CHAPTER IV.
Our hero reached Jamestown late on the very morning when the couriersarrived in such rapid succession, with the startling intelligence of theIndian massacres. All night he had wandered over the peninsula, vainlyendeavouring to discover his way; light after light shot up amidst thesurrounding gloom, and more than once he had been misled by these,almost into the very clutches of the swarming savages. His heart sankwithin him as he saw plantation after plantation, in their completepossession; the illumination of their incendiary trophies lighting upthe whole surrounding country. It seemed indeed to his startled sensesas if the Indians had simultaneously risen upon and butchered the wholewhite population of the colony. With the exception of a small remnant,they had already once perpetrated the like horrible deed, and he againsaw in his imagination the dreadful scenes of that well rememberednight. Feeble old men, women and children indiscriminatelybutchered--perhaps Virginia, whom he once again dared to think of, amongthe number. True, Wyanokee had assured him otherwise, but might not thegrand council have determined upon the deed at the more appropriatetime of their nightly meeting?
As the dawning day unfolded to his view the relative bearings of thecountry, these gloomy anticipations were partly realized. Every avenueto the city, both by land and water, was crowded with people of allsexes, colours and conditions, flying to the protection of the Fort.Wagons, carts, negroes, and white bondsmen, were laden with furniture,provisions, and valuables. Ever and anon a foaming charger flew swiftlyby, bearing some Cavalier to the city, doubly armed for retributivevengeance. By these he was greeted and cheered upon his way, as well asinformed of the depredations committed in the neighbourhood whence theyhad come. From one of these also he procured a horse, and joined acavalcade of his associates and friends, proceeding to the same centreof attraction. To them also he unfolded so much of his recent adventuresas related to the general interests of the colony. Long, loud, andvindicative were their denunciations, as well of the treacherous savagesas the stubborn old man at the head of affairs in the colony.
Although evident traces of his late bodily sufferings were perceptiblein Bacon's countenance, no vestige of his mental hallucinations on oneparticular theme was perceived; his mind was intently occupied upon theall absorbing topic of common safety. As they proceeded together to thecity, it was proposed to him to assume the command of a volunteerregiment, which they undertook to raise as soon as they arrived inJamestown. His military talents and daring bravery were already wellknown by most of his associates, but he doubted whether he was the mostproper person in the colony to assume so responsible a command. As tohis own personal feelings, never did fortune throw the chance ofhonourable warfare more opportunely in the way of a desperate man. True,it would have come still more seasonably twenty-four hours sooner, butthen he would only have been better qualified for some desperate deed ofpersonal daring, not for a command upon which hung the immediate fate ofall the colonists, and the ultimate supremacy of the whites in Virginia.He promised, however, to accede to their proposal, provided, after theregiment was raised, in which he must be considered a volunteer, themajority cheerfully tendered him their suffrages. He stated thehostility of the Governor to him personally, without enlightening themas to its most recent cause; but they were now as resolute upondisregarding the feelings and wishes of Sir William, as he had alreadyshown himself in disregarding their own. In short, they resolved at onceto assume that authority to protect their lives and property, which theynow felt, if they had never before known, was an inalienable right. Herewas sown the first germ of the American revolution. Men have read theable arguments--the thrilling declamations, the logical defence ofnatural and primitive rights, which the men of '76 put forth to theworld, with wonder at the seeming intuitive wisdom that burst sosuddenly upon the world at the very exigency which called it intoaction. But in our humble opinion, the inception of these noblesentiments was of much earlier date--their development not so miraculousas we would like to flatter ourselves. Exactly one hundred years beforethe American revolution, there was a Virginian revolution based uponprecisely similar principles. The struggle commenced between therepresentatives of the people and the representatives of the king. Theformer had petitioned for redress, "time after time,"--remonstranceafter remonstrance had been sent in to Sir William Berkley, but he wasdeaf to all their reasonable petitions. The Cavaliers and citizens ofthe colony now arrived at the infant capital, resolved to take uponthemselves as much power as was necessary for the defence of life,freedom, and property. While the gathering multitude flocked to theState House and public square in immense numbers, Bacon alighted at theBerkley Arms, in order to change his dress, and before he joined them,perform one act of duty which it would have been difficult for him tosay whether it was anticipated with most pain or pleasure. It was avisit to Mrs. Fairfax and her daughter. He walked immediately from thehotel to the quarters usually occupied by the servants of the Fairfaxfamily, in hopes of finding O'Reily--to despatch for his effects, whichhe supposed he could not obtain in person, without suddenly andunpreparedly exposing himself to the notice of the family. But the housewas silent as the tomb! No gently curling smoke issued from the chimney;no cheering light broke in at the windows; all was dark, noiseless, anddesolate. The domestic animals still lingered around their accustomedhaunts, apparently as sad in spirit as he who stood with his arms foldedgazing upon the deserted mansion. The streets were indeed crowded withthe eager and tumultuous throng, but after the first unsuccessful essayat the door of the servant's hall, he had passed round into the gardenof the establishment, and stood as we have described him, a melancholyspectator of the painful scene. There hung Virginia's bird cage againstthe casings of the window, perhaps placed by her own hands on themorning of the unfortunate catastrophe, but the little songster waslying dead upon the floor. The blooming flowers around her windows hungin the rich maturity of summer, but seemed to mock the desolation aroundwith their gay liveries. The dogs indeed lazily wagged their tails athis presence, and fawned upon him, but they too, slunk away insuccession, as if conscious of the rupture which had taken place in hisrelations with the family.
