonished at  you  !  "  But  the  moment  required  action. 
The  people  had  resolved  to  attack  the  Palace  and  seize 
Dunmore.  They  were  persuaded,  however,  to  send  a 
deputation  demanding  the  powder,  and  the  deputation 
waited  on  the  Governor  at  the  Palace.  The  place  was 
found  in  a  state  of  defense :  rows  of  muskets  were  lying 
on  the  floor  to  arm  the  household  and  repel  an  attack. 
But  the  Governor's  reply  was  peaceful.  He  had  sud- 
denly grown  cool.  He  had  removed  the  powder,  he 
declared,  in  consequence  of  a  report  that  the  slaves  loere 
about  to  rise  in  an  adjoining  county  ;  if  it  was  needed 
at  Williamsburg  he  pledged  his  honor  that  it  should  be 
returned  "  in  half  an  hour."  Unfortunately  some  words 
which  escaped  him  contradicted  this  pacific  explanation. 
He  was  heard  to  mutter  with  an  oath  that  if  violence 


THE  GUNPOWDER.  431 

were  offered  him,  he  would  '' proclaim  yreec^o?^  to  the 
slaves  and  lay  Williamsburg  in  ashes," —  a  curious  com- 
mentary on  his  alleged  reason  for  carrying  off  the 
ammunition. 

At  the  intelligence  of  the  seizure  of  the  powder,  Vir- 
ginia was  in  commotion.  The  minute-men  hastened  to 
arm,  and  more  than  six  hundred  men  of  the  Rappahan- 
nock country  assembled  at  Fredericksburg.  They  re- 
solved to  march  on  Williamsburg  and  force  the  restora- 
tion of  the  powder,  and  sent  messengers  to  offer  their 
services  to  the  authorities.  They  were  only  dissuaded 
from  their  purpose  by  Washington  and  Pendleton,  who 
urged  them  to  await  the  action  of  Congress ;  and  dis- 
banded after  signing  a  paper  pledging  themselves  to 
defend  "  Virginia  or  any  sister  colony,"  and  ending 
with  the  words,  "  God  save  the  liberties  of  America." 

These  scenes  took  place  in  the  last  days  of  April. 
Lord  Dunmore,  shut  up  in  his  palace  with  the  Countess 
and  his  daughters,  awaited  the  development  of  events. 
Times,  had  changed  since  the  Virginians  had  greeted 
them  with  shouts,  illuminations,  and  grand  assemblies. 
The  acclamations  had  been  followed  by  hoarse  murmurs, 
the  smiles  and  bows  by  sullen  indignation.  But  Dun- 
more  was  unmoved  ;  he  was  confident  of  the  power  of 
his  government,  and  wrote  Lord  Dartmouth  that  if  a 
few  troops  were  sent  him  he  could  "  raise  such  a  body 
of  Indians,  negroes,  and  others  as  would  reduce  the  re- 
fractory people  of  this  colony  to  obedience."  Thus 
after  all,  he  meant  to  arouse  the  Indians  and  even  the 
negroes  to  attack  the  Virginians;  suddenly  information 
came  that  he  was  going  to  be  attacked  himself. 

The  cloud  in  the  direction  of  the  Rappahannock  had 
dispersed,  but  a  blacker  one  rose.    Patrick  Henry  called 


432      VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

a  meeting  of  the  Committee  of  Safety  of  Hanover,  at 
Nev/  Castle  (May  2,  1775),  made  a  passionate  address, 
and  at  the  head  of  a  company  of  minute-men  marched 
on  Williamsburg  to  recover  the  powder.  The  whole 
surrounding  country  rose  in  arms  to  join  him,  but 
without  waiting  he  continued  his  march  ;  and  at  the 
head  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  men  reached  Doncas- 
tle's  Ordinary,  a  tavern  about  sixteen  miles  from  Wil- 
liamsburg. 

At  the  Capital  all  was  now  in  confusion.  Lady  Dun- 
more  and  her  daughters  were  hurried  off  to  Yorktown, 
where  they  took  refuge  on  the  Fowey  man-of-war.  Dun- 
more  planted  cannon  in  front  of  his  Palace,  and  ordered 
up  a  detachment  of  marines  from  the  Fowey  ;  and  the 
captain  of  the  vessel  wrote  to  President  Nelson  at 
Yorktown,  that  if  the  Governor  were  attacked  he  would 
open  fire  on  the  place.  An  armed  collision  was  warded 
off  for  the  moment  by  a  compromise  :  Lord  Dunmore 
agreed  to  pay  the  value  of  the  powder,  and  sent  a  bill 
for  the  amount,  £330,  to  Henry.  For  this  Henry  gave 
a  receipt  binding  himself  to  pay  the  amount  to  the  Vir- 
ginia delegates  to  Congress.  He  then  offered  to  continue 
his  march  to  Williamsburg  and  remove  the  deposit  in  the 
treasury  to  a  safer  place  ;  but  this  offer  was  declined,  and 
he  returned  to  Hanover  ;  whereupon  Lord  Dunmore 
denounced  him  and  his  followers  in  a  public  proclama- 
tion for  "  unlawfully  taking  up  arms,"  as  Berkeley  had 
denounced  Bacon  a  century  before. 

In  the  midst  of  this  turmoil  came  a  sudden  lull.  News 
arrived  that  the  English  ministry  were  going  to  abandon 
the  attempt  to  coerce  America.  In  February,  Lord 
North  brought  in  his  ''  conciliatory  plan,"  known  as  the 
"  Olive   Branch."      If   the  Colonies   would   themselves 


THE   GUNPOWDER.  433 

make  due  appropriations  for  their  part  of  the  expenses 
of  the  kingdom,  then  it  would  be  expedient  that  Great 
Britain  should  cease  to  tax  them. 

Dunmore  at  once  issued  writs  for  an  Assembly  on  the 
first  of  June,  —  the  last  House  of  Burgesses  that  was  to 
meet  by  royal  authority  on  the  soil  of  Virginia.  The 
House  assembled  (June  1,  1775),  and  presented  a  curi- 
ous spectacle.  Many  of  the  members  wore  hunting- 
shirts  and  brought  their  rifles.  It  was  no  longer  a  body 
of  civilians  in  ruffles  and  powder,  but  a  meeting  of  men 
in  military  accoutrements  ready  to  fight.  Lord  Dun- 
more  made  a  courteous  address,  presented  the  "  concili- 
atory plan,"  and  a  committee  was  appointed  to  report 
upon  it.  The  report  was  written  by  Jefferson,  and  de- 
clared that  the  plan  ought  to  be  rejected.  The  colonies 
had  the  right  to  give  their  money  as  they  pleased  ;  other 
wrongs  were  unredressed ;  their  country  was  invaded  ; 
Virginia  would  not  treat  without  the  concurrence  of  the 
other  colonies  ;  nothing  was  to  be  hoped  for  from  Eng- 
land, and  the  justice  of  heaven  must  decide  the  event 
of  things. 

All  at  once  an  unexpected  incident  put  an  end  to  all 
further  discussion.  Lord  Dunmore  had  delivered  ujj  the 
keys  of  the  Old  Magazine,  and  on  the  night  of  the  fifth 
of  June  some  young  men  entered  the  place  to  procure 
arms.  As  they  opened  the  door  a  cord  discharged  a 
spring-gun  and  three  of  the  party  were  wounded.  At 
this  intelligence  the  Assembly  took  fire  and  appointed  a 
committee  to  examine  the  Magazine,  when  several  bar- 
rels of  powder  were  discovered  buried  under  the  floor. 
The  discovery  excited  the  rage  of  the  people.  Again 
Gloucester  Street  filled  with  a  great  crowd  uttering 
threats  and  curses  ;  and  before  daylight  (June  8,  1775), 
28 


434      VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

Lord  Dunmore  and  his  family,  who  had  returned  to  the 
Palace,  fled  from  the  Capital  and  took  refuge  on  board 
the  Fowey,  lying  at  Yorktown. 

Lord  Dunmore  never  returned  to  Williamsburg.  Mes- 
sages continued  to  pass  to  and  fro  between  him  and  the 
Assembly  ;  but  he  refused  to  trust  his  person  in  the 
dano-erous  Capital,  and  the  Burgesses  declined  to  wait 
on  him  on  board  the  Fowey.  All  was  now  seen  to  be 
at  an  end  ;  and  the  Assembly,  after  calling  a  meeting  of 
the  Convention  in  July,  adjourned.  The  die  was  cast, 
and  it  was  felt  that  armed  resistance  was  the  only  re- 
source. Richard  Henry  Lee,  standing  on  the  porch  of 
the  Old  Capitol  with  two  or  three  friends,  vrrote  on  one 
of  the  pillars  — 

"  When  shall  we  three  meet  again? 
In  thunder,  lightning,  and  in  rain? 
When  the  hurly-burly  's  done, 
When  the  battle  's  lost  and  won." 

North  and  south  it  was  seen  that  this  "  battle  "  was 
now  unavoidable.  The  affair  at  Concord  and  the  events 
in  Virginia  had  shown  that  military  force  was  to  decide 
the  question  ;  and  the  Americans,  brought  face  to  face 
with  the  fact,  acquiesced.  On  the  fifteenth  of  June 
(1775),  George  Washington  was  elected  Commander-in- 
chief  of  the  American  forces ;  and  on  his  way  to  Boston 
was  met  by  the  intelligence  of  the  battle  of  Bunker's 
Hill.  He  reached  Boston  on  the  second  of  July,  and 
w^as  received  with  shouts  and  the  thunder  of  cannon,  and 
on  the  next  day  (July  3,  1775),  assumed  command  of 
the  American  army. 

If  England  had  doubted  the  nerve  of  the  Colonies  the 
doubt  was  now  dispelled.     They  were  going  to  fight. 


THE  LAST  OF  DUNMORE  IN  VIRGINIA.       435 

XIII. 
THE    LAST    OF   DUNMORE    IN    VIRGINIA. 

Lord  Dunmore's  subsequent  career  in  Virginia  may 
be  dismissed  in  a  brief  space.  It  was  short  and  full  of 
trouble.  His  proceedings  indicated  that  he  was  pro- 
foundly incensed  at  the  opposition  to  his  authority,  and 
that  thenceforth  he  meant  to  keep  no  terms  with  rebels. 
He  summoned  the  friends  of  the  royal  cause  to  join  his 
standard ;  his  armed  vessels  ravaged  the  banks  of  the 
rivers,  and  committed  every  outrage  ;  and  it  was  obvious 
that  if  he  ever  returned  to  Williamsburg  it  would  be  to 
do  justice  upon  the  traitors  who  had  resisted  the  King. 

Thus  the  Colony  was  without  an  executive,  and  the 
Convention  which  met  in  July  proceeded  to  appoint  one. 
The  result  was  the  famous  "  Committee  of  Safety," 
consisting  of  Edmund  Pendleton,  George  Mason,  John 
Page,  Richard  Bland,  Thomas  Ludwell  Lee,  Paul  Car- 
rington,  Dudley  Digges,  William  Cabell,  Carter  Brax- 
ton, James  Mercer,  and  John  Tabb.  The  powers  con- 
fered  on  this  Directory,  of  which  Edmund  Pendleton  was 
President,  were  very  great.  It  was  to  commission  of- 
ficers, direct  military  movements,  issue  warrants  on 
the  Treasury,  and  all  commanding  officers  of  the  forces 
were  required  to  pay  "  strict  obedience  "  to  its  orders. 
The  sword  and  purse  were  thus  both  placed  in  the  hands 
of  the  Committee,  and  from  their  decision  there  was  no 
appeal.  The  Convention  appointed  Patrick  Henry 
Commander-in-chief  of  the  Virginia  forces,  and,  after 
choosing  delegates  to  the  next  Congress,  adjourned. 

The  military  organization  directed  by  the  Convention 


436      VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

had  not  come  too  soon.  Dunmore  was  making  open  war, 
and  laying  waste  the  shores  of  the  Chesapeake.  He 
had  proclaimed-  martial  law  ;  offered  their  freedom  to 
all  slaves  who  enrolled  themselves  under  his  flag  ;  and, 
with  his  headquarters  at  Norfolk  where  he  had  mounted 
cannon,  was  awaiting  a  force  from  England  which  would 
enable  him  to  return  in  triumph  to  his  Capital.  At  the 
end  of  the  year  took  place  an  event  which  brought  mat- 
ters to  a  final  decision.  The  Committee  of  Safety  sent 
a  force,  under  Colonel  William  Woodford,  toward  Nor- 
folk, and  an  action  followed  (December  9,  1775),  at 
Great  Bridge.  The  spot  was  about  twenty  miles  from 
the  town,  and  the  British  had  erected  a  fort  on  ground 
only  approachable  by  a  causeway,  through  a  morass. 
Woodford  halted  at  the  southern  end  of  the  causeway, 
threw  up  breastworks,  and  was  speedily  attacked.  Cap- 
tain Fordyce,  at  the  head  of  about  sixty  grenadiers, 
charged  the  works,  but  was  received  with  a  hot  fire 
which  threw  him  back.  A  bullet  wounded  him  and  he 
fell,  but  rose  to  his  feet  brushing  his  knees  as  though 
he  had  stumbled,  and  continued  to  cheer  on  his  men 
until  he  fell  dead  within  twenty  paces  of  the  American 
works.  At  his  fall  the  grenadiers  retreated,  pursued 
by  the. Virginians  across  the  causeway,  and  took  refuge 
under  the  cannon  of  the  fort.-^ 

The  intelligence  of  this  defeat  threw  Lord  Dunmore 
into  a  rage,  and  he  is  said  to  have  threatened  to  hang 
the  boy  who  brought  him  the  information.  He  hurried 
on  board  his  fleet,  and  on  the  first  of  January  (1776) 

1  Among  the  troops  who  drove  the  enemy  into  their  works  were  the 
Culpeper  "Minute-men,"  whose  tiag  exhibited  a  coiled  rattlesnake 
with  the  motto  "  Don't  Tread  on  Me."  One  of  the  Lieutenants  of  this 
company  was  young  John  Marshall,  afterwards  Cliief  Justice  of  the 
United  States. 


THE  LAST  OF  DUN  MORE  IN  VIRGINIA.       437 

sent  on  shore  a  party  of  marines  to  burn  Norfolk.  The 
place  was  soon  in  flames,  and  a  painful  scene  followed. 
Men,  women,  and  children  were  seen  running  from  the 
burning  houses ;  and  a  cannonade  from  the  British  ships 
was  added  to  the  horrors  of  the  time.  When  Lord 
Dun  more  weighed  anchor  and  sailed  away  nearly  the 
whole  town  was  in  ashes. 

His  career  was  now  near  its  end.  He  continued  to 
ravage  the  banks  of  the  bay  until  the  summer  of  the 
same  year,  when  he  intrenched  himself  at  Gwynn's 
Island,  on  the  western  shore,  to  await  further  events. 
Here  he  was  attacked  (July  9,  1776)  by  a  Virginia 
force  under  the  same  Andrew  Lewis  with  whom  he 
had  quarreled  on  the  Ohio ;  and  a  heavy  cannonade 
was  opened  on  the  island  and  the  British  ships.  A  ball 
passed  through  Lord  Dunmore's  flag-ship,  and  he  ex- 
claimed, "  Good  God,  that  it  should  ever  come  to  this  !  " 
and  on  the  next  day  Lewis  sent  a  force  in  boats  to  land  on 
the  island.  Lord  Dunmore  did  not  wait.  He  weii^hed 
anchor,  spread  all  sail,  and  escaping  from  the  island, 
which  the  Americans  found  a  lazar-house  of  dead  bodies, 
disappeared.  Sending  the  negroes  who  had  joined  him 
to  the  West  Lidies,  he  proceeded  to  New  York  and 
thence  to  England,  leaving  behind  him  the  reputation 
of  having  been  the  very  worst  of  the  Virginia  Gover- 
nors. 

There  was  a  species  of  poetic  justice  in  the  fact  that 
Lewis  should  have  struck  the  last  blow  at  him  ;  and 
another  proof  of  the  irony  of  fate  was  the  appointment 
of  Patrick  Henry  to  succeed  him  as  Governor,  —  the 
first  Republican  executive  of  Virginia. 


438      VIRGINIA:    A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 


XIV. 

VIRGINIA    DECLARES    HERSELF    AN    INDEPENDENT 
COMMONWEALTH. 

The  moment  had  come  now  when  it  was  necessary 
that  Virginia  should  formally  define  her  position.  The 
Colonies  were  at  war  with  England,  and  the  character  of 
the  struggle  was  left  in  doubt.  Were  they  rebels  in 
revolt  against  the  Crown,  or  belligerents  ?  No  gen- 
eral declaration  of  indei^endence  had  yet  been  made  ; 
and  Virginia  proceeded  to  act  for  herself. 

Even  the  boldest  still  hesitated  to  cast  off  all  alle- 
giance to  England.  As  late  as  May,  1776,  so  resolute 
a  man  as  Thomas  Nelson  had  "  his  thoughts  sorely  em- 
ployed on  the  great  question  whether  independence 
oufifht  or  ouiiht  not  to  be  declared."  But  he  added  : 
"  Having  weighed  the  argument  on  both  sides,  I  am 
clearly  of  opinion  we  must,  as  we  value  the  liberties 
of  America,  or  even  her  existence,  without  a  moment's 
delay  declare  for  independence."  All  the  American 
Colonies  were  also,  no  doubt,  "  weighing  the  argu- 
ments."    Virmnia  first  took  the  decisive  steiD. 

The  Virginia  Convention  met  early  in  May  and 
(May  15,  1776)  unanimously  adopted  a  preamble  and 
resolutions,  written  by  Edmund  Pendleton  and  pre- 
sented by  Thomas  Nelson,  directing  the  Virginia  dele- 
gates in  Congress  to  propose  to  that  body  to  "  declare 
the  United  Colonies  free  and  inde'pendent  States.'^  On 
the  next  day  the  momentous  resolutions  were  read  to 
the  troops  assembled  at  Williamsburg  ;  they  were  re- 
ceived with  shouts  and  cheers  ;  cannon  thundered  ;  the 


AN  INDEPENDENT  COMMONWEALTH.         439 

"  American  flag  "  was  raised  on  the  Capitol,  and  at  night 
the  town  was  illuminated.  Whatever  might  be  the  ac- 
tion of  Congress,  the  decision  of  the  Commonwealth  of 
Virginia  had  been  made ;  and  this  decision  was  for  a  final 
separation  from  Great  Britain.  The  Convention  then 
proceeded  to  adopt  a  Declaration  of  Rights  and  a  Con- 
stitution. Both  instruments  had  been  written  by  George 
Mason,  and  were  ready.  On  the  loth  of  June  the  Dec- 
laration was  adopted,  and  June  29  (1776)  the  new  Con- 
stitution. Virginia  thus  declared  herself  an  independent 
sovereignty,  entitled  to  receive  the  absolute  allegiance 
of  her  citizens,  and  prepared  to  defend  her  claim  with 
the  sword. 

The  Bill  of  Rights  may  be  called  not  only  the  Magna 
Charta  of  Virginia,  but  of  America.  It  first  announced 
the  great  principles  upon  which  the  Americans  meant 
to  rest  in  the  approaching  struggle,  and  after  a  century 
of  republican  freedom  there  is  nothing  to  add  to  this 
great  protest  in  favor  of  the  rights  of  man.  The  Con- 
stitution directed  that  the  Government  of  Virginia  should 
consist  of  a  House  of  Delegates  and  Senate ;  the  first 
composed  of  two  members  from  each  county,  and  one 
from  every  city  and  borough  ;  and  the  latter  of  twenty- 
four  members,  representing  twenty -four  senatorial  dis- 
tricts. The  Delegates  and  Senators  were  to  be  free- 
holders, and  elected  by  freeholders,  who  were  to  be 
persons  having  a  freehold  estate  in  one  hundred  acres  of 
unimproved  land  or  twenty-five  acres  of  improved,  or  a 
house  and  lot  in  a  town.  The  Executive  was  to  be  a 
Governor,  elected  annually  by  the  House  and  Senate, 
and  was  not  to  be  eligible  more  than  three  years  in  suc- 
cession ;  nor,  after  going  out  of  office,  for  four  years 
afterwards.    *He  was  to  be  assisted  by  a  Privy  Council 


440     VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

of  eight  members  chosen  by  the  Assembly  ;  and  the 
Assembly  was  also  to  choose  the  judges  of  the  Court  of 
Ai^peals  and  of  the  General  Court. 

Such  was  the  first  Republican  Constitution  ever 
adopted  in  America.  Except  as  to  the  suffrage  and  the 
election  of  Governors  and  other  officers,  it  remains  vir- 
tually unchanged.  The  revolutionists  of  1776,  like  the 
old  King's-men  of  the  seventeenth  century,  decided  that 
only  such  should  vote  as  by  their  estates  had  an  "  in- 
terest to  tie  them  to  the  endeavor  of  the  public  good." 
That  princple  is  now  derided,  and  regarded  as  uiirepub- 
lican  ;  but  the  fact  remains  that  the  men  of  the  Revolu- 
tion had  faith  in  it,  and  would  allow  the  suffrage  to  none 
but  freeholders. 

The  Convention  elected  Patrick  Henry  Governor 
and  Edmund  Randolph  Attorney-general ;  and  the  new 
government  went  at  once  into  operation. 

The  result  of  the  action  of  Virginia  is  a  part  of  the 
history  of  America.  On  the  7th  of  June,  1776,  Rich- 
ard Henry  Lee  moved  in  Congress  "  That  these  United 
Colonies  are  and  ought  to  be  free  and  independent 
States,  and  that  all  political  connection  between  them 
and  the  State  of  Great  Britain  is  and  ought  to  be  totally 
dissolved."  The  motion  was  seconded  by  John  Adams, 
and  the  debate  upon  it  lasted  for  three  days.  The  op- 
position was  determined,  but  it  was  fought  through  the 
Congress,  and  a  committee  was  appointed  to  draw  up 
the  Declaration.  Of  this  committee  Richard  Henry  Lee, 
by  parliamentary  usage,  must  have  been  the  chairman, 
but  the  illness  of  his  wife  called  him  away  to  Virginia, 
and  the  position  was  conferred  on  Thomas  Jefferson, 
whose  ability  as  a  writer  was  known  from  his  "  Sum- 
mary View."     He  proceeded  to  draw   uf  the  paper ; 


^.V  INDEPENDENT  COMMONWEALTH.         441 

and,  July  4,  1776,  the  Declaration  of  Independence  as 
composed  by  him,  with  a  few  alterations,  was  adopted 
by  Congress.  What  remained  was  to  support  it  on  the 
battle-field. 

The  passage  of  the  Declaration  marks  a  distinct 
epoch  in  the  history  of  Virginia  as  well  as  of  America. 
Thenceforth  there  was  no  retreat,  and  she  was  to  stand 
or  fall  with  her  sister  colonies.  The  part  borne  by  her 
in  the  events  which  led  to  this  final  decision  had  been 
important.  What  she  had  contributed  to  the  cause 
was  :  — 

I.  The  resolutions  of  1765  denouncing  the  Stamp 
Act  as  a  violation  of  American  rifjht. 

II.  The  oricjination  in  1773  of  the  Committees  of 
Correspondence  which  united  the  Colonies. 

III.  The  call  in  1774  for  a  General  Congress,  which 
inaugurated  resistance. 

IV.  The  instructions  to  the  Virginia  delegates  in 
May,  1776,  to  propose  a  Declaration  of  Independence, 
which  Jefferson,  a  Virginian,  wrote,  and  Washington, 
a  Virginian,  was  to  support  as  Commander-in-chief. 

The  United  States  had  thus  entered  upon  life.  The 
birth  was  stormy  and  the  sky  black.  The  enemy  were 
about  to  occupy  New  York,  and  the  American  forces 
were  unorofanized  ;  there  was  no  executive  head  in  con- 
trol  of  the  government ;  in  some  States  there  was  a 
large  Tory  party  who  only  awaited  disaster  to  become 
dangerous  ;  faint  hearts  croaked  as  they  always  do  ;  the 
despondent  predicted  ruin,  and  the  bravest  saw  that  the 
struofsle  was  doubtful ;  but  the  Americans  did  not  lose 
courage.  The  day  was  dark,  but  the  country,  north  and 
south,  went  forward  to  the  long  wrestle  with  that  heart 
of  hope  which  leads  to  victory. 


442       VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

» 

XV. 

THE  OVERTURNERS. 

The  heavy  struggle  in  Congress  which  had  resulted 
in  the  Declaration  of  Independence  was  followed  by  one 
as  heavy  in  Virginia  in  reference  to  Virginia  affairs  ; 
and  this  was  succeeded  in  turn  by  a  project  so  startling 
that  certain  historians  have  labored  to  show  that  it  never 
existed. 

Jefferson  returned  and  was  elected  to  represent  his 
county  in  the  Assembly.  The  "  laboring  oar,"  he  said, 
was  in  Virginia  ;  what  he  meant  was  that  tlie  adoption 
of  a  republican  Constitution  was  only  a  beginning.  The 
real  struggle  was  yet  to  come.  The  Declaration  of 
Rights  had  laid  down  the  great  principle  that  "  all  men 
are  equally  entitled  to  the  free  exercise  of  religion  ; " 
but  no  laws  had  been  passed  to  carry  the  principle  into 
effect.  The  Establishment  still  virtually  existed  ;  and 
the  Non  -  Conformists  throughout  the  Commonwealth 
were  clamorous  to  have  it  extinguished,  and  the  new 
order  of  things  formally  inaugurated.  It  is  unnecessary 
to  say  that  Jefferson  espoused  their  demands  with  ardor. 
It  is  true  he  regarded  any  and  all  religions  merely  as 
superstitions,  but  the  Establishment  was  particularly 
hateful  to  him,  since  it  ran  counter  to  his  cherished 
convictions  on  the  rights  of  man.  His  views  on  the  latter 
point  were  perfectly  just,  and  made  him  a  dangerous  ad- 
versary. On  this  and  the  subject  of  entails  a  furious 
struggle  was  now  to  take  place.  It  was  the  new  world 
fighting  the  old,  which  was  retreating  step  by  step  be- 
fore it,  but  opposing  it  to  the  last. 


THE   OVERTURNERS.  443 

The  old  Convention,  or  new  House  of  Delegates  — 
they  were  the  same  —  met  at  Williamsburg  (October 
7,  1776)  and  addressed  themselves  to  the  great  business 
before  them.  The  religious  struggle  at  once  began, 
and  lasted  from  the  eleventh  of  October  to  the  fifth  of 
December.  It  was  obstinate,  almost  fierce.  The  friends 
of  the  Establishment  opposed  the  separation  of  Church 
and  State  with  an  energy  which  made  Jefferson  say 
afterwards  that  it  was  the  severest  contest  he  had  ever 
engao^ed  in.  Edmund  Pendleton  and  John  Pao;e  were 
the  leaders  of  the  party  opposed  to  disestablishment. 
Both  were  devoted  Churchmen  and  represented  the 
opinions  and  feelings  of  the  great  body  of  the  Planters. 
This  class  saw  with  anguish  and  a  sort  of  horror  that 
the  Church  in  which  their  ancestors  had  worshiped  for 
many  generations  was  in  danger  of  being  completely 
overthrown.  All  connected  with  it  was  dear  to  them. 
They  had  laughed  at  the  parsons,  having  but  a  poor 
opinion  of  many  of  them,  but  they  had  never  laughed 
at  the  Church.  In  their  eyes  it  was  sacred  as  the  em- 
bodiment of  the  purest  Protestant  Christianity.  To 
overthrow  it  would  be  monstrous,  unless  the  advocates 
of  the  measure  were  determined  to  deny  the  divine 
origin  of  Christianity  itself. 

