pioneers of the old south-第27章

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He　was　as　goodor　as　badas　his　word。　At　the　first　show　of　action　against
his　workmen　these　royalist　women　were　placed　in　the　front　and　were　kept
there　until　Bacon　had　made　his　counter…line　of　defense。　Sir　William
Berkeley　had　great　faults；　but　at　timesnot　alwayshe　displayed　chivalry。
For　that　day　〃the　ladies'　white　aprons〃　guarded　General　Bacon　and　all　his
works。　The　next　day；　the　defenses　completed；　this　〃white　garde〃　was　withdrawn。

Berkeley　waited　no　longer　but；　though　now　at　a　disadvantage；　opened　fire
and　charged　with　his　men　through　gate　and　over　earthworks。　The　battle　that
followed　was　short　and　decisive。　Berkeley's　chance…gathered　army　was　no
match　for　Bacon's　seasoned　Indian　fighters　and　for　desperate　men　who　knew
that　they　must　win　or　be　hanged　for　traitors。　The　Governor's　force　wavered
and；　unable　to　stand　its　ground；　turned　and　fled；　leaving　behind　some　dead
and　wounded。　Then　Bacon；　who　also　had　cannon；　opened　upon　the　town　and　the
ships　that　rode　before　it。　In　the　night　the　King's　Governor　embarked　for
the　second　time　and　with　him；　in　that　armada　from　the　Eastern　Shore；　the
greater　part　of　the　force　he　had　gathered。　When　dawn　came；　Bacon　saw　that
the　ships；　large　and　small；　were　gone；　sailing　back　to　Accomac。　Bacon　and
his　following　thus　came　peaceably　into　Jamestown；　but　with　the　somewhat
fell　determination　to　burn　the　place。　It　should　〃harbor　no　more　rogues。〃
What　Bacon；　Lawrence；　Drummond；　Hansford；　and　others　really　hopedwhether
they　forecasted　a　republican　Virginia　finally　at　peace　and
prosperouswhether　they　saw　in　a　vision　a　new　capital；　perhaps　at　Middle
Plantation；　perhaps　at　the　Falls　of　the　Far　West；　a　capital　that　should　be
without　old；　tyrannic　memoriescannot　now　be　said。　However　it　all　may　be；
they　put　torch　to　the　old　capital　town　and　soon　saw　it　consumed；　for　it　was
no　great　place；　and　not　hard　to　burn。

Jamestown　had　hardly　ceased　to　smoke　when　news　came　that　loyalists　under
Colonel　Brent　were　gathering　in　northern　counties。　Bacon；　now　ill　but
energetic　to　the　end；　turned　with　promptness　to　meet　this　new　alarm。　He
crossed　the　York　and　marched　northward　through　Gloucester　County。　But　the
rival　forces　did　not　come　to　a　fight。　Brent's　men　deserted　by　the　double
handful。　They　came　into　Bacon's　ranks　〃resolving　with　the　Persians　to　go
and　worship　the　rising　sun。〃　Or；　hanging　fire；　reluctant　to　commit
themselves　either　way；　they　melted　from　Brent；　running　homeward　by　every
road。　Bacon；　with　an　enlarged；　not　lessened　army；　drew　back　into
Gloucester。　Revolutionary　fortunes　shone　fair　in　prospect。　Yet　it　was　but
the　moment　of　brief；　deceptive　bloom　before　decay　and　fall。

At　this　critical　moment　Bacon　fell　sick　and　died。　Some　said　that　he　was
poisoned；　but　that　has　never　been　proved。　The　illness　that　had　attacked　him
during　his　siege　of　Jamestown　and　that　held　on　after　his　victory　seems　to
have　sufficed　for　his　taking　off。　In　Gloucester　County　he　〃surrendered　up
that　fort　he　was　no　longer　able　to　keep；　into　the　hands　of　that　grim　and
all…conquering　Captaine　Death。〃　His　body　was　buried；　says　the　old　account；
〃but　where　deposited　till　the　Generall　day　not　knowne；　only　to　those　who
are　resolutely　silent　in　that　particular。〃

With　Bacon's　death　there　fell　to　pieces　all　this　hopeful　or　unhopeful
movement。　Lawrence　might　have　a　subtle　head　and　Drummond　the　courage　to
persevere；　Hansford；　Cheeseman；　Bland；　and　others　might　have　varied
abilities。　But　the　passionate　and　determined　Bacon　had　been　the　organ　of
action；　Bacon's　the　eloquence　that　could　bring　to　the　cause　men　with
property　to　give　as　well　as　men　with　life　to　lose。　It　is　a　question　how
soon；　had　Bacon　not　died；　must　have　failed　his　attempt　at　revolution；
desperate　because　so　premature。