What a flood of tender recollections rushed upon his memory as he stoodthus solitary in the flower garden of her who was the sole object of hisyouthful and romantic dreams, and gazed upon the well knownobjects,--each one the memento of some childish sport or pleasure. Theretoo stood the shaded seats and bowers of more mature adventures,redolent of the richest fruits and flowers, and teeming with thehallowed recollection of love's young dream. Nor were tears wanting tothe memory of that early friend and patron who had given him shelter inhis helpless days, from the cold neglect and inhospitality of the world,and thus, perhaps, saved him the degradation of a support at the publicexpense. These softened and subdued emotions humanized the savage moodwhich sprung up from similar reminiscences on a previous occasion. Thecurrent of his feelings had been changed by a single ray of hope. Thefountain was not now wholly poisoned, and the sweet water turned to galland bitterness. The scene therefore, painful and melancholy as it was,produced beneficial results. But he marvelled that the house should beso totally deserted. He supposed that the lady and her daughter might besojourning for a time with the Governor, but what had become of theirnumerous domestics? They too could not be quartered at the gubernatorialmansion. And above all, what had become of his own Hibernian follower?Certainly, he was not thus provided for. He knew his privilegedservant's warm partialities and hatreds too well to believe that he hadaccepted any hospitality from his master's bitterest enemy. At thatmoment a servant of the Berkley Arms was passing, and having called himinto the garden, Bacon raised a window leading to his own apartments,procured such of his garments as he most needed, and despatched them tothe hotel. When he had encased himself in these, somewhat to his ownsatisfaction (and most young Cavaliers in those days wore their garmentsafter a rakish fashion) he sallied out to perform the duty which he feltto be most incumbent on him. He knocked at the door of Sir WilliamBerkley's man
sion, with very different feelings from any he had beforeexperienced on a similar occasion. The relations so lately discovered toexist between himself and those for whom his visit was intended, as wellas his feelings toward those who had the right of controlling in somemeasure the persons admitted to visit at the mansion, awakened anxiousthoughts not little heightened by the anticipation of meeting Beverly,with whom an unexpected interview promised few agreeable emotions. Thefamily seemed determined too that he should have the benefit of allthese reflections, from the length of time they kept him standing in thestreet. At length the porter opened the door with many profoundinclinations of the head, still standing however full within theentrance, and continuing his over wrought politeness. "Is Mrs. Fairfaxwithin?" was the inquiry.
"She is dead! may it please your honour!"
"Dead!" uttered Bacon with a hoarse and trembling voice. "When and how?"
"His Excellency has just received the news--she was murdered last nightat his country seat by the Indians."
"Was Miss----was his niece there also?" he asked with a bewildered doubtwhether he had better inquire any further.
"No, Sir, she lies ill of a fever up stairs. Dr. Roland scarcely everleaves her room, except to tell Master Frank the state of his patient."
"I will enter for a moment and speak a few words with the good doctor."
"Pardon me, your honour, it gives me great pain to refuse any gentlemanadmittance, but my orders are positive from Sir William himself to admitno one to the sick room, and above all not to admit your honour withinthese doors. I have over and over again turned away Miss Harriet, whoseems as if she would weep her eyes out, poor lady, at my youngmistress' illness and the Governor's cruelty, as she calls it."
"I see you have a more tender heart than your master; here is gold foryou, not to bribe you against your duty or inclinations; but you willfully earn it by informing Dr. Roland that Mr. Bacon wishes to speakwith him for five minutes at the Arms, upon business of the lastimportance."