The  reply  of  Jefferson  and  other  leaders  representing 
the  Non- Conformists,  was  direct  and  trenchant.  No  re- 
ligion, not  even  Christianity,  they  said,  ought  to  be  rec- 
ognized or  supported  by  the  State.  Men  should  be 
left  free  to  become  Mohammedans  if  they  chose.  The 
true  policy  was  to  leave  them  to  choose,  not  to  force 
them  to  become  Christians  ;  above  all,  not  to  impose 
penalties  on  them  for  not  being  Episcopalians,  and  com- 
pel them  to  support  a  Church  which  was  not  their  own. 


444       VIRGINIA:   A   HISTORY    OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

These  latter  views  prevailed,  as  they  ought  to  have 
done,  and  the  Bill  for  Exempting  Dissenters  passed.  No 
person  thereafter  was  to  be  obliged  to  contribute  to  the 
support  of  the  Church  of  England ;  all  denominations 
were  free  to  worship  and  pay  their  own  ministers ;  there 
were  to  be  no  pains  or  penalties  for  non-conformity  ;  the 
question  of  "  a  general  assessment  for  the  support  of 
religion,"  that  is  of  Christianity,  was  to  be  decided  by  a 
vote  of  the  people.  This  virtually  ended  the  struggle ; 
and  three  years  afterwards  (1779)  the  scheme  of  a  gen- 
eral assessment  was  rejected.  This  was  followed  by 
the  Act  for  Religious  Freedom  (1785),  which  consoli- 
dated the  principles  of  all  the  legislation  ;  and  this,  in 
1802,  by  the  law  for  the  sale  of  the  Episcopal  glebes. 

This  was  the  final  blow.  The  one  hundred  and  sixty- 
four  church  edifices  and  chapels,  in  the  ninety-five  par- 
ishes, in  which  ninety-one  clergymen  officiated,  were 
exempted  from  spoliation  ;  but  this  was  disregarded. 
Churches,  donations,  sacramental  vessels,  all  were  swept 
away.  The  Episcopacy  seemed  to  be  extinguished  as  a 
relic  of  superstition,  and  no  power  on  earth  appeared 
strong  enough  to  raise  it  up  again. 

From  the  question  of  religion  the  Convention  passed 
to  the  question  of  entails.  Under  that  little  word  there 
had.  come  to  smoulder  an  immense  jealousy.  What  had 
once  been  a  mere  spark  was  now  fanned  into  flame. 
From  the  earliest  times  land  had  been  held  in  Virginia 
by  a  tenure  in  accordance  with  "  the  laws  within  this 
realm  of  England."  This  English  law  prescribed  that 
the  eldest  son  should  inherit  the  family  estate,  which 
could  thus  neither  be  alienated  nor  encutobered.  Jeffer- 
son now  attacked  this  system,  on  the  grounds  that  it  de- 
frauded creditors ;  was  unjust  to  the  rest  of  the  family ; 


THE   OVERTURNERS.  445 

and  supported  an  aristocracy.  The  last  was  the  burn- 
in  »•  argument,  and  a  modern  writer  sums  up  the  whole 
matter  in  a  few  words.  The  great  Virginia  estates 
"  descended  from  ancestor  to  heir,  in  endless  line."  The 
landed  proprietor  was  "lord  in  his  lifetime,  and  his  son 
in  expectancy  and  legal  right."  The  English  courts 
might  cut  off  entails  ;  but  in  Virginia,  by  an  old  law  of 
the  Burgesses  (1705),  this  was  forbidden  except  by  ex- 
press act  of  Assembly.  Thus  Virginia,  it  was  said,  had 
gone  a  bow-shot  beyond  class-ruled  England  ;  and  un- 
less the  rights  of  man  were  to  be  denied,  the  system 
must  be  done  away  with. 

Such  arguments  are  always  popular.  It  was  found 
useless  to  urge  that  the  system  of  entails  defrauded  no- 
body ;  that  those  most  affected  by  it  fully  approved  of 
it ;  and  that  the  possession  of  property  from  generation 
to  generation,  by  the  same  family,  is  not  a  public  wrong. 
The  greater  consideration  was  behind.  Entails  sup- 
ported an  aristocracy  ;  and  one  of  the  modern  Virginia 
historians  candidly  admits  that  this  was  the  great  offense. 
To  permit  land  to  remain  in  the  same  family  prevented 
"  that  equal  distribution  of  property  which  was  the  legiti- 
mate reward  of  industry,"  and  discouraged  the  poor 
from  the  hope  of  ^^  qyqv  gaining  any  part  of  the  property 
guarded  by  entail."  It  seems  not  to  have  occurred  to 
the  writer  that  an  equal  distribution  of  property  is  not  the 
legitimate  reward  of  industry  ;  and  that  no  one,  however 
poor,  has  the  right  to  hope  to  gain,  which  is  to  covet, 
his  neighbor's  possessions.  Such  a  theory  is  equivalent 
to  the  maxim  that  "  property  is  theft ;  "  that  is  to  say, 
a  short  cut  to  social  chaos.  But  in  times  of  excitement 
short  cuts  are  popular :  the  fact  has  often  been  seen  in 
the  past,  and  may  become  plainer  in  the  future.     What 


446      VIRGINIA:   A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

was  evident,  in  this  year  1776,  in  Virginia,  was  that 
the  popular  will  was  the  strongest.  The  old  regime 
was  to  be  overthrown,  and  its  enormities  abolished. 
These  are  summed  up,  by  the  writer  above  quoted,  in 
harrowing  sentences:  "Coaches  drawn  by  four  horses 
rolled  from  the  doors  of  the  aristocracy.  Plate  of  gold 
and  silver  in  the  utmost  profusion  glittered  on  their 
boards  .  .  .  and  'Mr.  Jefferson  opened  his  batteries  on 
this  fortress  of  Virginia  pride." 

The  fortress  held  out  obstinately,  refusing  to  sur- 
render until  the  last  moment.  Jefferson  frankly  stated 
afterwards  that  his  object  was  to  "  eradicate  every  fibre 
of  ancient  and  future  aristocracy  ;  "  and  Pendleton,  the 
conservative  and  friend  of  prescription,  led  the  party 
opposed  to  him.  It  was  the  decisive  wrestle  between 
the  past  and  the  future,  and  the  future  conquered.  Pen- 
dleton fought  to  the  last  and  nearly  defeated  the  bill, 
but  seeing  that  entails  were  doomed,  offered  an  amend- 
ment that  the  tenant  in  tail  might  convey,  in  fee  simple, 
if  he  thought  proper  to  do  so.  But  the  danger  of  this 
provision  was  seen ;  the  aristocratic  sentiment  might  be 
counted  on.  The  bill  passed  without  the  amendment ; 
"  the  axe  was  applied,"  exclaims  the  rejoiceful  historian^ 
"  and  the  tree  of  entails,  which  had  been  growing  for 
centuries,  was  leveled  with  the  ground." 

The  friends  of  the  new  ideas  had  thus  achieved  a 
complete  triumph  over  their  old-world  opponents.  The 
sudden  and  immense  change  in  government  had  been 
succeeded  by  as  great  a  change  in  social  affairs.  From 
a  royal  province  Virginia  had  become  a  republican  com- 
monwealth ;  and  now  the  planters  of  the  House  of  Bur- 
gesses who  had  been  the  objects  of  so  much  denuncia- 
tion had  voted  to  do  away  with  the  last  trace  of  "  ancient 
and  future  aristocracy." 


THE   OVERTURNERS.  447 

The  discussion  of  these  great  questions,  religious  and 
civil,  carried  the  Convention  into  December.  A  por- 
tentous scheme  then  began  to  be  agitated,  growing  out 
of  the  depression  and  excitement  of  the  time.  In  every 
quarter  the  outlook  was  gloomy.  There  was  little  to 
encourage  hopes  of  a  successful  issue  of  tlie  conflict  with 
England.  Lord  Howe  had  defeated  Washington  on 
Long  Island  and  nearly  captured  his  army  ;  had  driven 
him  from  New  York,  which  the  enemy  then  proceeded 
to  occupy ;  and  the  Americans  were  now  retreating 
through  New  Jersey. 

This  gloomy  state  of  affairs,  in  the  month  of  Decem- 
ber (1776),  produced  a  profound  excitement  in  Virginia. 
The  public  mind  was  agitated  by  that  vague  apprehen- 
sion of  hidden  danger  which  accompanies  periods  of  con- 
vulsion. At  such  moments  even  men  of  stronir  heads 
and  cool  judgments  seem  to  lose  control  of  themselves 
and  place  faith  in  chimeras,  —  and  this  now  happened. 
What  follov/ed  has  never  been  explained  and  probably 
never  will  be  ;  but  suddenly  the  plan  was  suggested  of 
appointing  a  Dictator  of  Virginia.  Of  the  existence 
of  this  scheme  there  can  be  no  question.  We  have  the 
direct  testimony  of  Jefferson  on  the  subject :  "  In  De- 
cember 1776,"  he  says,  ''  our  circumstances  being  much 
distressed  it  was  proposed  in  the  House  of  Delegates  to 
create  a  Dictator,  invested  with  every  power  legislative, 
executive,  and  judiciary,  civil  and  military,  of  life  and 
death  over  our  persons  and  over  our  properties."  The 
advocates  of  the  measure,  he  adds,  "  had  sought  this 
precedent  in  the  history  of  Rome." 

Little  further  is  known  of  the  incident,  which  made  a 
profound  and  bitter  impression  on  all  classes  at  that 
time.     It  is  not  denied  that  the  person  to  be  appointed 


448     VIRGINIA:  A   HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

Dictator  was  Patrick  Henry,  —  but  why  his  authority 
as  Governor  of  Virginia  was  considered  insufficient  we 
are  not  informed.  There  was  no  Tory  party  of  any 
streno-th  in  the  colony.  A  few  citizens  had  opposed  ihe 
declaration  of  separation  from  England,  but  they  had 
been  promptly  dealt  with.  They  were  confined  in  jail, 
or  ordered  not  to  leave  their  counties,  and  nothing  fur- 
ther had  been  heard  of  them,  nor  were  there  any  indica- 
tions of  opposition  to  the  new  government.  But  the 
plan  of  the  dictatorship  was  set  on  foot ;  hot  passion 
ruled  the  hour  ;  those  in  favor  of  it  and  those  opposed 
to  it  crossed  the  street,  we  are  told,  to  avoid  each  other ; 
and  Gary  of  Ampthill,  a  man  of  excitable  temper,  sent 
his  famous  message  to  Henry,  that  on  the  day  of  his  ap- 
pointment he  should  fall  by  his  dagger.  If  a  Roman 
precedent  for  action  were  needed  there  was  one  for  that, 
—  since  Brutus  had  stabbed  Csesar. 

The  plan  was  abandoned  as  suddenly  as  it  had  been 
formed.  There  is  no  proof  whatever  that  Patrick 
Henry  approved  it  or  would  have  accepted  the  appoint- 
ment. He  was  at  home  in  the  country  from  illness  and 
may  not  even  have  heard  of  the  scheme.  Absurdest  of 
all  absurd  things  would  have  been  the  selection  of  Henry 
as  "  temporary  tyrant  under  the  name  of  dictator  "  —  Jef- 
ferson's phrase  in  allusion  to  the  plan  —  when  the  bur- 
den of  his  great  speech  on  the  Stamp  Act  had  been  that 
George  HI.  was  a  tyrant  and  might  meet  with  the  fate 
of  Csesar.  In  the  absence  of  nearly  all  information  as  to 
this  curious  affair,  it  may  be  conjectured  that  the  plan 
came  at  last  to  Henry's  ears,  and  that  he  desired  his 
friends  to  abandon  it. 

So  ended  the  year  1776  in  Virginia :  with  great 
changes  in  her  government  and  society ;   with  depres- 


THE  HANNIBAL    OF  THE   WEST.  449 

sion,  heart-burnings,  and  antagonisms  among  her  public 
men  ;  and  before  her  a  future  which  looked  stormy. 
Washington  was  retiring,  with  a  handful  of  men,  before 
the  British  army ;  Congress  had  fled  to  Baltimore  ;  the 
war  was  advancing  southward  ;  with  the  spring  Virginia 
might  expect  to  become  the  battle-field. 


XVI. 

THE    HANNIBAL    OF    THE    WEST. 

Virginia  was  not  to  become  the  field  of  actual  fiofht- 
ing  until  some  years  afterwards.  The  enemy  had  se- 
lected the  north  as  the  scene  of  their  operations,  and 
the  Commonwealth  was  only  called  upon  to  supply 
troops  and  stores  for  the  Continental  army.  Her  quota 
had  been  fixed  by  Congress  at  fifteen  battalions,  of 
which  eight  were  already  in  service,  and  the  additional 
seven  about  to  be  organized.  The  chief  importance  of 
Virginia  W£:s  as  a  granary  of  provisions,  to  suiDply  the 
necessities  of  the  army,  but  she  was  prompt  to  furnish 
troops,  and  was  represented  upon  every  battle-field  of  tlie 
struggle.  From  the  very  first  the  spirit  of  the  people 
had  responded  ardently  to  the  call  to  arms.  The  min- 
ute-men of  the  Rappahannock  had  reflected  the  general 
sentiment  in  pledging  themselves  to  defend  not  only  Vir- 
ginia but  "  any  sister  colony."  Volunteer  companies 
sprung  up  in  every  quarter  and  marched  with  or  with- 
out orders.  An  instance  is  the  march  of  Morijan's  rifle- 
men  from  the  Shenandoah  Valley  to  Boston.  They  ' 
were  borderers,  wearing  hunting-shirts  with  "  Liberty 
or  Death  "  on  their  breasts  in  white  letters.  Washing- 
ton met  them  as  he  was  riding  along  his  lines,  when 
29 


450      VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

Morgan  saluted  and  reported  :  "  From  the  right  bank  of 
the  Potomac,  General ! "  whereupon  Washington  dis- 
mounted, and  with  tears  in  his  eyes  went  along  the  ranks, 
shaking  hands  in  turn  with  each  of  the  men.  From 
this  time  to  the  end  of  the  Revolution  the  Virginia  troops 
wei-e  prominent,  and  often,  as  at  Brandywine  where  the 
Third  Virginia  remained  firm  after  both  its  flanks  were 
turned,  exhibited  the  best  soldiership.  They  were  es- 
pecially distinguished  in  the  dark  days  of  the  retreat 
through  the  Jerseys  ;  bore  the  sufferings  of  Valley 
Forge  with  unfailing  cheerfulness  ;  and  in  the  next  year, 
and  the  one  following,  were  the  reliance  of  George 
Rogers  Clarke  in  his  remarkable  movements  against  the 
enemy  in  the  northwest. 

What  will  now  be  briefly  related  was  one  of  the  most 
heroic  achievements  of  an  heroic  epoch.  The  incident 
belongs  to  the  history  of  Virginia,  since  the  chief  actor 
was  a  Virginian,  his  troops  were  Virginia  troops,  and 
the  events  took  place  on  soil  which  was  a  part  of  Vir- 
ginia. By  her  charter  she  possessed  the  great  extent 
of  country  north  of  the  Ohio,  and  in  the  winter  of  1777 
General  George  Rogers  Clarke,  a  Virginian  residing  in 
Kentucky,  offered  to  lead  an  expedition  against  the 
posts  of  the  enemy  at  Kaskaskia  and  Vincennes.  Clarke 
was  a  native  of  Albemarle  ;  had  commanded  a  company 
at  the  battle  of  Point  Pleasant ;  and  was  at  this  time 
about  twenty -five.  He  was  tall  and  powerful  in  person, 
a  man  of  couraire  and  abilitv,  and  seems  to  have  realized 
the  importance  of  driving  the  enemy  from  the  great  re- 
gion beyond  the  Ohio.  He  proposed  the  project  to  Pat- 
rick Henry,  then  Governor  of  Virginia ;  was  supplied 
with  money  and  four  companies  of  Virginia  troops  ;  and 
in  the  summer  of  1778  marched  through  the  wilderness 


THE  HANNIBAL   OF  THE  WEST.  451 

and  surprised  Kaskaskia,  after  which  he  proceeded  to 
Vincennes,  and  took  possession  of  that  fort  also.  Father 
Gibault,  a  French  priest,  assembled  the  people  in  church, 
assured  them  that  the  Americans  were  friends,  the  popu- 
lation "  took  the  oath  of  allegiance  to  the  Common- 
wealth of  Virginia,"  and  placing  a  garrison  in  the  fort 
General  Clarke  returned  to  Kentucky. 

Diirinof  the  winter  intellio^ence  reached  him  that  the 
fort  had  been  recaptured  by  the  enemy.  Colonel  Ham- 
ilton, Governor  of  Canada,  had  advanced  from  Detroit 
and  surprised  it;  and  was  said  to  intend  during  the 
spring  to  also  recapture  Kaskaskia,  and  then  march 
southward  and  invade  Kentucky.  Upon  receiving  this 
intelligence  Clarke  determined  to  take  the  initiative, 
and  by  a  decisive  winter  campaign  break  up  the  British 
programme.  Colonel  Hamilton  was  very  much  detested 
for  having  offered  the  Indians  a  premium  for  American 
scalps  ;  was  called  for  that  reason  the  "  Hair-buyer  Gen- 
eral," and  the  borderers  responded  with  alacrity  to  the 
summons  to  march  against  him.  Clarke  set  out  in  Feb- 
ruary (1779),  with  one  hundred  and  fifty  men  and  two 
pieces  of  artillery ;  and  a  march  began  nearly  unparal- 
leled in  history.  The  cannon  and  a  detachment  were 
embarked  in  boats  to  ascend  the  Wabash,  and  Clarke 
followed  with  the  remainder  by  land.  The  country 
through  which  they  were  compelled  to  pass  was  a  wil- 
derness, and  the  weather  exceedingly  cold ;  but  the 
troops  steadily  advanced,  and  finally  reached  the  point 
where  the  White  River  empties  into  the  Wabash,  fifteen 
or  twenty  miles  from  Vincennes.  Any  further  advance 
now  seemed  impossible.  Tiie  low  grounds  of  the  Wa- 
bash were  under  water  to  the  depth  of  several  feet,  and 
it  seemed  out  of  the  question  to  attempt  to  traverse 


452      VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

them.  Clarke  however  resolved  to  make  the  attempt. 
He  w^ent  in  advance  himself  ;  the  troops  foUovred  ;  and 
the  hard  struggle  began. 

The  water  was  nearly  frozen  and  often  reached  to  the 
breasts  of  the  troops,  who  were  obliged  to  hold  their 
rifles  and  powder  above  their  heads  as  they  struggled 
on.  Boats  had  been  provided  to  succor  those  who  were 
exhausted  ;  but  the  attempt  seemed  desperate.  As  far 
as  the  eye  could  see  stretched  a  nearly  unbroken  ex- 
panse of  water.  Here  and  there  were  spots  of  dry  land, 
but  they  were  often  five  miles  apart.  The  brief  state- 
ment of  one  who  was  present  is  the  best  description  of 
the  scene.  On  the  twenty-third  of  February  they  "  set 
off  to  cross  a  plain  called  Horse-shoe  Plain,  about  four 
miles  long,  all  covered  with  water  breast  high.  Here 
we  expected  some  of  our  brave  men  must  certainly  per- 
ish, the  water  being  frozen  in  the  night,  and  we  so  long 
fasting.  Having  no  other  resource  but  wading  this  lake 
of  frozen  water  we  plunged  in  with  courage.  Colonel 
Clarke  being  first.  Never  were  men  so  animated  with 
the  thouoht  of  aveno[in<]j  the  ravao:es  done  to  their  back 
settlements  as  this  small  army  was." 

At  last  the  troops  succeeded  in  plunging  through,  and 
reached  a  "  hill  of  dry  land,"  called  Warren's  Island, 
where  they  were  nearly  in  sight  of  Vincennes,  and  heard 
the  boom  of  the  ''evening  gun."  From  this  point 
Clarke  sent  forward  a  messenger  who  was  directed  to 
tell  the  people  that  his  friends  might  remain  in  their 
homes ;  the  friends  of  the  King  were  to  "  repair  to  the 
fort  and  join  the  Bair-huyer  GeneraV  The  wading 
was  then  resumed  until  sunset  when  they  were  in  front 
of  the  place.  Dividing  his  force  Clarke  advanced  by 
the  present  Levee  and  Princeton  roads,  threw  up 
breastworks,  and  opened  fire  on  the  fort. 


THE  HANNIBAL   OF  THE  WEST.  453 

The  appearance  of  the  Americans  was  a  complete  sur- 
prise to  Governor  Hamilton,  It  seemed  impossible 
that  any  troops  could  have  passed  through  the  "  Drowned 
Lands  ;  "  but  there  they  were.  They  very  much  resem- 
bled devils  too,  for  Clarke  had  ordered  them  to  blacken 
their  faces  with  gunpowder  ;  for  what  reason  we  are 
not  informed.  Hamilton  bravely  resisted.  He  opened 
with  his  artillery,  and  for  fourteen  hours,  and  long  after 
night,  the  wild  landscape  was  lit  up  by  quick  flashes. 
At  last  the  firing  ceased  and  the  men  slept  on  their  arms. 
At  dawn  Clarke  summoned  Hamilton  to  surrender  at 
once.  If  he  was  obliged  to  storm  the  place,  he  said, 
th«  Governor  "  might  depend  upon  such  treatment  as  is 
justly  due  to  a  murderer."  He  added  in  his  note  to 
Hamilton  :  "  Beware  of  destroying  stores  of  any  kind, 
or  any  papers  or  letters  that  are  in  your  possession,  or 
hurting  one  house  in  town.  For  by  Heaven  !  if  you  do, 
there  shall  be  no  mercy  shown  you."  Hamilton's  re- 
ply was  a  refusal  to  surrender  ;  he  was  not  "  disposed 
to  be  awed,"  he  said  ;  and  the  fighting  again  began  and 
was  kept  up  obstinately. 

But  if  not  overawed  the  Governor  at  length  lost  hope. 
He  sent  proposing  a  truce,  but  Clarke  refused  to  agree 
to  it.  He  must  "  surrender  at  discretion  ;  "  and  Colo- 
nel Hamilton  surrendered  (February  25,  1779).  The 
Americans  marched  in  with  loud  cheers  and  raised  the 
American  flag  ;  and  Hamilton  was  sent  under  guard  to 
Williamsburg,  in  Virginia.^ 

1  Governor  Hamilton  enjoyed  the  bad  notoriety  of  having  sent  Simon 
Girt}^,  the  renegade  white,  at  the  head  of  five  hundred  Indians,  to  de- 
stroy the  settlement  at  Wheeling,  Virginia,  in  1777.  A  sudden  attack 
was  made,  but  the  families  reached  the  stockade  near,  in  safety.  It 
was  on  this  occasion  that  a  brave  young  girl,  named  Elizabeth  Zane, 
volunteered  to  bring  in  a  keg  of  powder  from  a  house  in  the  town,  un- 


454     VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

The  capture  of  Vincennes  has  been  related  in  detail, 
as  the  event  was  much  more  important  than  it  may  ap- 
pear. Fourteen  hours  of  fighting  between  two  incon- 
siderable bodies  of  troops  had  decided  who  was  to  pos- 
sess the  entire  region  north  of  the  Ohio.  At  the  con- 
clusion of  peace  in  1783,  the  principle  of  the  uti  possede- 
^is  was  adopted  by  the  Commissioners,  empowering  Great 
Britain  and  the  United  States  to  remain  in  possession 
of  all  the  territory  which  they  held  at  the  termination 
of  the  war.  Under  this  provision  the  Northwest  terri- 
tory was  claimed  by  the  American  Commissioners  on  the 
ground  of  its  capture  by  Clarke,  and  "  the  possession  of 
it  by  the  Americans  at  the  date  of  the  conference." 
The  claim  was  acquiesced  in,  and  the  country  accordingly 
fell  to  the  United  States. 

Clarke  received,  in  honor  of  his  arduous  march,  the 
title  of  the  "  Hannibal  of  the  AVest,"  and  his  achieve- 
ment entitles  him  to  a  distinct  place  in  American  his- 
tory. 

XVII. 

LAFAYETTE   AND    CORNWALLIS. 

"With  the  opening  of  1781,  Virginia  at  last  felt  the 
pressure  of  invasion.      Hitherto   she  had   escaped    it, 

der  the  Indian  fire,  and  did,  so  escaping  unharmed.  The  time  and 
place  were  also  made  remarkable  by  the  leap  of  Major  McCulloch  from 
a  precipice  one  hundred  feet  high.  It  was  made  on  horseback,  and 
horse  and  rider  fell  into  the  water  of  a  creek  beneath,  and  reached  the 
woods  in  safet}^  under  a  hot  fire  from  the  enemy.  These  noble  old  leg- 
ends are  the  true  glories  of  American  history:  the  race  lives  in  them, 
and  is  best  illustrated  by  them.  It  was  a  very  great  race,  and  faced 
peril  without  shrinking,  down  to  the  very  boys  and  girls ;  and  what 
the  long  years  of  the  future  will  remember  is  this  heroic  phase,  not 
the  treaties  and  protocols  of  American  history. 


LAFAYETTE  AND   CORNWALLIS.  455 

though  her  sea-coast  was  undefended,  the  country  with- 
out  military  posts,  and  the  population  drained  of  its 
fighting  material. 

Few  events  of  general  interest  had  marked  the  years 
from  the  beginning  of  the  war.  The  Assembly  had  been 
busy  devising  ways  and  means  for  supplying  the  Conti- 
nental army ;  had  enacted  that  "  no  more  slaves  were 
to  be  imported  into  Virginia  "  (1778)  ;  and  had  adopted 
the  singular  course  of  attainting  for  treason  a  marauder, 
named  Phillips,  who,  at  the  head  of  a  band  of  outlaws 
had  committed  outrages  in  Princess  Anne,  alleging  that 
he  acted  under  authority  from  Lord  Dunmore.  This 
plea  did  not  avail  him,  and  he  was  hung  as  a  traitor^ 
when  it  would  seem  that  his  proper  punishment  ought 
to  have  been  as  a  bandit. 

With  the  exception  of  these  intestine  troubles,  Vir- 
ginia remained  at  peace,  although  the  enemy  had  landed 
once  or  twice  and  committed  a  few  ravages.  In  1779 
Thomas  Jefferson  was  elected  Governor  to  succeed  Pat- 
rick Henry,  who  was  no  longer  eligible,  ^nd  in  the  year 
1781  came  the  last  scenes  of  the  war  on  the  soil  of  Vir- 
ginia. 