Back　came　Berkeley　from　Accomac；　his　turbulent　enemy　thus　removed。　All　who
from　the　first　had　held　with　the　King's　Governor　now　rode　emboldened。　Many
who　had　shouted　more　or　less　loudly　for　the　rising　star；　now　that　it　was　so
untimely　set；　made　easy　obeisance　to　the　old　sun。　A　great　number　who　had
wavered　in　the　wind　now　declared　that　they　had　done　no　such　thing；　but　had
always　stood　steadfast　for　the　ancient　powers。

The　old　Governor；　who　might　once　have　been　magnanimous；　was　changed　for　the
worse。　He　had　been　withstood；　he　would　punish。　He　now　gave　full　rein　to　his
passionate　temper；　his　bigotry　for　the　throne；　and　his　feeling　of　personal
wrong。　He　began　in　Virginia　to　outlaw　and　arrest　rebels；　and　to　doom　them
to　hasty　trials　and　executions。　There　was　no　longer　a　united　army　to　meet；
but　only　groups　and　individuals　striving　for　safety　in　flight　or　hiding。
Hansford　was　early　taken　and　hanged　with　two　lieutenants　of　Bacon；　Wilford
and　Farlow。　Cheeseman　died　in　prison。　Drummond　was　taken　in　the　swamps　of
the　Chickahominy　and　carried　before　the　Governor。　Berkeley　brought　his
hands　together。　〃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！〃　Not　in　half　an　hour；　but　on　the　same　day　he　was　hanged；
imperturbable　Scot　to　the　last。　Lawrence；　held　by　many　to　have　been　more
than　Bacon　the　true　author　of　the　attempt；　either　put　an　end　to　himself　or
escaped　northward；　for　he　disappears　from　history。　〃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　ankledeep。〃
They　〃were　thought　to　have　cast　themselves　into　a'　branch　of　some　river；
rather　than　to　be　treated　like　Drummond。　〃Thus　came　to　early　and　untimely
end　the　ringleaders　of　Bacon's　Rebellion。　In　all；　by　the　Governor's
command；　thirty…seven　men　suffered　death　by　hanging。

There　comes　to　us；　down　the　centuries；　the　comment　of　that　King　for　whom
Berkeley　was　so　zealous；　a　man　who　fell　behind　his　colonial　Governor　in
singleness　of　interest　but　excelled　him　in　good　nature。　〃That　old　fool；〃
said　the　second　Charles；　〃has　hanged　more　men　in　that　naked　country　than　I
have　done　for　the　murder　of　my　father！〃

That　letter　which　Berkeley　had　written　some　months　before　to　his　sovereign
about　the　〃waters　of　rebellion〃　was　now　seen　to　have　borne　fruit。　In
January；　while　the　Governor　was　yet　running　down　fugitives；　confiscating
lands；　and　hanging　〃traitors；〃　a　small　fleet　from　England　sailed　in；
bringing　a　regiment　of　〃Red　Coates；〃　and　with　them　three　commissioners
charged　with　the　duty　of　bringing　order　out　of　confusion。　These
commissioners；　bearing　the　King's　proclamation　of　pardon　to　all　upon
submission；　were　kinder　than　the　irascible　and　vindictive　Governor　of
Virginia；　and　they　succeeded　at　last　in　restraining　his　fury。　They　made
their　report　to　England；　and　after　some　months　obtained　a　second　royal
proclamation　censuring　Berkeley's　vengeful　course；　〃so　derogatory　to　our
princely　clemency；〃　abrogating　the　Assembly's　more　violent　acts；　and
extending　full　pardon　to　all　concerned　in　the　late　〃rebellion；〃　saving　only
the　arch…rebel　Baconto　whom　perhaps　it　now　made　little　difference　if　they
pardoned　him　or　not。

But　with　this　piece　of　good　nature；　so　characteristic　of　the　second
Charles；　there　came　neither　to　the　King　in　person　not　to　England　as　a　whole
any　appreciation　of　the　true　ills　behind　the　Virginian　revolt；　nor　any
attempt　to　relieve　them。　Along　with　the　King's　first　proclamation　came
instructions　for　the　Governor。　〃You　shall　be　no　more　obliged　to　call　an
Assembly　once　every　year；　but　only　once　in　two　years　。　。　。　。　Also
whensoever　the　Assembly　is　called　fourteen　days　shall　be　the　time　prefixed
for　their　sitting　and　no　longer。〃　And　the　narrowed　franchise　that　Bacon's
Assembly　had　widened　is　narrowed　again。　〃You　shall　take　care　that　the
members　of　the　Assembly　be　elected　only　by　freeholders；　as　being　more
agreeable　to　the　custom　of　England。〃　Nor　is　the　grant　to　Culpeper　and
Arlington　revoked。　Nor；　wider　and　deeper；　are　the　Navigation　Laws　in　any
wise　bettered。　No　more　than　before；　no　more　indeed　than　a　century　later；　is
there　any　conception　that　the　child　exists　no　more　for　the　parent　than　the
parent　for　the　child。

Sir　William　Berkeley's　loyalty　had　in　the　end　overshot　itself。　His　zeal
fatigued　the　King；　and　in　1677　he　was　recalled