"I will tell him, sir; but I do not think he will go, because he hashimself given the strictest injunctions that your name shall not bewhispered in the room, or even in the house. No longer than thismorning, sir, she heard them announce the death of her mother downstairs. Her hearing is indeed extraordinary, sir, considering her sopoorly. Since that she has been much worse."
Bacon did not choose to expose himself to the chance of insult anylonger by meeting some of the male members of the family, he thereforetook his departure from the inhospitable mansion, and skirted round theunfrequented streets, in order to avoid the immense multitude collectedin the square and more frequented passages. He could hear the shouts andcheering which echoed against the houses as he proceeded, but little didhe imagine that they welcomed his own nomination to the responsiblestation of commander to the colonial forces. His intention was toproceed to the Arms, and there await the arrival of the doctor; but heno sooner entered the porch than he was seized by the hand in the wellknown and sympathizing grasp of Dudley.
While the friends were yet uttering their words of greeting, and beforethey had propounded one of the many questions which they desired to ask,Bacon was seized under each arm with a rude, but not disrespectfulfamiliarity--saluted by the title of General, and borne off toward thestate house in spite alike of remonstrances and entreaties.
It was with great difficulty they could gain the square, so dense wasthe barricade of ox carts loaded with furniture, and wagons throngedwith negro children; while families in carriages and on horseback, andthousands of the multitude promiscuously huddled together, increased thedifficulty of making way. Since he had heard the startling news of thedeath of Mrs. Fairfax, his mind was more than ever bent upon joining theproposed expedition; and had it not been for the interruption to theanticipated meeting with the Doctor, no one could have appeared upon therostrum with greater alacrity.
The contumaceous conduct of the Governor toward the respectfulremonstrances and petitions of the citizens, and more especially hisunwarranted and disrespectful treatment of himself, recurred to his mindin good time. He mounted the rude platform hastily erected in front ofthe state house, burning with indignation, and glowing withpatriotism.[2] "He thanked the people for the unexpected and unmeritedhonour they had just conferred upon him. He accepted the office tenderedto him with alacrity, and none the less so that yonder stubborn old manwill not endorse it with his authority, and sanction our proceedingunder the ordinary forms of law. What has produced this simultaneousexplosion in the colony? What are the circumstances which can thus arrayall the wealth, intelligence and respectability of the people againstthe constituted authorities. Let your crippled commerce, your taxed,overburdened and deeply wronged citizens answer? The first has beenembarrassed by acts of parliament, which originated here, the mostsevere, arbitrary and unconstitutional, while your citizens both gentleand hardy, have been enormously and indiscriminately taxed in order toredeem your soil from the immense and illegal grants to unworthy andsometimes non-resident favourites.
[Footnote 2: This is an abstract of the speech really delivered byBacon.]
"There was a time when both Cavalier and yeoman dared to be free; whenyour assembly, boldly just to their constituents, scrupled not tocontend with majesty itself in defence of our national and charteredrights. But melancholy is the contrast which Virginia at this timepresents. The right of suffrage which was coeval with the existence ofthe colony, which had lived through the arbitrary reign of James, andwith a short interruption through that of the first Charles, which wasagain revived during the commonwealth, and was considered too sacred tobe touched even by the impure hands of the Protector, is nowsacrilegiously stolen from you during a season of profound peace andsecurity.
"The mercenary soldiers, sent from the mother country at an immenseexpense to each of you, fellow-citizens, where are they? Revelling uponthe fat of the land at distant and unthreatened posts, while ourfathers, and mothers, and brothers, and sisters, are butchered in coldblood by the ruthless savage. Where is now the noble and generousFairfax, the favourite of the rich and the poor? Where his estimable andbenevolent lady? Murdered under the silent mouths of the rusty cannonwhich surmount yonder palisade. Look at his sad and melancholy mansion,once the scene of generous hospitality to you all--behold its desertedhalls and darkened windows. But this is only the nearest evidence beforeour eyes--within the last twenty-four hours hundreds of worthy citizenshave shared the same fate.
"Shall these things be longer borne, fellow-citizens?"
"No! no! no!" burst from the multitude--"down with the Governor, andextermination to the Indians."