It  is  difficult  to  convey  an  impression  of  the  gloom 
and  despondency  of  the  country  at  this  moment.  We 
are  too  much  in  the  habit  of  remembering  Yorktown 
and  forgetting  what  preceded  it.  Never  had  the  Ameri- 
can cause  been  in  a  more  desperate  condition.  The 
country  from  north  to  south  was  nearly  in  despair.  Its 
entire  resources  seemed  to  have  been  drained  from  it, 
and  the  bravest  men  began  to  ask  themselves  whether 
it  were  worth  while  to  continue  the  struggle.  The  army 
was  in  a  wretched  condition  :  they  were  "  poorly  clothed, 
badly  fed,  and  worse  paid,  some  of  them  not  having 


456       VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

received  a  paper  dollar  for  near  twelve  months  ;  ex- 
posed to  winter's  piercing  cold ;  to  drifting  snows  and 
chilling  blasts,  with  no  protection  but  old  worn-out  coats, 
tattered  linen  overalls,  and  but  one  blanket  betweeu 
three  men,"  according  to  the  report  of  General  Wayne. 
And  worse  than  all,  the  enemy  had  seized  the  occasion 
to  circulate  proclamations  among  them,  inviting  them  to 
desert  their  flag.  Even  Washington  almost  despaired, 
and  all  his  hope  now  was  from  a  foreign  loan.  He 
wrote  to  Colonel  Laurens,  American  minister  at  Paris 
(March,  1781):  — 

"  Day  does  not  follow  night  more  certainly  than  it 
brings  with  it  some  additional  proof  of  the  impractica- 
bility of  carrying  on  the  war  without  the  aids  you  were 
directed  to  solicit.  As  an  honest  and  candid  man  I  as- 
sert this,  that  without  a  foreign  loan,  our  present  force, 
which  is  but  the  remnant  of  an  army,  cannot  be  kept 
together  this  campaign.  .  .  .  We  are  at  this  hour  sus- 
pended in  the  balance." 

Such  was  the  state  of  affairs  when  the  enemy  deter- 
mined to  invade  Virginia.  It  was  singular  that  they  had 
not  done  so  before.  The  State  was  entirely  defense- 
less ;  she  had  stripped  herself  bare  to  supply  the  army 
with  fighting  material,  and  the  whole  country  below 
the  mountains  was  absolutely  unprotected,  except  by 
the  militia,  com|)Osed  for  the  most  joart  of  old  men  and 
boys. 

With  January  (1781),  the  invasion  came.  In  the  De- 
cember preceding,  General  Benedict  Arnold,  who  had 
betrayed  Andre  to  his  death  while  engaged  in  betray- 
ing tlie  American  cause,  had  been  placed  in  command 
of  about  seventeen  hundred  men  ;  had  landed  at  Ports- 
mouth in  Chesapeake  Bay  ;  and  now  in  the  first  days 


LAFAYETTE  AND   CORNWALLTS.  457 

of  January  (1781),  sailed  up  James  River  to  Westover, 
with  a  force  of  nine  hundred  men,  and,  landing  there, 
marched  on  Richmond,  twenty-five  miles  above.  There 
was  nothing  to  oppose  him.  Baron  Steuben,  who  had 
the  general  command  of  affairs  in  Virginia,  had  just 
sent  off  all  the  troops  he  could  raise  to  General  Greene ; 
and  Arnold  thus  reached  Richmond  almost  without  re- 
sistance on  the  way.  He  entered  the  town,  which  was 
then  a  jDlace  of  about  three  hundred  houses,  and  was 
fired  on  by  a  body  of  militia  numbering  two  hundred ; 
but  these  retreated  up  the  river,  and  the  place  was  occu- 
pied by  the  enemy  (January  5,  1781). 

This  was  long  a  sore  subject  with  Jefferson  and  his 
friends.  He  was  charged,  not  only  with  a  want  of  mili- 
tary ability,  and  the  loss  of  his  self-possession,  but  with 
timidity.  The  last  charge  is  unsupported ;  the  other 
criticisms  may  have  been  just.  But  it  is  difficult  to  see 
what  more  he  could  have  done  under  the  circumstances. 
He  had  promptly  called  out  the  militia,  but  the  country 
had  just  been  stripped  of  men  to  supply  the  army  in  the 
Carolinas.  Only  two  hundred  had  assembled,  and  this 
force  was  insufficient  to  oppose  a  body  of  nine  hundred 
regulars.  Jefferson  seeing  that  the  place  was  defense- 
less, threw  five  pieces  of  cannon  into  the  river,  removed 
the  gunpowder  in  the  town  to  the  arsenal  at  Westham, 
some  miles  above,  and  then  rode  down  on  horseback  to 
watch  the  further  movements  of  the  enemy.  Arnold 
now  had  possession  of  Richmond,  and  proceeded  to 
burn  the  warehouses  and  public  buildings.  A  cavalry 
detachment  under  Colonel  Simcoe  was  sent  to  West- 
ham,  where  the  powder  was  thrown  into  the  canal  and 
the  arsenal  burned.  During  the  following  night  Rich- 
mond "  resounded  with  the  drunken  orgies  of  the  sol- 


458      VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

diery ; "  and  then  Arnold  returned  to  Westover  and 
thence  to  Portsmouth,  harassed  on  the  way  by  the  Vir- 
ginia militia. 

With  the  spring  came  the  real  invasion.  The  enemy 
had  plainly  determined  to  carry  the  war  into  Virginia, 
and  there  everything  was  now  concentrating.  Lord 
Cornwallis,  who  had  disembarrassed  himself  of  General 
Greene  in  the  Carolinas,  was  on  his  march  to  form  a 
junction  with  a  British  force  on  its  way  to  Virginia,  and 
the  Commonwealth,  it  was  supposed,  would  fall  an  easy 
prey.  The  prospect  was  inviting.  The  fall  of  the 
great  rebel  province,  solidly  thrust  into  the  centre  of 
the  confederacy  and  alimenting  its  armies,  would  end 
the  contest ;  and  to  reduce  it  under  British  sway  was 
now  the  work  expected  of  Lord  Cornwallis. 

In  April  General  Phillips,  with  a  force  of  two  thou- 
sand five  hundred  men,  ascended  James 'River,  drove 
off  a  body  of  militia  at  Petersburg,  burned  the  ware- 
houses there,  and  then  marched  northward  toward 
Richmond  destroying  as  he  went.  Opposite  the  place, 
then  an  inconsiderable  town,  he  was  forced  to  pause. 
The  hills  north  of  the  river  were  lined  with  American 
troops ;  and  the  force  proved  to  be  a  body  of  twelve 
hundred  regulars  sent  by  Washington,  under  command 
of  the  Marquis  de  Lafayette,  to  defend  Virginia.  This 
ardent  young  Frenchman,  who  was  at  the  time  only 
twenty-three,  had  offered  to  serve  as  a  volunteer  in  the 
American  cause,  without  pay,  and  in  any  capacity  ;  but 
Congress  had  commissioned  him  Major-general,  and  he 
had  soon  secured  the  confidence  of  Washington.  His 
assignment  to  the  command  of  a  detached  corps,  on  so 
important  an  arena  as  Virginia,  indicated  the  fact ;  and 
from  the  beginning  to  the  end  of  the  campaign  the  young 


LAFAYETTE  AND   CORNWALLIS.  459 

soldier  justified  the  confidence  reposed  in  him.  General 
Phillips  declined  to  attack  him  at  Richmond,  and  re- 
turned toward  Petersburg,  when  Lafayette  hastened  in 
the  same  direction  to  occupy  the  place  before  his  arrival. 
Phillips  reached  it  first,  and  was  soon  afterwards  sa- 
luted by  a  cannonade  from  the  Appomattox  hills.  To 
this  he  scarcely  made  any  reply.  He  lay  at  "  Boiling- 
brook,"  a  mansion  in  the  suburbs,  burnt  up  with  fever, 
and  soon  afterwards  sunk  under  it  and  expired.  His 
last  pathetic  words  were,  "  They  will  not  let  me  die  in 
peace,"  and  he  was  buried  with  military  honors  in  the 
Old  Blandford  graveyard,  —  "  the  proudest  man,  Jef- 
ferson said,  "  of  the  proudest  nation  upon  earth." 

In  May,  Lord  Cornwallis  arrived  and  took  command 
of  all  the  forces  in  Virginia,  amounting  to  eight  or  ten 
thousand  men,  of  whom  about  one  half  were  at  Peters- 
burg. Lafayette's  force  was  twelve  hundred  regulars, 
three  thousand  militia,  and  about  fifty  cavalry,  who  had 
before  them  the  discouraging  prospect  of  meeting  the 
numerous  and  "  excellent  cavalry  "  of  Colonel  Tarleton, 
who  had  committed  so  many  outrages  in  the  Carolinas. 
Lord  Cornwallis  seems  to  have  looked  forward  to  an 
easy  victory  over  his  young  adversary,  and  wrote  in  an 
intercepted  letter,  "  The  boy  cannot  escape  me."  The 
first  movements  of  Lafayette  seemed  to  indicate  a  de- 
sire to  escape.  He  was  at  "  Wilton,"  on  James  River, 
below  Richmond ;  promptly  retired  as  Lord  Cornwallis 
advanced ;  and  during  the  whole  month  of  May  and  a 
part  of  June  continued  the  same  maneuvers.  Falling 
back  toward  the  Rappahannock,  he  obstinately  declined 
being  brought  to  battle  ;  and  after  following  him  as  far 
as  the  North  Anna,  Lord  Cornwallis  halted,  apparently 
in  despair  of  coming  up  with  him. 


460      VIRGINIA:    A   HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

Ravages  followed  in  every  quarter.  Tarleton's  cav- 
alry, in  their  white  uniforms,  proved  themselves  the 
scourge  of  Virginia,  as  they  had  been  the  scourge  of  the 
Carolinas.  They  went  with  torch  and  sword  through 
the  whole  James  River  region ;  burned  houses,  carried 
off  horses,  cutting  the  throats  of  those  which  were  too 
young  to  use  ;  and  made  a  dash  to  capture  the  Assembly, 
then  in  session  at  Charlottesville,  and  Governor  Jeffer- 
son at  his  home  of  Monticello.  The  Assembly-men 
scattered  in  dismay,  and  Jeiferson  escaped  into  the  neigh- 
boring mountain ;  and  Colonel  Tarleton,  with  seven 
captured  law-makers  of  the  Assembly,  returned  to  the 
low  lands. 

The  only  prospect  of  an  engagement  between  La- 
fayette and  Cornwallis  was  when  the  latter  made  a  move- 
ment to  capture  the  stores  at  Albemarle  Old  Court- 
house. By  a  rapid  march  Lafayette  interposed  and 
offered  battle ;  but  Lord  Cornwallis,  who  seemed  so 
eager,  declined  to  attack  his  adversary ;  and  in  the  latter 
part  of  June  retired  slowly  in  tlie  direction  of  the  coast. 
Lafayette  steadily  followed.  He  had  been  reenforced 
on  the  Rapidan  by  nine  hundred  Pennsylvanians  under 
General  Anthony  Wayne,  the  brave  Pennsylvanian,  who 
had  been  shot  down  at  Stony  Point,  but  had  exclaimed 
to  his  men,  "  Carry  me  into  the  fort,  for  I  will  die  at 
the  head  of  my  column  !  "  He  had  also  been  joined 
by  an  additional  force  of  militia  under  General  Steuben, 
and  cautiously  followed  Lord  Cornwallis  down  the  Pe- 
ninsula, between  the  James  and  York.  An  indecisive 
encounter  took  j)lace  at  Williamsburg  between  the 
American  advance  force  and  the  British  rear,  and  a 
more  important  engagement  followed  at  the  old  locality 
of  Jamestown. 


LAFAYETTE  AND   CORNWALLIS.  461 

This  affair  nearly  proved  a  serious  blow  to  Lafayette, 
and  was  a  proof  of  the  good  generalship  of  Lord  Corn- 
wallis.  Sending  emissaries  into  the  American  lines  to 
rej)ort  that  he  had  crossed  James  River  with  the  bulk 
of  his  force,  Cornwallis  laid  an  ambuscade,  and  induced 
General  Wayne  to  attack  him.  A  heavy  fog  assisted 
this  ruse,  and  Wayne  hurried  forward  to  assail,  as  he 
supposed,  the  British  rear-guard.  In  place  of  the  rear- 
guard he  encountered  the  British  army,  and  was  attacked 
by  an  overpowering  force  in  front  and  flank.  He  nar- 
rowly escaped  destruction,  and  only  extricated  himself 
by  directing  a  sudden  charge,  and  then  as  suddenly  re- 
treating. The  maneuver  was  so  skillfully  executed  that 
Lord  Cornwallis  was  unable  to  again  strike  him  ;  and 
crossing  the  James  with  his  forces  he  fell  back  to  Ports- 
mouth and  then  to  Yorktown. 

Such  had  been  the  result  of  the  great  invasion  of  Vir- 
ginia. In  a  military  point  of  view  little  had  been  ef- 
fected, but  its  effects  had  been  disastrous.  All  Tide- 
water Virginia  had  been  swept  as  by  a  tornado.  The 
growing  crops  had  been  destroyed  ;  the  grain  burned  in 
the  mills  ;  the  plantations  laid  waste ;  and  the  horses 
and  cattle  either  killed  or  carried  off.  Thirty  thousand 
negroes  had  been  taken  away  ;  of  whom  twenty-seven 
thousand  are  said  to  have  died  of  the  small-pox  or  camp 
fever.  The  destruction  of  property  was  estimated  at 
thirteen  millions  sterling. 

The  only  commentary  made  by  Lafayette  was  that  he 
"  had  given  his  lordship  the  disgrace  of  a  retreat,"  and 
forced  him  to  the  cul  de  sac  of  Yorktown,  where  he  must 
fight. 


462     VIRGINIA:   A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

XVIII. 
TORKTOWN. 

In  the  first  days  of  autumn  (1781),  few  persons  in 
England  or  America  suspected  that  the  Revolution,  with 
its  shifting  scenes  and  varying  fortunes,  was  approach- 
ing its  end.  The  British  Government  seemed  as  reso- 
lute as  ever  to  continue  hostilities  until  the  American 
rebels  submitted.  Sir  Henry  Clinton  occupied  New 
York ;  and  Lord  Cornwallis,  after  marching  nearly  un- 
opposed through  Virginia,  had  retired  to  the  strong  po- 
sition of  Yorktown,  to  await  reenforcements.  With  the 
coming  spring  it  seemed  probable  that  a  last  campaign 
would  decide  the  struggle,  and  force  the  worn-out  rebels 
to  surrender  at  discretion. 

Suddenly  the  whole  prospect  changed.  Late  in 
August  Lafayette  sent  a  dispatch  to  Washington  on  the 
Hudson,  opposite  New  York,  that  the  Count  de  Grasse, 
commanding  a  French  fleet, .  had  sailed  from  St.  Do- 
mingo for  Chesapeake  Bay,  to  cooperate  in  the  move- 
ments against  Lord  Cornwallis.  At  this  intelligence 
Washington's  "  soul  was  in  arms."  The  Count  de  Ro- 
chambeau  had  landed  in  Connecticut  with  a  force  of 
6,000  men,  and  it  seemed  possible,  with  the  assistance  of 
this  corps  and  the  fleet  of  De  Grasse,  to  hem  in  Lord 
Cornwallis  and  capture  his  army. 

The  movement  was  at  once  decided  upon.  All  de- 
pended ujoon  concealing  it  until  it  would  be  too  late  to 
reenforce  Cornwallis.  Camps  were  ostentatiously  laid 
out,  opposite  New  York,  in  sight  of  the  enemy  ;  a  feigned 
assault  was  made  on  their  posts ;  and  Rochambeau  moved 


YORKTOWN.  463 

from  Newport,  as  though  to  take  part  in  these  opera- 
tions. The  movement  southward  then  followed.  Once 
begun  it  was  unresting.  On  the  20th  of  August  (1781), 
the  American  forces  crossed  the  Hudson ;  on  the  2 2d 
Rochambeau  arrived ;  on  the  25th  the  march  began ; 
and  on  the  2d  of  September  the  army  passed  through 
Philadelphia  without  stopping,  and  hastened  on  toward 
the  head  of  the  Chesapeake.  The  shifting  scenes  re- 
sembled those  of  a  "  theatrical  exhibition,"  is  the  com- 
ment of  an  eye-witness.  Until  the  troops  reached  the 
Delaware  the  object  of  the  movement  was  a  mystery, 
especially  to  Sir  Henry  Clinton.  Then  it  was  seen  that 
a  great  blow  was  to  be  struck  in  Virginia. 

The  march  through  Philadelphia  was  a  species  of  tri- 
umph. The  windows  were  filled  with  ladies  waging 
handkerchiefs  and  uttering  exclamations  of  joy.  The 
ragged  "  Continentals  "  came  first,  with  their  torn  bat- 
tle-flags and  cannon  ;  and  the  French  followed  in  "  gay, 
white  uniforms  faced  with  green,"  to  the  sound  of  mar- 
tial music.  A  long  time  had  passed  since  Philadelphia 
had  seen  such  a  pageant ;  the  last  resembling  it  had 
been  the  splendid  "  Mischianza "  festival,  devised  by 
poor  Andre,  in  the  days  of  the  British  occupation. 

At  the  head  of  Elk  the  bulk  of  the  forces  were  em- 
barked on  transports  which  carried  them  down  the 
Chesapeake ;  and  before  the  end  of  September  the 
whole  American  army  was  concentrated  at  Williams- 
burg. 

While  these  movements  were  taking  place,  important 
events  had  occurred  in  Virginia.  Lord  Cornwallis  had 
erected  works  at  YorktOwn,  and  was  confident  of  his 
ability  to  repulse  any  assault.  The  movements  of  Wash- 
ington, and  the  approach  of  the  Count  de  Grasse,  were 


464       VIRGINIA:   A  HISTORY  GF  THE  PEOPLE. 

both  unknown  to  him.  He  felt  secure  in  his  strong 
position,  with  only  Lafayette  opposed  to  him,  and 
awaited,  without  apprehension,  until  he  was  reenforced 
by  Sir  Henry  Clinton,  or  a  fleet  was  sent  to  transfer  him 
to  New  York. 

The  movements  of  Lafayette  ought  to  have  warned 
him  of  his  danger.  A  net  was  already  drawn  around 
him.  While  the  main  American  force  was  facing  him 
at  Williamsburg,  General  Wayne,  and  General  Nelson, 
who  had  succeeded  Jefferson  as  Governor,  were  sent 
south  of  James  River  to  prevent  his  escape  to  North 
Carolina.  Lord  Cornwallis  was  thus  hemmed  in  by 
land,  and  the  arrival  of  De  Grasse  would  completely  cut 
off  his  retreat  by  water.  Lafayette  was  in  the  highest 
spirits.  In  a  dispatch  to  Washington,  he  wrote :  "  Adieu, 
my  dear  General :  I  heartily  thank  you  for  having 
ordered  me  to  remain  in  Virginia,  and  to  your  goodness 
to  me  I  am  owing  the  most  beautiful  prospect  I  may 
ever  behold." 

The  beautiful  prospect  was  the  capture  of  Lord  Corja- 
wallis  ;  and  the  arrival  of  the  French  fleet  (August  28, 
1781),  seemed  to  render  that  event  nearly  certain. 
De  Grasse  appeared  in  the  Chesapeake  ;  four  men-of- 
war  were  sent  to  blockade  the  mouth  of  the  York  ;  and 
a  force  of  about  three  thousand  men  landed  to  reenforce 
Layfayette. 

In  the  midst  of  these  movements  a  British  fleet,  of 
twenty  ships,  commanded  by  Admiral  Graves,  made  its 
appearance  at  the  mouth  of  the  Chesapeake.  De  Grasse 
promptly  sailed  out  to  attack  it,  and  a  sharp  action  fol- 
lowed (September  7,  1781).  Both  sides  sustained  in- 
juries, but  at  sunset  De  Grasse  retired,  with  two  ships 
which  he  had  captured,  and  Admiral  Graves  disappeared 
with  his  fleet  northward. 


YORKTO  WN.  465 

This  eDgagement  had  taken  place  withiu  hearing-  of 
Lord  Cornwallis  at  Yorktown.  The  distant  cannonade 
must  have  filled  him  with  solicitude.  His  perilous  situa- 
tion was  now  plain  to  him,  and  he  sent  urgent  messa^-es 
to  Clinton  to  reenforce  him.  Instead  of  the  reenforce- 
ments  the  American  army  made  its  appearance,  com- 
manded by  Washington. 

The  Commander-in-chief  reached  Williamsburs:  be- 
fore  the  troops,  on  the  14th  of  September,  and  on  the 
18th  visited  the  Count  de  Grasse  on  board  his  flaaf- 
ship,  the  Ville  de  Paris,  in  Lynhaven  Bay.  De  Grasse 
was  plain  and  prompt  in  manners,  and  received  his 
visitor  with  every  mark  of  respect.  The  ships  were 
manned,  and  a  salute  fired ;  and  Washington  dined, 
and  remained  in  consultation  with  the  Count  until  sun- 
set. The  plan  of  operations  was  agreed  upon,  and  was 
to  be  carried  into  effect  on  the  arrival  of  the  American 
troops.  Washington  then  returned  to  Williamsburg,  in 
the  midst  of  a  second  salute  from  the  French  ships". 

On  the  25th  of  September  the  American  forces  were 
concentrated  at  Williamsburg,  and  ready  to  march  on 
Yorktown.  They  numbered  eleven  or  twelve  thousand 
regulars,  and  about  five  thousand  militia  under  General 
Nelson;  and  (September  28,  1781),  the  whole  force  ad- 
vanced to  attack  Lord  Cornwallis. 

The  march  was  a  joyous  affair.  The  troops  were  in 
the  highest  spirits  and  went  on  through  the  bright  au- 
tumn weather  with  the  light  step  of  men  who  see  vic- 
tory hovering  in  the  air.  The  French  in  their  new  uni- 
forms, and  the  tattered  "  Old  Continentals,"  were  equally 
gay.  To  many  of  the  former  this  was  their  first  cam- 
paign, and  they  welcomed  it  with  enthusiasm  ;  to  almost 
all  of  the  latter  the  great  source  of  rejoicing  was  that  it 

30 


466     VIRGINIA:  A   HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

was  probably  their  last.  The  war  promised  to  come  to 
an  end  now,  and  the  weary  veterans,  who  had  followed 
Washington  for  so  many  years,  would  soon  see  wife  and 
child  asain  in  the  dear  old  home. 

By  sunset  the  little  army  had  passed  over  the  short 
distance,  and  bivouacked  within  about  two  miles  of 
Yorktown. 

These  movements  preceding  the  famous  "  Siege  of 
Yorktown  "  have  been  noticed  in  some  detail ;  they  will 
interest  the  military  student  more  than  what  followed 
them.  The  terrible  wars  of  the  nineteenth  century  have 
dwarfed  these  old  skirmishes.  We  go  back,  in  fancy, 
and  listen  with  smiles  to  the  shouting  and  hurrahing  ;  to 
the  patriotic  acclamations,  and  the  glowing  descriptions 
of  the  great  combat.  The  scene,  we  are  told,  was  "  sub- 
lime and  stupendous."  The  bomb-shells  were  seen 
"  crossing  each  other's  path  in  the  air,  and  were  visible 
in  the  form  of  a  black  ball  in  the  day,  but  in  the  night 
they  appear  like  a  fiery  meteor,  with  a  blazing  tail,  most 
beautifully  brilliant."  These  fearful  emissaries  "ascend 
majestically  from  the  mortar  to  a  certain  altitude,  and 
gradually  descend  to  the  spot  where  they  are  destined 
to  execute  their  work  of  destruction."  One  remarkable 
circumstance  is  noticed :  "  When  a  shell  falls,  it  wheels 
round,  burrows  and  excavates  the  earth  to  a  considera- 
ble extent,  and  bursting  makes  dreadful  havoc  around." 
When  these  beautifully  brilliant  meteors  fall  in  York 
River  the  sight  is  no  less  stupendous.  They  "  throw  up 
columns  of  water  like  the  spouting  monsters  of  the 
deep." 

In  such  glowing  terms  does  patriotic  Dr.  Thacher 
describe  the  fearful  ordeal  to  which  the  enemy  were 
subjected.     The  day  of  fate  has  dawned  at  last  for  the 


YORK  TOWN.  467 

detestable  British.  Their  fearful  crimes  will  be  avenged. 
They  are  to  wilt  away  and  vanish  in  the  midst  of  the 
havoc  and  destruction  of  this  sublime  and  stupendous 
storm  of  meteors  and  monsters. 

Let  us  attemjDt  to  close  our  ears  to  the  din  and  see 
through  the  battle-smoke.  About  sixteen  thousand 
men  were  attacking  about  eight  thousand  behind  breast- 
works, and  they  began  by  shelling  each  other.  The 
position  of  the  English  may  be  described  in  a  few  words. 
Yorktown  was  a  small  village  on  the  south  bank  of  York 
River,  where  it  empties  into  Chesapeake  Bay.  On 
the  north  bank,  opposite,  was  Gloucester  Point,  also 
held  by  the  English.  The  Yorktown  position  was 
strong.  It  was  flanked  by  water-courses,  and  the  ap- 
proach was  difficult.  Lord  Cornwallis  had  thrown  up 
redoubts  connected  by  intrenchments,  and  in  front  was 
an  abatis  of  felled  trees,  commanded  by  his  cannon. 
Gloucester  Point,  across  the  river,  was  also  fortified,  and 
some  English  men-of-war  lay  in  the  York.  Thus  posted, 
Lord  Cornwallis  awaited  attack. 

Washington's  line  formed  a  crescent,  the  right  and 
left  resting  on  the  water.  On  the  right  were  the  Ameri- 
can troops  under  immediate  command  of  Lafayette,  on 
the  left  the  French  under  command  of  Rochambeau. 
The  fleet  of  De  Grasse  was  in  the  bay  cutting  off  the 
approach  by  water. 

