Mr Bacons
Towne Im-

24 coming to

prisoning

Grand

the maner of obteyning

Mr Bacons

actions are vseually attended with worse) he getts the dis-
contented rabble togeather, and with them resolued to putt
himselfe, once more on the stage, and on yo xxith day of
June he entred James Towne, with 400 foot, & 120 horse,
sett guards att the state howse, kept the Govern, Councell
and Burgesses prisoners, and would suffer none to pass in tembly.
or out of Towne, and haveing drawne vp all his forces to
the very doore & windows of the state howse, he demanded
a Commission to be Gen" of all the forces that should be
raised dureing the Indian Warr, he and all his souldiers
crying out Noe Levies, Noe Levies. The Assembly
acquainted him they had taken all possible care for carry-
ing on yR Indian Warr at the easiest charge that could be,
that they had redressed all theire Complaints, and desiered
that for sattisfaccon of the people, what they had don might
be publickly read, Mr Bacon answered there should be noe
Laws read there, that he would not admitt of any delays,
that he came for a Comission, and would imediately have
itt, therevpon sending his souldiers into y° State howse,
where the Govern: Councell & Burgesses were sitting and
thretning them with fyer and sword iff itt was not granted,
his souldiers mounting their Guns ready to fyer, Soe that
for feer all would be in a flame, the Councell and Burgesses
Joyned in a request to the Govern! to grant Mr Bacon such
a Comission as he would have, the Govern? declaired he
would rather loose his life then consent to the granting such
vnreasonable things as he demanded, but for prevencon of
that ruin, which was then thretned vpon their second
request, Order was given for such a Comission as Mr Bacon
would have himselfe, and according to his own dictates.
The next morning the (forced) Comission was delivered to
him, and the Assembly judged he was fully answered, and
soe were in hopes they should without restraint proceed in
dispatch of ye publick affaires, but now Mr Bacon haveing
a Comission, shews himselfe in his cullers, and hangs out
his flagg of defiance (that is) Imprisoning severall loyall

his Comis-
sion.

Gent, and his rabble vsed reproachfull words of the Govern! (not calling to mind the eminent seruices he hath don, not onely in takeing prisoner ye great Indian Emperour Opechauckenough, makeing tributary all the Neighbouring Indians, without the loss of any English blood, and maineteyning peace for many yeares amongst them) Mr Bacon alsoe with his guard forceably entred amongst the Burgesses, and demanded that severall p'sons who had beene active in obeying the Govern comands, should be made vncapable of beareing any publick office, and for that he was informed the Govern had lately supplicated his May for aid to suppress the tumulto's, itt should be contradicted by the grand Assembly & Letters writt to y Kings Ma in favour of his proceedeings: he also required order against Cap Gardner (who then was his prisoner) for seventy pounds sterl. for his sloope, when in truth she was not worth thirty pounds. The Burgesses answered they were not Cost of Iudicature, and that the Courts were open from whome he might expect Justice. Att this he swore his vseuall Oath (God dam his blood) he would have their order for the 701 These thretnings and compulcons being vpon them, the Assembly granted what ever he demanded, soe that itt was imagined he & his souldiers would martch out of Towne, yett they continued drinking and domineereing, the fronteere Countys being left with very little force, and the next day came the sad news that y Indians had that morning killed Eight people within thirty Myles of towne, in the familys of some of them that were with Mr Bacon, yett they hastned not away, but the next day haveing forced an Act of Indemnity, and the Assembly being att the Burgesses request disolued, Mr Bacon after fower days stay, marched out of Towne. Thus Mr Bacon haveing his Comision, men, Armes, & provision, gave out he would goe agt the Indians, but that (as itt now plainly appeareth) was the last of his thoughts, and in steed of y marched to Gloc Rappahanock & those p'ts. and the

better to bring about his wicked designes, he takes away the horses, Armes & Amunicon of those that were not affected to his illegal proceedeings, and Imprisoned Maj: Lawrance Smith & Maj Tho. Hawkins (p'sons. of good courage & conduct & great sufferers by the Indians, who by Comission from the Govern? were raiseing forces to goe against the Indians,) vpon pretence that they were raiseing men against him, (which is altogether false.)