He continued. "Already I see a noble band of mounted youths, the sons ofyour pride and your hopes--flanked by a proud little army of hardiercitizens; from these I would ask a pledge, that they never lay downtheir arms, till their grievances are redressed."--
"We swear--we swear," responded from all, and then, three cheers forGeneral Bacon, made the welkin ring. At this juncture the trumpet, drum,and fife, were heard immediately behind the crowd, and a party of theroyal guard, some fifty in number, halted upon the outskirts of theassemblage, while their officer undertook to read a proclamation fromthe Governor, ordering the mob, as he was pleased to style the meeting,to disperse under penalty of their lives and property. The _army of thepeople_, already getting under arms, immediately commenced an evolutionby which the temporary commander of the mounted force would have beenthrown directly fronting the guard, and between them and the multitude.Bacon saw the intended movement, and instantly countermanded the orders,"Let the people," said he, "deal with this handful of soldiers; we willnot weaken our force, and waste our energies by engaging in intestinebroils, when our strength is so much called for by the enemies of ourrace upon the frontiers." The suggestion was immediately adopted; beforethe hireling band could bring their weapons to the charge, the multitudehad closed in upon them, and disarmed them to a man. This accomplished,they were taken to the beach, in spite of the remonstrances of many o
fthe more staid and sober of the Cavaliers and citizens, and theresoundly ducked. Very unmilitary indeed was their appearance, as theywere marshalled into battle array, all drooping and wet, and thusmarched to the music of an ignominious tune to the front of theGovernor's house.
The frantic passion of Sir William Berkley can be more easily imaginedthan described. He saw that he was left almost alone--that thosecitizens most remarkable for their loyalty had deserted him. Howeverwilful and perverse, he saw the necessity of making temporaryconcessions, although at the same time more than ever bent upon summaryvengeance against the most conspicuous leaders of the opposing partywhenever chance or fortune should again place the real power of thecolony in his hands. At present he felt that he was powerless--the verymeans which he had taken to thwart and provoke the people now becamethe source of the bitterest regret to himself, namely--sending themercenary soldiers of the crown to distant posts on fictitiousemergencies. He resolved therefore to disguise his real feelings untilthe departure of the popular army, when he could recall his own regulartroops, and thus take signal vengeance upon such of the agitators asshould be left behind, and thence march immediately to the subjugationof the force commanded by Bacon. Scarcely had the presence of thedripping guard, as seen through his window, suggested these ideas,before an opportunity offered of putting in practice his temporaryforbearance.
A committee was announced, at the head of which was Mr. Harrison, hisformer friend and supporter--they were the bearers of a conciliatoryletter from General Bacon. In this letter the young commander in chief,in accordance with the suggestions of the older Cavaliers, respectfullyannounced his election to the command of the volunteer army, andconcluded by requesting the Governor to heal all existing breaches bysanctioning his own appointment, as well as that of the appended list ofyoung Cavaliers, to the various stations annexed to their names; andthat no delay might occur in the pursuit of the enemy, an immediateanswer was requested. The stout old Cavalier was ready to burst with illsuppressed rage as he marked the cool and respectful tone of thisepistle, coming from one he most cordially detested and despised, bothon public and private grounds.
The committee waited until he had penned his answer, which was cold andformal, but polite. In it he declined signing the commissions in theabsence of the council, but promised to convene it early on the ensuingday, when he stated that he would despatch a courier after the army, ifthe council thought proper to approve of the popular proceedings. Hepromised also to dismantle the distant forts, and immediately to call inthe foreign troops for the defence of the capital.
With this answer, the committee, he to whom it was addressed, and thepopulace were well satisfied. It really promised more than they hadexpected of the obstinate old Governor. Little did they dream of thelurking treachery in the old man's heart, much less did they trulyinterpret the equivocal language contained in the note itself,concerning the foreign soldiers, and the defence of the capital. Littledid they imagine that they themselves were the foes against whom heproposed to employ the mercenaries.
The army now took up its line of march across the bridge, amidst thecheers and blessings of the multitude; men, women, and childrenfollowing them to the boundaries of the island.
Part of the force was sent up the river in sloops, in order toco-operate with the main army in their design of driving the tribesscattered along the water courses of the peninsula, to a common pointof defence, and thus forcing them, if possible, into an open, general,and decisive engagement. The youthful commander in chief was intimatelyacquainted with all the localities between the seat of government, andthe falls of the river, (where Richmond now stands,) and he veryingeniously arranged his forces by land and water, so that he might atthe same time drive the treacherous enemy before him through thepeninsula, and avoiding a premature battle, concentrate the enemy at thepoint already indicated. It was with this general view, that one part ofhis force was now sent up the river, while the other pursued the routebetween the Chickahominy and the Pamunky rivers. These general viewswere discussed, and the plan decided upon at a council of war, held onthe main land, immediately after the troops had passed the bridge. Baconhaving imparted to Charles Dudley, his Aid-de-Camp, such orders as theemergency required, turned his horse's head again toward the bridge, andretraced his steps to Jamestown.