Affairs  proceeded  deliberately.  A  parallel  was  opened 
by  the  Americans  within  six  hundred  yards  of  the 
works;  and  (October  9,  1781),  Washington  himself  put 
the  match  to  the  first  gun,  and  the  cannonade  began. 
It  was  kept  up,  nearly  without  ceasing  by  both  sides, 
for  three  or  four  days,  and  was  accompanied  by  some 
interestinoj  incidents.     The  "  Nelson  House,"  in  York- 


468     VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

town,  was  supposed  to  be  the  headquarters  of  Lord 
Cornwallis,  and  General  Nelson  discovering  that  the 
American  gunners  refrained  from  firing  at  it,  dismounted 
from  his  horse  and  directed  a  gun  at  it  with  his  own 
hands.  Another  incident  was  the  appearance  of  the 
venerable  Secretary  Nelson,  who  had  left  the  town  by 
permission  of  Lord  Cornwallis,  and  reaching  Washing- 
ton's quarters,  "  related  with  a  serene  visage  what  had 
been  the  effect  of  our  batteries."  One  spectacle  fur- 
nished some  justification  of  the  excited  rhetoric  of  the 
historians  of  the  siege.  Hot  shot  were  fired  at  the 
Charon  and  Guadalupe,  the  two  British  men-of-war 
lying  in  the  river  ;  they  were  struck  and  set  on  fire,  and 
their  appearance  is  described  as  "  full  of  terrible  gran- 
deur." The  sails  caught,  and  the  flames  ran  to  the  sum- 
mits of  the  masts,  resembling  immense  torches.  The 
crew  of  the  Guadalupe  managed  to  extinguish  them 
and  save  their  vessel,  but  the  Charon  fled  like  a  moun- 
tain of  fire  toward  the  bay,  and  was  completely  de- 
stroyed. 

From  this  moment  the  siege  was  pressed  vigorously, 
a  second  parallel  drawn,  and  Washington  resolved  to 
storm  the  place.  It  was  arranged  that  Alexander 
Hamilton  should  lead  the  Americans  on  the  right,  and 
the  Baron  de  Viomenil  the  French,  holding  the  left. 
The  Auvergne  regiment  was  in  front  there,  formerly 
known  as  the  "  d' Auvergne  sans  tache,"  and  the  men 
promised  Viomenil  that  if  he  would  have  their  old  name 
restored  to  them  they  would  die  to  the  last  man. 

About  nightfall  (October  14,  1781)  rockets  were  sent 
up  as  the  signal  for  attack.  It  was  made  with  the  bayo- 
net, without  firing.  The  Americans  passed  over  the 
abatis,  with  Hamilton  leading  them,  and  he  was   the 


YORKTOWN.  469 

first  to  mount  the  works,  which  he  did  by  placing 
his  foot  on  the  shoulder  of  one  of  his  men.  The  re- 
doubts were  taken  at  the  point  of  the  bayonet,  and  the 
Americans  uttered  a  loud  cheer.  On  the  left  the  work 
was  harder ;  the  attack  had  been  made  more  delib- 
erately, and  the  troops  suffered  heavily-  from  having 
stoj)ped  to  remove  the  abatis.  Hamilton  sent  Viomenil 
word  that  his  redoubt  was  carried ;  —  where  was  the 
Baron  ? 

"  Tell  the  Marquis,"  said  Viomenil,  "  that  I  am  not 
in  mine,  but  will  be  in  five  minutes." 

The  works  there  also  were  soon  carried,  and  the 
Auversjne  regiment  won  back  their  old  name.  The 
losses  were  considerable,  but  the  whole  British  line  of 
works  was  now  captured.  Small  incidents  of  the  time 
were  afterwards  recalled  and  recorded.  Washins^ton 
was  in  one  of  his  batteries,  awaiting  the  result  with 
great  anxiety.  The  position  was  exposed,  and  an  aide- 
de-camp  ventured  to  suggest  the  fact,  when  he  said  in 
his  grave  voice  :  — 

"  If  you  think  so,  you  are  at  liberty  to  step  back,  sir." 

A  bullet  struck  a  cannon  at  his  side,  when  General 
Knox  suddenly  grasped  his  arm,  exclaiming :  — 

"  My  dear  General,  we  can't  spare  you  yet." 

"  It  is  a  spent  ball,  no  harm  is  done,"  Washington 
replied.  When  the  works  were  carried  on  the  right  and 
left,  and  the  long  shout  of  the  French  and  Americans 
was  heard,  he  turned  to  Knox  and  said :  — 

"  The  work  is  done,  and  well  done." 

The  work  was  in  fact  done.  The  occupation  of  the 
outer  line  of  redoubts  by  the  Americans  virtually  de- 
cided the  contest.  The  English  still  held  an  inner  line, 
but  these  were  commanded  by  the  American  artillery, 


470      VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

and  Lord  Cornwallis  saw  that  affairs  were  desperate. 
"  My  situatlou  now  becomes  very  critical,"  he  wrote  to 
Sir  Henry  Clinton.  "  We  dare  not  show  a  gun  to  their 
old  batteries,  and  I  expect  that  their  new  ones  will  open 
to-morrow  mornino-."  He  added  the  magnanimous  words. 
"  I  cannot  recommend  that  the  fleet  and  army  should 
run  great  risk  in  endeavoring  to  save  us ; "  —  words  that 
show  that  his  lordship  was  a  soldier  and  a  gentleman. 

Before  daybreak  on  the  16th  an  effort  was  made  to 
check  the  assailants,  and  Colonel  Abercrombie  with 
three  hundred  and  fifty  men,  gallantly  captured  one  of 
the  new  redoubts  in  front  of  the  French.  But  he  was 
soon  driven  out  of  it  again,  and  the  fate  of  Lord  Corn- 
wallis was  decided.  He  made  a  last  desperate  attempt 
to  burst  out  of  the  net  tightening  around  him.  He 
hoped  by  crossing  to  Gloucester  Point,  mounting  his 
men,  and  pushing  across  the  Rappahannock  and  Poto- 
mac, to  reach  New  York.  One  division  had  actually 
crossed,  when  a  great  storm  arose.  The  boats  were 
scattered  and  driven  down  the  river ;  the  embarkation 
of  the  second  division  was  rendered  impossible,  and  the 
first  division  was  forced  finally  to  return  to  Yorktown 
under  the  fire  of  the  American  cannon. 

This  was  the  end.  Lord  Cornwallis  sent  a  flasj  to 
Washington  (October  17,  1781),  proposing  a  cessation 
of  the  firing  for  twenty-four  hours,  to  discuss  terms  of 
surrender.  But  Washington  would  only  consent  that 
the  firing  should  cease  for  two  hours,  during  which  time 
he  requested  that  his  lordship  would  make  his  proposal. 
This  was  necessary  ;  every  hour  counted  now.  British 
reeuforcements  might  arrive  at  any  moment.  If  Lord 
Cornwallis  were  going  to  surrender,  the  business  might 
be  transacted  without  delay.     Commissioners  were  ac- 


YORKTOWN.  471 

cordingly  appointed  and  met  at  the  Moore  House  —  the 
old  "  Temple  Farm,"  which  had  once  been  the  residence 
of  Governor  Alexander  Spotswood.  rhe  terms  were 
transcribed  and  sent  to  Lord  Cornwallis  early  on  the 
morning  of  the  19th;  and  Washington  requested  him 
to  return  them  signed  by  eleven  in  the  forenoon,  and 
that  the  garrison  should  march  out  at  two  on  the  same 
afternoon. 

The  terms  were  assented  to,  and  the  capitulation 
signed  by  Lord  Cornwallis.  The  British  forces  were 
surrendered  as  prisoners  of  war  to  the  combined 
armies :  the  marine  forces  to  the  French,  and  the  land 
forces  to  the  Americans.  The  officers  were  to  retain 
their  side-arms,  and  both  officers  and  soldiers  their  pri- 
vate property. 

At  about  noon  (October  19,  1781),  the  American 
army  was  drawn  up  in  two  lines  about  a  mile  long,  on 
the  right  and  left  of  a  road  running  through  the  fields 
south  of  Yorktown.  On  the  right  were  the  American 
troops  under  personal  command  of  Washington,  on  the 
left  the  French  under  Rochambeau  ;  and  a  great  crowd 
of  people  had  hastened  to  witness  the  ceremony.  It 
took  place  at  the  hour  appointed.  The  British  troops 
marched  slowly  out  of  Yorktown,  with  drums  beating 
but  colors  cased,  —  an  indignity  which  had  been  inflicted 
on  General  Lincoln  at  Charleston.  The  Enmish  com- 
mander  did  not  appear.  General  O'Hara,  who  was  in 
command,  rode  up  to  Washington,  saluted,  and  apolo- 
gized for  the  absence  of  Lord  Cornwallis,  who  was  un- 
well. Washington  saluted  in  response,  and  pointed  to 
General  Lincoln  as  the  officer  who  would  receive  the 
surrender.  O'Hara  then  presented  Lord  Cornwallis' 
sword  to  Lincoln,  it  was  at  once  returned  to  him,  and 


472      VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

the  surrender  was  over.  The  British  marched  between 
the  American  lines  to  a  field  near  at  hand,  where  they 
stacked  arms.  Their  demeanor  was  gloomy  and  in- 
censed. Some  of  them  hurled  their  muskets  on  the 
ground,  and  Colonel  Abercrombie  bit  the  hilt  of  his 
sword  from  rage.  The  troops  were  then  marched  back 
to  Yorktown  under  an  American  guard. 

On  this  same  day,  and  nearly  at  the  hour  when  Lord 
Cornwallis  surrendered.  Sir  Henry  Clinton  sailed  from 
New  York  with  thirty-five  ships  and  seven  thousand 
men  to  reenforce  him. 

XIX. 

THE    CONSTITUTION. 

The  surrender  of  Lord  Cornwallis  virtually  termi- 
nated the  Revalutionary  War.  In  the  spring  of  the  next 
year  Lord  North  retired  and  was  succeeded  by  the  Mar- 
quis of  Rockingham,  at  the  head  of  an  anti-war  ministr3^ 
Orders  were  sent  to  the  British  commanders  in  America 
to  discontinue  hostilities  ;  and  (September  3,  1783),  a 
definitive  treaty  of  peace  was  signed,  by  which  Great 
Britain  recognized  the  independence  of  the  American 
Colonies. 

After  a  long  and  often  doubtful  struggle,  the  Ameri- 
cans had  thus  achieved  their  independence.  What  were 
they  to  do  with  it  ?  As  long  as  the  war  continued  it 
was  useless  to  agitate  that  question.  Now  it  pressed 
upon  the  country  and  must  be  decided.  The  old  Arti- 
cles of  Confederation,  framed  during  the  storm  and 
stress  of  the  first  years  of  the  struggle,  were  felt  to  be 
"a  rope  of  sand."  The  American  States  were  either  to 
set  up  as  separate  nations,  or  to  enter  into  a  durable 


THE  CONSTITUTION.  473 

union  ;  and  the  latter  jDolicy  was  strongly  urged  by  Vir- 
ginia. It  is  necessary  to  state  this  fact ;  the  "  States- 
right,"  record  of  the  Commonwealth  has  produced  the 
impression  that  the  sentiment  of  union  was  not  strong 
in  the  people.  The  contrary  is  the  fact.  From  the 
first,  the  Virginians  were  the  foremost  advocates  of 
union,  and  made  every  sacrifice  to  effect  it. 

To  bring  it  about,  Vii-ginia  began  by  surrendering  a 
principality.  The  entire  region  beyond  the  Ohio,  now 
the  States  of  Ohio,  Indiana,  and  Illinois,  was  a  part  of 
her  domain  under  her  charter.  Her  right  to  it  rested 
upon  as  firm  a  basis  as  the  right  of  any  other  Common- 
wealth to  her  own  domain,  and  if  there  was  any  ques- 
tion of  the  Virginia  title  by  charter,  she  could  assert  her 
right  by  conquest.  The  region  had  been  wrested  from 
the  British  by  a  Virginian  commanding  Virginia  troops  ; 
the  people  had  taken  "  the  oath  of  allegiance  to  the 
Commonwealth  of  Virginia  ;  "  and  her  title  to  the  en- 
tire territory  was  thus  indisputable.  Nevertheless  it 
was  called  in  question.  It  was  said  that  the  American 
Union  —  before  there  was  any  union  —  had  succeeded 
to  all  the  rights  of  the  Croivn.  But  the  reply  to  this  was 
fatal.  The  Crown  had  ruled  as  of  sovereign  right ;  had 
appointed  governors,  privy  councilors,  magistrates,  and 
military  officials  ;  and  had  vetoed  the  legislation  of  the 
Colonies  at  its  will.  The  true  theory  was  unassailable. 
The  country  north  of  the  Ohio  River  was  a  part  of  Vir- 
ginia under  her  original  charter ;  remained  a  portion 
of  her  domain  when,  in  May  1776,  she  declared  herself 
an  independent  Commonwealth,  before  there  was  any 
union  ;  and  she  herself  succeeded  to  all  the  rights  of 
the  Crown. 

These  rights  she  now  abandoned  ;  and  her  action  was 


474      VIRGINIA:   A   HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

the  result  of  an  enlarged  patriotism  and  devotion  to  the 
cause  of  union.  The  Articles  of  Confederation  had 
not  been  adopted  by  all  the  Colonies  ;  some  of  them  still 
held  back.  They  were  unwilling  to  recognize  the  Vir- 
ginia title,  but  would  "  accede  to  the  Confederation  pro- 
vided Congress  would  fix  the  western  limits  of  the  States 
claiming  to  extend  to  the  Mississippi,  or  the  South  Sea.'' 
The  issue  was  thus  distinctly  presented  ;  the  surrender 
of  the  territory  and  union,  or  its  retention  and  disunion. 
Virginia  decided  for  union,  and  (January,  1781),  agreed 
to  cede  the  country  to  the  Federal  government ;  in  1783 
Congress  accepted  her  terms  ;  and  in  1787  passed  an 
ordinance  for  the  government  of  the  territory. 

This  stumbling-block  had  thus  been  removed  by  the 
magnanimity  of  Virginia,  and  the  Colonies  holding  back 
had  siofned  the  Articles  of  Confederation.  These  were 
now,  however,  seen  to  be  wholly  inadequate  to  the  gov- 
ernment of  the  country  ;  and  in  January,  1786,  Virginia 
recommended  a  General  Convention  to  make  such  altera- 
tions in  the  old  articles  as  were  necessary  for  "  the  exi- 
gencies of  the  Union."  The  rest  of  the  States  acquiesced, 
and  (May  25,  1787),  all  but  Rhode  Island  met  in  con- 
sultation at  Philadelphia.  Washington  was  elected 
President  of  the  Convention,  and  it  at  once  proceeded 
to  the  great  business  before  it.  The  discussion  of  the 
terms  of  the  proposed  Union  lasted  from  spring  to  au- 
tumn, and  was  conducted  with  great  excitement,  and 
often  with  bitterness.  The  smaller  States  were  under  the 
apprehension  that  they  were  to  be  sacrificed  to  the  larger, 
but  these  fears  were  at  length  overcome,  and  (Septem- 
ber 17,  1787),  a  Constitution  was  agreed  upon  which 
was  to  be  submitted  to  conventions  of  the  people  of  the 
several  States,  to  be  by  them  adopted  or  rejected. 


THE   CONSTITUTION.  475 

A  passionate  agitation  followed  in  Virginia.  The  peo- 
ple were  divided  into  two  great  parties,  and  the  Consti- 
tution was  supported  or  denounced  in  discussions  of 
unheard-of  bitterness.  Nothing  else  was  spoken  of. 
Speakers  traveled  over  the  State  addressing  the  people 
of  every  county.  In  town  and  country  the  only  topic 
was  the  "  new  plan  of  government." 

The  Virginia  Convention  met  at  Richmond,  now  the 
seat  of  government  (June  2,  1788),  and  consisted  of  one 
hundred  and  sixty-eight  members.  Edmund  Pendleton 
was  elected  President,  and  the  struggle  at  once  beg^n. 
To  conceive  an  idea  of  its  vehemence  it  is  necessary  to 
read  the  old  volume  containing  a  report  of  the  debates. 
It  was  a  bitter  and  prolonged  conflict,  and  the  first  men 
of  the  Commonwealth  were  arrayed  against  each  other. 
Patrick  Henry  was  passionately  opposed  to  the  new 
Constitution.  He  said  that  he  "  saw  poison  under  its 
wings  ;  "  and  that  it  "  squinted  toward  monarchy  ; "  that 
it  was  naked  consolidation  ;  surrendered  the  rights  of 
the  States  ;  and  evil  was  certain  to  arise  from  it.  Per- 
sonal attacks  were  made  on  the  motives  and  consistency 
of  members.  Henry  and  his  old  friend  Edmund  Ran- 
dolph had  a  sharp  passage-of-arms,  and  Henry  ex- 
claimed :  "  If  our  friendship  must  fall,  let  it  fall  like 
Lucifer,  never  to  rise  again ! "  He  was  supported  in 
his  opposition  by  George  Mason  and  James  Monroe. 
Mason  had  set  his  face  against  the  rnstrument  in  Phila- 
delphia, and  now  again  denounced  it.  It  was  a  national 
not  a  federal  government,  he  declared  ;  the  power  con- 
ferred on  the  President  was  overwhelming  ;  the  Supreme 
Court,  which  was  to  judge  of  the  law  and  the  fact,  would 
destroy  the  liberties  of  the  people.  He  and  Madison, 
like  Henry  and  Randolph,  came  nearly  to  personal  col- 


476      VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

lision,  and  the  struggle  went  on  obstinately.  The  Con- 
stitution had  strong  suj^porters.  John  Marshall,  after- 
wards Chief  Justice  of  the  United  States,  was  its  per- 
sistent advocate.  He  was  an  immense  power  in  himself, 
and  had  at  his  back  Edmund  Pendleton,  James  Innes, 
Francis  Corbin,  George  Nicholas,  and  General  Henry 
Lee,  the  "  Light  Horse  Harry  "  of  the  war ;  above  all 
James  Madison,  who  fought  for  the  Constitution  at  every 
step,  and  was  the  leader  of  the  party  in  favor  of  it,  as 
Patrick  Henry  was  the  leader  of  the  party  opposed 
to'  it. 

The  struggle  continued  until  the  latter  part  of  June. 
Then  it  was  seen  that  the  Constitution  would  be  adopted 
if  the  amendments  proposed  by  Virginia  were  concurred 
in.  The  important  question  next  arose  whether  these 
amendments  should  be  previous  or  subsequent ;  whether 
Virginia  should  insist  upon  them  as  conditions  precedent 
to  her  ratification,  or  leave  them  for  subsequent  legisla- 
tion. The  latter  course  was  decided  upon,  and  (June 
25,  1788),  the  final  vote  was  taken.  Eighty-nine  votes 
were  cast  in  the  affirmative  and  seventy-nine  in  the  nega- 
tive. Virirlnia  had  thus  ratified  the  Federal  Constitu- 
tion  by  a  majority  of  ten,  in  a  Convention  consisting  of 
one  hundred  and  sixty-eight  members.  The  form  of  the 
ratification  gave  rise  later  to  interminable  discussions. 
Virginia  had  declared  that  "  the  powers  granted  under 
the  Constitution  being  derived  from  the  people  of  the 
United  States,  may  be  resumed  by  them  whenever  the 
same  may  be  perverted  to  their  injury  or  oppression  ; 
and  that  every  power  not  granted  thereby  remains 
with  them  and  at  their  will."  It  was  not  maintained 
by  any  statesman  of  that  time,  that  the  phrase  "  the 
people  of   the  United    States,"  signified  the  people  of 


MODERN   VIRGINIA.  477 

the  whole  country  welded  into  one  nation,  in  which 
the  majority  was  to  rule  without  regard  to  State  bounda- 
ries. That  theory  was  reserved  for  the  after-time,  and 
lias  not  yet  established  itself.  What  the  future  will 
bring  is  yet  to  be  seen.  The  Virginia  amendments  were 
generally  adopted,  and  the  Constitution  went  into  opera- 
tion. Washington  was  elected  President  by  a  unani- 
mous vote,  and  the  career  of  the  American  Republic 
thus  began. 

XX. 

MODERN   VIRGINIA. 

The  adoption  of  the  Federal  Constitution  marks 
the  limits  of  a  history  of  Virginia  proper.  Henceforth 
the  affairs  of  the  Commonwealth  are  inseparably  bound 
uj)  with  those  of  the  whole  country,  and  to  write  the 
history  of  the  one  would  be  to  write  the  history  of  the 
other. 

That  subject  is  much  too  large  for  a  work  like  the 
present,  which  has  had  a  distinct  aim,  —  to  trace  the 
origin  and  development  of  Virginia  society  through  its 
various  phases  until  it  assumed  the  aspect  which  it  pre- 
sents in  the  nineteenth  century.  It  is  impossible  to  treat 
here  of  the  rise  and  progress  of  parties,  of  the  views  of 
the  people  on  questions  of  foreign  and  domestic  policy, 
and  all  that  properly  constitutes  the  political  history  of 
a  country.  Such  a  narrative  would  be  voluminous,  and 
exceed  the  limits  proposed  to  himself  by  the  author  of 
this  work.  Other  objections  exist  to  a  detailed  history 
of  the  post-Revolutionary  epoch.  Up  to  the  period  of 
the  great  civil  convulsion,  the  events  of  Virginia  history 
are  comparatively  uninteresting.     At  long  intervals  an 


478      VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

incident  occurs  deserving  attention,  but  these  incidents 
are  few  in  number,  —  what  chiefly  attracts  notice  and  re- 
quires mention,  is  the  change  in  society  following  the 
ascendency  of  the  Republican  party  under  the  leader- 
ship of  Jefferson,  which  began  with  the  beginning  of 
the  century. 

After  the  year  1800  Virginia  gradually  assumed  a 
new  physiognomy.  Dress  and  manners  underwent  a 
change.  The  aristocratic  planter  of  the  eighteenth  cen- 
tury, with  his  powder  and  silk  stockings,  gave  place  to 
the  democratic  citizen,  with  his  plain  clothes  and  plain 
manners.  The  theories  of  Jefferson,  who  received  the 
name  of  the  "  Apostle  of  Democracy,"  were  adopted  as 
the  rule  of  society,  and  pervaded  the  entire  community. 
Class  distinctions  were  ignored  as  a  remnant  of  social 
superstition.  The  country  was  disposed  to  laugh  even 
at  the  manners  of  the  first  administration,  when  Presi- 
dent Washington  received  Congress,  standing  grandly 
in  full  court  costume,  sword  at  side,  offering  no  one  his 
hand,  and  never  relaxing  from  his  august  dignity.  The 
people  much  preferred  Jefferson,  the  head  of  the  new 
order  of  things,  who  was  familiar  with  every  one,  tied 
his  shoes  with  a  leathern  string,  rode  to  the  Capitol 
without  an  escort,  and  would  not  allow  himself  to  be 
addressed  as  "  Your  Excellency,"  or  even  as  "  Honora- 
ble." Democratic  equality  had  become  the  watchword, 
and  controlled  society ;  a  brusque  address  had  taken  the 
place  of  the  old  ceremonious  courtesy ;  and  the  States- 
rights  party  in  Virginia,  as  elsewhere,  seemed  to  have 
sworn,  not  only  political  but  social  antagonism  to  the 
old  Federal  party. 

Many  of  the  descendants  of  the  former  planters  con- 
tinued to  cling  to  the  past,  and  lament  the  change  which 


MODERN   VIRGINIA,  479 

had  taken  place  ;  but  it  was  seen,  even  by  these,  that 
the  old  regime  had  passed  away  never  to  return.  The 
style  of  living  of  the  eighteenth  century  was  no  longer 
possible.  The  descendant  of  the  "  nabob  "  had  become 
a  gentleman  of  limited  means.  The  old  jjlantation  of 
thousands  of  acres  had  dwindled  down  to  a  few  hun- 
dreds. The  traditional  influence  of  the  ancient  families 
bad  in  large  measure  disappeared  with  their  great  landed 
possessions  ;  and  it  was  plain  that  the  inexorable  nine- 
teenth century  was  slowly  effacing  the  impression  of  the 
preceding  age  from  Virginia  society. 

The  change  was  gradual,  and  is  still  in  progress,  but 
cannot  be  said  to  have  essentially  altered  the  peculiar 
characteristics  of  the  race.  The  old  manner  of  livius: 
has  disapjoeared  with  failing  fortunes,  and  the  energy  of 
the  nineteenth  century  is  steadily  infusing  itself  into 
the  Virginia  blood  ;  but  the  traits  of  the  people  remain 
nearly  the  same.  The  Virginian  of  the  present  time 
has  ingrained  in  his  character  the  cordial  instincts, 
and  spirit  of  courtesy  and  hospitality  which  marked  his 
ancestors.  He  has  the  English  preference  for  the  life 
of  the  country  to  the  life  of  the  city  ;  is  more  at  home 
among  green  fields  and  rural  scenes  than  in  streets ; 
loves  horses  and  dogs,  breeds  of  cattle,  the  sport  of  fox- 
hunting, wood-fires,  Christmas  festivities,  the  society  of 
old  neighbors,  political  discussions,  traditions  of  this  or 
that  local  celebrity,  and  to  entertain  everybody  to  the 
extent  of,  and  even  beyond  his  limited  means.  Many 
of  these  proclivities  have  been  laughed  at,  and  the  peo- 
ple have  been  criticized  as  provincial  and  narrow- 
minded  ;  but  after  all  it  is  good  to  love  one's  native  soil, 
and  to  cherish  the  home  traditions  which  give  charac- 
ter to  a  race.     Of  the  Virginians  it  may  be  said  that 


480      VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

they  have  objected  in  all  times  to  being  rubbed  down  to 
a  uniformity  with  all  the  rest  of  the  world,  and  that 
they  have  generally  retained  the  traits  which  character- 
ized their  ancestors. 

The  last  years  of  the  century  were  marked  by  the 
great  struggle  between  the  Federalists  and  Republi- 
cans, and  the  action  of  Virginia  on  the  Alien  and  Sedi- 
tion Laws.  These  acts  of  the  Adams  administration, 
aimed  at  French  emissaries  who  were  disturbing  the 
public  peace,  punished  with  fine  and  imprisonment  all 
persons  who  should  utter  or  print  "  false,  scandalous,  and 
malicious  "  charges  against  the  Government,  Congress, 
or  President ;  and  empowered  the  President  to  send  out 
of  the  country  "  all  such  aliens  as  he  shall  judge  danger- 
ous to  the  peace  and  safety  of  the  United  States."  At 
these  enactments  Virginia  took  fire.  They  were  de- 
nounced as  a  gross  invasion  of  the  liberty  of  the  citizen, 
and  Jefferson,  the  leader  of  the  Republican  party,  sent 
to  Kentucky  a  series  of  resolutions  which  were  passed 
by  the  Assembly  there  in  November,  1798,  asserting 
that  all  acts  of  the  General  government,  exceeding  the 
powers  delegated  by  the  Constitution,  were  "void  and 
of  no  effect,"  and  that  each  jDarty  to  the  federal  com- 
pact had  "an  equal  right  to  judge  for  itself,  as  well  of  in- 
fractions, as  of  the  mode  and  measure  of  redress."  This 
action  of  Kentucky,  the  daughter  of  Virginia,  was  soon 
followed  in  Viroinia.  The  State  beo^an  to  arm.  The 
Assembly  directed  the  erection  of  two  arsenals  and  an 
armory  sufficient  to  store  ten  thousand  muskets;  and 
(December  2,  1798)  passed,  by  a  vote  of  one  hundred 
against  sixty-three,  the  celebrated  "  Resolutions  of 
'98-'99." 