Maje Smith

& Majr Haw

kins Im

prisoned.

ern' goes

to Glock

Countys

The Govern findeing Mr Bacon made noe dispatch out ag the Indians, in that a Month was neere expired since he had his Comission, and sad Complaints being made of the horrid murders dayly comitted by the Indians, att least a hundred being masacred since M2 Bacon assumed all the power to himselfe, The Govern! therevpon went to Gloc! The GovCounty, being incouraged thereto by S: Henry Chichley, who informed him of the loyalty, and readiness of the people of those p'ts, and soe he resolued if he could possibly raise a force, to goe out agt the Indians. Att the Govern being in Gloc: the Inhabitants there Complained Glo of the many insolencys comitted by Mr Bacons souldiers, of peticon. their being disarmed, by which they their wives & Children were expoased to the cruelty of the mercyless Indians, who were dayly seene in their plantacons. Wherevpon they petitioned for protection, agt those insolencys of M2 Bacons men, and that those few Armes which was remaineing amongst them, might not be forced from them and they left helpless, Which peticon the Govern: most willingly granted, Adding that Mr Bacon had noe other Comission, but with armed men he extracted from the Assembly, which in effect was not otherwise, then if a Theife should take his purse, and make him owne he gave itt freely. Now Mr Bacon haveing att least 700 horse, and 600 foot well Armed, and two Months provision att the charge of the Country, Vnderstanding that the Govern was in Gloc where he would have what assistance, they there could possibly make, gave out that the Govern? was raise

M Bacon

coms to yo

in

Midle plan

tacon.

T

Mr Bacon

declairs the Govern & severall others Tray

tors.

of ye shipps in James River.

ing forces agt him, thereby enrageing those yt were with him, and haveing stopped all intelligence, he left the fronteere Countys expoased to the fury of the Indians, and on the xxixth day of July came to the midle plantacon within seven Myles of James Towne, and haveing taken possession of the forts in James and yorke Rivers, sent severall p'tys of horse, to fetch in, and secure those that oppoased his proceedeings, and takeing example by the late Tyrant Crumwell, he most audaciously proclaimed the Govern and the severall p'sons hereafter named, Traytors to the Cominality (viz1) S: Henry Chichley, Coll. Spencer, Coll. Bridger, Coll. Ludwell, Mr Ballard, Mr Bray, & Coll. Cole, all which are of the Councell, togeather with Coll. Kemp, Coll. Wormelye, Maj? Beverley, Maj: Lee, Coll. Claiburne, Coll. West, Maj: Hawkins, Cap: ffarrell, Mr Sherwood, Mr Whitacre, Mr Cluffe, Mr Page, & Mr Reede, All which p'sons he required to surrender themselues to him att the Midle plantacon within fower days, vpon forfeiture of their estates, In the mean time Mr Ballard & Mr Bray were taken prisoners, onely Mr Ballard had liberty to walke about vpon his p'oll, (Mr Bacon as is conceived intending to pay him. in p'olls the 200", ster' he owes him) This being noysed caused the Govern? to withdraw to Accomack, and severall of the Gent before named are alsoe withdrawne from the rage and fury of the tumult, but their estates are confiscated as delinqts

On the first day of August, Mr Bacon confederateing with one Mr Bland a great fomentor of, and a very busy The takeing p'son in these troubles, dispatched att least 300 men, vnder the comand of Bland and one Carner, to take the shipps in James River, viz: the honnor & dorothy, John Moore Comander, and the Rebecca Capt Larrimore Comander, which shipps after some resistance were taken, & Cap! Larrimore imprisoned for fyering ag them. On board which shipps they have taken severall great Guns from the fort att James Towne, and were fitted to take the shipp Rebecca,

Christopher Eveling Comander, not onely to prevent all
intelligence for England, and for that Cap Eveling did tell
Mr Bacon to his face, he was a Rebell, & named him Oliver
Bacon, as alsoe for that itt was imagined the Govern &
some of the above named Gent! were aboard yt ship, Capt
Eveling haveing refused to p'mitt severall of Mr Bacons
souldiers to come Armed on board, who were sent with his
Warr to serch that ship, all which was crime enough in
his opinion to make her a prize to him, if she had not
timely escaped by some private informacon which was given
to Cap: Eveling. Mr Bacon alsoe Issued forth his warrants,
comanding ma[ny] of the Gent of the Country to attend
on him, to whome after the oath of Allegience, he tendreth
another Oath, that they sh [ould] not take vp or bare any
Armes by any authority, either out of England or else.
where, agt him, but shall be true to him, & the Cominality,
Which oath if any refuse to take, they are declaired Malig-
nants and their estates seized, p'ticulerly S" Henry Chichley & Henry
was on the Eighth day of August for refuseing that oath, prisoned.
taken prisoner, and he and severall others sent to Mehick-
son fort.

Chichley Im

Mr Bacon did that day himselfe take possession of the Greene Spring, and the Govern estate there, And the The Govestate of Maj Gen Smith, Thomas Ludwell Esq and seized. Coll. parke, are alsoe seized.

Dureing M Bacons thus Lording itt, and seizeing the estates of such as he terms Traytors to the Cominality, in which & in revelling & drinkeing most of his forces were imployed, The Indians takeing aduantage of these civill comotions, have comitted many horred murders, in most part of the Country, which is altogeather vnable to resist them, theire Armes & Amunicon being seized by Mr Bacons rabble for feere they should be imployed agt him, and dayly murders were comitted not onely in the fronteere Countys, but in y° inward Countys, for within the last ffive days before Cap Evelings Sayleing, ffifteene of the English

ern's estate