These  resolutions  are  the  authoritative  exposition  of 


MODERN   VIRGINIA.  481 

the  fundamental  principle  of  the  Virginia  States-rights 
party  —  that  a  strict,  not  a  latitudinarian  construction 
naust  be  placed  on  the  powers  granted  to  the  Federal 
government.  They  declared  that  the  people  of  Vir- 
ginia were  warmly  attached  to  the  Union  ;  that  they 
were  ready  to  maintain  and  defend  it ;  but  that  the  au- 
thority of  the  General  government  was  limited  by  the 
plain  meaning  and  intent  of  the  compact ;  and  that  in 
case  of  a  deliberate,  palpable,  and  dangerous  exercise 
of  other  powers,  the  States  have  the  right,  and  ought 
to  interpose.  The  Alien  and  Sedition  Laws  were  de- 
clared to  be  an  exercise  of  such  other  powers  —  the  first 
of  a  power  not  delegated,  and  the  last  of  a  power  for- 
bidden. Against  both  the  Virginia  Assembly  protested, 
referring  to  the  terms  in  which  the  State  had  ratified 
the  Federal  Constitution,  and  a  solemn  appeal  was  made 
to  the  other  States  to  unite  with  the  Commonwealth  ia 
her  protest. 

It  is  not  necessary  here  to  enter  into  any  discussion 
of  these  resolutions  ;  but  it  is  curious  to  notice  how  the 
practical  importance  of  the  principles  laid  down  in  them, 
came  in  time  to  be  denied.  An  eminent  statesman  and 
writer  of  the  last  generation,  John  Pendleton  Kennedy, 
said :  "  These  resolutions,  so  noted,  have  already  served 
out  their  time,  and  have  been  cast  into  the  great  receptor 

cle  of  abstractions They  are  now  seen  only  as  a 

buoy  floating  where  there  is  no  shoal.''  Events  occur- 
ring on  Virginia  soil  about  ten  years  afterwards  were  a 
terrible  commentary  on  this  dictum  of  one  of  the  most 
intellijxent  Americans  of  his  time. 

In  the  midst  of  the  political  turmoil,  the  two  greatest 

Virginians  of  the<century  expired.     Patrick  Henry  died 

in  June,  knd  Washington  in  December,  1799  ;  and  the 
31 


482     VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

disappearance  of  these  two  great  figures  profoundly  im- 
pressed the  people.  The  passionate  eloquence  of  one 
had  aroused  the  colonies  to  resistance,  and  the  soldier- 
ship 01  the  other  had  placed  America  among  the  nations 
of  the  world.  These  two  men  had  filled  so  great  a 
space  in  the  history  of  the  country,  that  they  fell  like 
monarchs,  and  the  old  age  with  its  great  actors  seemed 
to  have  passed  away  with  them.  Both  died  in  the 
Christian  faith,  and  Henry  wrote  in  his  will,  "  I  have 
now  disposed  of  all  my  property  to  my  family ;  there 
is  one  thing  more  I  wish  I  could  give  them,  and  that  is 
the  Christian  religion.  If  they  have  that  and  T  had 
not  given  them  one  shilling  they  would  be  rich  ;  and  if 
they  have  not  that  and  I  had  given  them  all  this  world 
they  would  be  poor." 

Two  trials  which  took  place  in  Virginia  in  the  first 
years  of  the  new  century,  assumed  the  importance  of 
historical  events.  One  of  these  was  the  trial  in  1800 
of  John  Thompson  Callender,  under  the  Alien  and  Sedi- 
tion Laws,  for  attacking  President  Adams  in  an  acrimo- 
nious pamphlet  styled,  "  The  Prospect  Before  Us."  The 
attack  was  not  only  violent  —  what  was  much  worse, 
it  was  amusing.  Mr.  Adams  was  described  as  a  "  hoary- 
headed  incendiary,"  who  floated  on  "  a  mere  bladder  of 
popularity ; "  and  never  "  opened  his  lips,  or  lifted  his 
pen  without  threatening  and  scolding."  The  design  of 
the  scold  and  incendiary  was  said  to  be  to  betray  the 
American  people  "into  an  alliance  with  the  British 
tyrant ; "  and  on  these  false  and  scandalous  charges, 
Callender,  who  lived  at  Petersburg,  was  arrested,  and 
arraigned  before  Judge  Chase,  Associate  Justice  of  the 
Supreme  Court. 

The  trial  took  place  at  Richmond  (June,  1800),  and 


MODERN  VIRGINIA.  483 

proved  a  farce,  except  to  the  unlucky  Callender.  Judge 
Chase  lost  his  temper ;  the  counsel  for  the  defense  re- 
tired from  the  case  ;  and  under  the  instructions  of  the 
court  that  the  laws  were  there  and  ought  to  be  respected, 
the  jury  found  Callender  guilty,  and  fixed  his  punish- 
ment at  two  hundred  dollars  fine,  and  nine  months'  im- 
prisonment. Such  was  the  issue  of  this  famous  case. 
It  had  far-reaching  consequences.  The  Federalists  had 
signed  their  own  death-warrant.  The  Alien  and  Sedition 
Laws  were  already  immensely  unpopular.  The  whole 
country  rose  in  indignation.  And  at  the  next  Presi- 
dential election  Thomas  Jefferson,  the  head  of  the  Re- 
publican party,  became  President  of  the  United  States. 

The  second  trial  alluded  to  was  that  of  Aaron  Burr 
for  treason  against  the  United  States.  This  remarkable 
person,  as  much  distinguished  for  ability  as  for  his  want 
of  principle,  had  been  a  great  political  power  in  New 
York ;  had  nearly  defeated  Jefferson  for  the  Presidency, 
and  been  chosen  Vice-President ;  but,  losing  public  con- 
fidence, had  conceived  the  design  either  of  invading 
Mexico,  or  of  separating  the  Southwestern  States  from 
the  Union.  He  was  arrested  in  the  midst  of  his  opera- 
tions and  brought  to  Richmond,  where  he  was  arraigned 
on  the  charge  of  treason.  Judge  Marshall  presided, 
and  the  trial  became  a  great  political  combat.  Presi- 
dent Jefferson  was  known  to  be  bitterly  hostile  to  his 
old  opponent,  and  interposed  in  the  case.  He  was 
charged  with  saying  that  the  "  impudent  Federal  bull- 
doc»-."  Luther  Martin,  counsel  for  Burr,  must  be  "  muz- 
zled  ;  "  and  Federalists  and  Republicans  hastened  to 
take  sides  and  make  the  affair  a  political  issue.  The 
only  person  who  remained  calm  was  the  Judge,  John 
Marshall.     He  held  the  balances  in  his  firm  grasp  and 


484     VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY   OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

opposed  his  judicial  authority  to  that  of  Jefferson,  who 
was  throwing  the  whole  weight  of  his  official  influence 
against  Burr.  He  even  proceeded  to  the  length  of  din- 
ing with  Burr,  which  subjected  him  to  bitter  criticism  ; 
but  it  was  not  the  habit  of  this  great  man  to  care  for  criti- 
cism in  the  discharge  of  his  duty.  In  spite  of  every  at- 
tempt to  convict  Burr,  the  jury,  with  John  Randolph  of 
Roanoke,  for  foreman,  brought  in  the  verdict :  "  Aaron 
Burr  is  not  proved  to  be  guilty,  under  the  indictment, 
by  any  evidence  submitted  to  us  ; "  and  the  political  in- 
triguer who  had  slain  Hamilton,  and  shipwrecked  a  great 
career  by  trickery  and  deceit,  was  discharged  from  cus- 
tody. 

This  trial  is  remarkable  for  the  association  in  it  of 
three  celebrated  figures.  The  one  was  John  Marshall, 
the  great  republican  judge,  who,  after  fighting  in  the 
Revolution,  had  returned  to  Virginia,  paid  his  last 
guinea  to  the  clergyman  who  married  him,  and  had 
steadily  risen  to  the  greatest  offices  in  the  gift  of  the 
people,  until  he  became  the  head  of  the  Federal  judici- 
ary, where  he  threw  the  weight  of  his  immense  intellect 
in  favor  of  the  Federal  construction  of  the  Constitution. 
The  second  figure,  Randolph  of  Roanoke,  was  that 
of  the  eccentric  politician,  the  wonderful  orator,  the 
master  of  philippic,  who,  beginning  his  long  career  by 
making  his  first  public  speech  against  Patrick  Henry's 
last,  was  to  become  the  great  States-right  champion,  and 
to  die  in  harness,  denouncing  Jackson  for  his  Force  proc- 
lamation against  South  Carolina.  The  third  figure  was 
that  of  Burr,  the  serene  and  smiling  political  gymnast, 
who  had  narrowly  escaped  becoming  President  of  the 
United  States,  but  had  overreached  himself,  and  from 
this  time  forward  was  a  wanderer  on  the  face  of  the 


MODERN   VIRGINIA.  485 

earth.  It  was  a  singular  chance  which  had  thus  brouo-ht 
for  a  moment,  face  to  face  with  each  other,  these  three 
contrasted  types  of  American  character. 

Two  sinister  events  of  the  first  half  century,  were  the 
servile  insurrections  headed  by  Gabriel  and  Turner: 
the  one  in  1800,  and  the  other  in  1831.  The  immedi- 
ate cause  of  these  strange  affairs  has  never  been  ascer- 
tained ;  as  far  as  the  record  goes  they  were  both  the  re- 
sult of  a  frenzied  desire  to  shed  blood,  without  further 
aims.  Gabriel,  the  leader  of  the  first  rising  in  the  sum- 
mer of  1800,  was  a  slave  belonging  to  a  farmer  near 
Richmond,  about  twenty-four  years  of  age,  tall  and  pow- 
erful in  person,  and  with  a  grim  and  "  insidious  "  face 
scarred  by  fighting.  He  drew  a  large  number  of  negroes 
into  his  plot :  to  attack  Richmond,  put  the  citizens  to 
death,  seize  the  public  arms,  and  produce  a  general  in- 
surrection. Assembling  a  force,  armed  with  scythe 
blades,  on  a  night  of  August,  he  marched  on  Richmond, 
but  was  stopped  by  a  violent  storm.  A  creek  in  front 
was  found  to  be  impassable,  and  intelligence  reached 
Gabriel  that  his  plot  was  discovered.  The  insurgents 
at  once  scattered  and  took  refuge  in  the  woods  and 
swamps.  Many  were  captured  and  executed,  among 
them  Gabriel,  all  whose  ferocity  abandoned  him  as  he 
was  conducted  to  the  gallows. 

The  second  insurrection  took  23lace  in  the  county  of 
Southampton,  south  of  James  River  toward  the  coast,  in 
the  summer  of  1831.  The  leader's  name,  in  this  case, 
was  Nat  Turner,  a  negro  of  feeble  person  but  great 
cunning.  He  passed,  among  his  jDeople,  as  a  prophet, 
and,  like  Gabriel,  conceived  the  design  of  exterminating 
the  whites.  He  seems  to  have  had  no  express  provoca- 
tion.    He  afterwards  stated  that  his  master  had  always 


486      VIRGINIA:   A  HISTORY  OF   THE  PEOPLE. 

treated  him  kindly,  and  his  motives  remain  unknown. 
His  proceedings  were  singular.  He  traced  with  blood, 
on  a  sheet  of  paper,  mystic  numbers  and  the  figures  of 
a  sun  and  a  crucifix  ;  showed  the  paper  mysteriously  to 
the  negroes ;  informed  them  that  great  events  were 
near  ;  and  the  whole  black  population  soon  thrilled  with 
vague  excitement.  Turner  is  said  to  have  traveled  with 
his  bloody  hieroglyphics,  through  the  whole  south-side 
of  James  River,  but  the  subsequent  rising  was  confined 
to  Southampton.  The  brutal  details  of  what  followed, 
may  be  summed  up  in  a  few  words.  Turner  attacked 
his  master's  house  (August  21,  1831),  killed  him  and 
his  wife  and  children  with  the  axe ;  plundered  the  es- 
tablishment; proceeded  further  and  killed  a  lady  and 
her  ten  children ;  then  a  number  of  school-girls  in  an 
old  field-school ;  and  lastly  a  lady  and  all  her  children, 
who  were  shot  down  as  they  endeavored  to  escape.  The 
neofroes  were  now  drunk  with  blood,  and  marched  on 
Jerusalem,  the  county-seat.  But  the  county  had  been 
aroused.  A  party  of  citizens,  armed  with  guns,  attacked 
them  and  they  fled  to  the  swamps,  where  many  of  them 
were  killed  and  the  rest  captured.  Fifty-five  white  per- 
sons had  been  put  to  death,  almost  all  of  them  women 
and  children,  and  twenty-one  of  the  insurgents  were 
brought  back  to  Jerusalem.  Of  these,  thirteen  were 
hung,  among  them  Nat  Turner,  who  never  explained 
his  motives  in  the  insurrection. 

The  origin  of  these  uprisings,  the  first  and  last  which 
have  taken  place  in  Virginia,  is  unknown.  The  plausi- 
ble theory  that  they  were  the  result  of  cruelty  is  not 
supported  by  the  facts.  It  is  to  be  presumed  that  if 
cruelty  had  been  exercised  the  fact  would  have  been 
urged  in  mitigation  of  punishment ;   but  the  plea  was 


MODERN   VIRGINIA.  487 

not  made,  and  Turner  expressly  disclaimed  it.  The 
naked  fact  remains,  that  the  two  leaders  worked  on  the 
passions  and  superstition  of  their  people;  persuaded 
them  that  the  time  had  come  to  put  the  white  race  to 
death ;  and  that  they  proceeded  to  do  so. 

A  terrible  domestic  tragedy  was  the  destruction,  by 
iSre,  of  the  theatre  at  Richmond  (December  26,  1811), 
by  which  seventy  persons  were  burned  to  death,  or  after- 
wards died  of  their  injuries.     The  fire  took  place  dur- 
ing  the  performance  of  a  drama  called  "  The  Bleeding 
Nun,"  and  was  caused  by  a  spark  falling  on  the  curtain 
of  the  stage.     The  scene  which  followed  was  piteous. 
The  people  in  the  pit  escaped  easily,  but  those  in  the 
boxes  crowded  together  in  the  narrow  lobby  and  were 
unable  to  extricate  themselves.     The  house  was  soon  a 
mass  of  flames  and  suffocating  vapor.     Piercing  cries 
were  heard ;  the  strong   trampled    on    the  weak ;  the 
clothes  of  men  and  women  caught  fire;  many  leaped 
from   the  windows  and   were  maimed   or  killed;    the 
spectacle  was  heart-rending.     In  the  midst  of  the  terror 
there  were  incidents  which  touch  the  common  heart  of 
all  humanity.     Fathers  who  were  separated  from  their 
children  rushed  back  into  the  flames  to  save  them.    Hus- 
bands and  wives  refused  to  leave  each  other  and  died 
tocrether.     The  cry  of  a  bereaved  father  to  another  ex- 
presses the  anguish  of  the  time  :  "  Yesterday  a  beloved 
daucrhter  gladdened  my  heart  by  her  innocent  smiles ; 
to-day  she  is  in  heaven.     My  dear,  dear,  Margaret,  and 
your  sweet  Mary,  with  her  companions,  passed  together, 
and  at  once,  into  a  happier  world."     Many  distinguished 
persons  perished,  among  them  the  Governor  of  Virginia; 
and  the  Senate  of  the  United  States,  adopting  the  same 
action  as  the  Virginia  Assembly,  resolved,  that  the  mem- 


488     VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

bers  would  wear  crape  for  thirty  days  as  a  testimony  of 
the  public  mourning. 

A  single  event  connected  Virginia  with  the  War  of 
1812-13.  Admiral  Cockburn,  commanding  a  British 
fleet,  had  laid  waste  the  banks  of  the  Chesapeake  and 
committed  outrages  which  drew  down  public  execration 
upon  his  head ;  but  a  force  of  Virginians,  at  Craney 
Island  (June  22,  1813),  repulsed  an  assault  of  the 
enemy ;  Norfolk  was  preserved  from  plunder ;  and  the 
British  fleet  soon  afterwards  disappeared. 

The  year  1819  was  marked  by  the  establishment  of 
the  University  of  Virginia,  —  the  pet  project  of  Thomas 
Jefferson,  who  took  the  warmest  interest  in  it,  and  saw 
it  go  into  successful  operation.  Some  dates  in  reference 
to  additional  collegiate  institutes  in  Virginia  may  in- 
terest the  reader.  Others  already  existing,  or  soon  es- 
tablished, were  William  and  Mary,  at  Williamsburg, 
which  continued  to  hold  an  important  position  ;  Hamp- 
den-Sydney,  in  Prince  Edward  (Presbyterian),  founded 
in  1774;  Randolph-Macon,  now  at  Ashland,  1832;  and 
Emory  and  Henry,  in  Washington,  1838  (both  Metho- 
dist) :  the  Protestant  Episcopal  Theological  Seminary, 
near  Alexandria,  1823  (Episcopal)  ;  Richmond  College, 
at  Richmond,  1840  (Baptist)  ;  Washington  College,  now 
Washington  and  Lee  University,  at  Lexington,  1782; 
and  the  Virginia  Military  Institute,  also  at  Lexington, 
opened  in  1839. 

In  1829  a  convention  assembled  at  Richmond  to  re- 
vise the  Constitution,  which  is  said  to  have  embraced 
more  distinguished  men  than  any  other  public  body 
which  ever  sat  in  the  United  States.  Among  these 
were  two  ex-Presidents,  Madison  and  Monroe,  Chief 
Justice  Marshall,  John  Randolph,  and  other  Virginians 


MODERN   VIRGINIA.  489 

who  had  occupied  important  positions  under  the  State 
or  Federal  government.  The  Convention  sat  through- 
out the  winter  of  1829-30,  and  discussed  elaborately 
every  question  connected  with  the  right  of  suffrage. 
Important  changes  were  made  in  the  old  Constitution, 
but  it  is  not  now  necessary  to  particularize  them  since  a 
second  Virginia  Convention  in  1850  continued  the  work ; 
other  changes,  made  since  the  Civil  War,  have  in  turn 
revolutionized  the  whole  instrument ;  and  the  Constitu- 
tion of  Virginia  in  1882,  bears  little  resemblance  to 
that  framed  by  the  Virginians  of  1776. 

Virginia  had  remained  firmly  attached  to  the  princi- 
ple of  States-rights  set  forth  at  the  end  of  the  century, 
and  the  seven  States'-rights  presidents  selected  from  her 
soil  seem  to  indicate  that  the  American  people  have 
had  faith  in  the  principle.  In  the  year  1832  President 
Jackson  re-aroused  this  dangerous  issue.  His  design  to 
use  armed  force,  to  coerce  South  Carolina  into  obedience 
to  the  Federal  authority,  was  resolutely  opposed  by  Vir- 
ginia ;  and  John  Randolph,  the  representative  in  all 
years  of  Virginia  sentiment,  rose  from  his  sick-bed  to 
travel  through  the  country  and  bitterly  denounce  the 
administration.  The  position  assumed  by  Virginia  was, 
however,  that  of  a  pacificator,  which  she  was  afterwards 
to  assume  on  a  greater  occasion.  She  sent  Benjamin 
Watkins  Leigh,  one  of  her  most  illustrious  citizens,  as  a 
commissioner  to  South  Carolina,  and  the  storm  which 
threatened  the  Union  was  for  the  time  dissipated. 

With  these  events  beyond  her  border,  as  with  the 
Mexican  War  in  1846,  and  other  national  occurrences, 
Virginia  had  no  further  connection  than  through  the 
part  borne  in  them  by  her  citizens.  The  Common- 
wealth remained  at  peace  and  no  internal  dissensions  agi- 


490     VIRGINIA:   A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

tated  society.  The  shadow  of  the  future  had  not  fallen 
upon  the  land.  The  fields  were  blooming  with  plenty ; 
public  improvements  occupied  the  minds  of  the  people  ; 
and  a  peaceful  and  prosperous  future  seemed  to  be  be- 
fore the  ancient  Commonwealth.  Unhappily  the  Vir- 
ginians deceived  themselves.  The  Power  which  moves 
nations,  as  the  wind  moves  the  dry  leaves,  was  about  to 
inflict  upon  the  country  the  most  terrible  of  all  scourges, 
—  Civil  War. 

XXI. 

VIRGINIA   LITERATURE   IN  THE   NINETEENTH    CENTURY. 

The  modern  Virginia  literature  is  essentially  the 
same  as  the  old,  and  has  the  same  peculiar  physiog- 
nomy. Both  are  redolent  of  the  soil,  and  reflect  the 
opinions,  the  modes  of  thought,  and  the  point  of  view 
of  the  authors. 

The  Revolutionary  period  was  only  marked  by  some 
acrimonious  pamphlets  on  the  Two  Penny  Act :  "  An 
Enquiry  into  the  Rights  of  the  British  Colonies,"  by 
Richard  Bland  (1766)  ;  Jefferson's  "  Summary  View;" 
and  "Notes  on  Virginia,"  by  the  same  author  (1782), 
presenting  a  plain  and  compendious  account  of  the  Com- 
monwealth. The  State  papers  of  the  time  are  the  real 
Virginia  literature  of  the  period  :  the  Bill  of  Rights, 
the  Declaration  of  Independence,  the  twenty-nine  num- 
bers of  the  "  Federalist,"  written  by  James  Madison, 
and  the  Resolutions  of  '98,  by  the  same  author. 

Early  in  the  century  appeared  the  "  Life  of  Wash- 
ington," by  Chief  Justice  Marshall  (5  vols.,  1804-7). 
This  work  was  the  first  great  contribution  to  American 
historical  literature,  and  was  rather  a  political  history 


VIRGINIA  LITERATURE.  491 

than  a  mere  biography.  Its  tone  is  grave  and  judicial, 
preserving  everywhere  a  tone  of  considerate  courtesy, 
and  the  v7ork  deals  with  the  great  political  issues  of  the 
time  with  candor  and  impartiality.  A  curious  contrast 
to  this  important  work,  was  a  life  of  Washington  by 
"Parson  Weems,"  an  eccentric  clergyman,  who  trav- 
eled about  during  the  first  years  of  the  century  col- 
lecting every  known  anecdote  or  tradition  connected  with 
his  subject.  The  result  was  a  small  volume  which  was 
the  delight  of  his  time.  It  still  remains,  in  spite  of  its 
glaring  defects,  one  of  the  books  of  the  people,  and  is 
said  to  have  "  gone  through  more  editions,  and  to  have 
been  read  by  more  people  than  the  lives  of  Marshall, 
Ramsay,  Bancroft,  and  Irving  put  together." 

An  excellent  military  biography  written  in  the  first 
years  of  the  century,  was  "Memoirs   of  the  War  in 
the  Southern  Department  of  the  United  States"  (1809), 
by  General  Henry  Lee,  the  commander  of  the  famous 
Legion  in  the  wars  of  the  Carolinas.     This  work  is  an 
important  authority,  is  written  in  a  spirit  of  great  fair- 
ness, and  "  possesses  the  charm  peculiar  to  writers  who 
have  witnessed  the  scenes  which  they  describe."     A  new 
edition,  with  notes,  was  published  in  1869,  by  General 
R.  E.  Lee,  a  son  of  the  author,  and  the  work  remains 
the  only  full  account  of  the  operations  in  the  South. 
Other  valuable  works  were  the  "  Life  and  Correspond- 
ence of  Richard  Henry  Lee"  (1825),  and  of  Arthur 
Lee  (1829),  by  their  grandson,  R.  H.  Lee,  which  pre- 
sent the  intimate  history  of  the  times,  and  the  great 
public  actors.      A  popular   biography,  also  essentially 
historic,  was  "  Sketches  of  the  Life  of  Patrick  Henry  " 
(1817),  by  William  Wirt,  who,  although   a  native  of 
Maryland,  passed  his  life  in  Virginia.      This  work  is 


492      VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

valuable  as  the  only  general  biography  of  the  great 
orator  ;  but  it  must  be  added  that  it  is  excessively  florid 
and  inaccurate  in  essential  particulars.  Its  fervor  and 
rhetoric,  however,  continue  to  charm,  and  it  is  one  of 
the  most  popular  biographies  in  American  literature. 
Valuable  works  of  a  later  date,  were  the  "  Life  of  John 
Randolph"  (1850),  by  Hugh  A.  Garland,  and  the 
"  Life  and  Times  of  James  Madison  "  (1859),  by  Wil- 
liam C.  Rives  —  the  first,  written  from  the  States'-rights 
point  of  view,  and  the  latter  containing  a  vigorous  ex- 
position of  the  Cavalier  origin  of  Virginia  society. 

Three  general  histories  of  Virginia  have  appeared 
during  the  century :  by  John  Daly  Burk  (1804),  by 
Robert  R.  Howison  (1847),  and  by  Charles  Campbell 
(1849,  revised  and  enlarged  1860).  The  last  is  the 
most  important,  and  is  a  work  of  genuine  value.  The 
author,  Mr.  Charles  Campbell,  was  a  gentleman  of  the 
old  school ;  an  ardent  and  laborious  student  of  Virginia 
antiquities  ;  collected  every  known  fact  in  regard  to  the 
history  of  the  Commonwealth,  and  has  produced  a  nar- 
rative remarkable  for  its  research  and  accuracy.  The 
author's  method  of  simply  recording  the  events  in  the 
order  of  their  dates,  vras  perhaps  unfortunate ;  he  has 
done  so,  he  declares,  in  order  to  leave  the  conclusions 
to  "  the  faculty  of  every  man's  judgment ; "  but  the  book 
remains  the  fullest  repository  of  facts  relating  to  the 
history  of  Virginia.  A  work  of  more  contracted  scope, 
but  of  peculiar  interest,  was  Kercheval's  "History  of 
the  Valley  of  Virginia,"  the  most  vivid  and  striking 
picture  of  the  old  life  of  the  frontier  in  American  lit- 
erature. The  author  was  an  aged  countryman  of  the 
Shenandoah  Valley,  who  traveled  to  and  fro  on  horse- 
back through  that  region,  collecting  the  traditions  of  the 


VIRGINIA  LITERATURE.  493 

first  settlement  and  the  Indian  wars.  Many  aged  bor- 
derers still  survived,  and  he  wrote  down  their  statements 
from  their  own  lips.  They  related  what  they  had  wit- 
nessed, and  described  the  old  frontier  life  in  all  its  phases  ; 
and  the  book  is  thus  the  complete  j^icture  of  an  epoch. 
It  was  published  in  1833  at  the  provincial  press  of  Win- 
chester, and  is  so  similar  in  spirit  and  treatment  to  the 
Chronicles  of  Froissart  that  its  author  may  be  styled  the 
Froissart  of  Virginia. 

A  work  of  unique  character,  which  appeared  in  1856, 
was  "Old  Churches,  Ministers,  and  Families  of  Vir- 
ginia," by  the  venerable  William  Meade,  Bishop  of 
Virginia.  This  book  was  the  result  of  original  re- 
searches in  the  parish  registers  of  his  diocese,  of  the 
examination  of  family  records,  and  the  writer's  recol- 
lections. It  is  not  only  a  history  of  the  Episcopal 
Church,  but  may  be  called  the  genealogical  history  of 
Virginia.  The  author  was  imbued  with  a  strong  attach- 
ment for  everything  connected  with  the  past ;  and  his 
work  contains  a  multitude  of  details  relating  to  old 
times  and  people  in  Virginia,  which  are  not  to  be  found 
anywhere  else  in  print. 

In  physical  science  the  eminent  name  of  Commander 
Matthew  Fontaine  Maury  overshadows  every  other. 
His  fame  was  national,  and  his  "  Physical  Geography," 
and  "  Wind  and  Current  Charts,"  obtained  for  him  the 
name  of  the'  Pathfinder  of  the  Seas.  As  the  head  of 
the  Hydrographical  Office,  Commander  Maury  instituted 
uniform  observations  of  winds  and  currents,  and  after- 
wards reduced  them  to  a  system ;  and  it  is  not  an  exag- 
geration to  say  that  the  commerce  of  the  world  owes 
him  an  incalculable  debt. 

In  theology,  one  of   the   most  distinguished   of  the 


49-i       VIRGINIA:  A    HISTORY  OF   THE  PEOPLE, 

early  writers  was  Dr.  Archibald  Alexander,  a  native  of 
Rockbridge,  but  best  known  as  Professor  of  Theology 
at  Princeton  College.  His  "  Evidences  of  Chris- 
tianity," and  "  Canon  of  Scripture,"  occupy  a  very  high 
rank,  and  his  memory  is  especially  revered  by  the  Pres- 
byterian Church,  of  which  he  was  a  pastor.  Bishop 
Meade  came  later,  and  other  prominent  Virginia  theolo- 
gians were  Dr.  John  H.  Rice,  Professor  in  the  Union 
Theological  Seminary,  the  author  of  a  "  Memoir  of 
Davies ; "  Dr.  J.  B.  Jeter,  the  author  of  "  Campbellism 
Examined,"  and  one  of  the  ablest  ministers  of  the  Bap- 
tist Church ;  Dr.  R.  L.  Dabney,  the  author  of  "  Po- 
lemical Theology,"  and  Dr.  Charles  Porterfield  Krauth, 
the  most  distinguished  American  advocate  of  the  Lu- 
theran faith,  who  has  translated  the  "  Augsburg  Confes- 
sion," and  is  the  author  of  an  important  treatise  con- 
trasting the  Romish  and  Evangelical  Mass. 

Among  the  works  on  constitutional  and  other  law, 
written  in  Virginia,  are  the  "  Laws  of  Ancient  and 
Modern  Nations,"  by  Professor  Thomas  R.  Dew, 
''  Commentaries  on  the  Laws  of  Virginia,"  by  Judge 
Henry  St.  George  Tucker ;  and  excellent  manuals  and 
digests  by  Conway  Robinson,  James  P.  Holcombe,  and 
others.  To  the  former  department  also  belong  the 
works  of  John  Taylor,  of  Caroline,  early  in  the  century : 
"  Construction  Construed,"  and  "  Tyranny  Unmasked," 
which  ardently  supported  the  States'-rights  views  of  Jef- 
ferson. A  recent  volume  on  the  same  general  subject, 
was  "  Seven  Decades  of  the  Union,"  by  Governor  Henry 
A.  Wise,  in  which  he  develops  his  peculiar  views  with 
characteristic  vigor. 

A  few  exquisite  fugitive  poems  and  songs  have  been 
written  by  Virginians :    among  them  the   "  Belles  of 


VIRGINIA  LITERATURE.  495 

Williamsburg,"  by  James  McClurg,  in  the  last  century, 
and  "  Days  of  my  Youth,"  by  St.  George  Tucker.  This 
little  song  is  said  to  have  produced  so  great  an  impres- 
sion on  John  Adams  in  his  old  age,  that  he  declared  he 
"  would  rather  have  written  it  than  any  lyric  of  Milton 
or  Shakespeare."  To  these  may  be  added  the  "  Flor- 
ence Vane  "  of  Philip  Pendleton  Cooke,  a  love-song, 
which  has  had  the  rare  good  fortune  to  touch  the  popu- 
lar heart ;  and  "  Slain  in  Battle,"  by  Mrs.  Margaret  J. 
Preston,  which  appeals  to  universal  sympathy.  To 
these  might  be  added  detached  poems  by  James  Barron 
Hope,  the  author  of  "  Leoni  de  Minota,"  and  W.  Gor- 
don McCabe,  who  has  produced  songs  of  great  delicacy. 
At  an  earlier  period  Richard  Dabney  translated  por- 
tions of  Euripides,  Alcoeus,  and  Sappho,  and  William 
Munford,  the  Iliad  of  Homer,  which  is  entitled  to  an 
honorable  place  in  literature.  Edgar  A.  Poe  passed 
his  early  life  in  Virginia;  but  this  great  and  sombre 
genius  was  rather  a  cosmopolite  than  a  citizen  of  any 
particular  State. 

Virginia  fiction  may  be  said  to  have  begun  with  the 
"  Cavaliers  of  Virginia,"  and  the  "  Knights  of  the  Horse- 
shoe," by  William  A.  Carruthers  ;  the  one  dealing  with 
Bacon's  Rebellion,  and  the  other  with  Spotswood's  march 
to  the  mountains.  Some  striking  fictions,  among  them 
"  Lionel  Granby,"  appeared  in  the  "  Southern  Literary 
Messenger,"  afterwards  under  the  supervision  of  a  writer 
of  elegant  culture,  —  John  R.  Thompson  ;  but  these  vol- 
umes first  attracted  attention.  They  are  excellent  ro- 
mances in  the  style  of  Scott,  and  still  retain  their  inter- 
est. A  little  later  appeared  "  George  Balcombe,"  and 
"The  Partisan  Leader,"  by  Judge  Beverley  Tucker, 
the  last  a  work  of  very  curious  interest.     It  was  pub- 


496      VIRGINIA:    A   HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

lished  in  1837  ;  but  the  writer  laid  the  scene  of  his 
drama  in  the  future,  ivhen  President  Van  Buren  was  in 
his  third  term,  and  the  Federal  government  had  been 
consolidated  into  a  virtual  monarchy  under  the  form  of 
a  republic.  Jefferson  had  accused  Hamilton  of  meaning 
to  effect  that ;  and  now  Judge  Tucker,  an  ardent  States'- 
right  man,  meant  to  show  that  it  was  going  to  be  accom- 
plished. The  encroachments  of  the  Federal  govern- 
ment—  to  follow  the  author — have  resulted  in  civil 
convulsion.  The  Southern  States  have  seceded,  with 
the  exception  of  Virginia ;  and  the  author  relates  the 
adventures  of  his  hero,  a  young  Virginian,  in  the  war 
which  follows  on  Virginia  soil.  This  singular  book  was 
thus  something  like  a  prophecy.  If  the  events  did  not 
come  so  quickly  as  the  writer  fancied  they  would,  they 
nevertheless  came.  A  curious  circumstance  in  connec- 
tion with  ''  The  Partisan  Leader  "  was  its  republication 
in  New  York  in  1861,  under  the  title  of  "  A  Key  to  the 
Disunion  Conspiracy."  The  impression  apparently 
meant  to  be  produced  was  that  the  author  had  foreshad- 
owed the  designs  of  the  Southern  leaders,  which  was 
pure  fancy.  Of  Judge  Tucker,  an  excellent  gentleman 
and  eminent  writer,  the  late  William  Gilmore  Simms 
said :  "  He  was  a  brave  old  Virginia  gentleman,  a  stern 
States'-right  doctrinaire,  intense  of  feeling,  jealous  of 
right,  in  his  style  pure  and  chaste,  full  of  energy  yet 
full  of  grace."  These  names  are  the  most  distinguished 
in  the  department  of  Virginia  fiction ;  but  the  name  of 
John  Pendleton  Kennedy,  the  author  of  "  Swallow 
Barn,"  ought  not  to  be  omitted.  He  was  a  Marylander 
by  birth,  like  Wirt,  of  whom  he  wrote  a  delightful  biog- 
raphy, but  his  mother  was  of  a  Virginia  family,  and 
"  Swallow  Barn  "  remains  the  best  picture  of  Virginia 
country  life  in  literature. 


VIRGINIA  LITERATURE.  497 

Under  the  general  head  of  miscellany  may  be  classed 
many  books  of  interest  and  value.  Among  these  are 
"  A  History  of  the  Religious  Society  of  Friends,"  4 
vols.,  by  Samuel  M.  Janney ;  Mrs.  Johnson's  "  Hadji 
in  Syria ;  "  Commander  Lynch's  "  Expedition  to  the 
River  Jordan  and  Dead  Sea  ;  "  "  Wonders  of  the  Deep," 
"  The  Great  Empress,"  and  other  works,  by  M.  Scheie 
de  Yere ;  General  Philip  St.  George  Cooke's  "  Adven- 
tures in  the  Army,"  and  "  Conquest  of  New  Mexico  ;  " 
and  in  the  department  of  humor,  the  "  Native  Virgin- 
ian "  and  other  productions,  by  Dr.  George  "W.  Bagby, 
which  possess  a  peculiar  charm  from  their  fidelity  and 
pathos.  Earlier  works,  characteristic  of  the  soil,  were 
the  "  Nugee  by  Nugator  "  of  St.  Leger  Landon  Carter ; 
and  the  curious  productions  of  George  Fitzhugh,  "  Soci- 
ology for  the  South,"  and  "  Cannibals  All,"  in  which 
the  author  argues  gravely  and  with  apparent  conviction 
that  free  society  is  a  failure,  and  that  cannibalism  will 
be  the  ultimate  and.  inevitable  result  of  African  emanci- 
pation. Of  the  numerous  publications  on  the  subject  of 
the  late  war,  it  is  unnecessary  to  speak.  Their  value 
as  historic  authority  must  be  fixed  by  the  future. 

This  view  of  Virginia  literature  during  the  present 
century  has  necessarily  been  brief.  Only  the  represent- 
ative books  in  the  various  departments  have  been 
spoken  of ;  to  have  adopted  a  different  method  would 
have  been  to  write  the  history  of  Virginia  literature,  — 
a  task  impossible  to  attempt  in  the  present  volume.  The 
few  works  and  writers  referred  to  will  convey  an  idea 
of  the  literature.  If  no  great  original  genius  has  arisen 
to  put  the  lion's  paw  on  Virginia  letters,  many  v^-riters 
of  admirable  attainments  and  solid  merit  have  produced 
works  which  have  instructed  and  improved  their  genera- 
32 


498      VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY   OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

tion ;  and  to  instruct  and  improve  is  better  than  to 
amuse.  "Whatever  may  be  the  true  rank  of  the  litera- 
ture, it  possesses  a  distinct  character.  It  may  be  said 
of  it  with  truth  that  it  is  notable  for  its  respect  for  good 
morals  and  mariners ;  that  it  is  nowhere  offensive  to 
delicacy  or  piety ;  or  endeavors  to  instill  a  belief  in  what 
ought  not  to  be  believed.  It  is  a  very  great  deal  to  say 
of  the  literature  of  any  country  in  the  nineteenth  cen- 
tury. 

XXII. 

THE    "WAR    OF    THE    SECTIONS. 

The  great  convulsion  of  1861-65  is  already  a  thing 
of  the  past :  a  remote  event  nearly  forgotten  by  the 
present  generation,  and  gone  with  other  events  into  his- 
tory. The  hot  passions  have  died  out,  and  the  old  ene- 
mies have  become  friends  again.  Those  who  survive 
the  war  are  busy  with  other  matters ;  and  the  blue  and 
gray  who  fell  fighting  for  what  each  believed  to  be  the 
just  cause,  sleep  in  peace  side  by  side  under  the  flowers 
scattered  indifferently  by  friends  and  foes. 

A  detailed  history  of  the  Civil  War  is  impossible  in 
this  volume,  and  a  mere  summary  of- dates  and  events 
would  possess  no  interest.  A  multitude  of  writers  have 
also  made  the  subject  familiar  in  its  minutest  phases ; 
and  the  long  series  of  military  occurrences  may  be 
omitted  with  propriety  in  a  work  aiming  chiefly  at  the 
delineation  of  Virginia  society  and  the  character  of  the 
people.  The  writer  has  therefore  preferred  to  Iqhyq 
this  great  episode  to  the  annalists  of  the  future,  when 
more  accurate  information  and  the  absence  of  contempo- 
rary prejudice  will  enable  the  student  to  arrive  as  nearly 
as  possible  at  the  absolute  truth  of  history. 


THE  WAR   OF  THE  SECTIONS.  499 

What  the  writer,  however,  is  unwilling  to  omit  is  a 
brief  statement  of  the  attitude  of  Virginia  in  this  new 
revolution,  her  persistent  pleas  for  peace,  and  the  causes 
which  impelled  her  greatest  and  best  citizens  to  make 
war  on  the  Federal  government.  The  murderous  at- 
tack on  Harper's  Ferry  in  1859,  profoundly  enraged 
the  people,  but  had  no  effect  whatever  in  separating 
Virginia  from  the  Union.  Even  as  late  as  the  spring 
of  1861,  when  the  Republicans  had  come  into  power  by 
a  distinctly  sectional  vote,  and  the  whole  tier  of  Gulf 
States  had  seceded,  Virginia  still  refused  to  move ;  and 
it  will  now  be  shown  that  when  she  finally  decided  to 
dissolve  her  coflnection  with  the  Union  which  she  had 
done  so  much  to  establish,  she  did  so  with  reluctance, 
making  her  choice  between  two  alternatives,  both  of 
them  painful. 

Early  in  January,  1861,  the  Virginia  Assembly  met  at 
Richmond  to  determine  the  action  of  the  Commonwealth 
in  the  approaching  struggle.  It  was  plain  that  war  was 
coming  unless  the  authorities  of  the  United  States  and 
of  the  seceding  States  would  listen  to  reason  ;  and  the 
first  proceedings  of  the  Assembly  looked  to  peace  and 
the  restoration  of  fraternal  union.  Virginia  recom- 
mended to  all  the  States  to  appoint  deputies  to  a  Peace 
Convention,  to  adjust  "  the  present  unhappy  controversy 
in  the  spirit  in  which  the  Constitution  was  originally 
formed."  Commissioners  were  appointed  to  call  on  the 
President  of  the  United  States  and  the  seceded  States 
or  those  that  should  secede,  tp  "  respectfully  request  the 
President  and  the  authorities  of  such  States  to  agree  to 
abstain,  pending  the  proceedings  contemplated  by  the 
action  of  this  General  Assembly,  from  any  and  all  acts 
calculated  to  produce  a  collision  of  arms  between  the 


500      VIRGINIA:    A  HISTORY   OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

States  and  the  Government  of  the  United  States."  With 
these  instructions  the  Commissioners  proceeded  to  Wash- 
ington, but  effected  nothing.  The  Peace  Convention 
duly  met  at  the  Capitol  (February  4,  1861),  and  pro- 
posed amendments  to  the  Constitution,  among  the  rest 
for  the  restoration  of  the  Missouri  Compromise  ;  but 
when  the  recommendations  of  tlie  Convention  were  re- 
ported to  Congress  they  were  rejected. 

Thus  ended  in  failure  the  first  attempt  of  Virginia  to 
preserve  the  national  peace  ;  and  the  crisis  demanded 
that  she  should  promptly  decide  upon  her  course.  On 
February  13  (1861),  a  Convention  assembled  at  Rich- 
mond, and  a  Committee  was  appointed  on  Federal  Rela- 
tions. On  March  10  (1861),  this  Committee  reported 
fourteen  resolutions  protesting  against  all  interference 
with  slavery  ;  declaring  secession  to  be  a  right ;  and  de- 
fining the  grounds  on  which  the  Commonwealth  would 
feel  herself  to  be  justified  in  exercising  that  right, 
namely  :  the  failure  to  obtain  guarantees  ;  the  adoption 
of  a  warlike  policy  by  the  Government  of  the  United 
States;  or  the  attempt  to  exact  the  payment  of  duties 
from  the  seceded  States,  or  to  reenforce  or  recapture  the 
Southern  forts.  These  resolves  clearly  define  the  atti- 
tude of  Virginia  at  this  critical  moment.  After  pro- 
longed discussion,  all  but  the  last  had  passed  the  Conven- 
tion when  intelligence  came  that  war  had  begun.  The 
thunder  of  cannon  from  Charleston  harbor  broke  up  the 
political  discussion. 

Thus  every  effort  made  by  Virginia  to  preserve  the 
peace  had  been  defeated.  Her  Peace  Commission,  sent 
to  Washington,  had  returned  without  results  ;  the  Peace 
Convention  assembled  by  her  call  had  accomplished 
nothing  ;  the  seceded  States  would  not  listen  to  her  ap- 


THE  WAR   OF  THE  SECTIONS.  601 

peal  to  keep  the  peace ;  and  peace  seemed  even  more 
remote  from  the  view  of  the  Federal  authorities.  Mr. 
Lincoln  had  expressed  himself  in  his  inaugural  with 
perfect  plainness.  Secession  was  unlawful,  and  the 
Union  remained  unbroken  ;  it  was  his  duty  to  execute 
the  laws,  and  he  should  perform  it.  To  execute  the 
laws  it  was  necessary  to  have  an  army ;  and  (April  15, 
1861)  President  Lincoln  issued  his  proclamation  calling 
for  75,000  troops  from  the  States  remaining  in  the 
"Union. 

The  direct  issue  was  thus  presented,  and  Virginia  was 
called  upon  to  decide  the  momentous  question  whether 
she  would  fight  against  the  South  or  against  the  North. 
There  was  no  evading  the  issue.  The  crisis  pressed, 
and  she  must  meet  it.  Many  of  her  sisters  of  the  South 
had  reproached  her  for  her  delay.  She  had  been  de- 
nounced as  a  laggard,  and  without  her  old  resolution  ; 
but  she  had  resolution  to  decide  for  herself,  in  her 
own  time,  and  not  to  shape  her  action  by  the  views 
either  of  her  friends  or  her  foes.  Against  her  persist- 
ent attachment  to  the  Union  the  strongest  appeals  and 
the  bitterest  denunciations  had  beaten  in  vain.  As  late 
as  the  first  week  in  April  the  Convention  had  refused  to 
secede  by  a  vote  of  eighty-nine  to  forty-five.  Virginia 
was  conscientiously  following  her  old  traditions  and 
would  not  move.  Now  the  time  had  come  at  last.  The 
naked  question  was  presented  on  which  side  she  would 
array  herself :  whether  her  cannon  were  to  be  turned 
on  the  blue  troops  or  the  gray ;  and,  that  issue  once 
defined,  there  was  no  more  hesitation.  On  the  17th  of 
April,  two  days  after  the  Federal  proclamation,  the  Con- 
vention passed  an  ordinance  of  secession  and  adhesion 
to  the  Southern  Confederacy,  by  a  vote  of  eighty-eight 


502      VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

to  fifty-five,  which  was  ratified  by  the  people  by  a  ma- 
jority of  ninety-six  thousand  seven  hundred  and  fifty 
votes  out  of  a  total  of  one  hundred  and  sixty-one  thou- 
sand and  eighteen.  West  Virginia  refused  to  be,  bound 
by  the  action  of  the  Convention,  and  became  a  separate 
State,  but  the  Virginia  of  the  Tidewater  and  Valley 
went  with  the  South. 

Such  is  a  statement  in  few  words  of  the  circumstances 
attending  the  secession  of  Virginia.  If  her  course  in 
this  trying  emergency  has  not  shown  her  attachment 
to  the  Union,  it  is  impossible  that  any  further  statement 
can  establish  it. 

Having  once  made  their  decision,  the  Virginians  has- 
tened to  arm.  Their  first  thought  was  to  protect  Vir- 
ginia, and  they  enrolled  themselves  under  the  State  flag. 
It  was  impossible  for  them  to  feel  toward  the  new  Con- 
federacy the  immemorial  allegiance  which  they  had  felt 
toward  Virginia,  —  that  was  a  part  of  the  very  life-blood 
of  the  people,  and  exerted  an  overmastering  influence. 
Many  of  the  best  citizens  of  the  State  disapproved  of 
secession.  Like  the  illustrious  Commander-in-chief  of 
the  Confederate  army.  General  Lee,  they  "  recognized 
no  necessity  for  this  state  of  things,"  and  some  of  them, 
like  him,  "wept  tears  of  blood"  at  the  dire  necessity 
which  drove  them  to  take  up  arms  against  the  Union. 
But  the  State  allegiance  was  paramount.  Virginia 
called  them  and  they  obeyed  the  call. 

Their  decision  once  made,  the  Virginians  entered  on 
the  war  with  ardor,  and  the  State  troops  bore  an  im- 
portant part  in  military  operations  to  the  end  of  the 
struggle.  There  was  at  first  in  the  minds  of  the  people 
only  a  sentiment  of  defiance  and  indignation  at  the  in- 
vasion of  the  State,  but  this  ripened  as  the  years  wore 


TEE  WAR  OF  THE  SECTIONS.  503 

on,  and  General  Pope  and  others  ravaged  the  country, 
into  a  determined  animosity  which  was  thenceforth  the 
prevailing  sentiment.'  This  will  largely  account  for  the 
desperate  fighting  which  characterized  the  operations  in 
Virginia,  and  for  the  bloody  partisan  warfare  north  of 
the  Rappahannock.  In  regard  to  the  efficiency  of  the 
Virginian  troops  there  has  never  arisen  any  question. 
They  exhibited  a  peculiar  endurance,  an  obstinate  cour- 
age in  action,  and  all  the  best  qualities  of  the  soldier. 
It  is  conceded  that  at  the  first  Manassas,  the  regiments 
from  the  Valley  under  Jackson  decided  the  fate  of  the 
battle ;  and  the  most  determined  assault  of  the  war, 
perhaps,  that  on  the  Federal  centre  at  Gettysburg,  was 
made  by  a  division  of  Virginians.  The  Southern  forces, 
as  a  whole,  were  doubtless  as  good  soldiers  as  the  world 
ever  saw ;  and  it  is  certain  that  the  troops  of  the  Gulf 
States  regarded  their  comrades  of  Virginia  as  men  to  be 
relied  upon  in  any  emergency. 

As  the  war  went  on  what  was  most  notable  in  the 
Virginia  troops  and  the  people,  was  the  resolute  deter- 
mination not  to  give  up  the  contest  until  they  were 
forced  to  do  so.  The  sufferings  undergone,  both  by 
soldiers  and  citizens,  will  never  be  fully  known.  The 
State  was  ground  under  the  armed  heel  until  life  seemed 
nearly  extinct  in  it.  The  Federal  forces  occupied  the 
bulk  of  the  country,  and  used  or  destroyed  the  supplies 
of  food  of  every  description,  until  the  army  and  people 
were  threatened  with  famine.  The  ravages  committed 
by  certain  commanders  —  notably  by  Generals  Pope 
and  Sheridan  —  were  conceded,  even  at  the  North,  to 
be  in  violation  of  all  the  laws  of  civilized  warfare.  The 
result  was  very  nearly  starvation  to  the  L^milies  of  the 
soldiers,  and  it  was  under  circumstances  so  depressing 


504      VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

that  the  Yirgmians  resolutely  adhered  to  the  struggle, 
refusing  to  the  last  to  surrender  their  flag.  Even  at 
Appomattox  the  half-starved  remnant  received  the  intel- 
ligence of  General  Lee's  capitulation  with  bitter  anguish, 
and  apparently  refused  to  acquiesce  in  his  conviction 
that  it  was  necessary. 

The  facts  here  briefly  stated  are  so  well  known  as  not 
to  demand  proof.  They  will  remain  the  lasting  glory 
of  a  people  who  loved  peace,  but  chose  war  and  were 
willing  to.  fight  to  the  end,  rather  than  submit  to  what 
they  believed  to  be  a  wrong.  It  is  impossible  that  mag- 
nanimous foes  did  not  and  do  not  respect  that  principle. 
It  has  at  least  been  the  controlling  principle  of  the  Vir- 
ginians of  every  generation,  and  ought  to  be  the  princi- 
l^le  of  the  people  of  all  the  States  of  the  American 
Republic  in  all  time. 

That  even  the  old  enemies  of  the  South  appreciated 
the  motives  of  the  representative  Virginians  in  the  war, 
is  shown  by  the  general  mourning  at  the  death  of  Jack- 
son and  Lee.  The  one  fell  at  Chancellorsville  in  the 
heat  of  the  struggle ;  and  the  other  died  at  Lexington 
in  the  quiet  days  of  peace  —  and  both  were  equally  re- 
gretted by  generous  enemies.  It  was  known  that  they 
had  acted  from  a  sentiment  of  duty,  and  had  been  blame- 
less as  men  and  Christians.  Like  the  State  of  which 
they  were  the  representatives,  they  had  desired  peace, 
and  had  shrunk  from  disunion  and  civil  war  as  the 
greatest  of  all  misfortunes  to  the  country.  But  when 
no  choice  was  left  them  they  had  followed  their  State 
flao; ;  had  fought  a  sjood  ficjht  in  defense  of  their  native 
soil ;  and  even  the  enemies  of  the  Southern  cause  con- 
ceded the  purity  of  their  motives,  and  honored  their 
memories. 


VIRGINIA  SINCE   THE   WAR.  505 

XXIII. 

VIRGINIA    SINCE    THE    WAR. 

The  Civil  War  is  the  last  great  event  in  the  history, 
of  Virginia.  The  years  following  it  have  been  only  a 
dreary  waste  of  party  wrangling ;  of  political  intrigue, 
personal  ambition,  bad  faith  in  regard  to  the  State  debt, 
and,  worse  than  all,  with  reference  to  the  future,  of  the 
array  of  class  against  class,  the  black  race  against  the 
white.  The  writer  shrinks  from  the  ungracious  sub- 
ject, leaving  the  task  of  treating  it  to  the  writers  of  the 
future.  It  is  this  future  which  is  going  to  try  the  pres- 
ent ;  and  the  party  leaders  of  the  time  who  have  brought 
the  name  of  Virginia  into  discredit,  would  do  well  to 
remember  the  words  of  President  Lincoln  :  "  You  can- 
not avoid  history." 

A  few  words  relating  to  the  process  of  "  reconstruc- 
tion," and  the  present  aspect  of  affairs  in  Virginia,  will 
conclude  this  volume.  The  result  of  the  war  was  to 
leave  the  State  prostrate.  The  hardest  fighting  had 
taken  place  on  her  soil ;  and  it  seemed  that  it  would  re- 
quire generations  for  the  Commonwealth  to  recover 
from  its  effects.  The  whole  face  of  the  country  betrayed 
the  ravages  of  war,  and  confronted  by  this  gloomy  spec- 
tacle utter  depression  might  have  been  looked  for  in  the 
people.  There  was  little  then  or  thereafter.  The  Vir- 
ginia character  is  hopeful  and  disposed  to  make  the  best 
of  things.  The  people  refused  to  repine,  and  looked  to 
the  future  with  that  obstinate  confidence  which  is  the 
mainspring  of  success  in  human  affairs.  The  new  order 
of  things  was  accepted  with  philosophy,  and  it  may  be 


506     VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

added,  with  dignity.  There  was  no  disposition  to  pro- 
long the  struggle  or  to  nurse  old  grudges.  Northern 
men  who  came  to  the  State  were  treated  with  courtesy 
if  not  cordiality ;  and  General  Ordway,  of  the  Federal 
army,  described  the  feeling  of  the  inhabitants  in  a  few 
words  :  "  In  Richmond  the  people  behaved  with  becom- 
ing reserve  and  dignity.  I  found  them  reasonable, 
courteous,  and  desirous  of  submitting  to  or  cooperating 
with  every  measure  necessary  to  good  government.  I 
rode  through  the  State  for  several  weeks  accompanied 
only  by  a  mounted  orderly,  and  never  failed  to  receive 
the  traditional  hospitality  of  Virginia." 

The  process  of  "  reconstruction,"  by  which  Virginia 
came  back  into  the  Union,  may  be  summed  up  in  a  par- 
agraph. In  the  spring  of  I860,  after  the  surrender  at 
Appomattox,  the  State  was  practically  without  a  govern- 
ment ;  and  Francis  H.  Pierpont,  who  had  been  Gov- 
ernor of  West  Virginia,  assumed  executive  authority 
by  direction  of  the  Federal  government.  He  issued 
writs  for  an  Assembly,  which  convened  in  December  of 
the  same  year  ;  in  1867  the  State  was  placed  under 
military  government ;  and  in  the  winter  of  that  year 
a  Convention  was  held  which  framed  a  new  Constitu- 
tion. This  was  submitted  to  the  people  in  July,  1869, 
and  adopted  by  a  large  majority ;  the  clause  disfranchis- 
ing Confederate  officials  and  requiring  an  oath  of  past 
loyalty,  having  been  rejected.  Gilbert  C.  Walker  of 
^Qw  York  was  then  elected  Governor ;  United  States 
Senators  were  chosen ;  the  fourteenth  and  fifteenth 
amendments  were  ratified ;  the  military  occupation,  which 
had  been  found  unnecessary,  at  once  ceased  ;  and  Vir- 
ginia resumed  her  place  in  the  Union. 

A  great  change  had  taken   place  in  society,  chiefly 


VIRGINrA  SINCE  THE  WAR.  507 

occasioned  by  the  emancipatiou  of  the  former  slaves. 
This  momentous  political  event  dated  back  to  the  mid- 
dle of  the  war,  when  President  Lincoln  had  issued  his 
proclamation  that  after  the  first  of  January,  1863,  all 
persons  held  as  slaves  in  States  then  in  rebellion,  should 
be  "'  thenceforth  and  forever  free."  The  step  was  a 
war-measure,  for  which,  it  was  conceded,  there  was  no 
authority  in  the  Constitution,  but  as  yet  the  great  ukase 
aimed  at  the  South  was  merely  waste  paper.  It  was  an 
authoritative  statement  of  the  Federal  programme,  but 
had  no  direct  results.  The  slaves  obtained  their  free- 
dom only  in  territory  occupied  by  the  Federal  arms, — 
retaining  elsewhere  their  former  condition,  and  appar- 
ently perfectly  willing  to  retain  it.  Daring  the  whole 
term  of  the  war,  there  were  few  desertions  by  any  of 
the  colored  population  to  the  Federal  side.  They  re- 
mained at  home,  in  perfect  quiet,  cultivating  the  soil  as 
before,  and  were  often  the  best  friends  of  their  master's 
family.  Numberless  proofs  might  be  given  of  this  ex- 
traordinary faithfulness  and  attachment,  and  it  remains 
the  everlasting  honor  of  this  singular  and  despised  race. 
When  they  had  it  in  their  power  to  work  untold  woe  to 
women  and  children  whose  protectors  were  in  the  army, 
they  exhibited  the  truest  devotion,  and  not  only  would 
not  desert  them,  but  worked  faithfully  for  their  support. 
But  when  the  war  ended  the  proclamation  of  eman- 
cipation bore  its  fruits.  The  Federal  legislation  per- 
fected the  work.  On  January  31,  1865,  Congress  di- 
rected that  an  amendment  to  the  Constitution  should  be 
submitted  to  all  the  States,  prescribing  that  neither 
"  slavery  nor  involuntary  servituda"  should  thenceforth 
exist  in  the  United  States.  This  amendment,  and  those 
of  1868  and  1870,  were  adopted,  and  the  former  slaves, 


508      VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

now  made  citizens,  took  their  place  as  a  constituent  part 
of  the  American  people.  Every  barrier  between  the 
races  has  been  leveled  with  the  ground,  as  far  as  the 
action  of  the  General  government  could  effect  it.  The 
Africans  are  now  the  political  equals  of  all  other  Ameri- 
cans. They  are  competent  to  vote,  to  preside  on  the 
bench,  to  command  in  the  army,  to  represent  the  country 
at  foreign  courts,  to  sit  in  the  Senate,  and  to  officiate  as 
Governors  of  States,  and  as  Presidents  of  the  United 
States.  It  is  not  surprising  that  President  Lincoln, 
walking  through  the  streets  of  Richmond  after  the  sur- 
render, should  have  gazed  with  "  a  pathetic  wonder  "  on 
the  African  crowd  around  him.  By  his  act  they  had 
'  become  citizens,  and  it  is  possible  that  he  wondered  at 
the  probable  result. 

The  personal  relations  between  the  white  and  black 
races  remain  friendly.  Left  to  themselves  there  would 
be  no  change  whatever  ;  that  which  exists  is  the  result 
of  political  intrigue.  But  even  this  has  produced  few 
social  results.  The  African  continues,  in  the  main,  to 
reiiard  his  former  master  as  his  best  friend,  retains  his  old 
and  sincere  attachment  to  the  family  with  whom  he  has 
always  lived,  and  only  arrays  himself  politically  against 
the  whites  under  outside  pressure.  This  friendly  senti- 
ment results,  in  large  measure,  from  his  confidence  in 
the  regard  felt  for  him  by  his  former  owner,  and  the 
known  indisposition  to  withhold  from  him  any  right 
to  which  he  is  entitled.  There  is  no  such  disposition. 
The  Virginia  people  sincerely  rejoice  that  African  sla- 
very is  done  away  with ;  could  not  be  persuaded  to  have 
it  restored.;  and  sincerely  desire  that  the  race  may  avail 
themselves  of  the  system  of  public  education  and  be- 
come well  informed  and  respectable  members  of  the 
community. 


VIRGINIA  SINCE  THE  WAR.  509 

The  effect  of  the  war,  and  the  subsequent  changes  in 
organic  law,  on  Virginia  society,  is  a  large  and  interest- 
ing subject,  which  demands  a  separate  treatment.  Such 
treatment  is  impossible  at  present ;  the  causes  have  not 
produced  their  full  results  and  are  still  in  operation. 
The  general  drift  of  the  times  may,  however,  be  dis- 
cerned without  difficulty.  New  Virginia  is  moving  in 
the  direction  of  practical  results.  The  fact  is  recognized 
that  agriculture  is  not  the  only  source  of  wealth,  and 
the  modern  Virginian  is  now  looking  to  mining,  manu- 
factures, the  construction  of  railways,  and  the  develop- 
ment of  all  the  resources  of  the  Commonwealth.  The 
"  Bourbon  "  spirit  attributed  to  the  people  is  an  absurd 
figment  of  political  partisans.  So  far  are  the  Virginians 
from  having  learned  nothing  and  forgotten  nothing, 
that  their  past  seems  to  have  been  effaced,  and  the  fu- 
ture to  have  become  the  sole  thought  of  the  people.  It 
may  be  said  of  them  that  they  are  weary  of  being  poor? 
and  see  the  necessity  of  occupying  their  time  with 
things  more  profitable  than  political  discussions.  The 
men  who  once  dissipated  their  resources  by  extrava- 
gance have  grown  prudent ;  the  young,  who  were  once 
suffered  to  be  idle,  are  now  taught  to  work ;  and  the 
people  of  the  country  called  "  Old  Virginia,"  in  a  spirit 
of  respectful  compassion,  seem  resolved  to  erect  a  New 
Virginia  by  energy  and  labor. 

The  resources  of  the  State,  especially  in  minerals,  are 
known  to  be  inexhaustible.  In  parts  of  the  Tidewater, 
but  chiefly  in  the  Valley  and  the  Alleghany  region,  are 
found  gold,  silver,  copper,  the  best  hematite,  granite, 
marble,  salt,  and  deposits  of  bituminous  and  other  coal, 
rivaling  those  of  Pennsylvania.  The  State  has  sent  to 
the  assay  ofiices  more   than  two  millions  in  gold,  and 


510      VIRGINIA:  A  HISTORY   OF  THE  PEOPLE. 

twenty-five  million  pounds  of  lead  have  been  taken  from 
one  county.  These  are  only  a  few  of  the  mineral  re- 
sources of  the  State,  which,  especially  in  the  southwest, 
is  a  mine  of  wealth.  Up  to  the  time  of  the  war  this 
wealth  remained  undeveloped,  and  the  absence  of  rail- 
ways discouraged  capital ;  but  this  obstacle  is  at  last  re- 
moved. New  lines  now  penetrate  the  country,  the  most 
important  of  which  are  the  Chesapeake  and  Ohio,  cross- 
ing the  State  from  east  to  west  through  the  remark- 
able region  of  the  Mineral  Springs,  and  the  Shenan- 
doah Valley,  through  the  Luray  Valley,  from  north  to 
south.  These  railways  already  carry  a  vast  freight  and 
are  rapidly  developing  the  resources  of  the  country  ;  and 
another  line  is  projected  to  pass  through  the  two  Vir- 
ginias and  connect  Baltimore  and  Cincinnati  by  way  of 
the  Kanawha.  Further  details  of  the  material  condition 
of  Virginia  at  the  present  time,  —  of  her  public  institu 
tions,  finances,  manufactures,  and  trade,  —  must  be 
looked  for  in  official  documents.  The  jjopulation  of  the 
State,  which  in  1870  was  1,225,163,  was  in  1880,  1,512- 
203,  nearly  that  of  the  two  Virginias  in  1860.  This 
population  is  contained  in  a  territory  nearly  identical 
with  that  of  the  old  Colony,  which  consisted  of  the  region 
between  the  Chesapeake  and  the  Alleghanies. 

Virginia  has  thus  resumed  her  old  boundaries  at  the 
time  of  the  Revolution,  and  the  character  of  the  people 
remains  substantially  the  same.  They  are,  however, 
confronted  by  new  responsibilities  and  duties,  and  look 
forward  to  the  untried  future  with  hope  and  confidence. 
The  mighty  pulse  of  the  modern  world  i-^  beating  in  the 
hearts  of  the  people ;  and  the  future  of  Virginia  depends 
now,  as  in  the  past,  on  the  Virginians. 


INDEX. 


Acadia,  the  French  expelled   from, 
108.  ' 

Accomac  granted  to  Arlington  and 
Culpepper,  233  ;  Berkeley  takes  ref- 
uge in,  266  ;  scenes  of  the  RebeUion 
there,  274-277,  293  ;  people  of,  368. 
Adams,  John,  his  opinion  of  the  first 
Congress,  421  ;  seconds  the  motion 
for  independence,  440  ;  Callender's 
satire  upon,  482. 
Alexander,  Archibald,  325  ;  his  works, 
94.  ' 

Alien  and  Sedition  Laws,  480,  481  ; 
trial  of  Callender  under,  482  ;   ef- 
fect of  on  the  fortunes  of  the  Fed- 
eral party,  483. 
America,  origin  of  the  name,  4. 
Amonate,  a  name  of  Pocahontas,  103. 
Andros,  Edmimd,  Governor,  302. 
Annapolis,  battle  near,  214. 
Amie,  Queen,  proclamation  of,  309; 
popularity  of  the  name  in  Virginia, 
309.  ' 

Appomattock,  Queen  of,  31,  35. 
Archer,  member  of  Council,  63  ;  is  ar- 
rested by  Smith,  65. 
Argall,  Samuel,  56  ;  takes  Pocahontas 
prisoner,  93 ;  expels  the  Acadians, 
108  ;  sails  up  the  Hudson,  108 ;  ap- 
pointed Governor,  111  ;  his  rapacity 
and  treatment  of  Brewster,  112  ;  his 
character,  112. 

"gall's  Gift,  one  of  the  original  bor- 
ighs,  115. 
Tton,  the  Earl  of,  obtains  a  grant 
'  Virginia,  233  ;   provisions  of 
o,  233. 

^nedict,   invades  Virginia, 

nres    and    burns    Rich- 

"eturns  to  Portsmouth, 

ve  visited  America 

render    of    the 


Assembly,  General.    {See  Burgesses.) 
Attorney,  mercenary,   laws  in  refer- 
ence to,  203,  204. 
Axacan,  the  Indian  name  for  North 
Carolina,  1. 

Bacon,  Nathaxiel,  his  origin  and  tem- 
perament,   238-240;   proclaimed  a 
rebel,   242 ;  defeats  the  Indians  at 
Bloody  Rim,  243  ;  is  arrested,  245  ; 
his  interview  with  Berkeley,  246  ; 
his  submission,  248,  249  ;   escapes, 
257  ;  returns,  259  ;  his  violence,  260, 
261  ;  appointed  General.  262  ;  again 
declared  a  rebel,   264  ;    at  Middle 
Plantation,     271  ;    at    Jamestown, 
278  ;  seizes  the  wives  of  the  Berke- 
ley-men and    places    them  on   his 
earthworks,  279-281 ;  defeats  Berke- 
ley and  burns  Jamestown,  282  ;  his 
violence   in  Gloucester,   285,   286  ; 
his  death,  286  ;  the  question  of  the 
cause  of  Ins  death,  286,  287  ;  burial, 
288 ;  character,  288-292. 
Bacon,  Nathaniel,  Sr.,  draws  up  Ba- 
con's confession  of  guilt,  247  ;  Lieu- 
tenant-Governor, 301. 
Baptists,  persecution  of,  221,  222,  337, 
391  ;  the  first  churches,  390  ;  ardor 
of  the,  390  ;  in  1774,  392  ;  their  hos- 
tility to  the  Establishment,  392-394. 
Baltimore,  CecUius  Calvert,  Lord,  col- 
onizes Maryland,  177. 
Baltimore,  Sir  George  Calvert,  Baron, 
visits  Virginia,    176 ;   reception   by 
the  people,  177  ;  obtains  a  grant  of 
Maryland  and  dies,  177. 
Barber,  Gabriel,  "Dust  and  Ashes," 

146. 
Batte,  Henry,  visits  western  Virginia, 

234. 
Beaujeu,  De,  attacks  Braddock,  350  ; 

is  killed,  351. 
Beimet,  Richard,  Governor,  his  mod- 
eration, 201. 


512 


INDEX, 


Berkeley,  Sir  William,  Governor,  182  ; 
his  character  and  courteous  man- 
ners, 1S2-1S4  ;  persecutes  the  Puri- 
tans, 184 ;  their  opinion  of  him, 
184 ;  captures  Opechancanough, 
18G  ;  his  reply  to  Stuyvesant,  189, 
190  ;  befriends  the  Cavalier  exiles, 
183,  191,  19'2  ;  deposed,  199  ;  rein- 
stated, 217  ;  offers  to  declare  for 
Charles  II.  before  the  Restoration, 
217,  218  ;  the  "servant  of  the  As- 
sembly," 190,  219 ;  suppresses  the 
Oliverian  Plot,  221 ;  his  report  of 
the  condition  of  Virginia  in  1670, 
224-22G;  denounces  schools  and 
printing,  22G ;  indignation  of  the 
people  against,  235  ;  proclaims  Ba- 
con and  Iris  followers  rebels,  242 ; 
concessions  of,  to  the  people,  244  ; 
arrests  Bacon,  245 ;  their  inter- 
views, 246,  260 ;  takes  refuge  in 
Gloucester,  265  ;  in  Accomac,  266  ; 
executes  Carver,  277 ;  captures 
Jamestown,  278  :  defeated  by  Ba- 
con, 281,  282  ;  executes  Wilford  and 
Farlow,  293  ;  insults  Mrs.  Cheese- 
man,  293  ;  executes  Drummond, 
294;  his  bloody  proceedings,  295; 
retiu'ns  to  England  and  dies,  296 ; 
contrasts  in  his  character,  296,  297. 

Berkelej',  birthplace  of  President 
Harrison,  148.' 

Bermuda  Hundred  founded,  91. 

Bermuda  Islands,  superstitions  in  re- 
gard to,  2  ;  wTeck  of  the  Sea-Ven- 
ture upon,  58 ;  the  scene  of  tlie 
"Tempest,"  58,  59;  included  in 
Virginia,  113. 

Beverley,  Major  Robert,  refuses  to 
surrender  the  Journals,  and  is  fined 
and  imprisoned,  299. 

Beverley,  Robert,  the  historian,  his 
opinion  of  Smith,  79 ;  description 
of  Harvey,  165. 

Bickerton's,  Captain,  festivities  at, 
373. 

Blair,  James,  commissary  of  Virginia, 
brings  charges  against  Nicholson, 
303  ;  secures  the  charter  of  William 
and  Mary  College,  305 ;  appointed 
first  President,  306 ;  his  personal 
appearance  and  character,  308. 

Bland,  Giles,  sent  to  Accomac,  and 
captured,  274,  276  ;  executed,  295. 

Bland.  Richard,  his  personal  appear- 
ance, 406  ;  member  of  Committee  of 
Safety,  435  ;  of  first  Congress,  420. 

BlanJford  Church,  333. 

Blair,  John,  Lieutenant-governor,  400. 

Bloody  Run,  defeat  of  Indians  at,  by 
Bacon,  243. 

Boroughs,  the  original,  115. 


Botetourt,  Norbome  Berkeley,  Lord, 
Governor,  400  ;  dissolves  the  Bur- 
gesses, 401  ;  deatli  and  character 
of,  '402,  403. 

Boucher,  Rev.  Mr.,  his  testimony  as  to 
tlie  treatment  of  slaves  in  the  Col- 
onies, 367. 

Braddock,  General  Edward,  sent  to 
Virginia,  his  plans,  345 ;  his  char- 
acter, 345  ;  arrives  at  Cumberland, 
347  ;  lus  march  tlrrough  the  Great 
Woods,  348 ;  is  attacked  near  Fort 
Duquesne,  defeated  and  falls,  350- 
353  ;  his  death,  354. 

Brandon,  said  to  have  visited  Amer- 
ica, circ.  A.  D.  600,  3. 

Braxton,  Carter,  member  of  Commit- 
tee of  Safety,  435. 

Bruton  Church,  333. 

Bucke,  Rev.  Mr.,  wrecked  in  Sea- 
Venture,  60 ;  minister  at  James- 
town, 110  ;  chaplain  of  first  Assem- 
bly, 115. 

Buhit,  Captain,  saves  the  remnant  of 
Grant's  forces,  357. 

Burgesses,  House  of,  the  first,  115  ; 
appearance  in  session,  152  ;  regula- 
tions of,  170 ;  recognition  of,  by 
Charles  I.,  184  ;  depose  Harvey, 
166 ;  action  of,  on  the  death  of 
Charles  I.,  193;  the  "representa- 
tives of  the  people,"  202  ;  under 
the  English  Conamon wealth,  202  ; 
depose  Matthews,  206  ;  reinstate 
him,  207  ;  reinstate  Berkeley,  219  , 
a  scene  in  the,  in  1676,  250-254 ; 
their  resolute  protest,  299 ;  their 
altercations  with  Spotswood,  312 ; 
royal  recognition  of  authority  of, 
383;  appearance  of  in  1765,  384, 
385  ;  the  last  under  the  royal  au- 
thority, 432. 

Burr,  Aaron,  trial  of,  483 ;  charges 
against,  483  :  is  discharged,  484. 

Burwell,  Lewis,  Lieutenant-Governor, 
his  accomplishments,  407. 

Burwell,  Miss,  persecution  of,  by  Gov- 
ernor Xicholson,  303. 

Butler,  Nathaniel,  his  "  Unmasked 
Face  of  Virginia,"  130. 

B}-rd,  William,  of  Westover,  visits 
Spotswood  at  Germanna,  319-333  ; 
founds  Richmond  and  Petersburg,, 
329,  330  ;  his  personal  appearand je 
and  character,  362,  363  ;  his  woTks 
and  epitaph,  ^  .^,  363. 

Cabell,  William,  member  of  CC'mmit- 
t-«;e  of  Safety,  435. 

Cabot,  John,  lands  on  the  Continent 
and  claims  it  in  the  naixte  of  Eng- 
land, 3. 


INDEX. 


515 


Digges,  Dudley,  member  of  Commit- 
tee of  Safety,  435. 

Digges,  Edward,  Governor,  205. 

Dinwiddie,  Robert,  Governor,  sends 
Washington  as  his  envoy  to  the 
French,  341. 

Dippers,  the,  of  the  Valley,  323. 

Dissenters,  bill  for  exempting,  444. 

Drake,  Sir  Francis,  succors  the  Roan- 
oke colonists,  6 ;  circumnavigates 
the  world,  11. 

Drayton,  Michael,  his  salute  to  the 
adventurers,  17  ;  to  George  Sandys, 
139. 

Drummond,  250  ;  an  adviser  of  Ba- 
con, 263  ;  suggests  the  deposition  of 
Berkeley,  2(38 ;  his  interview  with 
Bei-keley,  294  ;  is  executed,  294. 

Drummond,  Sarah,  her  decision  of 
character,  273  ;  appeals  to  the  king, 
29G. 

Drj'sdale,  Hugh,  Governor,  his  rose- 
colored  report  of  Virginia,  329. 

Ducking-stools  to  be  erected,  222. 

Dunmore,  John  Murray,  Earl  of,  Gov- 
ernor, his  character,  403  ;  his  un- 
popularity, 417  ;  dissolves  the  Bur- 
gesses, 418  ;  elegance  of  Lady,  417  ; 
ball  in  honor  of  his  family,  418  ; 
marches  to  the  Ohio,  422  ;  his  quar- 
rel with  Lewis,  425  ;  incites  the  In- 
dians against  the  Virginians,  426  ; 
seizes  the  powder,  430  ;  proposes  to 
arm  the  negroes,  431 ;  abandons  the 
capital,  434  ;  ravages  the  coast,  435- 
437 ;  bums  Norfolk  and  is  driven 
from  Virginia,  437. 

Duquesne,  Fort,  Braddock's  campaign 
against,  345-353 ;  Grant's  attack 
on,  357  ;  blown  up  and  captured, 
357. 

Dutch,  intrusion  of  on  the  soil  of  Vir- 
ginia, 189. 

Effi]s:gham,  Lord  Howard  of.  Gover- 
nor, 300  ;  concludes  a  treaty  with 
the  Mohawks  and  returns  to  Eng- 
land, 301. 

Elizabeth,  Queen,  names  Virginia,  2. 

Emory  and  Henry  College  established, 
88. 

Entails,  attack  of  Jefferson  on,  444 ; 
the  real  objection  to  the  system  of, 
445  ;  agrarianism  of  modern  oppo- 
nents of,  445  ;  abolition  of,  446. 

Fairfax,  Thomas,  Lord,  inherits  the 
Northern  Neck,  327  ;  his  early  life, 
342  ;  at  Greenway  Court,  342. 

Farlow,  Captain,  executed  by  Berke- 
ley, 293. 

Fauquier,  Francis,  Governor,  dissolves 


the  Burgesses,  388;  his  death  and 
character,  400. 

Federalists  and  Republicans,  480. 

Felons,  the  first  sent  to  Virginia,  119  ; 
Jeff  ersoia's  statement  of  the  number 
of  up  to  1787,  228,  229  ;  insignifi- 
cance of  the  element  in  Virginia, 
229. 

Ferrar,  Nicholas,  Treasurer  of  the 
London  Company,  arrested  by 
James  I. ,  130 ;  his  monastic  estab- 
lishment at  Little  Gidding,  130. 

Flower  of  Hmidreds,  one  of  the  orig- 
inal boroughs,  115,  151. 

Forbes,  General,  captures  Fort  Du- 
quesne, 357. 

Fordyce,  Captain,  liis  gallantry  at 
Great  Bridge,  436. 

Fouace,  Rev.  Mr.,  assaulted  by  Gov- 
ernor Nicliolson,  303. 

Fowler,  Attorney  General,  insulted 
by  Governor  Nicholson,  302. 

France  m  the  New  World,  4,  107,  340  ; 
her  claims,  340,  341. 

Franchise,  history  of  legislation  in 
regard  to  the,  in  Virginia,  222-224. 

Franklin,  Benjamin,  writes  a  ballad 
on  the  fate  of  Theach  the  pirate, 
317  ;  appomted  postmaster  by  Spots- 
wood,  317  ;  Ixis  advice  to  Braddock, 
346. 

Friends,  the  persecution  of  and  their 
friends,  221  ;  settle  in  the  Valley, 
326  ;  tlieir  marriages,  324  ;  hostility 
to  the  Establishment,  392,  394. 

Gabriel's  Insurrection,  485. 

Gage,  General,  his  estimate  of  the  ac- 
tion of  Virginia,  389. 

Gates,  Sir  Thomas,  Lieutenant-Gov- 
ernor, 56  ;  is  wrecked  on  the  Ber- 
mudas, 58  ;  arrival  in  Virginia,  80 ; 
sails  for  England,  but  returns  and 
receives  Lord  Delaware,  83. 

Gazette,  the  Virginia,  notice  of  col- 
lege proceedings  in,  306 ;  the  first 
newspaper  in  Virginia,  330  ;  charac- 
ter of  its  matter,  330. 

Germanna,  Spotswood's  settlement  of, 
319  :  Colonel  Byrd's  description  of, 
319,320. 

Germans  of  Palatines,  the,  sent  over 
by  Queen  Anne,  319  ;  excellent  char- 
acter of,  320. 

German  settlers,  the,  in  the  Valley, 
323 ;  their  manners  and  customs, 
.324. 

Gilbert,  Sir  Humphrey,  his  voyage 
and  death,  5. 

Glebes  of  the  Church,  act  directing 
the  sale  of  the,  444. 

Gloucester,   scenes  of  the  Great  Re- 


516 


INDEX. 


bellion  in,  2G5,  266,  283-286;  the 
place  of  Bacou's  death,  2SG. 

Gold  Fever,  the,  at  Jamestown,  42. 

Goocli,  William,  Governor,  329  ;  com- 
mands Virginia  troops  at  Cartha- 
gena,  320. 

Gookin,  Daniel,  driven  from  Virginia, 
as  a  Puritan,  becomes  eminent  in 
New  England,  172. 

Gosnold,  Bartholomew,  makes  the 
first  direct  voyage  across  the  At- 
lantic, 13  ;  the  originator  of  Virginia 
colonization,  13  ;  his  death,  24. 

Grant,  Major,  cut  to  pieces  near  Fort 
Duquesne,  357. 

Grasse,  Count  de,  462  ;  arrives  in  the 
Chesapeake,  464  ;  is  visited  by  Wash- 
ington, 4G5 ;  repulses  Admiral 
Graves,  464,  465. 

Graves,  Admiral,  repulsed  by  De 
Grasse,  464,  465. 

Great  Bridge,  action  at,  436. 

Great  Meadows,  Washington's  surren- 
der at,  344  ;  Braddock's  death  and 
burial  at,  354. 

Greenspring,  the  residence  of  Sir  Wil- 
liam Berkeley,  183,  199 ;  headquar- 
ters of  Bacon,  279. 

Greenway  Court,  the  residence  of 
Lord  Fairfax,  settlers  around,  327  ; 
Braddock  stops  at,  347. 

GrenviUe,  Sir  Richard,  foimds  the  Ro- 
anoke settlement,  6 ;  dies  fighting 
the  Revenge,  7. 

Gwran's  Island,  Dmunore  driven 
from,  437  ;  the  place  a  lazar-house, 
437. 

Hakluyt,  Richard,  11,  13. 

Halket,  Sir  Peter,  killed  near  Fort 
Duquesne,  352. 

Hamilton,  Alexander,  commands  the 
right  assaulting  party  at  Yorktown, 
468,  469. 

Ilarailton,  Governor  of  Canada,  sur- 
renders Vincennes  to  General 
Clarke,  453  ;  sends  Simon  Girty  to 
attack  Wheeling,  453. 

Hammond,  Colonel,  takes  refuge  in 
Virginia,  191. 

Hammond,  John,  author  of  "Leah 
and  Rachel,"  expelled  from  the 
Burgesses,  202. 

Kamor,  Raphe,  his  antecedents  and 
"  Discovirse  of  Virginia,"  138;  the 
confidant  of  Rolfe,  95 ;  his  singular 
mission  to  Powhatan,  98  ;  defends 
his  house  during  the  massacre,  127  ; 
his  piety,  138. 

Hanipden  Sydney  College  founded, 
488. 

Hansford,  Colonel,  evacuates  James- 


town, 278 ;  is  captured  and  hung  by 
Berkeley,  293. 

Harrison,  Benjamin,  his  personal  ap- 
pearance, 406 ;  member  of  first  Con- 
gress, 420. 

Harvey,  Sir  John,  Governor,  his  char- 
acter, 165 ;  grounds  of  hostility  of 
Virginians  to,  165;  the  "thrustmg 
out "  of,  166 ;  is  reinstated  by 
Charles  I.,  166. 

Hatcher,  William,  sentenced  to  beg 
pardon  on  his  knees,  203. 

Henrico,  University  of,  lands  for,  142. 

Henricus,  Dale's  City  of,  91,  92,  143. 

Henrietta  Maria,  her  intention  of  seek- 
ing refuge  in  Virginia,  228. 

Henry,  Bishop  of  London,  fust  Chan- 
cellor of  William  and  Mary  College, 
306. 

Henry,  Patrick,  his  descent,  228,  379  ; 
his  early  life,  380  ;  appears  against 
the  parsons,  382 ;  his  resolutions 
against  the  Stamp  Act,  385,  386  ;  de- 
scription of  his  orator}',  386 ;  his 
great  outburst  in  the  Burgesses, 
387  ;  importance  of  his  action,  388  ; 
his  protest  against  the  religious  per- 
secutions, 391  ;  member  of  first 
Congress,  420 ;  his  declaration  of 
Americanism,  421 ;  proposes  to  arm 
the  militia,  427  ;  his  prophecj^,  428  ; 
exaggerations  in  connection  with, 
387, 428  ;  marches  on  Williamsburg, 
432 ;  appomted  commander-in-chief 
of  the  Virginia  forces,  435 ;  chosen 
iu'st  repxiblican  Governor,  440  ;  pro- 
posal to  make  him  Dictator,  448 ; 
denounces  the  Federal  constitution, 
475  ;  his  death,  481  ;  his  piety,  482. 

Hill,  Colonel  Edward,  denounced  as 
"a  devil,"  203;  defeated  by  the 
Ricahecrians,  208. 

Hite,  Joist,  settles  the  lower  Valley, 
323. 

Honeywood,  Sir  Philip,  takes  refuge 
in  Virginia,  191. 

Huguenots,  the,  settle  at  St.  Augus- 
tine, 4  ;  at  MannakintowTi,  309  ;  ex- 
cellent character  of,  309. 

Hunt,  Rev.  Robert,  first  minister  in 
Virginia,  13,  20 ;  his  death,  GO  ;  his 
high  character,  333. 

Indeppnt)ence,  resolutions  instructijjg 
th.;  Virginia  delegates  to  propose, 
438  ;  the  Declaration  of,  441  ;  of  the 
United  States,  recognized  by  Great 
Britain,  472. 

Indians,  the  Virginia  ;  their  conver- 
sion a  cherished  object,  12  ;  Smith's 
portrait  of  them,  26 ;  their  usages, 
27  ;  religion  and  selection  of  priests, 


INDEX. 


517 


28,  29;  names  of  the  seasons,  30; 
of  the  months  and  their  festivals 
and  ceremonies,  31 ;  ruled  b}'  wom- 
en, 31 ;  college  tor  children  of,  110  ; 
expeditious  against  directed  by  law, 
150 ;  they  attack  the  colony,  12i, 
186,  241 ;  treaties  with,  08, 187  ;  bat- 
tles with,  208,  2-13 ;  not  to  hold  of- 
fice, 310 ;  mission  at  Christanna, 
313,  314 ;  outrages  by,  on  frontier, 
355,  350  ;  defeated  finally  at  Point 
Pleasant,  423,  424. 

Ingram,  General,  succeeds  Bacon, 
292;  surrenders,  294. 

Insurrections,  servile,  the,  485 ;  origin 
of  unknov.'n,  486. 

Jackson,  Andrew,  tradition  of  his 
birthplace,  325. 

Jackson,  Gen.  Thomas  J.,  feeling  of 
the  country  at  intelligence  of  his 
death,  504. 

James  I.  grants  the  three  Virginia 
charters,  14,  56,  113  ;  his  obstinacy, 
16  ;  hostility  to  Sandys,  118  ;  sends 
felons  to  Virginia,  119  ;  his  covmter- 
blast  to  tobacco,  145  ;  liis  struggle 
with  the  Company,  129-132 ;  his 
death,  133. 

James  II.,  accession  of,  300;  hostil- 
ity to  tliQ  Virginians,  300  ;  sends 
Monmouth's  followers  to  Virguiia, 
300  ;  excitement  occasioned  by  his 
attacks  on  the  Church,  301. 

James  City,  one  of  the  original  bor- 
oughs, 115  ;  another  name  for 
Jamestown,  152. 

James  River,  the  new  name  for  the 
Powhatan,  19 ;  the  Great  Virginia 
highway,  149. 

Jamestown,  landing  of  the  English  at, 
19  ;  present  appearance  of,  19 ;  at- 
tack upon,  21;  '"in  combustion," 
37  ;  destroyed  by  fire,  41 ;  confusion 
and  famine  at,  45,  48 ;  in  1609,  76, 
77  ;  horrors  ox  the  starving  time  at, 
79,  80  ;  abandoned,  82  ;  scene  at, 
on  the  arrival  of  Delaware,  83 ; 
scenes  at,  during  the  Great  Rebel- 
lion, 245-202,  277-282;  burned  by 
Bacon,  282. 

Japazaws  betrays  Pocahontas,  93. 

Jelierson,  TJiomas,  his  descent  and 
early  lii'e,  407  ;  his  opinion  of  Henry, 
406  ;  cliaracter  and  political  views 
of,  408  ;  laughs  at  his  own  family, 
408;  his  "Summary  View,"  409; 
author  of  the  Declaration  of  Inde- 
pendence, 440  ;  attacks  the  Church 
Establishment  and  entails,  442-446 ; 
his  aims  as  stated  by  himself,  446 ; 
elected  Governor,  455  ;  leaves  Rich- 


mond :  charges  against,  457 ;  es- 
capes from  Tarleton,  460 ;  the 
"Apostle  of  Democracy,"  478; 
President  of  United  States,  483. 

Jetfries,  Herbert,  Governor,  299. 

Johnson,  Professor,  of  William  and 
Mary  College,  proceeded  against  for 
marrying,  307. 

Jumonville,  De,  killed  near  Great 
Meadows,  344. 

Kaskaskia,     surprised     by    General 

Clarke,  451. 
Kendall,   George,   prosecutes   Smith, 

22  ;  conspires  to  escape,  24,  25 ;  is 

shot,  25. 
Kent,   Isle    of,   settlement    upon   by 

Claj'borne,  179 ;  seized  by  Calvert, 

179. 
Kentucky  Resolutions,  the,   of  1798, 

480. 
Kiquotan,   or  Hampton,   one  of  the 

original  boroughs,  115. 
Kiwassa,  the  One  alone  called,  28,  29, 

30. 
Knights  of  the  Horseshoe,  order  of, 

instituted  by  Spotswood,  315. 

Lafayette,  the  Marquis  de,  sent  to 
command  in  Virginia,  458 ;  his  an- 
tecedents, 458 ;  attacks  Petersburg, 
459 ;  retreats  before  Cornwallis, 
459 ;  offers  battle,  460 ;  attacks  at 
Jamestown,  461  ;  hems  in  Lord 
Cornwallis,  and  commands  the 
right  at  Yorktown,  404,  467. 

Landholders,  the  small,  similar  to  the 
English  yeomen,  368  ;  their  cordial 
relations  with  the  planter  class,  368  ; 
independence  and  personal  pride 
of,  369. 

Laramore,  Captain,  275  ;  betrays 
Bland,  276. 

Lawne's  Plantation,  one  of  the  origi- 
nal boroughs,  115. 

LawTcnce,  said  to  be  the  real  author 
of  Bacon's  Rebellion,  240,  250,  254 ; 
his  portrait,  255  ;  escapes,  294. 

Lee,  Richard,  sent  by  Berkeley  dur- 
ing the  Commonwealth,  to  confer 
with  Charles  II.,  218. 

Lee,  Richard  Henry,  his  antecedents, 
originates  the  Committee  of  Corre- 
spondence, 410 ;  member  of  first 
Congress,  420  ;  his  oratory  and 
personal  appearance,  410;  author 
of  the  Address  to  the  People  of  the 
Colonies,  421  ;  moves  the  Declara- 
tion, 440. 

Lee,  General  Robert  E.,  feelhig  of  the 
country  at  intelligence  of  his  death, 
504. 


518 


INDEX. 


Lee,  Thomas  Ludwell,  member  of 
Committee  of  Safety,  435. 

Lee,  William,  Sheriff  of  Loudon,  21S. 

Leigh,  Beiijamiu  Watkins,  Virginia 
Commissioner  to  South  Carolina, 
489, 

Lewis,  General  Andrew,  his  antece- 
dents, character,  and  personal  ap- 
pearance, 4'J2  ;  commands  at  the 
battle  of  Point  Pleasant,  423,  424 ; 
his  quarrel  with  Danmore,  425, 42G  ; 
drives  Dmimore  from  Virginia,  437. 

Lewis,  Jolm,  settles  the  upper  VaUey, 
325. 

Lief,  supposed  to  have  landed  m  New 
England,  3. 

Literature  of  Virginia,  the,  in  the 
Plantation  period,  133-140;  its 
character,  140 ;  in  the  Colonial  pe- 
riod, 358-3G4 ;  its  character,  359, 
360 ;  in  tiie  nineteenth  century, 
490-498  ;  general  character  of,  497, 
498. 

Logan,  murder  of  family  of,  the  cause 
of  the  Indian  uprising,  422. 

Loudoun,  Fort,  at  Winchester,  356. 

Ludwell,  Colonel  Philip,  captures 
Bland,  276  ;  marries  L.idy  Berke- 
ley, 270  ;  denomices  the  rebels,  298. 

Lunsford,  Sir  Tiiomas,  takes  refuge 
in  Virginia,  191. 

Lutherans  of  Valley  of  Virginia,  323. 

Lynn,  Friar  of,  said  to  have  reached 
the  North  Pole,  3. 

Madison,  James,  Ins  descent,  229  ;  the 
leader  of  the  party  in  favor  of  the 
Federal  Constitution,  470. 

Madoc,  Prince  of  Wales,  his  supposed 
discovery  of  America,  3. 

Magellan  circmnnavigates  the  world, 
11. 

Maids,  the,  sent  to  Virginia,  119  ;  their 
husbands  to  purchase  them,  120 ; 
regulations  in  regard  to,  121 ;  the 
result  of  the  scheme,  122. 

Mails  in  Virginia,  in  1738,  317. 

Makemie,  Francis,  first  licensed  Pres- 
bj-terian  Minister  in  Virginia,  338. 

Malgro,  said  to  have  visited  America, 
eirc.  A.  D.  600,  3. 

Mannakintown,  the  Huguenot  settle- 
ment, 309. 

Map  of  Virginia,  Smith's,  47. 

Marquette,  Padre,  takes  possession  of 
the  Mississippi  valley  in  the  name 
of  France,  340. 

Marriage,  the  first  English  in  Amer- 
ica, 45 ;  forbidden  professors  at 
William  and  Mary  College,  307. 

Marshall,  John,  at  Great  Bridge,  436  ; 
urges  the  adoption  of  the  Federal 


Constitution,  476 ;  presides  at  the 
trial  of  Burr,  483,  484  ;  liis  fairness, 
484. 

Martin,  John,  member  of  original 
comicil,  21,  78  ;  his  character,  63. 

Martin,  Lutlier,  counsel  for  Burr  to  be 
"muzzled,"  483. 

Martin-Brandon,  one  of  the  original 
boroughs,  115. 

Martin's  Hundred,  one  of  the  original 
borouglis,  115. 

Mary,  V/illiam  and,  proclaimed  "  Lord 
and  Lady  of  Virginia,"  301  ;  grant 
the  charter  of  William  and  Mary 
College,  305. 

Maryland,  origin  of  the  name,  178  ; 
objections  of  Virginia  to  the  settle- 
ment of,  178  ;  oath  of  the  governor 
of,  181  ;  civil  war  in,  180,  181,  209- 
215. 

Mason,  his  descent  and  character, 
229  ;  personal  appearance,  and  wit, 
411;  love  of  country,  412,  420; 
member  of  Committee  of  Safety, 
435 ;  author  of  the  Declaration  of 
Rights,  412  ;  of  the  Virginia  Consti- 
tution, 439  ;  opposes  the  adoption 
of  tlie  Federal  Constitution,  475. 

Massachusetts  recommends  a  general 
Congress,  389  ;  destruction  of  the 
tea  ni,  416  ;  outbreak  of  the  Revo- 
lution in,  429. 

Massacre,  the  Indian,  124-129. 

Matachanna,  sister  of  Pocahontas, 
103. 

Matoax,  or  Matoaca,  the  real  name  of 
Pocahontas,  103. 

Matthews,  Samuel,  Governor,  his  por- 
trait, 205  ;  persecutes  the  Puritans, 
205,  200 :  is  deposed,  206 ;  rein- 
stated, 207 ;  dies,  218. 

Maynard,  Lieutenant,  slays  Black- 
beard,  316. 

McDowell,  James,  325. 

Meade,  Bishop  William,  his  ordina- 
tion, as  Bishop,  395  ;  his  character. 
396  ;  revives  the  Episcopal  Church, 
396;  his  "Old  Churches  of  Vir- 
ginia," 493. 

Mennonists  in  the  Valley,  323. 

Mercer,  James,  member  of  Committee 
of  Safety,  435. 

Methodism,  the  rise  of,  334 ;  a  mission- 
ary movement  in  the  Church, 
Whitefield's  definition  of,  335;  in 
Virginia,  337. 

Middle-Plantation,  scene  there  dur- 
ing the  Great  Rebellion,  267-272; 
oath  taken  at,  271  ;  capital  removed 
to,  304. 

Military  Institute,  Virginia,  founded, 
4S8. 


INDEX. 


519 


Millwood,  settlers  aroimd,  327. 

Miuute-Meii,  the  Virginia,  327,  428; 
motto  of  tlie  Culpeper,  436. 

Monacal!  Country,  Newport's  Expedi- 
tion to,  47. 

Monmouth,  followers  of,  sent  to  Vir- 
ginia as  indented  servants,  300. 

Monroe,  James,  his  descent,  229. 

Morquez,  Don  Pedro  de,  enters  the 
Chesapeake,  4. 

Momit  Desert,  settlement  at,  de- 
stroyed by  Argall,  108. 

Mount  Vernon,  origin  of  the  name, 
329. 

Nansemonu,  supposed  settlement  of 
Puritans  in,  173. 

Nantaquaus,  brother  of  Pocahontas, 
95,  103. 

Navigation  Laws,  204,  230-232. 

Neale,  Thomas,  authorized  to  estab- 
lish a  postal  system  in  America, 
317. 

Necessity,  Fort,  Washington's  surren- 
der at,  344  ;  Braddock's  death  and 
burial  at,  354. 

Necotowaiice,  "King  of  the  Indians," 
treaty  with,  187. 

Negroes,  the  first  brought  to  America, 
123  ;  not  to  hold  office,  310. 

Nelson,  Captain  Francis,  of  the  Phoe- 
nix, 42,  43. 

Nelson,  Secretary,  at  Yorktovni,  468. 

Nelson,  General  Thomas,  his  personal 
appearance,  400  ;  his  decision,  438  ; 
Governor  and  commander  of  Vir- 
ginia troops,  464  ;  fires  on  the  Nel- 
son House,  468. 

Nelson,  William,  Lieutenant-Gover- 
nor, 403. 

New  England,  settled,  189 ;  pastors 
from,  in  Virginia,  172;  sjnnpathy 
witli  English  Commonwealth,  194  ; 
attitude  of,  toward  the  Revolution, 
375. 

New  Lights,  The,  331 ;  their  hostility 
to  the  Establishment,  336  ;  perse- 
cution of,  336 ;  effect  of  preaching 
of,  337. 

Newport,  Christopher,  18,  40 ;  his 
character,  41 ;  crowns  Powhatan, 
47 ;  expeditions  of,  41,  47 ;  Vice- 
Adrairal,  56. 

Nicholas,  Robert  Carter,  406. 

Nicholson,  Francis,  Governor,  301  ; 
his  outrages,  302  ;  passion  for  Miss 
Burwell,  and  absurd  proceedings, 
303  ;  charges  brought  against,  303  ; 
removes  the  capital  to  Williams- 
burg, 304 ;  plans  the  imion  of  all 
the  colonies  under  himself,  304 ; 
fulsome  address  on   the  accession 


of  Anne,  310  ;  his  after  life  and 
character,  308. 

Nonsuch,  settlement  of,  66,  142. 

Norfolk,  biu-ned  by  Dmimore,  437. 

North,  Frederick,  Lord,  his  wit,  402 ; 
offers  the  "Olive  Branch,"  432; 
retires,  472. 

North  Carolina,  Indian  naine  of,  1 ; 
attempt  to  establish  a  Jesuit  mis- 
sion in,  4. 

Northern  Neck,  grant  of,  232  ;  inher- 
ited b}^  Fairfax,  327. 

Norwood,  Colonel,  takes  refuge  in  Vir- 
ginia, 190  ;  sent  to  Charles  II.,  by 
Berkeley,  191  ;  his  description  of 
the  Cavalier  exiles,  192. 

Okee,  28  ;  sucks  the  blood  of  children, 
29. 

Old  Capitol,  the,  397. 

Old  Chapel,  the,  329. 

Old  Dominion,  the,  supposed  origin 
of  the  name  of,  218. 

Old  Magazine,  the,  397  ;  removal  of 
powder  from,  430 ;  explosion  at, 
433. 

"Olive  Branch,"  the,  432,  433. 

Oliveriau  Plot,  the,  character  and  re- 
sult of,  220,  221. 

Opechancanough  captures  Smith,  34 ; 
is  captured  by  him,  52  ;  petitions 
the  Assembly,  117  ;  tradition  relat- 
ing to,  125  ;  j>lans  and  executes  the 
massacre  of  1622,  125,  126 ;  again 
attacks  the  colony,  and  is  taken 
prisoner,  186  ;  his  message  to  Berke- 
ley and  death,  187. 

Opequon  Church,  one  of  the  oldest  in 
tlie  valley,  323. 

Opitchapan  succeeds  Powhatan,  104  ; 
Wyat's  battle  with,  163,  164;  de- 
posed, 125. 

Orange,  divided  into  Frederick  and 
Augusta,  326. 

Orapax,  place  of  Powhatan's  burial, 
105. 

Ordinance  and  Constitution  ..  ^-1 , 
its  provisions,  118. 

Orkney,  Lord,  Governor,  310. 

Page,  Johx,  of  Rosewell,  author  of 
"  A  Deed  of  Gift,"  360. 

Page,  John,  Governor,  his  opposition 
to  Dunmore,  430  ;  member  of  Com- 
mittee of  Safety,  435 ;  defends  the 
Church  Establishment,  443. 

Pamunkey,  Queen  of,  lier  appearance 
before  the  Burgesses,  252-254. 

Parsons'  Cause,  the,  381,  382. 

Patroons,  The  New  York,  their  splen- 
dor of  living,  369. 

Pendleton,  Edmund,  descent,  political 


520 


JNDEX. 


views,  personal  appearance  and  ora-  i 
tory  of,  -29,  413,  414  ;  the  conserva- 
tive revolutionist,  415 ;  member  of 
first  Congress,  4l20 ;  President  of 
Convention,  427  ;  of  Committee  of 
Safety,  435 ;  author  of  the  resolu- 
tions for  independence,  438 ;  de- 
fends the  Church  and  entails,  443- 
446;  President  of  Convention  to 
consider  Federal  Constitution,  475  ; 
President  of  Court  of  Appeals,  and 
death,  394. 

Percy,  George,  17  ;  his  description  of 
the  fever  of  1G07,  23  ;  offers  to  cut 
the  throats  of  Smith's  enemies,  55  ; 
chosen  President,  07  ;  his  ill  health 
and  want  of  energy,  77,  79,  88. 

Phillips,  General,  invades  Virginia, 
and  captures  Petersburg,  458  ;  Jef- 
ferson's characterization  of,  459  ; 
death  and  place  of  burial,  459. 

Phillips,  the  Marauder,  hung  for  trea- 
son, 455. 

Pillories  to  be  erected,  222. 

Pitt,  William,  his  views  on  America, 
388 ;  opinion  of  the  first  Congress, 
421. 

Planters,  characteristics  of  the  class, 
309-372  ;  their  attitude  toward  the 
Revolution,  377,  378. 

Pleasant,  Point,  battle  at,  423,  424. 

Pocahontas,  preserves  the  life  of 
Smith,  35  ;  his  description  of,  30 ; 
succors  the  colony,  38  ;  her  masquer- 
ade, 40 ;  warns  the  English  of  an 
attacli  to  be  made  on  them,  51  ;  the 
question  of  the  rescue,  71-73 ;  saves 
an  English  boy,  78  ;  is  taken  prison- 
er, 93  ;  lier  conversion  and  baptism, 
97  ;  goes  with  Dale  to  the  York, 
94 ;  her  affair  with  Rolfe,  95,  96  ; 
his  letter  describing  her,  97  ;  their 
marriage,  97  ;  at  Varina,  92,  98  ;  sails 
for  England,  100 ;  her  reception, 
101 :  interview  with  Smith,  102  ;  the 
.lon  of  their  relations,  102, 103 ; 
dfetails  relating  to  her  family,  103  ; 
her  death,  103. 

Point  Clomfort,  origin  of  name,  19  ; 

duty  of  the  commandant  at,  170. 
Ponce  de  Jteon,  lands  in  Florida,  4. 
Population  of  Virginia  in  1616,  110 ; 
in  16'J2,  124  ;  in  1648,  188 ;  in  1670, 
226  ;  increase  in,  liow  to  be  account- 
ed for,  226  ;  probable,  in  1700,  309  ; 
in  1756,  3G7  ;  in  1870  and  1880,  510. 
Port  Bill,  Boston,  416  ;  proceedings  in 

Virginia  with  reference  to,  418. 
Porter,  John,  expelled  from  Assem- 
bly for  "being  loving  to  the  Qua- 
kers," 221. 
Pory,  John,  Speaker  of  first  Assembly, 


115  ;  commissioner  to  Virginia,  char- 
acter and  proceedings  of,  131. 

Postal  System,  established  in  Virguiia, 
317,  318. 

Pott,  Jolm,  Governor,  convicted  of 
cattle  stealing,  164. 

Powliatan,  the  Emperor,  first  visit  of 
the  English  to,  21  ;  his  kingdom 
and  favorite  residences,  32  ;  his  au- 
tliority,  personal  appearance,  and 
surroimdings,  35  ;  outwits  Newport, 
41  ;  crowned  under-king,  47  ;  at- 
tempts to  slay  Smith,  51  ;  executes 
the  house-builders,  55  ; . .  puts  Rat- 
cliffe  to  death,  78  ;  interview  witli 
Hamor  and  message  to  Dale,  99  ; 
abdicates,  104  ;  dies,  105  ;  his  char- 
acter, 105,  106. 

Powhatan,  original  name  of  James 
River,  19. 

Powhatan,  singular  footprints  at  tlie 
estate  of,  30. 

Powhatan's  Cliimney,  34. 

Powhatans,  the,  27. 

Presbyterians  form  a  Congregation  in 
Hanover,  336  ;  divide  into  Old  and 
New  Sides,  337,  338  ;  memorial  from 
Church  in  Hanover,  362  :  their  hos- 
tility to  the  Establishmenv,  392-394. 

Providence,  the  Puritan  name.for  An- 
napolis, 213. 

Puritans  in  Virginia,  the ;  early  im- 
migration of,  171  ;  hostility  to,  172  ; 
pastors  sent  from  Boston,  172  ;  Act 
of  Assembly  against,  172  ;  supposed 
congregation  in  Nansemond,  173  ; 
conjecture  as  to  number  in  Virginia, 
173;  persecutions  of,  173,  184;  iu, 
Maryland,  180-215. 

Pyland,  James,  prosecuted  for  rebel- 
lion and  blasphemy,  203. 

Quakers.     [See  Friends.) 

Raleigh,  Sir  Walter,  the  author  of 
American  Colonization,  6. 

Raleigh  Tavern,  398  ;  meetings  of  Bur- 
gesses at,  404,  419. 

Randolph,  Edmund,  his  descent,  229 ; 
first  Attorney  General,  440. 

Randolph,  John,  of  Roanoke,  fore- 
man of  jury  to  try  Aaron  B'rr, 
484 ;  denounces  Jackson's  Force 
proclamation,  484,  489 ;  descended 
from  Pocahontas,  104. 

Randolph,  Peyton,  President,  of  first 
Congress,  228,  420. 

Randolph  Macon  College  founded, 
488. 

Ratcliffe,  John,  President  of  Colony, 
24 ;  attempts  to  escape  and  is  ar- 
rested by  Smith,  37  ;  deposed,  45  ; 


LIBRARY  OF  CONGRESS